Old School Throwback Friday: Bay Area Chapter Choir

When you think of Edwin Hawkins, a few things come to mind: Oh Happy Day, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, and his Music and Arts Seminars, just to name a few. For me, his Music and Arts Seminar albums are a favorite of mine. There's one album in particular that I still play to this day which is Hold On, the album he produced for The Bay Area Chapter Choir of the Music and Arts Seminar in 1987 on Birthright Records. That album included a host of gems and well-rounded musicians such as Joel Smith, Tim Riley, and Lawrence Matthews to name a few. Of the songs featured, there were only two that prevailed as classics that have withstood the test of time to me, if you want to call twenty years a test of time...lol.

The first song, which just happens to be the first track off the album, He's Alright, was and still is a song that's sung in just about every church to this day. The song was resurrected briefly in a tribute to oldies but goodies gospel songs on Joe Pace & The Colorado Mass Choir's Praise 'Til You Breakthrough in 2006. Mistakenly called, Jesus Is Alright or He's Alright With Me, the song showcases how Edwin Hawkins could not only write songs that were meaningful with complex lyrics and music, but also write a song that's so simple yet catchy.

The other song that's a classic is, Vindicate Me led by Lawrence Matthews (there is another soloist whom I don't know their name, but because I purchased the album on cassette, information that would show on an album on vinyl is lacking on the cassette. The song's lyrics ask that we be cleared and delivered from our wrongs. ). This song is the reason why I purchased this album a few years ago. Still a radio favorite on KTSU's airwaves in Houston (this song is played nearly every Sunday, and has been since the song was released...lol), hopefully if you don't remember or have never heard of these songs before, they'll be a favorite of yours too.

What's To Come Next Week: James Moore, John P. Kee, and more.