Jimmy Williams & The Assembly Gospel Singers - Prayer Of Salvation

(Guiding Light GLLP-476) 1969

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I picked this one up in the hope that it wasn't just a re-hash of the Starday material... I was wrong.

The liner notes say that "Jimmy (Williams) now plays with the well-known Assembly Gospel Singers of Port St. Joe, Florida... The group consists of Bobby and Joyce Taylor... Kenneth Taylor... Jimmy Williams... Rev. Talmadge (Cowboy) Kennedy". This led me to believe that it was something new, an impression which was compounded by the group photo on the front and the recording studio / sound engineer credit on the rear sleeve.

Several of the tracks are taken from copies of the Starday releases: Down At The Cross and You Can't Hide From God (SEP-105); I Heard Him Cry From The Cross (aka I Heard The Cry (From The Cross)) (SEP-110); Going To Meet Jesus (SEP-124); Prayer Of Salvation and Sinners Dream (SEP-132); and Working On A Building (aka Holy Ghost Building) (SEP-148).

I Dreamed I Searched Heaven For You also looks like it is from the mid-60s recordings made by Red Ellis, and later released as 'The First Fall Of Snow' (Old Homestead OHCS-322) 1987.

That just leaves Jimmy Williams' He'll Wipe The Tears Away, which is a bit of a mystery. I think it could be from another of the private pressed 7" EPs, which Jimmy released circa 1962, or from another mid-60s Lo-Ran release.

The remaining tracks may not feature Jimmy, but it's difficult to be sure as the liner notes credit him with "Bluegrass Mandolin, Flat-top & Elec Bass". I suspect that they're taken from other releases by the Assembly Gospel Singers for Lo-Ran. Guiding Light Records and Lo-Ran look like they were closely related. For instance, a 'solo' EP on Lo-Ran by Kenneth Taylor, lists Rev. T. Kennedy as it's president & the record label calligraphy between the two labels is very similar. The final track on this LP, They Crucified My Lord, is co-credited to "Kennedy / Lo-Ran"; and my copy came with a price sticker that said "Lo-Ran Records $2.99".

The liner notes to the Assembly Gospel Singers album 'Mansion For A Home' (Rebel RLP-1483) 1969 mention that "Jimmy Williams and Millard and Jean Hatcher are honorary members and help the group out at times". It's not clear if Jimmy plays on this one either...

The Assembly Gospel Singers also had a split LP with The Suwanee Valley Gang - 'Down To Earth & Up To Heaven - Songs and Music of; Mother - Home - Country and God' (ZAP MLP-105) 1969, and this does feature Jimmy Williams playing mandolin on the Assembly Gospel Singers side.

The sound quality of 'Prayer Of Salvation' is nowhere near as good as some of the Starday Jimmy Williams / Red Ellis recordings that are available elsewhere...

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