oettingm - Posted - 07/11/2011:  08:32:44

For those of you who play a lot of gospel bluegrass, I'm curious of what songs get the best crowd reaction. We have a couple of dates coming up when we will be playing at Christian events and I always like to have some crowd pleasers in the mix.

Right now we do:

Cry Holy Unto the Lord

Amazing Grace

Do Lord

I Saw The Light

Somebody Touched Me

Love to have some additional suggestions of songs that REALLY WORK with a crowd!

Fathand - Posted - 07/11/2011:  08:45:19

I used to play in a Gospel group, They liked these in about this order

Cry Holy Unto the Lord

Somebody Touched Me

I Saw The Light

 

Also "Get in line Brother" was popular

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by oettingm

For those of you who play a lot of gospel bluegrass, I'm curious of what songs get the best crowd reaction. We have a couple of dates coming up when we will be playing at Christian events and I always like to have some crowd pleasers in the mix.

Right now we do:

Cry Holy Unto the Lord

Amazing Grace

Do Lord

I Saw The Light

Somebody Touched Me

Love to have some additional suggestions of songs that REALLY WORK with a crowd!

---

gospelman97 - Posted - 07/11/2011:  09:29:45

I'm the Man, Thomas

The Old Crossroads

Will the Circle be Unbroken

Life's Railway to Heaven

When I Wake up to Sleep No More (If you have a bass singer)

So Happy I'll Be (bass singer)

Get Up in Jesus' Name

That's some of our best bluegrass gospel tunes.  You can find good youtube videos for almost all of  these if you are unfamiliar with any of them.  Let us know which ones you pick and how they go over.

Tommy5 - Posted - 07/11/2011:  10:16:04

We always end our jam sessions with I'll Fly Away.Great tune.

oettingm - Posted - 07/11/2011:  12:53:48

Oh yes, I'll Fly Away is already in our mix -- didn't think of it as Gospel right off the top of the old head, but you are correct! And there are some other great suggestions above. Right now our bass singer is more of a baritone -- so not sure we can do a couple of those but we will check them out.

Rodney Dillard has a new album of bluegrass out that includes "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" that sounds like it might be fun.

And I also recall Ralph Stanley doing a song a few years back called "Can You Hear The Blessed Saviour Calling You" that came to me since the first post above.  Might add that.

Boy we have a whole new set of Gospel tunes here to work up. Time to take the hat off and get to work!

gospelman97 - Posted - 07/11/2011:  12:59:35

Cody Schuler and Pine Mountain Railroad has out a GREAT gospel CD calles "Pickin' Praisin' and Singin."  It is in my top 5 all time gospel albums.  They do several standards that may give you some more ideas.  (My favorite is the acapella song "Run On")  Here's a link to some samples:

amazon.com/Pickin-Praisin-Sing...0019M82T4

By the way, I forgot to mention the song "Prayer Bells of Heaven" that I've always wanted to put in our set but haven't gotten around to it.  It's an old Jimmy Martin song that several groups have since covered.  OK, I promise to be quiet now!

Edited by - gospelman97 on 07/11/2011 13:01:36

Possom - Posted - 07/11/2011:  14:35:09

We do all of those listed but what I really love to is the old hymns, you could add How Great Thou Art (Jim Mills style) to the mix as an intrumental. The band I play with does it in A and sings it but I play it the same way with all the chokes and stuff for the verse. We used to do Unclouded Day, Are You Washed In The Blood, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Most recently I've worked up an arrangement of Blessed Assurance (you can listen on my homepage) Also Using My Bible For a Roadmap is great in Scruggs Style. If you haven't head, the Crowe, Lawson, and Williams album you need to, all Jimmy Martin gospel tunes. Another good one is Paul and Silas.

I'll second that Cody Shuler CD suggestion, it lives in my 6cd changer pretty much on a permanent basis. Lots of great songs, killer harmony and that guy pickin the 5 is dead on it. Great CD!

I've picked Crying Holy, Somebody Touched me, I saw the light, do lord, this lil light of mine till I'm blue in the face. Other than Crying Holy they all follow a real close melody line. Breaks end up being near the same so you have to mix it up a bit or it tends to get monotonous even though all are great songs.

pallyn - Posted - 07/11/2011:  16:03:15

I love "Uncloudy Day." Here is version of Ralph Stanley playing it. He plays clawhammer, but I've worked out a "scruggs-y" version. 

youtube.com/watch?v=vBPegJDc8do

Kevin B - Posted - 07/11/2011:  18:14:34

I like many of those mentioned in posts above.

"The Man in the Middle" is asked for a lot by folks that know I play it.

I like to play the old hymn "How Firm a Foundation" on the banjo Scruggs style.

Another favorite is the Whites (and others) "It's Not What You Know But Who You Know."

And I really like to play and sing the old Merle Travis song "I Am a Pilgrim."

Cryo - Posted - 07/11/2011:  18:54:56

Down to the Valley to Pray
Angel Band
--Both from O Brother Where Art Thou

Drunkards Prayer from June Carter Cash

chaosfrailer - Posted - 07/11/2011:  21:39:51

Old Country Church is a favorite of my band, The Buckstankle Boys. Shouting on the Hills of Glory is another good one.

gospelman97 - Posted - 07/12/2011:  03:50:58

We also do Angel Band and Rank Strangers in F.  Good slow songs in different keys that can give variety to your set.  We also do Farther Along in E.

Couchie - Posted - 07/12/2011:  06:01:02

My Mother Prays So Loud In Her Sleep, Gone Home, Old Fashion Preacher, Reunion In Heaven, You Can Feel It In Your Soul, Joy Bells, He Took Your Place, I'm Working On A Road, Give Mother My Crown,  Everything Flatt and Scruggs recorded is great, they were the master pioneers.

John Allison - Posted - 07/12/2011:  07:22:23

We do a number of gospel songs in Scruggs style, including: Amazing Grace, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, I'll Fly Away, Just a Closer Walk With Thee, I Saw the Light, You Got To Walk that Lonesome Valley, and Crying Holy.

stanleytone - Posted - 07/12/2011:  09:48:20

heres a killer tune by the bluegrass cardinals.i tabbed out the opening banjo break to it. i think youll like this one!

i just noticed an error in the tab.,in the next to the last line, measure three, the 3-2 pull off on the bottom string should be a 1/16 note pull off ,not a 1/8 pull off.

mea culpa.......

Edited by - stanleytone on 07/12/2011 09:54:12

journey to my saviour's side

journey to my saviours side

ambpicker - Posted - 07/12/2011:  14:33:43

When We All Get to Heaven
In the Sweet Bye and Bye

I like to play them in G and D tuning

banjoman56 - Posted - 07/13/2011:  22:18:18

We play Unclouded Day, I'll Fly Away, I Saw the Light, Amazing Grace, Rank Stranger, Will the Circle be Unbroken, and one of my favorites, Because He Lives. We play many more, but these are the ones we play the most.

RioStat - Posted - 07/14/2011:  04:54:44

Check out some of the Stanley Brothers early stuff, they put out at least a half-dozen albums of Gospel in the 1950's.

Me and my buddies like to play "Who Will Sing For Me" "Are You Ready" "Home Far Away" (fast, driving, banjo and fiddle, Bluegrass Gospel) "We Shall Rise" "Old Daniel Prayed"  "John 3:16"

You need some need some pretty decent harmony singers for most of these songs.

GarryB - Posted - 07/14/2011:  05:07:44

"The Light House" &

"He Will Set Your Fields on Fire"

the52blues - Posted - 07/14/2011:  19:55:24

My brother and I played and sang as a duo in the 70's and 80's. He played the banjo and I played guitar. We had some nice tunes from a couple of books by Johnny Cash. One tune "It Was Jesus" was my favorite but we also played some tunes from his Holy Land album like "The Land Of Israel" and "Jesus Was A Carpenter". My brother gave up music to pursue other interests so I bought his banjo and added it to a list of other instruments I play and got a chance to play with a couple of old time gospel bands over the years playing most of the songs already listed above.

AustinMike - Posted - 07/15/2011:  10:33:42

In addition to all these fine songs, we also play Heaven's light shinning on me, and Harbor of love.

MrHoney - Posted - 07/15/2011:  17:52:34

I'm not religious but what gets me going is the song "Working on a building", in my head all day at work! and I don't even work on buildings! ;)

Jim Yates - Posted - 07/15/2011:  19:00:43

Old Gospel Ship

What A Friend We Have In Jesus

The Man In The Middle

Norwegianplayer - Posted - 07/16/2011:  23:34:52

We do most of the songs that are mentioned, and we play Lily of the valley (....morning star, Isaac style) in D, Power in the blood in G, Swing low in G, Come and go with me in G and We shall not be moved in G. Some of theese older songs has GREAT lyrics.

overhere - Posted - 07/17/2011:  03:26:19

Gospel in the Scruggs style would be songs like;
“Preaching, Praying, Singing down on the public square.” “Take Me in Your Life Boat“, “God Loves His Children” Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs had some of the best bluegrass gospels out there. And Doyle Lawson and Quick Silver are another tops for gospel. Their arcapelogos (spl?) are untouchable. Gospel is a huge part of bluegrass.

Jody Hughes - Posted - 07/17/2011:  10:00:54

I'll Fly Away
Unclouded Day
Jesus Hold my Hand
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
I Saw the Light


Jody
jodyhughesmusic.com

njwater - Posted - 07/27/2011:  06:20:22

Had folks singing along with us with "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder"

Jim Yates - Posted - 07/27/2011:  08:13:30

Walk In Jerusalem Just Like John (I Want To Be Ready)

The Soul Of Man (Never Dies)

Talk About Suffering

Mansions For Me

Edited by - Jim Yates on 07/27/2011 08:15:12

Jethro Aberdeen - Posted - 08/01/2011:  07:46:59

Are you walking and talking for the Lord

Long black train

It is no secret

A little talk with Jesus

Mansion over the hilltop

Gonna be movin'

Front seat backseat

Where could I go

Help me

Eternity has two

There's still room

Just a closer walk

God on the mountain

On my father's side

I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Daddy sang bass

Rain rain all around (wish I knew who to credit for this one)

Family Bible

I know a man who can

A living prayer

As well as the ones mensioned before

Kevin