The Jubalaires were an American gospel group active between 1940 and 1950. Previously known as the Royal Harmony Singers in 1936, the band was known for song verses delivered in a rhythmic, rhyming style that has been described as an early version of

rapping Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

History

The band reached #10 on the R&B charts on November 14, 1942, with " Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" a song adapted from the speech of a naval chaplain in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor the previous year. Other releases included "Before This Time Another Year/Ezekiel (Saw the Wheel A Rollin')" (released under the

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

label), "

God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down "God's Gonna Cut You Down" (also known as "God Almighty's Gonna Cut You Down", "God's Gonna Cut 'Em Down", "Run On" and "Sermon") is a traditional American folk song. It was first recorded by the Golden Gate Quartet in 1946 and first issued in 19 ...

/Go Down Moses" ( King Records), and "My God Called Me This Morning/Ring That Golden Bell" (King Records). The band recorded with Andy Kirk on November 27, 1945, a session which produced the

78rpm release "I Know/Get Together with the Lord" credited to Andy Kirk & His Orchestra with the Jubalaires. A third track recorded during the session, "Soothe Me", went unreleased. In 1946, the Jubalaires secured a spot on Arthur Godfrey's CBS radio show. Willie Johnson left the Golden Gate Quartet to take the lead of the group in 1948, and in 1950 the band appeared in the musical comedy film '' Duchess of Idaho''. The band's recording of "Dreaming of the Ladies in the Moon" ( Crown Records) attracted the praise of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine, which gave the record a mark of 78/100 in the 17 April 1954 issue, commenting that "The boys here come thru with a strong reading on a bright ballad with an evocative flavor." The reviewer compared the Jubalaires' treatment of the song with the style of the

Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed the Four Mills Brothers, and originally known as the Four Kings of Harmony, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies an ...

and predicted it could become a break-out hit. In the 15 December 1951 issue, Billboard praised the group's performance on the release "David and Goliath/I've Done My Work" (

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

). However, in the 4 August 1951 issue, the praise provided did not mention the song "Rain is the Teardrops of Angels/Keep on Doin' What You're Doin." Most of the music by the Jubalaires was released by Queen Records, a King Records subsidiary specializing in African-American music. However, later reissues of their music would appear under King Records.

Band members

Original members * Orville Brooks, vocals (born January 27, 1919, died August 30, 1997) * Theodore Brooks, vocals (born 1915, died 1997) * Caleb Ginyard, vocals (born January 15, 1910, died August 11, 1978) * George McFadden, vocals Other members * Willie Johnson

References

External links

*
"The Jubalaires"
– extensive article by Karen Caplan prepared for the 8th annual United in Harmony Association Hall of Fame Ceremony held on April 4, 1998

by Tony Fournier {{DEFAULTSORT:Jubalaires, The American gospel musical groups Capitol Records artists Decca Records artists King Records artists Men's musical groups Vocal ensembles Musical groups established in 1936