One reason I like Rodnie Bryant & The Christian Community Mass Choir's albums is how they in a way show acknowledgement of those gospel greats that came before them. You can always expect to see at least one or two songs on their albums that have been previously recorded by someone else. One of my favorite remakes of theirs is He's The One written by Ricky Grundy, located on their 1997 Tyscot release, He's A Keepa'. The song was originally recorded by Keith Pringle and The Pentecostal Community Choir on their 1981 release, When All God's Children Get Together on Savoy, but when you have someone like Donald Lawrence producing your album (Lawrence produced Bryant's 1997 album), you can expect for him to take the orginal and give it a fresh take.
On the version recorded by Rodnie Bryant & CCMC, the song is given a total makeover. Upon first hearing the song, you can hear how the addition of the keyboard instrumentation and bringing out the sounds of the drums livens up the song a bit more as opposed to Pringle's version, thanks in part to musicans Cedric Thompson and Daniel Weatherspoon. Keith Pringle and The Pentecostal Community Choir's version is more driven by the piano and the organ, but has a more funkier sound when compared to the laid back sound of Bryant's version. Music aside, another main difference that is heard is Lawrence's arrangement of the song, mainly with the bridge and the vamp. Let's take the bridge, where the choir sings: what manner of man is this, the winds and seas obey him... and Lawrence omits the line if what you're looking for is peace and love and joy, He is the one. While that line provides an easy and smooth transition into the vamp, the music alone does the job just fine. In Pringle's version, however, the choir breaksdown He's the one in pyramid fashion in the vamp, then proceeds to bring it together by singing He's the one in harmony.
Interested in purchasing Keith Pringle and The Pentecostal Community Choir's When All God's Children Get Together album, try here:
* When All God's Children Get Together (on vinyl)
* When All God's Children Get Together (on cassette tape)
**To listen to songs mentioned, click on album cover**
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