Perry Como - Greatest Gospel Songs
List Price:
Our Price: $13.48
You Save: $0.50 (4%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.49 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Artist: Perry ComoEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2000-09-26
Music Label: RCA
Soundtracks:
- He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
- No Well On Earth
- The Lord's Prayer
- May The Good Lord Bless And Keep You
- Only One
- Nearer, My God, To Thee
- Somebody Up There Likes Me
- I May Never Pass This Way Again
- Let's Go To Church (Next Sunday Morning)
- I Believe
- Holy God We Praise Thy Name
- All Through The Night
- Abide With Me
- The Rosary
- Good Night, Sweet Jesus
- A Still Small Voice
- Rock Of Ages
- In The Garden
- When You Come To The End Of The Day
- Act Of Contrition
- Ave Maria
Music reviews of Greatest Gospel Songs
Music Review: Songs of All Faiths & Inspiration not "Gospel Songs"
Rating: 5 Stars
When this BMG compilation album was first released in 2000 it wasn't done with the help of Como historian and expert George Townsend . . . unfortunately! At the time of release there was a fair amount of controversy concerning the title because, for the majority of Perry's long-time admirers, he has never been associated with "Gospel" music per se. Mahalia Jackson sang "Gospel" not Como. What Como does sing, and beautifully so, are the traditional "Songs of All Faiths" as exemplified by his early '50s album titled "I Believe" and actually sub-titled "Perry Como Sings Songs of All Faiths" released originally in 1953 and then again within an expanded LP in 1956. And, incredible as it may seem, Perry's original versions of "Ave Maria" and "The Lord's Prayer", recorded 'live' at the Church of Incarnation, New York City, September 30th, 1949, fifty-three years ago this month, produced by Charles Grean and assisted by Ray Charles ( of the Ray Charles Singers ), actually charted at Nos. 22 and 28 respectively! Como has been associated with these two hymns ever since, recording the two of them again in 1959 with the Male Voices of the Robert Shaw Chorale. And to demonstrate that he really could sing "songs of all faiths", Perry also recorded two Hebrew / Yiddish traditional songs which were included within the 1953 and 1956 compilations. The majority of these traditional hymns were recorded only in monaural excepting the 1959 versions of "Ave Maria" and "The Lord's Prayer" which were brilliantly recorded in full stereophonic sound but all too often re-released in either monaural or "electronically reprocessed" fake stereo! In 1958 Como recorded what would become one of the most beautiful albums of his long career, an album of inspirational songs ( not "gospel" ) titled "When You Come to the End of the Day" and an album which Como historian Townsend claims is a "MUST" in real stereo to be fully appreciated. Como was at the height of his career in 1958, just as the stereophonic high-fidelity era was beginning, and the maturity and smooth assurance of his delivery is very apparent within twelve beautiful performances supported by Mitchell Ayres' Orchestra and the masterfully conducted Ray Charles Singers some songs a capella. According to Townsend, these songs really do not mix well with the earlier hymns for reasons which are primarily technical. They should be appreciated within the context of their time and place with careful attention to both their artistic and technical integrity. This particular compilation inappropriately labeled "Greatest Gospel Songs" fails to respect these issues, representing a "grab-bag" approach rather than a well thought out artistic and technical sequencing of songs. Early versions of this CD also contained a number of errors which should now have been corrected: several of the original stereo tracks, including "The Lord's Prayer", were in monaural instead of real stereo; half of the hymn "Holy God We Praise Thy Name" was inadvertently missing ( it should include the St. Patrick's Cathedral Boy's Choir ); plus a number of technical glitches resulting from the use of poor masters. The version of "Ave Maria" used within this compilation was taken from Perry's 1968 "Christmas Album" ( with Nick Perito conducting ) whilst it should have been the 1959 Robert Shaw Chorale stereo track as a proper match, artistically and technically, with "The Lord's Prayer". These errors should be corrected within newer versions for which the label has apparently offered a free replacement to those who request it. That's the responsible thing to have done and exactly what you expect from a credible label such as Bertelsmann's BMG company. The corrected version is still a mixed bag but deserves a five-star rating for BMG's responsible handling of this issue! Hopefully, with Townsend's help, this sort of thing will never happen again!
Description of Greatest Gospel Songs
Audio CDBroadway & Vocalists CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Broadway & Vocalists CDs
George Shearing, Mel Torme - Elegant EveningSHEARING,G/TORME,M; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $6.39
Price in other shops:
Stan Getz - Spring Is HereRelease date: 1993-01-11; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Rosemary Clooney - Girl SingerRelease date: 1999-04-01; Music CD
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops:
The Blenders - NogRelease date: 1998-10-20; Music CD
Best price: $8.77
Price in other shops:
Brave Combo, Tiny Tim - GirlTIM,TINY/BRAVE COMB; Release date: 1996-03-19; Music CD
Best price: $15.02
Price in other shops:
Belleville a Cappella Choir - Southern Journey, Vol. 11: Honor The Lamb - The Belleville A Cappella ChoirRelease date: 1998-02-10; Music CD
Best price: $84.05
Diane Schuur - Love SongsRelease date: 1993-05-11; Music CD
Best price: $4.25
Price in other shops:
![Love Is the Thing [Vinyl] Image](/images/noimg.gif)
Nat King Cole - Love Is the Thing [Vinyl]Release date: 1996-11-19; Music CD
Best price: $169.99
Linda Ronstadt - Linda Ronstadt: Greatest HitsRelease date: 1998-01-13; Music CD
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops:
Buddy Rich, Sammy Davis Jr - Sounds of 66Release date: 1996-09-17; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Similar CDs
Dean Martin - Dino: The Essential Dean MartinRelease date: 2011-06-07; Music CD
Best price: $11.13
Price in other shops:
Patti Page - The Best of Patti Page: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium CollectionRelease date: 2003-03-04; Music CD
Best price: $2.53
Price in other shops:
Perry Como - Very Best of Perry ComoRelease date: 2000-07-25; Music CD
Best price: $4.85
Price in other shops:
Como, Perry - The Scene Changes (With the Anita Kerr Quartet) / Lightly LatinRelease date: 2008-07-29; Music CD
Best price: $10.98
Price in other shops:
Perry Como - Christmas With Perry ComoRelease date: 1997-09-23; Music CD
Best price: $1.99
Price in other shops:
Perry Como - 100 Hits LegendsRelease date: 2009-10-13; Music CD
Best price: $8.90
Price in other shops:
Perry Como - Saturday Night With Mr C / When You Come to End of the DayRelease date: 2001-05-08; Music CD
Best price: $0.22
Price in other shops:
Perry Como - I BelieveRelease date: 1998-09-08; Music CD
Best price: $2.69
Price in other shops:
Perry Como - Perry Como: Greatest Christmas SongsCOMO,PERRY; Release date: 1999-08-24; Music CD
Best price: $5.60
Price in other shops:
Perry Como - Lord's PrayerRelease date: 2006-09-12; Music CD
Best price: $2.33
Price in other shops: