The Willie Harris
Gospel Singers
Got A Feeling This month we review
the new CD by
The Willie Harris Gospel Singers
out of Chicago, Illinois. The new CD is titled Got A Healing.
On the whole this release from
The Willie Harris
Gospel Singers is worthy of being in your
collection. We give
The Willie Harris Gospel Singers'
Got A Healing an 8 out of 10. To order this project contact the group at
773-651-9778. Click on the title to hear Take
It To The Lord In Prayer.
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Soteria Management and
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All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form.
The Willie Harris Gospel Singers
were organized in 1997. They recorded their first CD in 1998 on the
Surfine label. They went on to record Don't Stoop To the Devil's
Level and Hey Backsliders God Want To Take You Back on the
Gospel Truth Record label. They are currently on the Ophir Records label.
The members of the group have remained essentially the same as when the group
was formed. The current members are Rev. Willis Harris, Vincent L.
Chappelle, Sr., Betty Chappelle, John Harper, Lawrence Brown, Randy L. Berry,
Sr., and Timothy Lil Tim Henderson. The fact that there have not been
any significant personnel changes within the group is reflected in their music.
The singers interact exceptionally well on each song. Their timing as they blend
their voices is outstanding. And, the musicians never overshadow the
vocals.
The group certainly has a unique sound and style. All of their recordings
are rooted in traditional gospel quartet music, yet you will notice a touch of
blues and a dab of contemporary being prominent on some of the songs.
There are 15 tracks on this project, but only 10 songs. The recoding
begins with a thirty-thee seconds intro of I Still Remember.
The first complete track is So Good. This mid-tempo song
reminds us of how Good God has been to us and that we should never forget to say
thank you Jesus. The next song is Take It To The Lord.
There is a powerful message in this ballad. No matter what is going on in
your life, take it to the Lord and the vehicle to do so is by Prayer. The
arrangement to this song is one of the best on the CD and the background harmony
is just right.
The title song, "Got A Healing," is next. This is followed
by another thirty-thee seconds of I Still Remember on the CD it
is referred to as an Interlude. "Been A Change"
is the next song. The background harmony is not as tight on this song as
on others. However, the message conveyed by the song is one that everyone
should take to heart, particularly if there has been a change (in the right
direction) in your life.
The full version of "I Still Remember" is next. This will
probably be considered the drive song on the project. As you listen, you
might find yourself waiting to hear Rev. Harris shout lets go to church.
You can feel a lot of energy on this song. The song is only three (3)
minutes in length. We would suspect that a live performance of this song is much
longer.
"No Day" is the next song. This is followed by "Kick
The Habit." This song was also on the Hey Backsliders God
Want To Take You Back project. On that project it is titled "Jesus
Can Help You Kick The Habit." The new version of this song has a
much fuller sound (base guitar and keyboard) than the pervious version. This is
followed by another thirty-thee seconds of I Still Remember on
the CD it also is referred to as an "Interlude."
"Fade It Way" is the next song. Each song on this project
has a good message, but the message in this song stands out from among the
others. Maybe it is because of the arrangement or the smooth background harmony
that emphasis the message contained in this song. Whatever the reason, it
is a song that deserves your attention.
"Backslider," the title song from
Hey Backsliders God Want To Take You Back,
is the next song. This is followed by "Jesus Said It."
The title may be the same as one of
Doc McKenzie and The Hi-lites
song, but it is not Docs. Listen closely to how the lead singers interact with
each other. The song showcases the depth of the vocal talents of the lead
singers.
Next is a minute and forty-two seconds of a reprise of "Take It To The
Lord." The final track on the CD is twenty-nine seconds of I
Still Remember. It is referred to as the "Outro."