The Evolution of Gospel

The Evolution of Gospel
Studio album by Sounds of Blackness
Released May 21, 1991
Recorded 1989—1991
Genre Urban contemporary gospel, Spirituals, Blues, Ragtime, New Jack Swing, Jazz, R&B, Hip Hop
Length 62:19
Label Perspective, A&M
Producer Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis
Sounds of Blackness chronology

The Evolution of Gospel
(1991)
The Night Before Christmas: A Musical Fantasy
(1992)
Singles from The Evolution of Gospel
  1. "Optimistic"
    Released: May 2, 1991
  2. "The Pressure Pt. 1"
    Released: 1991
  3. "Testify"
    Released: 1992
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

The Evolution of Gospel is the critically and commercially acclaimed studio album by the Sounds of Blackness, released May 7, 1991, on A&M Records. It has been widely praised for its use of multiple genres of African-American music, including gospel, spirituals, blues, ragtime, jazz, R&B and hip hop. In 1992, the album received the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Choir or Chorus Album.

Track listing

# Title Length Composer(s) Producer(s) Lead Vocalist(s)
1 "Chains" 1:02 Gary Hines Gary Hines Carrie Harrington
2 "Optimistic" 5:19 Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Ann Bennett-Nesby, Carrie Harrington, Coré Cotton, Patricia Lacy, Jamecia Bennett
3 "Ah Been Workin' " 0:42 Gary Hines Gary Hines Dorothy J. Townes
4 "The Pressure Pt. 1" 6:04 Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Ann Bennett-Nesby
5 "Testify" 4:58 Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Ann Bennett-Nesby, Andre Shepard
6 "Gonna Be Free One Day" 0:37 Gary Hines Gary Hines Otis Montgomery
7 "Stand" 4:25 Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart Gary Hines Ann Bennett-Nesby
8 "The Pressure Pt. 2" 5:42 Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Gary Hines, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis Ann Bennett-Nesby
9 "Your Wish is My Command" 5:01 Tim Wortham, Gary Hines, Tony Haynes Gary Hines Ann Bennett-Nesby
10 "Hallelujah Lord!" 1:44 Carrie Harrington, Gary Hines Gary Hines
11 "We Give You Thanks" 6:16 Gary Hines Gary Hines Ann Bennett-Nesby
12 "He Holds the Future" 5:01 Gary Hines Gary Hines Ann Bennett-Nesby, Carrie Harrington, Prof. T
13 "What Shall I Call Him?" 4:04 Gary Hines Gary Hines Ann Bennett-Nesby, Patricia Lacy, Elizabeth Turner
14 "Better Watch Your Behavior" 1:54 Gary Hines Gary Hines
15 "Please Take My Hand" 4:37 Gary Hines Gary Hines Ann Bennett-Nesby
16 "I'll Fly Away" 3:49 Albert E. Brumley Gary Hines Shirley Marie Graham
17 "Harambee (Swahili for 'Let Us All Pull Together')" 1:04 Gary Hines Gary Hines

Chart positions

Album

Year Chart Peak
1991 The Billboard 200 #176
1991 Top Gospel Albums #12
1991 Top R&B Albums #4

Singles

"Optimistic"

Year Chart Peak
1991 Dance Music/Club Play Singles #17
1991 Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales #17
1991 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks #3

"The Pressure Pt. 1"

Year Chart Peak
1991 Dance Music/Club Play Singles #1
1991 Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales #3
1991 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks #17

"Testify"

Year Chart Peak
1992 Dance Music/Club Play Singles #7
1992 Hot Dance Music Maxi-Singles Sales #14
1992 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks #12

References

  1. Birchmeier, Jason. Review: The Evolution of Gospel. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-12-11.