GOSPEL AND GRIT: THE SOUND OF FUNKY FERVOR

The Inspirational Gospel Singers: Same Thing It Took
From Good God! Born Again Funk (Numero, 2010)

R&B, while built largely on the back of gospel music, has a somewhat dichotomous relationship with gospel's roots, at least from the viewpoint from the latter. During rhythm & blues' birth, many gospel supporters boiled over the idea of R&B artists using hymns as a basis for their songs that had a raunchy undertone and with a rhythm that was thought to derive straight from the devil. Even one of gospel's largest stars, Sam Cooke, wondered if he could ever go back to gospel if his pop career didn't pan out.

So it's surprising, in a sense, then, that songs that lyrically praise the Lord have a musical backing that uses a rhythmic style that would seemingly contradict it from a gospel purist's standpoint. Part of it may be that over time, that feeling subsided, even if only a small bit. On Numero's latest offering - Good God! Born Again Funk - that follows up its first gospel/funk compilation, the merging of styles is further discovered and investigated.

The most startling example is that of Ada Richards' “I'm Drunk And Real High” in which the words in the hook she uses actually sound like a soul that has been tainted by the dark side. She shouts and holy rolls with the best of them in tone and attitude, but with a line like “I'm drunk, Lord Jesus, and I'm real high!” it's no wonder that it hasn't made its way into the local church choir's weekly rotation.

Many of these songs with their lyrical content disregarded, in fact, sound straight out of the R&B canon. “The Same Thing It Took” by The Inspirational Gospel Singers is actually a reworking of sorts of the Impressions song of the same name. Interestingly enough, though, it's more R&B in its musical backdrop than its secular counterpart. With its chunky bass and Jean McInnis' (who sounds like she could be a long lost Franklin family member) vocals, the song is a shining example of what these two genres can sound like when married properly - where fervor and funk both shine equally.

If Heaven has a juke joint, Born Again Funk showcases what Jesus would be listening to while taking a shot of holy water. Some say that most people miss Heaven by 18 inches - the distance from your head to your heart. These songs highlight what gets your soul shaking in a body part 18 inches below your heart: your rump.