[ August 25, 1998 ]
Birmingham: Meet the good time Gospel Choir
Birmingham Evening Mail
Meet the good time Gospel Choir
London Community Gospel Choir
25 August 1998
Courtesy of E. Dwyer
If pop stars want a gospel choir to sing with, who're they gonna call?
Usually it's the London Community Gospel Choir!
The singers have built such a reputation for themselves since the choir's formation in 1982 that artists ranging from Van Morrison to Stevie Wonder, Eternal to Chaka Khan have invited them to appear at their concerts or on record. You may have seen them recently on Top of the Pops with Eternal and Be Be Winans or providing backing vocals for Cher.
Although the choir see it as a great honour to appear with top stars, Midland member Ethline Robinson reveals that their main aim is to share their faith rather than entertain.
"Although we sing their music we don't really get involved," says Birmingham- born Ethline, aged 35. "It's a great opportunity for gospel choirs to have a showcase and hopefully it will encourage more people to discover gospel for themselves."
When Ethline was young her family moved to Coventry where she attended the New Testament church of God in Bell Green. She sang in the youth choir and a quartet The Light of the Valley. A move to London in 1985 led to a meeting with London Community Gospel Choir founder the Rev Bazil Meade who invited her to audition.
Last week they became the first gospel choir to perform at the Proms, an event which coincided with the release of their first album in five years. 'Out of Many, One Voice' is the choir's sixth album and captures the group at a performance peak.
Delores / Link to Here
[ August 4, 1998 ]
NME: Housemartin Party
NME
Housemartin Party! Heaton and Cook Working Again
Aug 4, 1998
NORMAN COOK has been working with former Housemartins bandmate PAUL HEATON on the forthcoming BEAUTIFUL SOUTH album, released on the Go! Discs imprint through Mercury.
Cook contributed to the production of the LP, which is called 'Quench' and comes out on October 12. Norman said: "If you're expecting big beats, you are going to be disappointed. I spent a couple of days in rehearsals in Hull with the band - and now I'm late with my own album!"
A spokesman said Cook had mostly helped out with the rhythm tracks on the record. He continued: "They're old mates and they're helping each other out. In no way is it The Housemartins getting back together!" The spokesman explained that although many people would see Cook and Heaton as being polar opposites musically, that, in fact, they still had a number of things in common. "They're both interested in a huge range of styles of music, as you'll see from the new Fatboy Slim album," he said. That album, 'You've Come A Long Way Baby', is out on October 19, with a single, 'Gangster Trippin'', preceding it on October 5. So far, seven tracks on the album have been completed, and Skint Records are waiting on the last three.
Other tracks include: 'Right Here Right Now', 'Build It Up Tear It Down', 'Love Island' and 'Acid 8000'. Another track, 'Fucking In Heaven', features guest vocals from hip-hop legend Freddy Fresh. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola in America is using Slim's track 'Michael Jackson' in a new advert. The ad is a sly dig at rival Pepsi, which has used Jackson for past ad campaigns.
Delores / Link to Here
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