MusicScribe

News Nuggets: 12-5-25 #2

David Bruce Murray — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:00:54 +0000

NEWS NUGGETS

Brian Free announced the departure of Jake Anglin from his trio Assurance. Baritone singers interested in auditioning for the open spot are asked to send 2 or 3 songs, a bio, and a photo by email to brianfreemusic@comcast.net or by regular mail to PO Box 26, Winston, GA 30187.

A Riverview, Michigan-based trio that has been billed as “Brian, Jack and Jamey” in recent months announced the group will be known as Salvation’s Song going forward.

Daywind Publishing announced the addition of Adina Bowman to their roster of songwriters.

The Palmetto State Quartet announced its return. Former group members Woody Beatty, Brian Beatty, and Rick Fair will be joined by Anthony Roberts in this version. The group name has been dormant since it was retired twelve years ago by then owner Larry Strickland.

Chris Blue, winner of the 2017 season of NBC’s The Voice, donated artifacts from that experience to the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee on Wednesday. The artifacts will be in the museum’s permanent collection.

Daniel Mount announced he will relaunch his website Southern Gospel Journal in January. Mount’s site was a popular blog from 2006 to 2014, but this time around, the format will be a podcast. Mount plans to highlight artists as well as individuals who work behind the scenes in Southern Gospel music.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please pray for Southern Gospel DJ Randall Hamm who is recovering from a heart attack and subsequent surgery for a pacemaker. Hamm posted a message on Wednesday thanking his family and friends for quickly getting him the help he needed.

NEW RELEASES

There are no new releases this week.

Click HERE to listen to 2025 Christmas albums.

UPCOMING RELEASES

Dates listed here typically reflect official release dates for retail and/or online outlets. Dates titles become available direct from the artists may differ.

January 1 – Jonathan Wilburn – Jesus Can (CD/digital)

January 30 – Tribute Quartet – Forever (USB/CD)

February 2026 – Evan Bradford – The Kingsmen: Then And Now (documentary film)

March 24 – Mary Beth Chapman and Steven Curtis Chapman – Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home (book)

The Inspirations – “It’s Still the Blood” (1987)

James Hales — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:15:15 +0000

With Jack’s departure from the Inspirations in early 1986, former/original lead singer, Ronnie Hutchins stepped in to fill the baritone spot. This would be Ronnie’s 3rd tenure with the group, as he first left in Spring 1969, then returned during the summer of 1970, leaving once again in May 1973, but would return 13 years later. During those 13 years, Ronnie sang with the LeFevres, then eventually moved on to sing with Willie Wynn & the Tennesseans, who would transition into the Country Music arena, as they began singing back-up for Billy “Crash” Craddock. The Tennesseans soon parted ways with Craddock, but Ronnie stayed behind, putting together a quartet called the Southern Knights, who would continue performing with Craddock until the mid-80’s. Ronnie would only remain with the Inspirations for about 2 years, as that was the agreement he made when he rejoined, due to his desire to further his education.

Along with a change in their vocal line-up, the Inspirations also changed recording studios. For the last 10 years, the Inspirations have recorded all their mainline studio albums in Greenville, South Carolina at Mark V Studios, but they decided to stay closer to home, traveling over the mountain to Ashville, North Carolina to Dawn Studios. Founded in 1977 by Eddie Swann and Richard McBrayer, Dawn Studios, which eventually added its own record label, Dawn Records, became home for such names as Squire Parsons and the Primitive Quartet, and the studio became a major hubbub for local and regional artists to record as well. By the early 90’s, the label merged with Eldridge Fox’s Hear Here Studios to form Horizon Music Group, which eventually morphed into Crossroads Label Group (which is where the Inspirations call home today). While the Inspirations never became a label group for Dawn Records, they did record at Dawn Studios for a few years, and this was their first album recorded there, with Eddie Swann serving as chief engineer. Despite moving to a different recording studio, “It’s Still the Blood” features the same musicians as their last album, with Otis Forrest playing piano, Bobby All and Mike Riddle on guitars, Tim Compton playing bass, Russell Easter on steel/dobro, and Russell Mauldin playing drums.

“It’s Still the Blood” was produced by Martin Cook, and Andy Tolbird is credited as Executive Producer. Andy had been Executive Producer for all the Inspirations’ albums between 1982-1987, but he was never credited since he was an employee of Word (Canaan’s parent company), and that was how things worked at the label. Andy left Canaan Records in March 1987 (Canaan head, Ken Harding had left as well to start his own label, New Haven Records), and since Martin really liked working with Andy, Martin hired him to finish work on the album. Also, since Andy was no longer an employee of Word, he was officially credited as Executive Producer in the album’s credits.

Archie kicks off the album with the declarative title song, “It’s Still the Blood”, which was written by Lois Gail, and published through the Inspirations’ Tuckaseigee Publishing Company. This anthem was the first single from this album, peaking at #9 in March 1988, and it still remains one of their most popular songs. The story goes that an evangelist was staying at the Inspirations motel in Bryson City, and he gave Mike Holcomb a cassette of the song and told him that the Inspirations needed to record that song. Closing in on almost 40 years since they recorded the song, it’s still highly popular and is one the group still stages pretty often. When I was in Bible College back in the early 90’s, I attended Woodland Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, NC, and sang in the choir there, and every time the choir would sing this song, that church would come alive! Those services there are precious memories for me!

The upbeat, “When They Send Down the Chariot” follows, featuring some nice steel guitar highlights, and it’s an outstanding bass feature for Mike, and a highlight of the album. Written by Squire Parsons, his own group, Squire Parsons & Redeemed, recorded the song on their 1987 album, “Jesus Will Lead Me”, and did a great job as well with their version of the song.

Slowing the pace down, Ronnie steps up to sing his first feature from the album titled, “Lord I Want To Be A Blessing”, which was another song written by Squire Parsons. This would pretty much become Ronnie’s signature song from this album, as the song really spoke the sentiment of his heart, and really seemed to be a perfect fit for Ronnie, before the tempo picks back up as Archie and Mike both tackle the Sandy Knight penned, “Fourth Man Walkin’”. Featuring some nice piano and steel guitar work, Mike showcases some nice low notes on the song as well. Though not a hit song for the Inspirations, it was a big hit for Sandy’s group, the Roy Knight Singers, charting as high as #4 in late 1986 and early 1987. In fact, the Inspirations would go on to record other songs written by Sandi in later years, and one historical fun fact is that in about 15 years, she would bring them their next #1 song…so stay tuned!

Side one closes out with an Inspirations classic, “The Next Step”. Written by Jack Campbell, the Inspirations originally recorded this song back in 1969, and Ronnie left the Inspirations just as the album was released in the Spring of that year. I always loved Ronnie’s performance on the Inspirations’ original cut of the song, and it ranks as one of my all-time favorite performances, but 18 years had passed since that original recording, and time, along with hard singing, had taken its toll on Ronnie’s voice, and he doesn’t sing with the same cut or quality as he once did (make no mistake, he still had a good vocal sound), but he and the Inspirations do a good job with the updated version of the song, and it’s an appropriate closing for the first side.

Side 2 kicks off with Troy singing the emotionally tinged, “Heaven Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Daddies”. Written by Dennis Bradley (writer of “It’ll Be Alright With Me”, “I Like the Songs Mama Sang the Best” and “In Heaven Mama’s Won’t Cry”) and published by Inspirations Quartet Music, the song mixes sentimental feelings about a dad’s place in the Christian family, along with the urgent need to pray for other daddies to come to Jesus, bringing the family full-circle, thus creating a true Christian home.

With Mike taking the lead step-out lines on the chorus, the Inspirations do a fantastic job on the “Dad” Speer penned classic, “Daniel Prayed”, which was also a hugely popular song for the Speer Family back in the 1950’s and early 60’s. A true highlight of the recording, the Inspirations first recorded the song 20 years earlier, on their 1967 album, “What a Wonderful Time” (with Troy singing the bass), and then recorded it again, almost 20 years after the release of this album, on their 2015 recording, “Pray for Me” (with Joe Brown singing the bass). The song is a unique piece of Inspirations’ history, having been recorded 3 separate times, with 3 different bass singers, all roughly 20 years apart from each other!

Continuing with the sentiment expressed in the song, “Heaven Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Daddies”, the Inspirations sing the much beloved tune, “I Want Us to be Together in Heaven”. Featuring Archie and written by a lady named, Carol Yeje, the song was hugely popular for the bluegrass group, the Principles, who initially charted the song during late 1986 and throughout 1987. The song then saw renewed excitement, as it also charted for about 4 months for the Inspirations during the first half of 1988, peaking at #24 in March 1988. To prove the power of a great song, it was also a popular tune for the Singing Cookes during this same time period as well, and it continues to be a time-honored favorite, nearly 40 years later!

The convention feel of “When All the Family Gets Home”, gets the energy ramped back up and it’s my favorite song on the album. The song was written by Squire Parsons, who recorded it 9 years later, with the Squire Parsons Trio, on the recording, “Out of Step”. I love the inclusion of the banjo on the song, as it gives the song a little different feel than most songs recorded by the Inspirations, and I always felt it had that classic Inspirations feel to it, before the album closes out with the Stamps-Baxter classic, “He’ll Hold My Hand”. The Inspirations originally recorded the song in 1966, on their second album, “Cool Water”, but it originally featured Jack Laws. After Ronnie left the Inspirations in May 1973, he joined the LeFevres and they worked up an exciting arrangement of the song on their “Happiness is Gospel” album, and the song was a huge hit for the LeFevres. While this performance by the Inspirations on this album doesn’t quite have the same punch and energy as the LeFevres version, Ronnie and the boys do a good job on the song, and its deeply comforting message is an appropriate finale for the album.

By the time this album came out in 1987, I had discovered Paul Heil’s “The Gospel Greats” radio show, and I recall this album being featured on his program, but I wouldn’t come to own this album until I saw the Inspirations the following year. Though I feel the cover was very similar to their 1985 album, “Praise God and Country”, I always liked the cover work for the album, and I did love seeing the guys in those light-colored suits!

This was a really great album, and it was one of the Inspirations most popular recordings during this time period. Personally, it’s not one of my top favorite albums by the group, nonetheless, it has some great songs, and the album has a really good feel to it. It’s interesting how different this album sounds compared to “Tell It To A Friend”, because even though both recordings utilized the same musicians, I felt that “It’s Still the Blood” had a more rustic feel to it overall. Also, Ronnie seemed to blend in really well with the guys on this album. Though Ronnie didn’t have the depth or unique timbre to his voice that Jack possessed, Ronnie did add a unique touch to their sound, as well as a bit of a charismatic flare to their live performances. Unfortunately, “It’s Still the Blood” would be Ronnie’s only mainline album during his 2-year stint with the Inspirations, as by early 1988, the baritone position was up for grabs once again. Ronnie’s departure in 1988 actually created a very unique change for the Inspirations, as for the first time since 1972 (when Mike Holcomb joined the group), the Inspirations would have to look outside the group to fill a vocal position. Their search would lead them to a young man who embodied the entire Inspirations image and sound, and they didn’t have to look far or long, as he was already acquainted with the group, filling in on vocals whenever the opportunity arose. His name was Chris Smith, and though he was only with the group for about 3 or 4 years, he definitely made unique and subtle impacts to their music that were indeed positive for the group, and we’ll dive more into that in our next article, so stay tuned!

Please check out my music page on Facebook for more content related to Southern Gospel Music including more discography reviews on other groups, we well as other thoughts and discussions related to Southern Gospel Music. Please like and follow my page at https://www.facebook.com/James-Music-Page-102612571620560.

News Nuggets: 12-5-25

David Bruce Murray — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 19:00:12 +0000

NEWS NUGGETS

Last Saturday, the Lawsons announced the return of Hannah Lawson to the family group. She had left previously to attend Liberty University and will now continue taking online classes to complete her degree while returning to sing.

Peace Records announced they have signed ClearVision, a trio based in Sylvania, Alabama, to a three-year recording contract. The group’s first single is expected in 2026.

The Southern Gospel Music Guild announced a new radio program dedicated to preserving the rich harmonies of Southern Gospel Music. Harmony Honors Radio, hosted by Joseph Reed, has begun airing on Singing News Radio every Friday at 3:00 PM (eastern), as well as every Saturday and Sunday at 5:00 PM (eastern).

NEW RELEASES

There are no new releases this week.

Click HERE to listen to 2025 Christmas albums.

UPCOMING RELEASES

Dates listed here typically reflect official release dates for retail and/or online outlets. Dates titles become available direct from the artists may differ.

January 1 – Jonathan Wilburn – Jesus Can (CD/digital)

January 30 – Tribute Quartet – Forever (USB/CD)

February 2026 – Evan Bradford – The Kingsmen: Then And Now (documentary film)

March 24 – Mary Beth Chapman and Steven Curtis Chapman – Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home (book)

The Inspirations – “Tell It To A Friend” (1986)

James Hales — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:44:58 +0000

By early 1986, the Inspirations had maintained the same vocal line-up with Archie, Troy, Jack and Mike for about 6 years or so. Though I grew up watching them on the Gospel Singing Jubilee with the line-up of Archie, Troy, Eddie and Mike, the line-up from late 1979 to early 1986 is pretty iconic to me as well, because that was the group I saw in person for the first time (as well as 2-3 more times afterwards). But change was once again dawning on the horizon for the Inspirations, as by Spring 1986, Jack made the decision to come off the road. Though Jack is not pictured on the cover, he is singing on this album, and with the deadline for releasing this album being the end of June (in time for the Singing in the Smokies), they had to get a cover shot done, despite not having named a replacement for Jack yet. But it would not take long, nor would they have to look far, as Ronnie Hutchins would return to the group and sing baritone in Jack’s place!

“Tell It To A Friend” was produced by Martin Cook, and this would be their last album to be recorded at Mark V Studios. After spending the last 10 years recording all their albums at Mark V, the group opted to stay closer to home and record at Dawn Studios in Ashville, North Carolina for the next few mainline recordings. “Tell It To A Friend” utilized the same musicians as their last album, minus Terry McMillan, and it has a very warm feel throughout the entire recording. Since Jack was gone and Ronnie hadn’t yet joined the group, the cover shot features the Inspirations as an incomplete quartet! One unique fact that Executive Producer Andy Tolbird is proud of, is that this is the first front cover shot with the Inspirations in casual clothes (exception being their 1972 album, “Old Time Singin’”, when they wore bib-overalls). You would not see the Inspirations wearing casual attire for a front cover shot again until nearly 25 years later, on their 2010 recording, “On the Sunrise Side”.

The album kicks off with one of my favorite Inspirations songs, “God is Still on His Throne”. Written by Ronny Hinson, I love the dramatic piano work and steel guitar on the song, and Troy does a great job interpreting the verses. This was the first single from the album, peaking at #6 in the March 1987 Singing News chart. Funny story about the song, Ronny Hinson promised Troy that he was sending them the song (this was back in the day when songwriters would send cassette tapes of their demos) and it was down to a week or so before the Inspirations were to go into the studio and there was still no demo. Troy called Ronnie on the phone and left him a message saying, “Hey ya big dummy…don’t forget to send us that song!” Needless to say, they did finally get the song! Ironically, the Freemans also recorded the song on their 1986 album, “Solid”, and though it wasn’t a chart song for them, it was a highly popular concert favorite for the Freemans, and still remains one of my favorite songs featuring Chris Freeman!

The tempo picks up as Mike is featured on the next song, “When Reveille Blows from Heaven”. I love the distinct Statesmen feel of the song, as well as the solid piano work by Otis Forrest. Written by Mike, and published through the Inspirations’ Tuckaseigee Publishing Company, the song was inspired by a message Mike’s pastor preached, and it leads perfectly into another up-tempo tune entitled, “One More Time Around the Wall”, which was written by Aaron Wilburn and features Archie. Showcasing some more excellent piano work, this is such a fun song to listen to, and I love the dynamics with the chorus sung in double time, while the verses are in regular time. The inclusion of one of my all-time favorite early Inspirations classics, “Joshua” as the closing tag, just adds to the overall excitement in the song.

Slowing the pace back down, Jack steps up as he sings the song of faith, “I Don’t Have to See the Tomb”, which was written by Lee Penland, before the first side finishes out with the Colbert & Joyce Croft penned tune, “Thank You Mama For Praying For Me”. Since 1971, the Inspirations have been recording songs written by the Crofts, and the group has usually included at least 1 song written by this husband-and-wife team on just about every album for the last 15 years. This is one of my favorites written by them, and it’s also another one of my favorite Troy features.

Featuring some nice guitar and dobro work, side two kicks off with the April Nye penned, “The Filling Station”, which has that classic Inspirations sound. During the 80’s and 90’s, groups such as the Paynes, Freemans, Lesters, Hoppers and others were recording April’s songs, and this song seemed perfect for the Inspirations. Published through Payne Family Publishing, the song was the second single released from this album, charting for about 5 months in the Top 40 during the latter half of 1987, but never quite making it into the Top 20, stalling out at #23 in the September 1987 Singing News chart. Though the song never quite made it to the “Greatest Hits” list for the Inspirations, it still remains one of their most requested songs. A historical fun-fact, just like some previous songs by the Inspirations, this tune became part of the off-Broadway production, “Smoke on the Mountain”.

The title song, “Tell It”, was a fun tune written by David Lehman and it was pitched to the Inspirations by J. Aaron Brown, who was head of Prime Time Music, publisher for the song, and it was a perfect match for the Inspirations. With Troy and Mike sharing solo duties on the verses, this is a bright and cheerful tune, and it was a great inclusion for the album.

Slowing the tempo down, we come to one of my favorites from this album, “He Gave All Of Him”, which was written by Don McHan (who co-wrote a song on the Inspirations last album) and John Bolan, and published by the Inspirations. Though there is no featured solo, Troy carries the lead throughout the song, before we move on to the sentimental feel of another Colbert & Joyce Croft penned tune entitled, “Memories of Home”. With the classic hymn, “Precious Memories” as a backdrop, Mike does a tremendous job on the verses, before Jack and Archie trade off with the melody on the chorus. I love the steel guitar and piano work, as they accentuate the song perfectly!

With some cool piano and guitar highlights, the rockabilly feel of “Gonna Build Me an Ark”, which was written by Squire Parsons, rounds out the album on a fun and happy note. This was a popular concert favorite featuring Troy singing the bass, and the guys always seemed to have fun on stage with this song. Squire recorded the song the following year on his 1987 solo album, “Going Home”, and he seemed to have a lot of fun with the song as well, even including his children on the recording session.

I have always loved this album, and it ranks as one of my favorite recordings by the group. “Tell It To A Friend” is sequenced very well with a good balance of songs and tempos, and I enjoy the music/vocal arrangements found on here as well. Plus, the overall quality of sound on the album is superb, as it has a bit of a slicker feel to it, continuing the trend we began hearing with their last album. I bought “Tell It To A Friend” when I saw the Inspirations at the Greenes Homecoming in Boone, NC in August 1986, and it was my first time seeing Ronnie with the Inspirations, and I was thrilled getting to meet him and have him autograph the album for me, along with Archie and Troy. When Ronnie rejoined the Inspirations, he agreed to stay for 2 years, as he was also going to school to obtain his college degree. As the Singing News was reporting Ronnie’s return to the group, I remember an article where Ronnie stated that when he returned, he also returned to the same bunk on the bus as well!

After Ronnie’s return in the Spring of 1986, the group found themselves back in the recording studio during the summer, as they began work on their first and only Christmas album titled, “Going Home for Christmas”, which was likely released just in time for the 1986 National Quartet Convention. Produced by Andy Tolbird, this would be a very different album for the Inspirations. Martin was not involved in the production aspects of this album at all, and showing full trust in his friend, he gave Andy the liberty to do what he wanted to with the album. Martin’s thought process was that everyone expects a Christmas album to be something different, and if the Inspirations are going to do something different, then a Christmas album is where they should do it. Recorded at the Creative Workshop in Nashville, TN, they also used a completely different set of musicians, including such notable names as David Huntsinger, Jon Goin, Mark Casstevens, Mike Brignardello, Jerry Kroon and others. Also, for the first and only time, they utilized live strings that were arranged by Steve Mauldin (Steve’s brother, Russell, had been playing drums on the last several albums by the Inspirations). The album featured a few newer songs by such familiar names as Squire Parsons and Don McHan, as well as a new recording of the Charles Wycuff penned, “The Wonder of Wonders”. There were several new songs (my favorite being the exciting upbeat tune, “Good News”) as well as a couple of classic Christmas tunes. Interesting tid bit, Andy’s favorite song from this album is “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”, which is a song the Inspirations still stage today from time to time. I’ve never been a huge fan of Christmas music in general, and I usually have very high standards when it comes to Southern Gospel artists releasing Christmas music, as most tend to release sub-standard Christmas recordings (in my opinion). From a production standpoint, Canaan Records definitely pulled out all the stops and released a “Grade A” Christmas album, and stylistically, it stretches the Inspirations further than any album before, or after! It’s a really good album overall, but it’s just not one of my favorites…mostly because I am extremely picky about Christmas music, and just generally not a huge fan of Christmas music altogether!

Circling back to the new vocal line-up of the Inspirations, I think with Ronnie returning to the group and stepping in to sing the baritone, gave the Inspirations a unique sound, and Ronnie also brought a little extra charisma to the stage as well, same as he did back in the early days. Ronnie had the uncanny ability to involve himself in the music, while also getting the crowd involved, and he seemed to genuinely enjoy singing with the group again. I think many long-time Inspirations fans were happy to see a familiar face return to the stage to replace Jack, and I think it made the transition easy for the group, as well as for the fans. Plus, it re-introduced him to a whole new demographic of fans who weren’t around 15-20 years earlier when he was with the group. It was an exciting time for the Inspirations, a renewal if you will…even if only for a couple of years.

News Nuggets: 11-28-25

David Bruce Murray — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 19:00:10 +0000

NEWS NUGGETS

Big Picture Records announced an exclusive recording agreement with Right Road Quartet. Based in Columbia, MS, Right Road Quartet includes Matt Linton (group founder and lead singer), Caleb Dunn (bass), Kip Barrier (tenor), and Jason Pope (baritone).

NEW RELEASES

There are no new releases this week.

Click HERE to listen to this month’s new albums on YouTube Music.
Click HERE to listen to 2025 Christmas albums.

UPCOMING RELEASES

Dates listed here typically reflect official release dates for retail and/or online outlets. Dates titles become available direct from the artists may differ.

January 1 – Jonathan Wilburn – Jesus Can (CD/digital)

January 30 – Tribute Quartet – Forever (USB/CD)

February 2026 – Evan Bradford – The Kingsmen: Then And Now (documentary film)

March 24 – Mary Beth Chapman and Steven Curtis Chapman – Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home (book)

The Inspirations – “Praise God and Country” (1985)

James Hales — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:05:49 +0000

As the Inspirations wrapped up their 20th anniversary as a group, like clockwork, they were back into the studio at the beginning of 1985 to record this unique album titled, “Praise God and Country”. Given the political climate and the renewed sense of patriotism encompassing the country at the time, the title song would become a rallying cry for the Inspirations, and this album would become one of their more unique sounding albums in their repertoire.

“Praise God and Country” was produced by Martin Cook, and the group once again returned to Mark V Studios in Greenville, SC to record the album. This recording featured a few different individuals playing behind the Inspirations for the session. Returning are Otis Forrest, Bobby All and Russell Mauldin, who are playing piano, guitars and drums respectively, but we also have Mike Riddle, of the Primitive Quartet, assisting on rhythm guitar, Tim Compton playing bass, Terry McMillan playing harmonica and synthesizer, and Russell Easter, Jr. returns to play steel guitar and dobro. One thing I noticed that is a little different with this album, is the drums are little more out front throughout the recording. This was a bit of a departure from the norm for the Inspirations, as the drums have usually been mixed way in the background on most of their albums.

I’ve always loved both front and back cover pictures, artwork and overall layout for this album. The cover shot was taken at a Cracker Barrel in the Nashville/Lebanon, TN area, and if you notice, it appears the guys are wearing the same suits from the “Twentieth Anniversary” album (which was released the previous year)…a fact I never noticed until I started working on this article!

With the soft, haunting sounds of the harmonica and subtle guitar strains, the album kicks off with the title song, “Praise God and Country”, which features Archie. Naturally, the song has a strong patriotic feel, and as the song progresses, the drums have a stronger presence, along with the synthesizer playing lightly in the background, adding some extra support to the overall musicality of the song. Stylistically, this was a very different type of song for the Inspirations, but the sentiment of the song has “Inspirations” written all over it, as the group were proud of their country and the standards it was founded upon. Written by Aaron Wilburn and David Lehman, though it was a little out of the box for the Inspirations, J. Aaron Brown, who was over the publishing of the song (Prime Time Music), strongly believed in the song and thought it was a perfect fit for the Inspirations. Brown pitched it to Andy Tolbird (who was the Executive Producer for the album), who in turn pitched it to the Inspirations. The country was on a patriotic high during this time, and Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” was a smashing hit in 1984. Also, the Nelons had recorded Greenwood’s song on their 1985 “In One Accord” album, and they enjoyed tremendous success with it in the Southern Gospel market. With all that momentum, they released the song to radio as a single, and everyone had extremely high hopes for the song. Additionally, Canaan Records did a big promotional splash on the song, with the Inspirations dressed in full military dress, but oddly the song never charted (in fact, no songs from this album charted for the Inspirations). I never quite understood why the song didn’t do well, because even though it was very different for the Inspirations, I knew the guys could sell it better than anyone! Maybe it was just too different for their fans, as it seems the song just never really caught on.

Moving along and featuring some really cool guitar work, Jack takes centerstage as he sings the Lee Penland tune, “It Wasn’t the Nails That Held Him There”. I love the haunting feel of the song, and it remains one of my all-time favorite Jack features. In fact, the Inspirations re-recorded the song on their 2000 recording, “The Sooner the Better”, speeding up the tempo quite a bit.

After the album kicks off with a couple of slower songs, the tempo picks up for the remainder of the first half of the album, as we come to the acoustically driven, “It’s the Lord”. Featuring some nice guitar work, with the drum giving the sound of someone tapping at the door, the Inspiration sing…“who is that knocking at my door, I’ve felt His presence there before…”. The song was written by John Hanson, Ernie Goff and Don McHan, and published through Inspirations Quartet Music. McHan was a prominent bluegrass singer/musician/songwriter, who also traveled with the bluegrass duo, Jim and Jesse. With Troy taking the melody, the song is a group effort, leading perfectly into another upbeat tune entitled, “A Double Portion”, which features Archie. Published through Inspirations Quartet Music, the song was written by Rick Davis, who provided a couple of songs on the Inspirations’ “Wonder of Wonders” album a couple of years earlier. With some fun dobro and piano highlights, along with a prominent drum track, this is such an enjoyable song and one of my favorites from this album, as is the Squire Parsons penned, “He Made a Way”. Featuring some fun steel guitar embellishments, this wasn’t a chart song for the group, but it was a popular concert favorite, allowing Mike to show off his rhythmic timing. The Inspirations re-recorded the song several years later, on their 2011 recording, “He Makes No Mistakes”. When the current group began singing in 2020, this was a mainstay in their concerts for a couple of years, and in fact, they included it on their first recording together, “What a Wonderful Time-Live” in 2021, and it’s still a song they’ll pull out of the hat quite often. Squire Parsons and his group, Redeemed, recorded the song in 1985 on their album, “Keep the Fire Burning”, and though they had no bass singer, they flipped the script, and tenor, Ernie Phillips took the lead on a delightful version of the song.

Just like their previous album, the second side kicks off with a couple of Charles Wycuff songs, as Troy takes the lead on the thought provoking, “Mary’s Baby Was Born to Die”, before the tempo picks up for the novelty tune, “Lift Off Anytime Now”. Featuring Archie, I’ve never been able to really get into this song, but it does have that classic convention feel to it. As mentioned, both songs were written by Charles Wycuff and were published through Tuckaseigee Publishing.

Moving on, we come to a song that has a bit of a bluegrass feel to it titled, “I’m Moving On”. Featuring some nice acoustic guitar work, the song was written by Sherry Heatherly and published through Tuckaseigee Publishing. The song sounds like something the Chuck Wagon Gang would have sung, and it is reminiscent to something that the very early version of the Inspirations would have possibly recorded. It’s one of my favorites from the recording, as is the steel guitar infested tune, “Heaven Will Be Everything You’ve Dreamed Of”. Featuring Archie, this is another song written by Charles Wycuff, and though it’s a little different for the Inspirations, it’s a highlight of the album.

Just as Mike closed out the first side, he rounds out the second side doing a phenomenal job with another fabulous bass feature with the song, “Lay it Down”. Written by Bruce Thornhill, this is the same gentleman who wrote another fantastic Inspirations favorite, “Living on Higher Ground”, which they recorded 12 years earlier on the “Touring that City” album. The song enjoyed new life several years later, when a group called Valor recorded it in 2001 on their self-titled recording. Valor featured a phenomenal bass singer named Paul David Kennamer, Jr., who had an amazing vocal range, and this song became a popular concert favorite for Valor. I was privileged to see this group perform this song live on a couple of occasions, and it never ceased to bring the house down.

I bought this album when I saw the Inspirations during their yearly appearance at Fellowship Baptist Church here in Durham, North Carolina in the fall of 1985. I have reviewed CD’s by artists for over 20 years with a critical ear (I did always try to be very respectful, even if my assessment of the music wasn’t completely positive), but my goal with these discography articles has been solely meant to talk about the music from a fan’s perspective, while providing some historical context to each album. With that said, I’ll limit my critique and keep my opinion brief…but as a fan of the Inspirations, I have struggled for 40 years to truly connect with this album, and although there are some good songs on it, “Praise God and Country” has ranked as one of my least favorite albums by the Inspirations, and I’ve never really been able to totally pin point exactly why. Whether it may be song selection, arrangements, whatever…I’ve just never been able to get “into” this album, and it’s one I’ve never listened to all that much, though it’s been in my collection for 40 years! Interestingly, no songs from this album even charted in the Singing News chart, which does surprise me, as I think there are some chart-worthy songs on this album. As far as I can recall, after the title song was singled and subsequently didn’t chart, I don’t think they ever released anything else from this album to radio. Nonetheless, “Praise God and Country” is a very upbeat album, and it is loaded with songs published by the Inspirations (6 songs total) through either Inspirations Quartet Music or Tuckaseigee Publishing. Also, once again, there are no Stamps Quartet or Stamps-Baxter songs either, which sadly, was something they never seemed to gravitate back to including on a consistent basis in the forthcoming years.

Even though “Praise God and Country” has been ranked as one of my least favorite albums by the Inspirations, there are some unique qualities about this album that I highly respect and appreciate…I love the overall upbeat feel of the album, along with the fact that there are some musically different sounding songs presented here. Also, the overall production quality seems to have a bit of a slicker feel to it than some of their previous albums. With all that being said and being totally transparent, I will happily admit that as I have listened to this album consistently, every day for the last 3 to 4 weeks as I prepared for this article, I have come to enjoy “Praise God and Country” quite a bit more than before, and I no longer look at it as unfavorably as I once did, and by the end of this entire writing project on the Inspirations, I may just move my ranking of this album up a few notches!!

The Sin of Ingratitude

Sony Elise — Sun, 23 Nov 2025 18:31:29 +0000

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.~Romans 1:20-21 (emphasis mine).

I’m thankful to have a day each year that is set aside for Americans to consciously consider our blessings, but, for Christians, this should be our lifestyle. It’s sad that so many choose to dwell on the negative circumstances they are in instead of focusing on the blessings they have been given. One may grieve a child that has died and lose sight of those that are still with them. Another may be mad over a job they did not get while forgetting that God may have another plan for their life. This lack of gratitude causes “foolish hearts” to be “darkened.” These people are not fun to be around, and they often sink into depression that is hard to bring them out of since they cannot see their way to a place of gratitude.

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. ~2 Timothy 3:2 (emphasis mine)

It’s interesting that Paul lists “unthankful” among the list of sins that will be rampant in the last days. Ingratitude is not something I hear preached against, but placed in the above list, it is something we should take seriously.

Are you heavy burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. ~from the hymn “Count Your Blessings”

These lyrics may seem simplistic, but I have found that when I thank God for His blessings in spite of whatever trial I am going through, I can often sing in spite of it.

I’m not downplaying loss and how hard this time of year is for a lot of people. But I do want to challenge you to not let that be your focus. Let those who are still living know how thankful you are for them. If you have a roof over your head and food on your table, thank the Lord. Not everyone has that. Since you are alive, God still has a plan for your life, and that is something to thank Him for! As the hymn goes on to say, “Count your blessings. Name them one by one.” Let’s see how many we can count this week … and then keep counting!

News Nuggets: 11-21-25

David Bruce Murray — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 19:00:51 +0000

NEWS NUGGETS

Icee unveiled a new ICEEbus that will be carrying The Isaacs to their upcoming tour dates.

In an email to season ticket holders yesterday, the National Quartet Convention announced that 2025 riser sections will be converted to floor level seating in 2026. Any season ticket holder who wishes to move to closer seats should contact NQC by replying to the email or calling 800-846-8499 x 1.

REMEMBERING

J B Spencer of The Spencers passed away yesterday. Please keep his family in your prayers.

NEW RELEASES

November 18 – A Year Of Joy: Reflect and Write with Songs and Scripture (journal with QR links to 52 gospel songs)

November 21 – The Martins – This Is The Time I Must Sing (DVD/CD/digital)

November 21 – Gold City – Hope In A Manger (CD/digital)

November 21 – Joseph Habedank – The Great Adventure: A Tribute To Steven Curtis Chapman (CD/digital)

Click HERE to listen to this month’s new albums on YouTube Music.
Click HERE to listen to 2025 Christmas albums.

UPCOMING RELEASES

Dates listed here typically reflect official release dates for retail and/or online outlets. Dates titles become available direct from the artists may differ.

January 1 – Jonathan Wilburn – Jesus Can (CD/digital)

January 30 – Tribute Quartet – Forever (USB/CD)

February 2026 – Evan Bradford – The Kingsmen: Then And Now (documentary film)

March 24 – Mary Beth Chapman and Steven Curtis Chapman – Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home (book)