I don’t know what caused it – rock and roll / gospel musicals on Broadway, or the blending of R&B and gospel on the radio – but for a decent period of time, we had plenty of rock and roll / R&B gospel songs preaching the word of the Lord on our Top 40 radio stations. And it was a decent, decent mix.
Let’s open the gospel now and take a listen, shall we?
THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS
(EDWIN HAWKINS AND THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA STATE YOUTH CHOIR)
Oh Happy Day
This was actually produced as a church fundraiser, but some radio stations added it to their playlist – and eventually the song marched its way into the R&B and pop charts. Happy day indeed.
GEORGE HARRISON
My Sweet Lord
Yes, I know it sounds like George Harrison soldered religious lyrics on the melody and rhythm of an old Chiffons song from 1963 – but honestly, he really turned the track into a religious classic in and of itself.
GODSPELL
Day By Day
Ironically, although this song came from a modern-day retelling of the Gospels, the lyrics themselves come from Saint Richard of Chichester – going back to the 13th century A.D.
Of course this would be recorded by several artists, but I certainly dig this version from Australian chanteuse Colleen Hewitt, which mixes two Godspell tracks, “Day By Day” and “Prepare Ye The Name of the Lord.”
LES CRANE
Desiderada
Again, another track that may sound as if it came from Scripture, but this only goes as far back as the 1920’s, and has its links to the writings of a poet from Indiana. That being said, again the track – recorded by Los Angeles disc jockey Les Crane – calls back to those concepts of the Golden Rule and the simple teachings and wisdom of the Lord.
SISTER JANET MEAD
The Lord’s Prayer
Okay, let’s at least pull some tracks from actual Biblical language, shall we? For example, here’s a Top 10 re-interpretation of Matthew 6: 9-13 (King James). Complete with wah-wah pedals and decent orchestration.
THE LIMELITERS
To Everything There Is A Season
Hard to believe that this song – which borrowed its lyrics from the first eight verses in the third book of Ecclesiastes – was not originally a Byrds hit, but was instead an early recording by Glenn Yarborough and the Limeliters. Not much I can say about this track – other than my mother was a big fan of Glenn Yarborough and the Limeliters, for some unknown reason.
Oh yeah, and if you need to get recalibrated, here’s the Byrds’ recording of that song.
THE MELODIANS
Rivers of Babylon
This cool reggae track takes its lyrics from two essential verses in the Book of Psalms, and was later used in the 1972 film The Harder They Come. And yes, just like the “Turn Turn Turn” track from earlier, this song is better known in a performance from another group … the disco-based studio group Boney M.
And there’s your Sunday School lessons for today … courtesy of K-Chuck Radio!
Chuck The Writer 
I once made a mixed tape with a bunch of songs like this. I’ll have to look for the playlist. But it included Hang Onto Your Life by the Guess Who, the album version of which ended with Psalm 22:
13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
It may be a semi-generational thing, but the folks I know the Melodians’ version of Babylon quite well.
And what’s the dig on Glenn Yarborough? Oh, yeah, the age thing again.
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In the 70’s, each July, my father would take two days off from work, and we would take an overnight down in Manhattan. We would always go see a Broadway show. To this day, I remember seeing Godspell on Broadway when I was 8 years old (in 76)…and we brought the album home, and it became a family favorite. I still have a CD of it in my car.
Rivers of Babylon is also a favorite too. Thank you Chuck!
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