Title: The Gospel Discography, 1943-1970
Authors: Cedric Hayes & Bob Laughton
Publisher: Eyeball Productions
Date: 2007 rev. ed.

Bob McGrath of Eyeball Productions has just released an updated and revised edition of Hayes & Laughton’s landmark Gospel Discography, 1943-1970. During the fourteen years since that edition was published, a wealth of new information and detail has been uncovered, resulting in this substantially expanded 658 page incarnation. The listings are arranged alphabetically by artist and chronologically by session and matrix number. Also included are indexes for artists, song titles, 45 & 78 rpm discs, LPs and CD issues. Check out these sample pages and you’ll see what an amazing and essential resource this is for any collector, scholar, or performer of gospel music.

This massive volume follows the same format as The Blues Discography, 1943-1970 by Les Fancourt and Bob McGrath that was released last year and received the 2007 Association for Recorded Sound Collection’s award for Best Research in Recorded Blues, Rhythm and Blues or Soul Music.

And last but not least, while you’re visiting the Eyeball website, also check out the 4 volume 2nd ed. of The R&B Indies published back in 2000 (also the recipient of an ARSC Award). This massive labelography of over 11,300 imprints features four decades of blues, gospel, R&B, zydeco, soul and funk released by “renegade” companies, ranging from hole-in-the-wall operations to such powerhouses as Atlantic, King, Chess, Mercury and Motown. The listings begin with the early post-war jump combos and continue through the blues craze of the forties and fifties, vocal groups of the sixties, through soul and funk of the seventies and eighties, overall providing a complete accounting of everything marketed under the R&B umbrella.

I must confess that all of the above information was culled from the Eyeball website. We’re hoping that the budget will allow for the purchase of at least a couple of these essential volumes in the near future. Librarians take note- these books should be on your reference shelves!

Posted by Brenda Nelson-Strauss