The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #115499   Message #3302369
Posted By: Azizi
04-Feb-12 - 11:41 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: God Specializes (Have you any rivers)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: God Specializes (Have you any rivers)
I just added a post on "God Specializes" to my pancocojams cultural blog http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/vintage-gospel-god-specializes-have-you.html

That blog post includes 3 videos of "God Specializes" and 1 video of "Got Any Rivers". I presented those videos for their spiritual value, and also as a means of beginning an exploration of the differences between expected congregational "etiquette" in Black American churches and in White American churches. I also provided some history of how the chorus of those songs were composed.

I now write "those songs" because, as Donaldw1 indicated in his comment on 25 Mar 11 - 12:00 PM, the "Got Any Rivers" song was "gospelized" in 1958 by Gloria Griffin of the renown African American Gospel group the Roberta Martin Singers.

I think it's significant that African Americans sing "Have you any rivers" and not "Got any rivrs" which are the words that (White American) Oscar Eliason composed. And we usually use the title "God Specializes" for that song. That is the title that Gloria Griffin used for the song she copyrighted, and that is the chorus that gives so much spiritual power to that song.

Viewer comments are welcome on my pancocojams blog.

Best wishes,

Azizi Powell