Saturday, January 23, 2010

I've been to the river...


Sorry for the lack of recent posts, events surrounding Carnival are keeping me insanely busy...

This record's a little mysterious. I think it's a recording made in the 70's, but I'm not completely sure. The label design looks older than the examples I've seen from the early 80's, but the 45 is in perfect shape.....and could be, for all I know, a more recent recording. In fact, it sounds a lot like a modern recording.

The group itself is presently quite active. They've issued at least two albums, one of them just last year. The problem is that I can't find anything in the way of a group history. Were they really around in the 70's?

I have one small clue. There's a video clip of the group singing I've Been Changed, live, in 2008. That version is slower, and to my ears the voices sound more mature than what's on the record. The members of the group look to be in their fifties and sixties. So, I suppose it's at least possible the 45 was issued during the period I suspect.

It would be nice if I knew the years during which Rosemont was active. But I don't. All I know is that the label was run by a man named Al Taylor who also owned Rosemont recording studios in New Orleans, which is presumably where all of the records on the label were cut.

So, am I right in thinking this recording was made by the group in the 70's?....or could it be that the label design simply reflects some kind of retro move and the record was made more recently???

Inquiring minds want to know, but ultimately it doesn't really matter....cause even if the record was pressed last year, it's still awesome.


5 comments:

  1. According to the brief notes on their 1989 504 LP, the First Revolution was formed in 1972. It appears from the label of #8402 that the logo is 1970s vintage, as the font changed on 1980s releases; but nothing is certain. Rosemont's numbering seems not to have been systematic; but I have #8201, Ernest Skipper's "Shotgun Joe", which John Sinclair dates as 1983-84; but it could be from 1982, as indicated by the first two numbers. If that is the case, you might have a mid-1980s single with the old style label. Or not. That really clears it up, no? Let me know if you discover more.

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  2. Thanks for the info Dan...I have Shotgun Joe also. It has what I think of as the 80's label. It's the numbering of the two singles which really confuses me. But as you point out, if the numbering wasn't consistent then....who knows?

    I suspected the group was formed about the time you mention because of the use of the word 'revolution'....the word was used a lot around that time by Pentecostals, as in, the Pentecostal revolution or the Gospel revolution.

    I will indeed let you know if I find anything. Rosemont interests me.

    ana...

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  3. Rosemont really is a bit of mystery -- I've been working on a doc about the Electrifying Crown Seekers (another Rosemont act) and nobody (including most of the Crown Seekers) seems to know details of the when or where of this label. Thanks for this post -- I'll dig a little deeper in some interviews and see if I find some more affirmative answers on this single and others.

    Matt Bowden
    Director
    byandbythemovie.com

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  5. Nice to hear from you Matt. Any info at all would be much appreciated.

    I'm under the impression that Al Taylor, who owned Rosemont Studio, is still alive...but I can't confirm it.

    I took a look at your site, Holy Cow that looks to be a great movie.

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