BLUES BEFORE SUNRISE FOR 5/3/26 BIRMINGHAM QUARTET ANTHOLOGY
This week on BBS we turn the spotlight on the Birmingham Quartet Anthology, a two-LP set, compiled by Doug Seroff and issued in Scandinavia back in 1980. The album presents a generous sampling, 38 sides, by ten different Gospel quartets based in the Birmingham-Bessemer region of Alabama (1926-1953). The recordings are accompanied by extensive liner notes, document-ing the genre, including interviews with late survivors of the various quartets. This package was never reissued on CD but I spent last weekend burning mine onto CD. During Hour #3 we’ll gladly share as many tracks as time allows – and they’re almost 100% acapella(!) It’s the Birmingham Quartet Anthology – Only on BBS!
HOUR #1
I REMEMBER HARLEM	ROY ELDRIDGE
ALL THE CATS JOIN IN	ROY ELDRIDGE
AIN’T THAT A SHAME	ROY ELDRIDGE
BABY WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH YOU	ROY ELDRIDGE
YARD DOG	ROY ELDRIDGE
GOT A PENNY BENNY	JOE CARROLL
DON’T MESS AROUND WITH MY LOVE	JOE CARROLL
WHA-WHA BLUES	JOE CARROLL
OO-SHO-BE-DOO-BE	JOE CARROLL
INDIAN SUMMER	WILD BILL DAVIS
THEME FROM THE JOE LOUIS STORY	WILD BILL DAVIS
LAND OF DREAMS	WILD BILL DAVIS
PETALS ON THE POND	TONI HARPER
SATURDAY NIGHT	TONI HARPER
WHERE FLAMINGOS FLY	TONI HARPER
CASEY JONES	JUBILAIRES
BOOGIE EXPRESS	GENE ROGERS
ICE COLD KATIE	HATTIE McDANIELS
HOUR #2
DO YOU LOVE ME BABY	LARRRY DARNELL
BE MY LOVEY DOVEY	ETTA JAMES
BOOTED	TOMMY RIDGELY
WISH I HAD NEVER	TOMMY RIDGELY
HOUSE NEAR THE RAILROAD TRACK	GRIFFIN BROS
ROLL BABY ROLL	FLOYD DIXON
MY LOVE COMES TUMBLIN’ DOWN	COUSIN JOE
YOU GOT IT COMIN’ TO YA	COUSIN JOE
SAY HELLO TO MISS BROWN	LUKE JONES
PALMETTO	SONNY THOMPSON
BIG STARS FALLING	TAMPA RED
SHE’S A COOL OPERATOR	TAMPA RED
I CAN’T SEE YOUR FACE	WALTER DAVIS
ANGEL CHILD	WALTER DAVIS
BABY WHAT ELSE CAN I DO	ETHEL WATERS
I JUST GOT A LETTER	ETHEL WATERS
THERE’S SOMETHING WITHIN ME	SELAH JUBILEE SINGERS
THE COMING KING	REV JOHNNY BLAKEY
LAND OF ENDLESS DAY	SILVER ECHO QUARTET
HOUR #3
I WOULDN’T MIND DYIN’	GOLDEN LEAF QUARTET
HE DIED ON CALVARY	BIRMINGHAM JUBILEE SINGERS
HE’LL UNDERSTAND	FOUR GREAT WONDERS
CLANKA LANKA	FAMOUS BLUE JAY SINGERS
I’M BOUND FOR CANAAN LAND	FAMOUS BLUE JAY SINGERS
STANDING OUT ON THE HIGHWAY	FAMOUS BLUE JAY SINGERS
SHALL I MEET YOU OVER YONDER	FAMOUS BLUE JAY SINGERS
HOLY IS MY NAME	DUNHAM JUBILEE SINGERS
I DREAMED OF JUDGEMENT MORNING	DUNHAM JUBILEE SINGERS
I AM THINKING OF A CITY	RAVIZEE SINGERS
YOU’LL NEED MY SAVIOR TOO	RAVIZEE SINGERS
HIDE ME	RAVIZEE SINGERS
CLIMBING JACOB’S LADDER	BESSEMER SUNSET FOUR
ROUGH & ROCKY ROAD	HEAVENLY GOSPEL SINGERS
WHERE SHALL I BE	HEAVENLY GOSPEL SINGERS
LORD GIVE ME WINGS	KINGS OF HARMONY
HOUR #4
NEVER MAKE YOUR MOVE TOO SOON	B.B. KING
CROSSCUT SAW	ALBERT KING
SENSATION	FREDDY KING
LAUNDROMAT BLUES	EDDIE KING
COME ON PTS I & II	EARL KING
GOOD DADDY	MAURICE KING
I’LL GET IT	JEWEL KING
THE STOMPER	WILLIE KING
BABY I’M FOOL PROOF	KID KING COMBO
BABY WHAT’S THE MATTER	KING PORTER
VAL HALLA	KING PERRY
SWINGIN’	SAUNDERS KING
WAGGIN’ YOUR TAIL	KING DAVIS
GREAT LAKES BOOGIE	ALFRED BLUES KING HARRIS
JUST COME ON HOME	JELLYROLL KINGS
I GOT TO MOVE	KING SOLOMON
ON MY WAY	AL KING
HOUR #5
WISH I HAD A BRAND NEW HEART	MILLS BROS
IT’S YOU OR NO ONE	CAL TJADER
I’M LOST	NAT KING COLE
HOW AM I TO KNOW	SHIRLEY HORN
YOUNG BLUES	LARRY YOUNG
YOU WERE MADE FOR ME	SAM COOKE
JUST FOR YOU	SAM COOKE
EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT	SUNNYLAND SLIM
SPUTNIK MUSIC	HARMONICA GEORGE
ROCK & ROLL BOOGIE	JOJO WILLIAMS
ALL PRETTY WOMEN	JOJO WILLIAMS
HOW CAN YOU DO IT	HENRY GRAY
BABY I’M LONELY	MORRIS PEJOE
A-MINOR CHA-CHA	EDDIE CLEARWATER
BLUES FALLING DOWN LIKE RAIN	ZORA YOUNG
TWO TRAINS RUNNING	ZORA YOUNG
ALBATROSS	FLEETWOOD MAC

© 1997 - 2026 Blues Before Sunrise