Lee McDonald - Call To Worship - Cannonball Records

B/W - Instrumental version

Condition - Mint

Well, when it comes to Gospel Soul everyone has his own opinion. Some folks take it as just soul music and flow with the vibe it gives them, some folks say "that's not for me, I'm not religious" and they entrust the lyrics to determine whether they will like the song or not. Some dee jays made of it their mission in life. We just think that Gospel Soul is still a pretty unexplored territory and we reckon it stays at the roots of the sounds we love. Personally I take its religious meaning as a form of collective music which is very different from the cult dominated by the catholic church the world has experienced over the centuries. In Gospel, other than some chancing TV bishops, there hasn't been any greater human authority, self entrusted as god's supreme representative on earth, and no dark ages to establish and keep the power on people. Gospel is all about collectivity. Gospel is all about community and anyone with a message can become a shepherd. In Gospel the bible always represents more hope than punishment, more elevation than submission, and the greater dream behind artists, bands and choirs has always been mainly of spreading the good word of hope and salvation. Human Being needs to believe in something, even more if part of that human being has been slaved and kept in poverty for generations. I have realised all of the above when I spent almost a week reading the tenths of letters included in the reeltapes we recently found in the south of the states. Not a word written with the hope of building moneys and careers in the show biz through gospel, all the words hoping for a chance to spread the good message. Therefore I might aswell not being a believer, but I am sure about the great Respect i feel for this kind of Soul Music. LEE McDONALD (aka Cleveland Parker his birth name) was born in Norfolk Virginia in 1942 and started singing at the age of 13 in various groups, school talent shows and on gospel radio stations. He had always admired artists such as Smokey Robinson and the Four Tops but his main influence for his singing style was Cuba Gooding of The Main Ingredient. In 1969 he went to New York, where he stayed until his passing which happened earlier in february this year. The man, like many of his fellows artists, had a really difficult life which includes the losing of 2 sons in the tricky environment of the Big Apple of the 70's and the 80's. The arrangement was done 6-hands by R. Foster, Max and myself (plus other 12 musicians) and a serious part of the proceedings will be shoved to the remaining members of his family. We just hope we paid enough justice to Lee's great elevating tenor voice. We hope you like this one, whatever the reason.