''Take 6'', released in 1988 on Reprise Records, is the first album by the American contemporary Gospel music group

Take 6 Take 6 is an American a cappella gospel sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group integrates jazz with spiritual and inspirational lyrics. Take 6 has received several Grammy Awards as well as Dove ...

. The album won the group their first two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s for Best Jazz Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo, Group, Choir or Chorus. It also earned the group their first three

Dove Awards A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Award ...

for Group of the Year, Contemporary Black Gospel Album of the Year, and Contemporary Black Gospel Song of the Year. The album ''Take 6'' is often mistakenly thought to be named ''do be doo wop bop,'' because that phrase appears on the album cover under the letters of the group's name. The album's legal title is ''Take 6,'' and the cover's designer, Kav DeLuxe, has stated the phrase "do be doo wop bop" was included simply as a "design element".

Background

In 1987, Take 6 held an exclusive performance for gospel record company executives. Yet, many refrained from attending, unsure how to market such a musical group. Fortunately, an uninvited representative of Warner Bros, showed up who was impressed with a tape he had received of the group. "When I first played their tape,"

Jim Ed Norman Jim Ed Norman is an American musician, multi-platinum record producer, arranger and label-head. As an arranger and producer, he was one of the principal architects of the distinctive sound of West Coast 1970s pop and country rock. He was Preside ...

said, "I heard the most enchanting, wonderful sound in music coming from the human voice that I had heard in the longest time." Warner Bros, signed Take 6 to a recording contract, and the album was released the following year on the company’s Reprise label. Although the group had originally hoped to sign with a gospel label, they later realized the evangelistic opportunity to reach wider audiences with their jazzed-up gospel music. "We purposely style our music the way we do to make the message more appealing to people who wouldn't ordinarily listen to Christian music," explained original group member Mervyn Warren."

Track listing

#"Gold Mine" (Mervyn Warren, Claude McKnight) - 3:52 #"Spread Love" (Mark Kibble, Mervyn Warren, Claude McKnight) - 3:29 #"If We Ever Needed the Lord Before (We Sure Do Need Him Now)" ( Thomas A. Dorsey) - 4:59 #"A Quiet Place" (Ralph Carmichael) - 2:43 #"

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

" - 3:31 #"David and Goliath" - 4:25 #"Get Away, Jordan" - 4:23 #"He Never Sleeps" - 3:10 #"Milky-White Way" - 4:47 #"Let the Words" (Gail Hamilton) - 00:55

Personnel

*Claude McKnight (track 9), Mark Kibble (tracks 2, 5 to 9), Mervyn Warren (tracks 1 to 4, 10) - arrangements *David Humphries - finger snaps, sound effects *

- executive producer *Don Cobb - engineer

Critical response

The album was critically acclaimed, receiving Grammy Awards in both the jazz and gospel categories. "In a diverse selection of songs, Take 6 merges an a cappella sound with gospel and big-band jazz arrangements... Their harmonies and melodies are consistent throughout this outstanding collection of songs," said Craig Lytle for AMG.

References

{{Authority control Take 6 albums 1988 debut albums Reprise Records albums