Clarence Smith – Whatever Happened To Love (1973/2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 39:49 minutes | 1,55 GB | Genre: Gospel, R&B
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Craft Recordings
“Whatever Happened to Love” has the remarkable distinction of being the only Gospel Truth recording to originate from in-house sessions with Stax producers, engineers and affiliated players. Stax staffer Tom Nixon oversaw the project with a team of engineers that included Dave Purple, William Brown, Henry Bush and Josephine Bridges, who with Nixon had previously co-founded Stax subsidiary We Produce Records. We Produce solo artists Lee Sain and Lou Bond both sing backup behind Smith, who had anoff-kilter approach to gospel without ever listening to his record. For one, he was adamant about removing his shirt for the cover, according to label leadership. Within the grooves of the album, he wears a knack for experimentation on his proverbial sleeve—even without a shirt.
Stretching out for a deep rendition of “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child,” Smith disregards just about everything that people know about the song, leaving only its words to bear any resemblance to versions of the past. Opening with the slow-burning title track “Whatever Happened to Love,” he cries out to find the answer to sorrow, dejection, poverty and abandonment.
Tracklist:
1-1. Clarence Smith – Whatever Happened To Love (03:43)
1-2. Clarence Smith – I Don’t Know Why Jesus Loves Me (Oh Yes I Love Him) (08:13)
1-3. Clarence Smith – I Believe In Music (07:29)
1-4. Clarence Smith – Don’t Take Your Love Away (03:46)
1-5. Clarence Smith – Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child (05:14)
1-6. Clarence Smith – I Just Keep On Trying (03:11)
1-7. Clarence Smith – Got A Lot To Be Thankful For (04:30)
1-8. Clarence Smith – Jesus Is A Friend (03:39)
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