Sounds Of Blackness

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    Collection of Sounds Of Blackness

    Sounds of Blackness, a 40-person choir and ten-piece orchestra led by Gary Hines, combined traditional African music with urban soul to become one of the most distinctive and popular contemporary gospel groups. Over the course of their career, the group won many awards, from organizations as diverse as the Grammies and the NAACP.

    Russel Knight formed the group that would prove to be the origins of Sounds of Blackness in 1969 at St. Paul, Minnesota's Macalester College in 1971. It wasn't until 1971, when Gary Hines was hired as their musical director, that the group developed its own identity. Hines opened the group up to the entire community and expanded their musical scope to concentrate on all aspects of black music. He designed the group as a way to embrace all manners of African-American music and create rich, diverse music to celebrate God and the human spirit, as well as make social statements. With their new direction in mind, the group renamed themselves Sounds of Blackness.

    For the first decade and a half of the group's existence, Sounds of Blackness primarily played around Minneapolis, often opening for acts as diverse as the Jackson 5 and Hampton Hawes. They frequently released their own records, which helped them strengthen their local following.

    Partially by choice, Sounds of Blackness remained a regional attraction until 1989, when Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the hot Minneapolis-based production team, brought Janet Jackson to one of their concerts. Jackson's enthusiastic response inspired Jam & Lewis, who were already in negotiations with Sounds of Blackness, to sign the group to Perspective/A&M immediately. Before the Perspective deal, any major label interested in the Sounds of Blackness asked the group to streamline their sound to include only gospel or R&B, or asked them to change their name to Sounds of Music; it wasn't until Perspective that they were allowed to keep their style and sound intact.

    The group's national debut album, The Evolution of Gospel, was largely produced by Jam & Lewis and received strong reviews. The pair produced the group's next two records, 1992's The Night Before Christmas (A Musical Fantasy) and 1994's Africa to America: The Journey of the Drum, as well.

    All of the Sounds of Blackness' first three records were successful, earning strong reviews and sales, plus several awards. Their success meant that the group could branch out on Time for Healing, which was released in May 1997. Time for Healing was the first self-produced Sounds of Blackness album, featuring heavy contributions from assistant director Billy Steele and bandleader Levi Seacer. The group followed it with Reconciliation in 1999, and landed a gig at the White House that New Year's Eve.


    Album: The Evolution of Gospel (1991)


    01. Chains
    02. Optimistic
    03. Ah Been Workin'
    04. Pressure, Pt. 1
    05. Testify
    06. Gonna Be Free One Day
    07. Stand!
    08. Pressure, Pt. 2
    09. Your Wish Is My Command
    10. Hallelujah Lord!
    11. We Give You Thanks
    12. He Holds the Future
    13. What Shall I Call Him
    14. Better Watch Your Behavior
    15. Please Take My Hand
    16. I'll Fly Away
    17. Harambee (Swahili for Let Us All Pull Together)


    http://www.fileserve.com/file/yDD9y2u


    Album: Africa to America The Journey of the Drum (1994)



    01. Hold On, Pt. 1
    02. I'm Going All the Way
    03. Ah Been Buked, Part 1
    04. I Believe
    05. Hold On, Pt. 2
    06. Everything Is Gonna Be Alright
    07. Sun-Up to Sundown
    08. The Lord Will Make a Way
    09. He Took Away All My Pain
    10. A Place in My Heart
    11. The Harder They Are the Bigger Th
    12. The Drum (Africa to America)
    13. African Medley_ Royal Kingdom_Ris
    14. A Very Special Love
    15. Strange Fruit
    16. Black Butterfly
    17. You've Taken My Blues and Gone
    18. Livin' the Blues
    19. Ah Been Buked, Part 2


    http://www.fileserve.com/file/dUSbhnn


    Album: Time for Healing (1997)



    01. Africana
    02. Spirit
    03. We Are Gonna Make It Through, Pt. 1
    04. Hold On (Change Is Comin')
    05. Love Will Never Change
    06. Love Train
    07. God Cares
    08. Hold On (Don't Let Go)
    09. Crisis
    10. We Are Gonna Make It Through, Pt. 2
    11. You Can Make It If You Try
    12. The Blackness Blues
    13. I'll Open My Mouth to the Lord-Better Be Ready-Rockin' Jerusalem-E
    14. So Far Away
    15. Familiar Waters
    16. Time for Healing
    17. We Are Gonna Make It Through, Pt. 3
    18. Hold On (Change Is Comin') [Roger Troutman Remix]
    19. Kwanzaa-Uomja-Uhuru


    http://www.fileserve.com/file/4V5SxSD


    Album: Soul Symphony (2002)


    01. (Prelude) Sounds of Blackness, Pt. 2
    02. Heaven on Earth
    03. Don't You Ever Give Up
    04. Sweet Spiritual Suite in Eb, Pt. 1
    05. Tears in Heaven (Ft. Ron Winans)
    06. Another Day
    07. Movin' On
    08. Brighter Day
    09. Yes We Can Can
    10. Real True Love
    11. Children of God
    12. Sweet Spiritual Suite in Eb, Pt. 2
    13. Trouble Is My Home
    14. Sweet Spiritual Suite in Eb, Pt. 3
    15. Obafemi
    16. As Long as You're With Me
    17. Life Has Meaning


    http://www.fileserve.com/file/Dpesny6


    Album: Unity (2005)



    01. Unity
    02. Heaven
    03. Put the Finger On Me
    04. Prelude
    05. Trouble
    06. Try
    07. A Second Chance
    08. They That Wait
    09. Over My Head
    10. All God's Children
    11. I'm Movin'
    12. Be Encouraged
    13. Life


    http://www.fileserve.com/file/B9rkgwY


    Album: 20th Century Masters-The Best Of Sounds Of Blackness (2007)


    01. Chains
    02. I Believe
    03. Stand
    04. Optimistic
    05. Hold On (Change Is Comin')
    06. Spirit - Craig Mack, Sounds of Blackness
    07. Testify
    08. Everything Is Gonna Be Alright
    09. Pressure, Pt. 1
    10. I'm Going All the Way
    11. Black Butterfly
    12. We Give You Thanks


    http://www.fileserve.com/file/QETMcpy


    Album: Kings and Queens (2007)



    01. Time For Love
    02. Kings & Queens
    03. She Is Love
    04. The Message
    05. Be Real Black for Me
    06. Martin Luther King
    07. We Shall Overcome
    08. Free At Last
    09. Precious Lord
    10. March Song Medley Eyes on the Prize, Turn me 'Round, Oh Freedom
    11. Children Of The Dream
    12. My Soul Is Rested
    13. Hold On Jus' a Li'l While Longer
    14. I Got A Robe
    15. Let My People Go
    16. Rock My Soul King Jesus Is A Listenin'
    17. Odunde'
    18. Don't Stop 'Til You Reach the Top


    http://www.fileserve.com/file/bcmJvG8


    Album: The 3rd Gift Story Song & Spirit (2009)


    01. Everything Is Gonna Be Alright
    02. Optimistic
    03. God Is Love
    04. Audacity Of Hope
    05. Healing
    06. The Path Of Healing
    07. God Bless The Child
    08. Legacy
    09. Certainly Lord
    10. Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel Joshua F'it The Battle Of Jerico (Medley)
    11. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
    12. Steal Away
    13. Great Gettin' Up Mornin'
    14. Harambee


    http://www.fileserve.com/file/CvSMK7U


    Enjoy!!!!

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