The Gospel Spirit

Performer: Loretta Lynn
Artist: The Jordanaires
Producer: Owen Bradley; Owen Bradley; Andy McKaie (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Loretta Lynn (vocals); The Jordanaires (background vocals). Recording information: 06/1965-08/1970. Photographer: Les Leverett. Arranger: Loretta Lynn. Country music has always had strong roots in gospel, and in Loretta Lynn's case, the two were closely tied. Between 1965 and 1970, the legendary country songstress made a trio of gospel albums on the Decca label (HYMNS, WHO SAYS GOD IS DEAD!, and GOD BLESS AMERICA AGAIN). Tracks from all those spiritually oriented records are collected on THE GOSPEL SPIRIT. All three albums were produced by Nashville hitmaker Owen Bradley, and consequently they all bear the classic 1960s country sound with which he's associated; tasteful steel guitar, colorful piano riffs, straight-down-the-middle acoustic rhythm guitar, carefully orchestrated background vocals. The songs range from the familiar ("Peace in the Valley," covered by many a country artist) to the more obscure (the ominous, minor-key "Gethsemane"), but Lynn's vibrant, plaintive voice sounds equally at home on every track. THE GOSPEL SPIRIT offers a good cross-section of the spiritual material that was obviously close to this country giantess's heart.

Mojo (Publisher) (p.114) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[I]nspired, spirited and feisty..."

The first country feminist, Lynn developed a hard-hitting persona as the wife who stood no nonsense from her rivals or her husband. Her 1966 hit "You Ain't Woman Enough" exemplified her uncompromising honky tonk approach. She answered Tammy Wynette's "Stand By Your Man" in 1975 with the double-standard message song "The Pill," which was banned by several US radio stations. She also formed a successful alliance with Conway Twitty, scoring numerous duet hits. Lynn's bestselling autobiography, COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER, became a popular 1980 film, in which Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for her portrayal of Lynn.

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