Reviewed by Tony May

The Soul Stirrers were privileged to feature a string of lead singers who were consistently amongst the finest in gospel music history. The legendary Sam Cooke was with them of course, also the great R H Harris, followed by the two men on these sessions, Paul Foster and Johnnie Taylor. The SSs were thrown into crisis when Cooke turned to pop music in '57 and Foster, who was already in the line-up, took over the mantle. These tracks include those from '53-'57 on which Foster was the featured vocalist. Most however, from '57-'59, include Taylor also, sometimes sharing lead singing with Foster sometimes they alternate. These are two masters of the genre, superb interpreters and leaders of the glorious exhilarating Soul Stirrers sound. Mustn't forget that there were other great singers anchoring the quintet's sound in heavenly harmony, and though the aching beauty of Cooke's voice was irreplaceable and has been ever since his untimely death, the group was still blessed with the best. 24 delightful tracks, 62 minutes of real pleasure.

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.

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