Lyr Req: I'm Born Again (Dave Summers)

Subject: Lyr Req: The evangelist
From: GUEST,Fantum
Date: 09 Jul 07 - 03:24 AM

I am trying to get the lyrics to Dave Summers song The Evangelist
Any help much appreciated

Fantum

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The evangelist (Dave Summers)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jul 07 - 02:14 AM

refreshy

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The evangelist (Dave Summers)
From: GUEST,Fantum
Date: 10 Jul 07 - 08:31 AM

Thanks Joe.

Better add a bit more to help the thing along
Here is my recollection of the chorus

Hallelujah
I got religion
Jesus saved my soul
Amen
There's a suite of rooms awaiting in ST Peter's great motel
Praise the Lord
Born again

Its not a religious son despite the above lines

What makes this worse is I have heard this song round the clubs so it has struck others as being a worthwhile addition to a repetoire

Still in hope

Fantum

Subject: Lyr Add: I'M BORN AGAIN (Dave Summers)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jul 07 - 07:06 PM

This one intrigued me, Fantum. Your second message gave me enough to find it. I guess it hasn't been posted here, but Mudcatter Susanne(SKW) has it posted on her Website, and I'm sure she won't mind my posting it here. I question her "Holy Unit Trust" transcription, but I don't know what would be right because I've never heard the song. Susanne's background notes are always excellent, so be sure to take a look.

I'm Born Again
(Dave Summers / ad. Iain C. MacKintosh)

(spoken:)
Friends, we're gathered here tonight
On behalf of the Church of the Holy Unit Trust.
When I sing 'Hallelujah, I want you to sing 'Hallelujah'.
When I sing 'Amen', I want you to sing 'Amen'.
When I sing 'Praise the Lord', you will praise the Lord.
We've got souls to save.

Hallelujah, I got religion
Jesus, save my soul, Amen
There's a suite of rooms waiting
In St. Peter's great motel
Praise the Lord, I'm born again

I used to be the Devil's child
I used to be a sinner
I could tell you things would make you choke
On your coke and your T.V. dinner
I used to beat my wife and kids
And treat my mistress mean
Then I gave my soul to Jesus, friends
And now my soul is clean
Yes, I gave my soul to Jesus
And now I'm on His side
And He's chosen me to come tonight
To be your holy guide
But first the Lord needs dollars
To save this world from sin
So empty out your pockets, friends
And then we can begin

My wife Jolene is here with me
Jolene knows her station
So I made her vice-president
Of the Holy Corporation
She helps me do the Lord's good work
She's strong, she's incorruptible
She knows what's right, she knows what's wrong
She knows what's tax-deductible
And my secretary, Mary Lou
She used to be a hooker
Until an angel of the Lord
Came from the sky and took her
In a motel room in Vegas
I helped her through the night
She said, "My soul's in darkness"
So we just kept on the light

Yes, praise the Lord and pledge your soul
To the Holy Unit Trust
Because the Lord needs cash to save this world
From avarice and lust
And for every dollar that you give
One sinner will be blessed
We take Diners', Visa, Mastercard
And American Express

      (as sung by Iain MacKintosh)

---

---

Hmmmm. I used to know a Mother Superior named Sister Jolene....

Anybody know of recordings of this song?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: ADD: The evangelist/I'm Born Again (Dave Summe
From: Cath
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 05:57 AM

I used to book Dave Summers years ago. He was very clever with words and did an excellent night's entertainment. He also did a latin version of Old Macdonald if I recollect correctly.
A good chap - I wonder what happened to him?

Subject: RE: ADD: The evangelist/I'm Born Again (Dave Summers)
From: GUEST,Fantum
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 01:02 PM

Joe and Susanne(SKW)thank you for your efforts.

However you have raised a few questions that will need resolving by my doing some serious digging
Usually the Mudcat is a shortcut

The holy unit trust is right
Dave Summers did do old MacDonalds farm in latin
I posted it so look under my name and it will come up

Dave recorded both these songs
The albums would be only a limited edition and they would never have gone on general release they would only have been available from him (I think)
I will look for album titles

This is all second hand information so it needs to be confirmed. Dave was the librarian at Lancaster University and I believe he rose to be the Chief Librarian of a County. This elevated post took him out of the music scene.

Getting a copy to you Joe will have to be discussed with my technical man

More later


Fantum

Subject: RE: ADD: The evangelist/I'm Born Again (Dave Summe
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 07:43 PM

Fantum, this is the way Iain sang it though he never recorded it. I can hear him now - it always went down very well with audiences. Must dig out the tape! I've no idea in what ways he may have changed the lyrics, though.

What surprises me is to learn that Dave Summers is English. I'd have expected this to come from an American. But maybe the subject needs the distance to be adequately treated. It's a gem!

Subject: RE: ADD: The evangelist/I'm Born Again (Dave Summers)
From: GUEST,Fantum
Date: 12 Jul 07 - 12:49 PM

Hi Susanne,
Dave is almost the typical englishman soft spoken, articulate nice guy
Areal loss to the folk scene especially since I had not got all his stuff.
Dave always sang this song with the audience

Singer    Hallelujah,
Audience Hallelujah,
Singer    I got religion Jesus, save my soul, Amen
Audience Amen
Singer    There's a suite of rooms waiting
          In St. Peter's great motel
          Praise the Lord,
Audience Praise the Lord
Singer    I'm born again
Audience I'm born again

Generally roared out by the audience
I must confirm all this just as soon as I can
More as soon as

Fantum