Sunday, August 3, 2008

Mine eyes have seen the glory

Pork rinds, pig skins, scratchin's, cracklin's

Scratchin's was, more precisely, pork scratchings, or pork rind fried in lard with the fat attached. Like the skin on an orange, pork rind is the skin of a pig. Some called them pork skins or pig skins, others preferred pork rinds. I always thought there existed an actual distinction. By that I mean the larger, curled ones were pork rinds or pork skins, but the smaller pieces were the scratchin's, or, again another word preference, cracklin's. The commercial, bagged kind were passable, homemade they were delicious. A few stores sold them in clear cellophane bags as prepared by local farm families. An unbeatable treat. There was no quality control with those though and a few of the corner cuts were as hard as granite.

He knows my every thought, He...

The head of Christ, where he is bearded, with long hair and stilled at a three-quarter angle with his eyes and line of vision tilting slightly upward. There is a sort of glow around his head and he is wearing a simple, white garment. I will never be able to conceive of Jesus as looking any different. A copy of the familiar painting hung on a wall in my aunt Audrey's living room alcove. It appeared no different than the one hanging on our living room wall, or the one on my aunt Verna's, or aunt Margaret's, or any of the others I had seen regularly in homes and businesses.
"No, look," my cousin Linda insisted. "Its eyes follow you around the room."
"What if I go through the doorway?" I asked.
"It'll follow you there, too."
"When I'm outside the doorway?"
"No, while you're going out. As long as you're in the room, its eyes follow you."
It became apparent to me that Linda was telling the truth, that they had purchased or otherwise obtained the standard work of art but with trickery added to the eye portion to make it appear the eyes are always upon the viewer. I walked from side to side looking at the picture all the while. I finally had to admit I couldn't make the distinction but I would accept her declaration and that I understood the gist of the novelty -- that Jesus really is watching your every move.
"I don't know why you can't see it," she said.
"Maybe I'm not a true believer," I replied.
"Just joking," I assured her, afraid to leave it at that, seeing the makings of family lore hatching for future tellings. Clearly, she was either not capable of recognizing my form of humor or had chosen to ignore it in favor of darker implications.
It was obvious she thought it creepy, no, scary, as if the supernatural Jesus really was supernatural right there in her presence.
It never caught on, as far as I could tell. Not even a little bit. I don't recall anyone ever bringing another such of the pictures with the altered eyes to my attention.
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Saturday, August 2, 2008

Danny and Sharon Owen on Mission

Brother and sister music evangelists Danny and Sharon Owen with Music Ministry and Forest Park Baptist Church in Joplin issued an 11-song Lp entitled For Those Tears on Mission Records in the mid-1970s.

Danny and Sharon did the vocals and Kathi Henry from Joplin played piano. Another Joplinite, Steve Davenport, played bass. On drums was Darrel Campbell from Mt. Vernon, Mo. Lead guitarist Chuck Jackson from Independence, Mo., chipped in on one song while Sharon played on all the rest.

A nice color shot of Danny and Sharon in vintage clothing graces the front album cover (taken by Murwin Mosler) and a casual, black and white shot of the group is on the back.

For Those Tears
Mission MR-DS 380
Ca. 1974

Tracks: For Those Tears I Died; When I Think of the Cross; 1 Corinthians 13; Bright New World; God Can See Us / I Wish We'd All Been Ready; 2 Jesus Made me Higher; How Firm a Foundation; He's Listening; Through it All; For Those Tears I Died (reprise).

Friday, August 1, 2008

Persons and Recordings: Galena, Kansas

Troy Wade
During early summer of 2008 and shortly after playing Galena Days, The Missourians announced that baritone Troy Wade had joined forces. Wade had previously worked with The Revelations. He also was once lead singer for Brothers With Purpose. He replaced veteran Missourians member Doug Luton. The quartet is based in Joplin, Mo., and first organized in 1988. Wade was well established in Galena as a member of First Baptist Church and as director of sales and marketing for Oasis Car Wash Systems, an internationally recognized name and innovative leader in the car wash industry. Wade is the younger brother of Stephen Wade, president of Oasis. Revelations member Jerry Wade co-founded the business in 1964 in Galena.
...

The Revelations

A group from Galena, Kan., who recorded an album at a studio in Kentucky associated with the Happy Goodman Family.


The Revelations Sing
Big G Records BG 47
Recorded at Goodman Sound, Madisonville, Ky.

The Revelations: Jerry Wade, Richard Ebert, Willis Spencer, Bill Major, Gaylon Spencer
Musicians: Jim Dumas, Ed Crook, Jim Bowles, Aaron Wilburn, Rick Goodman, Jack Smith

Tracks: I Came to Praise the Lord; I Will Serve Thee; It's Alright; Let's Just Praise the Lord; This Could Be Your Last Chance; Somebody Loves Me; Redemption Draweth Nigh; Why Me; Until You Find the Lord; The Last Sunday.


Peace Love Joy

Passin Thru
PLJ 417
Recorded and mixed at Country Side Studios, Joplin, Mo.
All songs and arrangements by Peace Love Joy
Back cover group photo taken at Old Depot, Galena, Kansas
Sound consultation: Wayne Dahlman
1980

Rick Alumbaugh, Lloyd Prins, Terry Pierson, vocals; Alumbaugh, Prins, Levi Morrow, guitars; Larry Johnston, bass; Fred Shaw, drums; Sammy Funkhouser, keyboards; Johnston, Shaw, percussion.

Tracks: Sitting on a Mountain Top; You're My Home; Pass'n Through; Needing You; You Can (But Not Me); True Love; Blue Skies; Trip to Calvary; Peace, Love, Joy; Merciful Love.


Fred Doerge

The Rev. Fred Doerge, a Joplin evangelist, was a pastor with the Spring River Baptist Association from 1957 to 1960. The Fred Doerge Evangelism Scholarship is named in honor of him at Courts Redford College of Theology and Church Vocations in Bolivar, Mo..


I Am Loved (cassette)
M 2817
Tracks: Jesus (He Means All the World to Me); Surely the Presence; What a Difference You've Made; More of You; Oasis of Love; Jesus (He Means All the World to Me) / Peace in the Midst of the Storm; Surely the Presence; I Found It; I Am Loved; The World Didn't Give it to Me; You Needed Me.


How Big is God
Sacred Melodies SLP-S-127

Tracks: How Big is God; Dwelling in Beulah Land (piano); He's My Rock, My Sword, My Shield; I Believe; Lord Is it I; Assurance March (organ); I Saw a Man; Yes He Did; Don't Spare Me; He's Everything to Me; Fill My Cup Lord; Life is Like a Mountain Railroad (organ).


Solid Gold Band

Country music group from Galena, Kan., true to the red dirt sound.


Bandera, Texas b/w I Never Had the One That I Wanted
NSD NSD 121
January 1982

Country Fiddles b/w The Sun Shines Bright in Oklahoma
NSD NSD 138
May 1982


OBC Brass Choir
(Ozark Bible College Concert Band, Joplin, Mo.)

"In the Sweet By and By" may actually beat out "Amazing Grace" as the old-time favorite in the region.


The Live Sound of Brass


Tracks: God of Our Fathers; How Great Thou Art; Send the Light; In the Sweet By and By; Sacred Suite; Christ Arose; Ivory Palaces; A Spiritual Festival; Amazing Grace; To God Be the Glory;


The Corley Bros.

Cassingle, apparently


Joplin Police Sting b/w Samson
1993


Max Brown

Former late 1950s Joplin Juco student and area performer. Father owned garage in Carthage, Mo. Had big Joplin radio hit with "China Town," a remake of The Five Keys' "Ling Ting Tong."

China Town b/w She'll be Sorry
Applause 8-1242
July 1960

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