Reviewed by Lins Honeyman

Formed in 1929, the Southernaires were a black gospel vocal quartet whose greatest success lay in radio as opposed to record sales so it's fitting that this 25-track 1998 anthology from Document Records begins with a snippet of the group's syndicated radio show The Little Weatherbeaten Whitewashed Church. Containing a discussion around prayer, a handful of songs including a melodramatic version of Washington Phillips' "What Are They Doing In Heaven Today" and even a Q&A session, this part of the compilation is definitely the most listener friendly and hints at why the nationally-broadcast show ran for an impressive 10 years. Reflecting the group's lack of phonographic success, listening to the remainder of this collection is a pretty arduous task. Dogged by what can only be described as an overpowering and enjoyment-sapping crackle and hiss, it's quite often hard to hear the group at all - made even worse by tendency for bass singer William W Edmunson to deliver a softly spoken sermonette in the middle of nearly every song. In addition, the Southernaires' delivery was fairly highbrow and theatrical readings of spirituals such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", "Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho" and the quartet's best known Decca recording "Nobody Knows De Trouble I've Seen" feel flat thanks to the conspicuous absence of the blues elements that characterised early gospel music. The Southernaires would go on to swap radio work for stage appearances and win a highly publicised court case against hotel discrimination meaning that the group certainly deserve to be mentioned in the annals of gospel music despite the unrepresentative nature of their recorded work.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.