The Swan Silvertones

The Swan Sivertones were a gospel group that achieved great popularity in the 1940s and 1950s while led by Claude Jeter, who formed the group in 1938 as the "Four Harmony Kings" while working as a coal miner in West Virginia. The group changed its name to the "Silvertone Singers" after moving to Knoxville, Tennessee and obtaining their own radio show in order to avoid confusion with another group known as the "Four Kings of Harmony". They added the name Swan shortly thereafter since Swan Bakeries sponsored their show. Their wide exposure through radio brought them a contract with King Records

At that point the Silvertones represented an amalgam of two styles: the close barbershop harmonies that they had featured when starting out in West Virginia and virtuoso leads supplied by Jeter and Solomon Womack. The group later lost Womack, but added Paul Owens in 1952 and Louis Johnson in 1955. The three singers with their sharply contrasting styles — Jeter a tenor who could sing falsetto withut losing his lyric control, Owens a crooner and Johnson a hard shouter — played off each other to great effect in songs such as "Mary Don't You Weep". The group recorded for Specialty Records from 1951 to 1955, when it switched to Vee-Jay Records. The group recorded one album with Hob Records after Vee-Jay shut down in 1965, at which point Jeter left the group for the ministry.

Discography

1946 - 1951

Cried Holy Will the Circle Be Unbroken I Done Made It Up in My Mind I'm Tired My Time Done Come I Want My Crown These Bones Gwine Rise Again Go Ahead I Want to Rest I'll Search Heaven In That Upper Room I Want to Dig a Little Deeper Working on a Building Down on My Knees Standing in the Safety Zone All Alone I've Tried What Could I Do I Must Tell Jesus Depending on Jesus No, Not a One I Got a Mother Done Gone Use Me Lord I'm Gonna Wait My God's Getting Us Ready

Jesus Never Fails Jesus Is God's Atomic Bomb Mother's Name Lived in My Heart Long Ago Careless Soul I Got a Witness Live So God Can Use You My Lord Done What He Said Backslider's Plea A Mother's Cry He's My All All Aboard All Night All Day Toll the Bell Jesus Met the Woman at the Well Over Yonder Grant It Lord I Believe Every Day Seems Like Sunday Father Alone

Definitive 2 CD collection of the post-war material from these gospel legends. The beginnings of The Swan Silvertones, one of the most revered and respected Gospel vocal groups of all time, starts with the legendary high tenor, falsetto voice of the Reverend Claude Jeter. His influence over a generation of Soul singers to come is breathtakingly presented on this 2-CD collection of some of their greatest early recordings. You will hear echoes of Bobby Womack, Wilson Pickett and David Ruffin and indeed much of the early Temptations sound in these tracks many of which are making their first appearance on CD. Liner notes by noted musicologist Opal Nations.

Heavenly Light

Jesue Is All the World to Me Love Lifted Me I'm Sealed How I Got Over Have Thine Own Way, Lord Shine on Me Heavenly Light Shine on Me Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross He Won't Deny Me Every Day and Every Hour Four and Twenty Elders Shine on Me Medley: Shine on Me/I Came to Jesus My Rock The Lord's Prayer Medley: Sit Down Servant/Amen I'm Coming Home After Awhile

Prior to their debut recording session for Specialty Records in 1952, Label owner Art Rube advised the Swan Silvertones to "really shout and make everybody happier and make the old sisters fall out. Really tear down the building!". The Swans, often regarded as a "smooth" quartet, were in a stylistic transition during the three years they spent at Specialty and the company succeeded in bringing out their harder,  churchier edge. These 18 selections were never previously released. Eight were recorded in the studio and ten in front of a live audience, all capturing the famous group singing and testifying as it haven't before or since.

Listen to He Won't Deny Me in Real Audio.

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