Clara Ward & the Ward Singers- The Famous Ward Singers 1949-62
The Famous Ward Singers, based in Philadelphia, were one of the foremost gospel groups of the post-war era. Originally founded as a family group in 1931 by Gertrude Ward as a family group, then called, variously, The Consecrated Gospel Singers or The Ward Trio, the collective achieved fame after the Second World War when Gertrude's daughter Clara Ward was leader. - A gifted singer and arranger, Ward adopted the lead-switching style, previously used primarily by male gospel quartets, creating opportunities for spontaneous improvization and vamping by each member of the group, while giving virtuoso singers such as Henrietta Waddy, Marion Williams and Willa Ward Moultrie the opportunity to perform the lead vocal in songs. - This 77-track collection comprises a fairly significant proportion of the 130 or so A and B sides released on the Gotham and Savoy labels during this era, which represented the years when they achieved their greatest success. The releases were under various guises - Clara Ward as a solo artist, The Famous Ward Sisters Of Philadelphia, The Clara Ward Specials, Clara Ward & the Ward Singers, The Clara Ward Singers, The Famous Ward Singers and simply as The Ward Singers. It features the million-seller Surely God Is Able, along with How I Got Over, and Packin' Up, plus many gospel classics and standards. Ward died in 1973 at the age of 48 and Aretha Franklin and Rev. C. L. Franklin sang at her funeral in Philadelphia. She was honoured posthumously at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City four years later in 1977.
Track List
- Surely God Is Able
- I Need Thee Every Hour
- The Fountain
- How I Got Over
- I Don't Know Why
- Throw Out the Lifeline
- He'll Never Let Go My Hand
- Hark the Voice
- When I've Done the Best I Can
- When the Gates Swing Open
- Happy Over There - Part 1
- I'm Waiting for Jesus
- At the Cross
- In That Great Judgement Morning
- On Higher Ground
- Faith Moves Mountains
- I Heard of a City Called Jerusalem
- Jesus
- Stretch Out
- Just One Moment
- Each Day
- Jesus Is All the World to Me
- The Day Is Past and Gone
- Get Back Jordan
- How Far Am I from Canaan?
- He Knows How Much We Can Bear
- My Jesus Is All and All
- Who Could Ask for Anything Else
- I'm Bound for the Higher Ground
- When I Woke Up in Glory
- That Awful Day Will Surely Come
- The Old Rugged Cross
- Oh My Lord What a Time
- I Heard the Voice of Jesus
- The Old Landmark
- I Will Trust in the Lord
- This Little Light of Mine
- Until I Found the Lord
- How Many Times
- Since I Found the Light
- I Just Can't Make It Myself
- I Know It Was the Lord
- I Want to Be More Like Jesus
- Who Shall Be Able to Stand
- Farther on Up the Road
- Only the Crumbs
- God's Amazing Love
- Treading the Wine Press Alone
- Oh Gabriel
- Lord Touch Me
- I'm Goin' Home
- Hold Back the Tears
- Anywhere in Glory
- Great Is the Lord
- Packin' Up
- Nearer My God to Thee
- Climbing Jacob's Ladder
- I Feel the Holy Spirit
- I'm So Glad
- Our God Is Real
- In His Arms
- Pure Gold
- Good News
- Got on My Traveling Shoes
- He's Watching Over You
- We're Gonna Have a Time
- We Shall Be Changed
- Every Day Will Be Sunday
- God Is Good
- I'm Getting Richer
- I'm Gonna Move Upstairs
- A Sweeter Tomorrow
- Life Is Just One Step
- Rock of Ages
- The Lord's Army
- Handwriting on the Wall
- Contract with the Lord
The Famous Ward Singers, based in Philadelphia, were one of the foremost gospel groups of the post-war era. Originally founded as a family group in 1931 by Gertrude Ward as a family group, then called, variously, The Consecrated Gospel Singers or The Ward Trio, the collective achieved fame after the Second World War when Gertrude's daughter Clara Ward was leader. - A gifted singer and arranger, Ward adopted the lead-switching style, previously used primarily by male gospel quartets, creating opportunities for spontaneous improvization and vamping by each member of the group, while giving virtuoso singers such as Henrietta Waddy, Marion Williams and Willa Ward Moultrie the opportunity to perform the lead vocal in songs. - This 77-track collection comprises a fairly significant proportion of the 130 or so A and B sides released on the Gotham and Savoy labels during this era, which represented the years when they achieved their greatest success. The releases were under various guises - Clara Ward as a solo artist, The Famous Ward Sisters Of Philadelphia, The Clara Ward Specials, Clara Ward & the Ward Singers, The Clara Ward Singers, The Famous Ward Singers and simply as The Ward Singers. It features the million-seller Surely God Is Able, along with How I Got Over, and Packin' Up, plus many gospel classics and standards. Ward died in 1973 at the age of 48 and Aretha Franklin and Rev. C. L. Franklin sang at her funeral in Philadelphia. She was honoured posthumously at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City four years later in 1977.
Track List
- Surely God Is Able
- I Need Thee Every Hour
- The Fountain
- How I Got Over
- I Don't Know Why
- Throw Out the Lifeline
- He'll Never Let Go My Hand
- Hark the Voice
- When I've Done the Best I Can
- When the Gates Swing Open
- Happy Over There - Part 1
- I'm Waiting for Jesus
- At the Cross
- In That Great Judgement Morning
- On Higher Ground
- Faith Moves Mountains
- I Heard of a City Called Jerusalem
- Jesus
- Stretch Out
- Just One Moment
- Each Day
- Jesus Is All the World to Me
- The Day Is Past and Gone
- Get Back Jordan
- How Far Am I from Canaan?
- He Knows How Much We Can Bear
- My Jesus Is All and All
- Who Could Ask for Anything Else
- I'm Bound for the Higher Ground
- When I Woke Up in Glory
- That Awful Day Will Surely Come
- The Old Rugged Cross
- Oh My Lord What a Time
- I Heard the Voice of Jesus
- The Old Landmark
- I Will Trust in the Lord
- This Little Light of Mine
- Until I Found the Lord
- How Many Times
- Since I Found the Light
- I Just Can't Make It Myself
- I Know It Was the Lord
- I Want to Be More Like Jesus
- Who Shall Be Able to Stand
- Farther on Up the Road
- Only the Crumbs
- God's Amazing Love
- Treading the Wine Press Alone
- Oh Gabriel
- Lord Touch Me
- I'm Goin' Home
- Hold Back the Tears
- Anywhere in Glory
- Great Is the Lord
- Packin' Up
- Nearer My God to Thee
- Climbing Jacob's Ladder
- I Feel the Holy Spirit
- I'm So Glad
- Our God Is Real
- In His Arms
- Pure Gold
- Good News
- Got on My Traveling Shoes
- He's Watching Over You
- We're Gonna Have a Time
- We Shall Be Changed
- Every Day Will Be Sunday
- God Is Good
- I'm Getting Richer
- I'm Gonna Move Upstairs
- A Sweeter Tomorrow
- Life Is Just One Step
- Rock of Ages
- The Lord's Army
- Handwriting on the Wall
- Contract with the Lord