Record fanatic Tony Rounce lists his all time top ten

TALKING OF Ace Records, it was intriguing to read record buff Tony Rounce's all time Top 10 in the label's Right Track publicity magazine. There were three black gospel tracks in Tony's listing with Mr Rounce swooning over An Earnest Prayer by the Radio Four (Godabilly anybody? A driving and fantastically uplifting vocal performance from the early 50s, hammered along by positively the slappin est doghouse bass this side of Mystery Train) and Nearer To Thee by the Soul Stirrers from The Great 1955 Shrine Concert album (I make no apologies for including a second helping of Sam Cooke. I'm not an especially religious man, but it's hard for a soul not to be, er, stirred, by a performance as overwhelmingly committed as this. Nine and a half minutes of live sanctified housewrecking by gospel's greatest-ever voice). CR

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.