Charlie Moore & Bill Napier - Gospel And Sacred Songs

(King KS-1017) 1967

NB: Reissued by Gusto in 1971 and 1976. Also issued on CD as 'Bluegrass, Gospel And Sacred Songs' (Gusto GT7-0636-2) 2008.

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This is Moore & Napier's second Gospel album and was recorded at King on 6-7 Sept 1966^[1]. It features fine vocals by Charlie Moore, with harmonies from Bill and the other Dixie Partners.

Bill Napier mainly plays lead guitar, with the banjo only featured on four cuts.

The harmony vocals are particularly strong on He Leads Me On, Oh Lord, I'm Glad and I Believe In The Old Time Way, but most of the songs feature solo vocals by Charlie. The LP also features CMB's Henry Dockery and Paul 'Moon' Mullins. As expected on a Gospel release, Paul's fiddle work is somewhat subdued but he can be heard playing breaks on Won't You Come In and I Believe In The Old Time Way.

One 45 was released from the album: Take A Message To Mother / Sweeter Than The Flowers (King 45-6081) Jul 1967.

Sweeter Than The Flowers had previously been recorded by Bill Napier during his tenure with the Stanley Brothers on their Sept 1959 session for Sing Everybody's Country Favorites. The version here is performed as a guitar instrumental, with Bill's picking closely sticking to the melody.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken is likewise performed as an instrumental guitar piece, with Bill again hugging the melody notes.

Of the vocal numbers, highlights include: Take A Message To Mother, with a lovely smooth vocal from Charlie, and subtle guitar picking by Bill; The Stranger In The Tavern, a ballad about a sinner on the path to destruction, being saved by a bible wielding stranger; and the plaintive That Beautiful Home, which again has a great soulful vocal.

The banjo is featured on: Wayfaring Pilgrim - a variation on Wayfaring Stranger; I Believe In The Old Time Way; Shout And Sing; and Won't You Come In.

Moore & Napier were still performing in 1967, including a show at 'Bluegrass Day USA' Sunday 16 July 1967, Ontelaunee Park, New Tripoli, PA, but around this time Charlie also working as a disc jockey in Fountain Inn, SC.^[2]

The album was reissued in 2008 on CD as 'Bluegrass, Gospel And Sacred Songs' with a new cover.

Charlie Moore later re-recorded Stranger In The Tavern and That Beautiful Home (as A Beautiful Home) on his 1972 LP 'Gospel Time' (Vetco LP-3013); Take A Message To Mother on his 1974 LP 'On A High High Mountain' (Old Homestead OHS-90040); and Wayfaring Pilgrim on his Dutch 1977 LP 'T For Texas' (Philips 6416-114).

• Charlie Moore: guitar
• Bill Napier: banjo
• Henry Dockery: bass
• Eb Collins: mandolin
• Paul 'Moon' Mullins: fiddle

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Personnel and recording date given in the 'Thirty Years Ago This Month' section (p6) of the September 1996 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited'.
[2] 'Thirty Years Ago This Month' (p9) July 1997 edition of 'Bluegrass Unlimited'. Other acts at the "Bluegrass Day USA" show included Country Gents, New Lost City Ramblers, Osborne Bros., and Reno & Smiley.