Rev. J.M. Gates Vol. 7 (1929-1930)

Rev. J.M. Gates | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: January 1, 1996
• Label: Document Records
• Copyright: (c) 1996 Document Records
• Genres: Blues/Traditional Blues, Christian & Gospel/Gospel
• ASIN: B000VCC96A
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #323,496 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's A Dead Cat On The Line!, November 20, 2001

By 

Norman Nithman "nrn" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Recorded Works 7 (1929-30) (Audio CD)

I found out about Rev. Gates because Steve Cushing would typically play one of Gates' sermons during his radio program's "gospel set." Gates was the most popular producer of the "singing and sermon" records issued during the 20's. Gates tended more towards the sermon side and they are quite bizarre to the contemporary ear to say the least! The most interesting tracks are the one I mentioned in the title of the review and "No Room in the Jailhouse." I would recommend starting with this disc first and working your way backwards through the series as there are a lot of reissues of the same sermons in his earlier releases. Gates' style is also fully developed on the later discs. You mother heart breakers! You midnight ramblers!

5.0 out of 5 stars More rip-roaring, buck-wild sermons!, August 21, 2004

By 

Andre M. "brnn64" (Mt. Pleasant, SC United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Complete Recorded Works 7 (1929-30) (Audio CD)

All you corn-licker drinkers, fornicators, slick-fingered gamblers, mother heart breakers and midnight ramblers-look out! Reverend James M. Gates with his old-style, buck-wild, rip-roaring, take no prisoners, backwoods country preaching is gonna reserve you a seat on the hell bound express!

The Rev. is in rare form as he waxes some of his wildest and most comical (to most modern ears) sermons. Most of this stuff is fall-down-on the floor funny, but there's a lot of earnestness here too. "Death is On Your Track" and "Flood in Alabama" are really moving meditations on the power of divine providence. "Straining at a Gnat and Ganwing at a Camel" is mighty strong stuff for 1929. He addresses "You Negro Haters" who "hate to eat with the Negro but don't him him fixing your food" and who "sleeps with Negroes!" Considering that he recorded this in Atlanta during the days of massive lynching in Georgia, this is gutsy indeed!

"Dead Cat on the Line" (which Rev. C.L. Franklin has cited as inspiring him to preach as a child) is fascinating, as he talks about "Illegal" (i.e., "illegitimate") children. When a sister in the congregation says "I think I know who the father of my last two children is," I defy anyone not to roll over in hysterics!

This, the 1927-28 collection, and the compilation "Are You Bound for Heaven or Hell" will provide lots of wild laughter and some things to actually meditate about. Never a dull moment! When it came to recorded preachers, Rev. James M. Gates was the uncrowned king! Whoa-hoo-woah!