THE FAIRFIELD FOUR
During the 1940s, the Fairfield Four were among the top-ranked gospel quartets, along with the Dixie Hummingbirds, Five Blind Boys, and Soul Stirrers. Originally a gospel duet created in the early '20s by the pastor of Fairfield Baptist Church in Nashville to occupy his sons, Harry and Rufus Carrethers, they became a gospel trio with the addition of John Battle. The group was transformed into a jubilee quartet by the '30s and began the first of numerous personnel changes. They recorded for RCA Victor and Columbia during the decade and were known for their reinterpretations of standard hymns, featuring bright, close baritone and tenor harmonies. When the Fairfield Four sang, they utilized the full extent of their voices, moving easily from deep, rolling basslines to the staccato upper peaks of the tenor range, all executed with precise, intricate harmonies and ever-shifting leads.
The Fairfield Four reached their broadest audience when the Sunway Vitamin Company sponsored a nationally broadcast radio show for them daily at 6:45 a.m. on WLAC, Nashville. At the same time, they also continued touring; it was a grueling schedule, especially with the drive to Nashville, and often the group would be missing a member or two on the show. In 1942, the quartet recorded for the Library of Congress, but by 1950, it all became too much. Coupled with some financial trouble and a dwindling radio audience, the Fairfield Four broke up, though one member, Reverend Sam McCrary, used the group name to perform with other quartets. In 1980, the Fairfield Four from the '40s was reunited for a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, by Black gospel specialist Doug Seroff. In 1989, they were designated as National Heritage Fellows by the National Endowment for the Arts. They continue to perform, though the original members are either deceased or retired.
© Sandra Brennan & Bil Carpenter /TiVo
Discographie
15 album(s) • Trié par Meilleures ventes
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I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
Gospel - Paru chez Word Records le 9 sept. 1997
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Still Rockin' My Soul
Gospel - Paru chez Fairfield Four Records le 10 mars 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Standing In the Safety Zone
Gospel - Paru chez Word Records le 1 janv. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live from Mountain Stage (Live)
Funk - Paru chez Blue Plate Music le 16 mai 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Bells Are Tolling
Gospel - Paru chez Universal Music Enterprises le 19 nov. 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Standing On The Rock
Gospel - Paru chez Universal Music Enterprises le 1 janv. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Bells Are Tolling
Jazz - Paru chez Black Sheep Music le 1 janv. 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of the Fairfield Four 1946-53
Gospel - Paru chez ACROBAT le 12 nov. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Bells Are Tolling
R&B - Paru chez Old Town Records le 1 janv. 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My God Called Me This Morning (Live)
Soul - Paru chez Gospel Road le 26 juin 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Bells Are Tolling: The Old Town Single
R&B - Paru chez Old Town Records le 10 août 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
At the Gates of the City
Gospel - Paru chez The Entertainers le 1 janv. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Best Mixtape Ever: The Fairfield Four
Gospel - Paru chez Best Mixtapes Ever le 24 août 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -