The Classic Decade - The Singles Collection 1952-62

Acrobat has recently been adding to its catalogue of collections featuring the gospel groups of the 1950s, who were part of the burgeoning gospel scene at a time when there were opportunities to perform at major venues and opportunities to record for labels with access to mass markets, and during an era when sanctified soul was laying the groundwork for the developing secular soul scene. The Radio Four, originally comprising various brothers from the Babb family, came from Kentucky, and after performing in different line-ups through the 1940s, first came to the fore around 1950 on radio WHOP in Hopkinsville, where one of the brothers Dr. Morgan Babb hosted a show. This led to their signing to the Tennessee label, with most of their recording being done for Nashville-based labels during this era. This 49-track 2-CD collection comprises most of their releases during these years on the Tennessee, Republic and Nashboro labels of which we are aware, only omitting titles of which mastering sources could not be located. It includes recordings made accompanying label colleagues Madame Edna Gallmon Cooke and Sister Lucille Barbee during this time, where they were named as accompanists on the record label. They were perhaps one of the less flamboyant and high-profile of the gospel groups of this era, but they were a highly-regarded ensemble, and in Morgan Babb had an outstanding lead singer.