I grew up in FCD's children church from 1963-73 and during that time also attended many services in the "big church". Around 1964 my late mother bought the vinyl LP "Songs of Deliverance" which includes this cut of "Joybells" For about a year she played the entire LP almost every day. Thus my deep affection for this music has stayed with me ever since. I still have the LP although it is obviously well worn with scratches and skips. In my humble opinion there is no choral singing, call and response singing, solo singing and organ playing (yes that trademark organ playing) of gospel music that can match FCD of the 1960s. It's too bad this LP cannot be reissued or remastered using today's technology. Also I wish there were FCD recordings of the 1940s and 1950s, although the choir did do an LP with Nat King Cole in 1959 with is available on CD. It apparently was recorded during the 1959 convention of the Spiritual Churches of Christ which was held in Los Angeles. By the way the other songs on side one of the Songs of Deliverance LP are: 2-Christ Won't Fail Us--with soloists Irma Gwynn and Virginia Johnson 3-He Calmed The Ocean 4-It's So Wonderful with soloist Frank Jackson 5-His Love Covers All with soloist Virginia Johnson 6-Come On Children Let's Sing, with operatic sopranos delivering an amazing descant; My voice teacher surmised that the choir at this time probably had more 10 first sopranos--truly amazing for gospel choir Side 2 of the LP 1-Afterwhile It Will All Be Over 2-Oh Lord, You Know with soloist Irma Gwynn 3-I Called on the Lord and Got an Answer with soloist Elizabeth Hall 4-I'm So Glad Jesus Lifted Me, again with amazing operatic sopranos 5-How I Got Over 6-In That Great Gettin' Up Morning, with soloist Virginia Johnson Sometime in the mid to late 1960s the Young Adult Choir recorded the LP "He's A Mighty God" and the senior choir recorded volume II of Songs of Deliverance. Two notable tracks in the former are the Beatitudes with Lucius Hall narrating and the Lord's Prayer with Ann Parker as soloist. In the latter are cuts of "We've Come a Mighty Long Way with Virginia Johnson and Elizabeth Hall and I surrender All with Irma Gwynn as soloist. Thanks for posting this and the many other FCD recordings.
You are welcome. When I was a kid, this is the song that wore us out. Those sopranos, organ, and fast beat were a combination never heard before or since. Many tried, but only First Church could do it like this.
Joybells, Ringing in my heart. Joybells, songs of love impart. Ring, ring, ringing, etc. Joybells ringing in my soul, my soul, Ringing in my soul. I hear those Joybells ringing, etc, He keeps those Joybells ringing, etc. Since I met that man called Jesus-Joybells ringing in my soul.
Christian tabernacle choir in New York did a recording of this version of JOYBELLS and sounds almost just like this. Only difference they clapped there hands and used tambourines to enhance it.
I grew up in FCD's children church from 1963-73 and during that time also attended many services in the "big church". Around 1964 my late mother bought the vinyl LP "Songs of Deliverance" which includes this cut of "Joybells" For about a year she played the entire LP almost every day. Thus my deep affection for this music has stayed with me ever since. I still have the LP although it is obviously well worn with scratches and skips. In my humble opinion there is no choral singing, call and response singing, solo singing and organ playing (yes that trademark organ playing) of gospel music that can match FCD of the 1960s. It's too bad this LP cannot be reissued or remastered using today's technology. Also I wish there were FCD recordings of the 1940s and 1950s, although the choir did do an LP with Nat King Cole in 1959 with is available on CD. It apparently was recorded during the 1959 convention of the Spiritual Churches of Christ which was held in Los Angeles.
By the way the other songs on side one of the Songs of Deliverance LP are:
2-Christ Won't Fail Us--with soloists Irma Gwynn and Virginia Johnson
3-He Calmed The Ocean
4-It's So Wonderful with soloist Frank Jackson
5-His Love Covers All with soloist Virginia Johnson
6-Come On Children Let's Sing, with operatic sopranos delivering an amazing descant; My voice teacher surmised that the choir at this time probably had more 10 first sopranos--truly amazing for gospel choir
Side 2 of the LP
1-Afterwhile It Will All Be Over
2-Oh Lord, You Know with soloist Irma Gwynn
3-I Called on the Lord and Got an Answer with soloist Elizabeth Hall
4-I'm So Glad Jesus Lifted Me, again with amazing operatic sopranos
5-How I Got Over
6-In That Great Gettin' Up Morning, with soloist Virginia Johnson
Sometime in the mid to late 1960s the Young Adult Choir recorded the LP "He's A Mighty God" and the senior choir recorded volume II of Songs of Deliverance.
Two notable tracks in the former are the Beatitudes with Lucius Hall narrating and the Lord's Prayer with Ann Parker as soloist. In the latter are cuts of "We've Come a Mighty Long Way with Virginia Johnson and Elizabeth Hall and I surrender All with Irma Gwynn as soloist.
Thanks for posting this and the many other FCD recordings.
where could I get the music to this. I have the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir on an album singing this and I love it.
You are welcome. When I was a kid, this is the song that wore us out. Those sopranos, organ, and fast beat were a combination never heard before or since. Many tried, but only First Church could do it like this.
Joybells, Ringing in my heart. Joybells, songs of love impart. Ring, ring, ringing, etc. Joybells ringing in my soul, my soul, Ringing in my soul. I hear those Joybells ringing, etc, He keeps those Joybells ringing, etc. Since I met that man called Jesus-Joybells ringing in my soul.
Sing First Church!
Christian tabernacle choir in New York did a recording of this version of JOYBELLS and sounds almost just like this. Only difference they clapped there hands and used tambourines to enhance it.
Play Big Fred!