Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

The Hawkins assured their place in the history of Christian music with an 11 week chart run for the legendary "Oh Happy Day". Ironically starting at number two behind John Lennon's blasphemous outbursts in "The Ballad Of John And Yoko". it overshadows everything else here. The album from which the song came was recorded for £250 so some of the tunes here are a little primitive production wise and overall the album is a strange hybrid reflecting its times. A mixture of stonking gospel tunes ("Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord", 'To My Father's House", "Jesus Lover Of My Soul") and gospelised secular material (an atrocious "My Way" turned into "His Way". Dylan's "Blowin" In The Wind" and Melanie's "Lay Down"). Add to this the horrible 'Jesus Christ Superstar number "I Don't Know How To Love Him" and their version of "I Believe" (Robson & Jerome eat your heart out!) and I'm left reflecting that this album is more "inspirational" than gospel. Yet for those seeking to understand the development of gospel, alongside the early Andrae Crouch recordings. This is the missing link between the quartet music and the Winans and Commissioned! Very much of its time, there are the beginnings of a contemporary gospel Style with the start of a soulful groove in places and a horn line here and there. Ultimately, they helped make gospel acceptable to the masses and it's worth getting hold of to hear again THAT classic tune as well as the brilliant "Jubilation". And at 70 minutes. this is value for money!

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