The Staple Singers - Collection 1953-62 (CD)

The Staple Singers are one of the most celebrated and respected groups to have graced the gospel landscape in the post-war era, their music transcending the boundaries of the genres so that they became equally successful and admired across gospel, soul and R&B in a career that spanned six decades. The patriarch of the Staples family, Roebuck 'Pops' Staples, formed the group in Chicago with his children Cliotha, Pervis and Mavis, in 1948 when Mavis was just nine years old, and by 1952 they had signed their first recording deal with United. Over the next decade they recorded for various labels, most notably after United for Vee-Jay, Gospel and Riverside, their music already displaying a commercial bluesy edge which differentiated from much of the mainstream gospel of that era. This 3-CD anthology brings together just about all the records they released on both singles and albums during that formative part of their career when the younger members were maturing and they were honing the style which would bring them classic R&B and pop hits in subsequent decades. As well as the A and B sides of their singles, including one or two on lesser known labels, it includes all the tracks from their albums during that era - albums Uncloudy Day, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Swing Low, Gospel Program and Hammer & Nails. It's a marvellous introduction to the group at the start of their glittering career.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. It Rained Children
2. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray
3. God's Wonderful Love
4. Uncloudy Day
5. I Know I Got Religion
6. Let Me Ride
7. I'm Coming Home
8. Help Me Jesus
9. I Had a Dream
10. Since He Lightened My Heavy Load
11. Low Is the Way
12. On My Way to Heaven
13. I'm Leaning
14. Going Away
15. So Soon
16. Downward Road
17. Sit Down
18. Tell Heaven
19. Revive Us Again

Disc: 2

1. It's Gonna Rain
2. I Just Can't Keep It to Myself
3. This May Be the Last Time
4. This Same Jesus
5. Will the Circle Be Unbroken
6. Don't Drive Me Away
7. Pray on
8. Too Close
9. Come on Up in Glory
10. Somebody Saved Me
11. Let's Go Home
12. Don't Knock
13. I've Been Scorned
14. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
15. Sit Down Servant
16. I'm So Glad
17. Born in Bethlehem
18. Stand By Me
19. Two Wings

Disc: 3

1. Calling Me
2. Day Is Passed and Gone
3. Good News
4. Hammer and Nails
5. Gloryland
6. Everybody Will Be Happy
7. Hear My Call, Here
8. Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
9. Great Day
10. I'm Willin' - Part 1
11. I'm Willin' - Part 2
12. Do You Know Him'
13. New-Born Soul
14. A Dying Man's Plea
15. New Home
16. Gamblin' Man
17. Use What You Got
18. The Virgin Had One Son
19. There Was a Star