The Kingsmen – Jubilation (1975)
“Jubilation” is the first of 2 albums that the Kingsmen released in 1975, and some personnel changes were made since their last album. After graduation from high school, Gary Dillard joined full-time to play steel guitar, and he would eventually go on to play the banjo, dobro and the harmonica during his lengthy tenure with the Kingsmen. Prior to joining full-time, Gary (aka-“Beaver”) would join the Kingsmen on a part-time basis until he graduated high school, which Eldridge Fox stipulated should be his first priority. Also, by this time, John Broome had departed the group and eventually Chester Arms, who had previously played for the Hinsons, joined to play drums.
As the Kingsmen continued to gain success, they began production of a new television show called “Music City Special” along with Willie Wynn & the Tennesseans and the Sego Brothers & Naomi. Each group would sing each week, along with weekly special guests, mostly from country music such as George Jones, Dolly Parton, Lulu Roman and Ronnie Milsap. Taped in front of a live studio audience, the show highlighted the Kingsmen’s ability to draw energy from each other as well as from the audience, and it was an exceptional program. There are several clips from the show on You Tube and you can readily tell the Kingsmen enjoyed what they were doing, as well as the audience.
I feel that the Kingsmen had settled into a nice groove at this point, and “Jubilation” felt more like a genuine Kingsmen album compared to “1686 Pounds of Gospel”. Produced by Marvin Norcross, along with Nick Bruno playing piano and assisting with song arrangements, the album also boasted some notable names playing behind the Kingsmen including Charlie McCoy, Buddy Harmon, Harold Bradley, Steve Chapman, Weldon Myrick, John Rich, Bob Moore, and Billy Linneman. Musically, this was the best studio album the Kingsmen had recorded up to this point, and the Kingsmen never sounded better!
Living up to the album’s title, with a blaring harmonica played by the legendary, Charlie McCoy, the album kicks off with the exciting, “Shoutin’ Happy”, a wonderful quartet song from the Stamps-Baxter catalog written by Dwight Brock and Floyd Hunter. This was a popular concert favorite for the Kingsmen, and they would eventually resurrect this song 8 years later, on their “Live at the University of Alabama” recording that was released in 1983.
Starting off slow and acapella, after a few strikes of the electric guitar, the tempo picks up quickly for the Elmer Cole penned, “The Old Time Way”. Filled with dobro and an exciting drum beat, the song builds on the success the Kingsmen had created with such songs as “I’d Rather Be an Old Time Christian”, and the song was right up their alley with its message, “when it comes to religion, make mine the old time way”, before we’re met with the familiar strains of the steel guitar as Johnny Parrack sings the Squire Parsons classic, “Master of the Sea”. Squire had a love for black gospel and the song was inspired by the James Cleveland spiritual, “Master, the Tempest is Raging”. When listening to the song, you definitely hear that influence in the soulful/bluesy feel of the song, and it charted for the Kingsmen for about 5 months, peaking at #23 in August 1975. This has long been one of my all-time favorite Kingsmen songs, as well as one of my favorite Squire Parsons penned tunes.
Next, the Kingsmen render their own rendition of the Neil Enloe penned classic, “The Statue of Liberty”. The song was also a big hit for the Couriers, as well as the Cathedrals, and for this album, the Kingsmen put their own stamp on the song, and features both Hamill and Foxie (Foxie’s only feature on this album) along with some nice steel guitar highlights. This version by the Kingsmen is one of my favorite renditions of this song and I feel that it fit them like a glove.
Picking the tempo back up, Jim Hamill sings his own composition, “Something to Hold On To”. Featuring guitar and harmonica embellishments, the song was perfect for the Kingsmen, before we move on to another lively number, “What a Wonderful Feeling”, written by Morris Stancil. Featuring Hamill on the verses, along with some bass step-out lines by Ray on the chorus, the song features nice steel guitar and piano highlights and closed out this side with that classic Kingsmen sound.
Side 2 kicks off with the Charles Feltner penned classic, “I’ll See You in the Rapture”, which features Johnny. Published through Kingsmen Publishing, this was a huge song during the mid-70’s, mostly popularized by Jerry & the Goffs and became their sugar stick for the remainder of their career, but the Kingsmen also enjoyed success with the song, as it briefly for them, peaking at #32 in July 1975.
My favorite song on this album is the peppy, “The Old Ship of Zion”, which was written by Ray Lewis, who penned several popular Goodman tunes during the 60’s. Featuring Ray on the verses and Johnny taking the lead on the chorus, I love the electric and steel guitar and piano fills on the song. During its 4-month run in the charts, the song peaked at #28 in the June 1975 Singing News chart. I remember I first became acquainted with the song via the album, “The Best of the Kingsmen” that Canaan Records released after the Kingsmen left for Heartwarming. I listened to that record constantly as a kid (as I didn’t have the albums those songs came from at the time) and fell in love with this song and it still ranks as one of my favorites from this era of the Kingsmen. I love how with each chorus Johnny takes the word “bow” to a different level until the final chorus where he blows the roof off. I imagine this was a fun song to do in concert and I would have loved to hear them tackle this song live back in the day…and I would also love to hear the Kingsmen of today tackle this snappy tune as well!
Slowing things down a bit, ornated with harmonica and steel guitar highlights, Hamill steps up once again as he sings the country feel of the contemplative tune, “When I’m Gone”, which was written by Roger Horne (former tenor for the Cathedrals), before the tempo picks back up for the joyful, “What a Wonderful Time”. Featuring Ray, the song was written by Bruce Thornhill, who would go on to pen several classic quartet tunes such as “Lay it Down” and “Living on Higher Ground (Inspirations), “The Old Gospel Man” (Florida Boys) as well as “Rest Assured” (a song the Kingsmen would record 10 years later, on their “Better in Person” live album).
Next, Jim Hamill renders the emotional story, “The Hundred Dollar Bill Story”. The Kingsmen were still relishing in the success of “The Apple Tree”, and though there is some discrepancy as to who the writer is, all of my research leads to former Kingsmen bass vocalist, Calvin Runion, as the writer of this heartfelt story. In fact, Calvin himself recorded it when he sang bass with the Diplomats on their 1973 album, “New Horizons”. Hamill does a really great job conveying yet another moving story of a loving father and his wayward son. Wendy Bagwell also did a great job with his rendering of this story on the album, “He Was Talking About Me”, which was released in 1974.
The Conrad Cook penned, “When My Feet Touch the Streets of Gold” finishes out the album perfectly. Though the song was not a chart song for the Kingsmen, it went on to become one of their most popular concert favorites that has randomly been a part of their set list for the last 45+ years. The LeFevres also enjoyed concert success with the song and recorded an outstanding rendition on their 1975 album, “Experience…the LeFevres”.
One thing I’ve noticed about the Kingsmen is they’ve had just as much success with non-charting songs as they had with chart songs, proving their success was so much more vast than just what was on the charts. The Kingsmen found immense success with several non-single/non-charting songs over the years, because they went over exceptionally well in concert, and those songs continued to remain on their set list for years to come because the fans still loved them and they still garnered tremendous response in a live setting.
I have always been quite fond of this album. I didn’t realize it even existed until the early to mid-90’s, and when I saw it, I had to have it and have been infatuated with this album ever since. “Jubilation” had that classic Kingsmen sound and was an excellent example of the jubilant singing you heard from the Kingsmen in concert. It’s an upbeat and exciting album, reminiscent to some of their earlier albums prior to “Big & Live”, but with a bit more polish. Although “Jubilation” didn’t yield any chart-topping songs (none of the songs charted higher than #23 in the Singing News chart), it was a magical album filled with some outstanding concert favorites that continued to elevate the Kingsmen as masters of the stage.
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