Jean Bradford, co-writer of the song “Calvary’s Hill”, passed away Sunday, December 12, 2009.  You can read her obituary here.

“Calvary’s Hill” was recorded by Gold City on three projects (Portrait, Signed, Sealed Delivered, and 20th Anniversary Celebration Volume 2) and by Brian Free & Assurance on At Your Request.

Here is a recording of “Calvary’s Hill” performed at the 2008 Gold City Reunion.

Rumblings started late Sunday night, continued yesterday, and now Kyle Boreing has posted that Chris Cooper is no longer with Gold City.  Although no official announcement has been made yet, I can confirm that this is not a rumor and that Gold City will have a new tenor when they return to the road after their Christmas break.  As Kyle mentioned in his post, the new tenor may be announced this week.  I’ve heard that the group will be looking for a high, consistent tenor.

I’ve also heard that Gold City will have a guest piano player with them in January while they search for a new one.  Current piano player/bus driver Jim Korn will reportedly be going back to only his bus driving duties.

And although I can’t say for sure, I’d look for Tim Riley to be staying with the group in the bass position for the foreseeable future.

When Gold City announced that Aaron McCune was leaving, my first choice to replace him was Chris West.  So, last month when Chris started filling in for Tim Riley on a few bookings, I was hoping that it would lead to Chris eventually becoming Gold City’s bass singer of the future.

However, it seems that will not be coming to pass.  I’ve been told that Chris West will be joining the Ron Blackwood Quartet, who Aaron McCune has been filling in for.  Like I said, I wanted Chris to replace Aaron, but with Gold City, not another group.

I’m excited to announce the launch of the Gold City Tribute site at http://www.goldcitytribute.com.  I’d been planning the site mentally for several years, but I began putting the site together a couple of months ago.  Finally, I think it is ready for everyone to see.

The website includes a full Gold City discography with credits and cover photos, a detailed group history, a song list that includes every song that I know of that Gold City has recorded, and more.

Please take a look at the site and let me know what you think!

Tomorrow (November 22, 2009), you can watch Legacy Five’s concert on El Cajon Wesleyan Church’s website.  The service starts at 6:30 PM Pacific, and I think that is 9:30 PM Eastern.

From Legacy Five’s e-letter (thanks to texjoy777 on the Singing News Forum for posting):

Hey Friends!
It’s the end of the week and we wanted to tell you about an opportunity for you to hear us, Legacy Five, live online. This Sunday night, November 22 at 6:30PM Pacific time, we will be performing at the El Cajon Wesleyan Church (south of San Diego, CA) and you can watch it on your computer from wherever you are. Just click here and then click “Watch live”! Then sit back and enjoy the concert.

Don’t forget – that’s Pacific time so most of you will be able to watch it after you get home from your Sunday night church service.

For the majority of you, it will be the last time to see Frank singing with us. Be sure to watch.

Till We Meet Again
Legacy Five

I recently bought several Singing News back issues off Ebay (I can’t afford the prices the Singing News is charging).  One of the issues is the March 1994 magazine with Gold City on the cover.  The issue is notable for being first cover Singing News cover of Gold City with Mark Trammell and Jay Parrack.  While reading the cover story and Gold City’s own page/ad in the issue, I found mentions of two projects that I don’t believe were ever finished or released.

The first is mentioned in Gold City’s page 3 monthly ad.  Tim Riley’s write up says that the group is almost finished with a new “Blue Light Special” package.  Remember the 3 for $10 packages Gold City sold during the late 80s and early 90s?  Gold City would go in and record other groups’ hit songs or another type of themed project (favorite hymns, 70s favorites, SG standards, etc.) .  I love those projects.  I paid a fortune for them on ebay, but I love them.  So, needless to say, I would have loved for GC to have a package like that during the early years with Jay and Mark.  Sadly, the tapes were never released that I know of.

The cover story itself mentioned that the group was planning a video taping of songs off the soon to be released Renewed project.  The interview also mentions a new KingsGold recording.  A video featuring the songs from  Renewed was never released, however a few songs off the project was on the Today video, which featured songs from Standing In The Gap.

My best guess as to what happened to these projects is that they were canceled following the departure of lead singer Steve Lacey.  Still, being a huge fan of Gold City, I can’t help but think about what might have been with these projects.  I’m guessing that the video taping may have been at the Alabama Theater in Myrtle Beach, SC as the same night that KingsGold 3 was filmed.   The Kingsmen recorded a video that night as well.  If that is the case, it could have been the set up as the 1995 video taping in Augusta, GA (when Gold City recorded Today, Kingsmen recorded Georgia Live, and KingsGold 4 was recorded).  If that is actually the case, that raises the question as to whether the video was filmed, but not released.  Does anyone know?

As for the “3 for $10″ package, I can’t help but wonder if it might have been a three volume set of Classics, the project that featured the new vocalists singing the group’s hit songs with the original studio tracks.  That makes my mind race.  I loved Classics, and would have loved to have gotten between 25 and 30 songs instead of the ten on the CD.  What other songs would they have been planning?  Of course, the package may have been a combination of Classics and the Lord Do It Again CD, Gold City’s third released project of 1994.

Wow… Gold City was really busy in 1994.  They had two new singers to start the year, released a CD, recorded KingsGold 3, got a new lead singer (David Hill), and then released two more CDs.  It is no wonder they didn’t have time to finish everything they had planned that year.

BTW, anyone know if Gold City ever plans to finish Classics Volume 2?  The tracks are supposedly finished, but were recorded with three other singers in mind than the current lineup.  Honestly, I don’t think we’ll ever see that project, which is sad, because I really want to hear a new cut of  “How Deep Is The Water?”.

This past weekend, Tim Riley did not travel with Gold City.  Chris West, original bass for Mercy’s Mark, was filling in for Tim.  My friend Thomas Wilson sent me some samples and gave me permission to share one on the blog.

“Turn Your Back”

David Stuart posted a heads up on the Singing News forum that back issues of the magazine are available in the Singing News Online Store.  As David pointed out though, the store is missing any info on issues before 2006.  The listings of each issue do not even provide a cover image.  For the prices they are asking, they could give you a little hint of what you are actually ordering.

The prices start at $5 for 2009 issues, $8 for 2008 issues, and go up $2 a year from there.  Below is a partial price list to give you an idea:

• 2009 Issues – $5
• 2008 Issues – $8
• 2007 Issues – $10
• 2005 Issues – $14
• 2000 Issues – $24
• 1995 Issues – $34
• 1990 Issues – $44
• 1985 Issues – $54
• 1980 Issues – $64
• 1975 Issues – $74
• 1970 Issues – $84

Yes… I’m still alive.  I’ve been working on a side project that is taking up most of my time on the computer.  I hope to be announcing the project sometime next month.

This morning, I’ve seen several articles, posts, and comments across the southern gospel internet world demonizing “canned music”.  I know this is nothing new as the use of sound tracks has been looked down upon for a long time and the topic is discussed frequently on several forums.  For some reason though, this morning it all just struck a nerve.

Do I like every group using sound tracks?  No!  Of course I’d love to see every group, or at least all the top tier groups, with at least a three piece band.  However, I realize that is the current norm and all the complaining and whining about it isn’t going to change that.

You say, “Well, that didn’t use to be the norm.  Everybody used to have a band”.   That’s true, and gas didn’t used to be more than $2 a gallon with a constant threat to shoot back up to $3 or $4 a gallon.  It didn’t used to cost over $10,000 to record a project with all the bells and whistles we’ve grown accustomed to hearing.

However, if you still want to complain about all the canned music, I think there is something you can do.  Every time you go to a southern gospel concert, put a $50 in the offering plate, not a $5.  If it is a ticketed event, give the group manager an extra $20 or $30 and don’t take a stack of CDs or t-shirts in exchange.  And get all your friends to do the same.  And if you say you can’t afford to do that, well, the group can’t afford a full band either, so you’re even.

Now, I’m stepping off my soapbox.

Averyfineline has confirmed that Frank Seamans is leaving Legacy Five as soon as a replacement tenor is found.  The move has been rumored for months, beginning not long after Frank’s son, Frank JR, was diagnosed with cancer.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the Seamans family and to Legacy Five as they search for a new tenor.

This is the second time in Legacy Five’s existence that they will begin searching for a new tenor during or immediately following the National Quartet Convention.  Original member Josh Cobb left the group after the 2000 NQC.  Cobb had won the Singing News Fan Award for Horizon Individual just days before leaving the group.  My memory fails me on the specifics, but his departure may have involved some bubble gum.

While we are on the subject of Legacy Five, they have their Fall Special in their online store.  You can order their brand new Just Stand CD and Live At The Oak Tree DVD projects, along with the God’s Been Good DVD and Decade CD for $50.  You can also add the Jubilee! CD for $10 more.  Two CDs, a double CD, and two DVDs for $60 is a great deal, especially considering that three of the five projects are brand new.