Joyce Drake – “Joyce”

The Sleeve:

The Liner/Sleeve Notes:  
“To my darling husband, Clyde, and my children, Lynn, Kari, Brad and Derek who mean so much to me, this album is lovingly and gratefully dedicated.  
 Joyce Drake

 To God be the Glory!

 I wish to acknowledge with gratefulness and thanks, those who have worked so long and diligently with me to make this album possible. Thank you seems to be most inadequate word, but those wonderful people who worked with me know how deeply I mean it.

A special thanks to Dewey Family Ministries.”

Personal Review:
 Finally! I Finally own the Joyce LP!

 Anyways, I am in love with this entire album, each side is like a treasure. No joke, the day I got it I had to have listened to it atleast about 6 or 7 times!! It’s one those albums that’s mocked all over the internet and dubbed “The worst album cover of all time” (besides, Joyce’s style is what was in in 1983.) but most people who mock it clearly have never heard the record itself, and therefore cannot judge. Besides, who are they to judge?

 Anyways, here I go. The record opens with the song “It’s My Desire” – to start, let me say Joyce has an amazing voice and the vocals she provides are absolutely stunning! Joyce is a rare talent to say the least, I’ve wondered for awhile if she only recorded this album, or she did others. The next track is “Heaven’s Sounding Sweeter“, it’s a slow song, but much like the previous track Joyce delivers, she has some fierce high notes, which I love (as many of my readers know, I dislike high notes.) Next up is the pop/country/Gospel song “I Get All Excited” (Not to be confused with the other Gospel song “Get All Excited“) – this one however, is just as singable as “Get All Excited” (but we’ll cover that on another LP.) Let me put it like this though, THIS. SONG. IS. AMAZING. (I sure do get all excited when I listen to Joyce. Kay, that sounds horrible.) Next up, Joyce does “How Great Thou Art” which as it is, is a tough enough song to cover, very (and I mean VERY) few artists can cover it properly, Joyce, well… Joyce is one of those few who can. I could listen to Joyce singing it on a daily basis, but I don’t… cause the Joyce song I listen to at least once a day is “The Battle Hymn of Republic” – which just so happens to be the next song, and final song on the A-Side. Glory, glory hallelujah! Joyce Drake is an amazing singer.

 So, the B-Side opens with “I’ll Cling to Jesus” – and she once again delivers it amazingly. She starts it off slow and then belts out the chorus like a Goddess! Joyce is simply one of the greatest female vocalists. (Yes, she is the fifth.) Then comes “You’ll Never Walk Alone” which is simply beautiful, Joyce hits all the right notes and delivers just simply perfectly. Next up is “Happy Am I” – which is another country/pop/Gospel song which is easy to sing along with, I really wish Joyce could know that she has a fan in me! Then comes, “He Cares for Me” – and it is stunning. Everyone needs this record. Seriously. I’d love to have seen Joyce preform live in her church, I can only imagine how beautiful it was. The LP closes with the track “I Owe it All to Jesus” – and what a way to end the album! Joyce closes on such a positive note that I do not understand why she did not do more than just this one album.

 In closing, Joyce is still out there, in Texas. A few years ago, Ellen Degeneres had mocked this album on her show. Let this page stand as a defense against Jeff Bridges and Ellen. Joyce is good, and the record is worth more than 50 cents. Let me say this to you Jeff, send me one of your albums. I’ll review it.

Interesting Facts:
None.

Track Listing:
A1 – It’s My Desire
A2 – Heaven’s Sounding Sweeter
A3 – I Get All Excited
A4 – How Great Thou Art
A5 – Battle Hymn of the Republic

B1 – I’ll Cling to Jesus
B2 – You’ll Never Walk Alone
B3 – Happy Am I
B4 – He Cares for Me
B5 – I Owe it All to Jesus

Label:
LTD Records

Catalog Number:
LTD-4013

Studio Musicians & Other Album Credits:
Acoustic Organ, Electric Piano & Organ: Mitch Humphries
Lead Guitar, Steel Guitar & Rhythm: John Rich
Bass & Rhythm – Jimmy (Duke) Dumas
Drums & Percussion – Dennis Holt
Producer – Levoy Dewey
Studio – Oak Valley Studio, Nashville, TN
Engineer – Fred Cameron
Art – Linda Hazen
Photography – Dave Damer
Mastering – Nashville Record Productions
Saxophone – Levoy Dewey

Other Albums I Own by Joyce Drake:
None.

Released:
1983

Related Vinyls:

Ken & LuAnn Snyder – “Unity” Tammy Faye Bakker – “Tammy Sings… You Can Make It!” Danny Perdew – “My Life, My Song” Denise Klahn – “Closer to the Savior”