Firstly, I’m happy to say that this is my 450th post, and I’m glad I get to do the big 450 with a Tammy Renee’ Harris / Crusade Enterprises release, I absolute love them both. Secondly, I have to say that Tammy Renee’ and her mother Delores are two of my favorite people, they are two of the sweetest ladies I’ve had the opportunity to get to know. Now, this album Tammy Renee’ released when she was only 13 years old on the Wine Skin Records label (a division of Crusade enterprises) and this isn’t the first time I’ve wrote about one of Tammy’s many albums in my online listening journal – she’s fantastic.
Tammy opens the album with “I Will Never Pass this Way Again” and Tammy has an incredible vocalist, and she proves it each and every album of hers that I listen to. She’s got a great range. The orchestrations by Bill Casolari are incredible too. Phenomenal. Next up, the title track, “Ordinary People” which is a fantastic gospel song, one of my favorites, that has also been covered by various other gospel singers. Tammy does a fantastic rendition of this song, and you know, her vocal abilities at 13 just go to prove her natural God given talents. She continues with “If Christ Should Come Tomorrow” and it’s a nice, touching, relaxing song and it’s done so wonderfully. Ooh, “Father God” opens with some great organ playing by Bill Casolari, and Tammy comes in with those highnotes, and the feeling I get when I hear Tammy’s vocals, it’s something I just can’t fully explain. It’s wonderful. Bill’s expertise as an engineer provides some amazing overdubbing of Tammy’s vocals to give her a vocal quartet sound. “Jesus Keeps Liftin’ Me Higher and Higher” ends the A-Side, and this one is just an absolute, uplifting and happy song, and I’m pretty sure I’ve heard Tammy Faye do this song once before, but Tammy Renee is still my favorite.
“Land of Ooh’s and Ah’s” opens the B-side or should I say some great organ playing does! Tammy follows in after the small organ solo, and Tammy just continues to provide amazing vocals, and hey was that just a bit of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in there? Oh, there is even references to The Wizard of Oz – wait, is this a song based on the Wizard of Oz? I love this, it’s amazing. Yes, Tammy does a cover of one of my favorite songs, “You Light Up My Life” comes next, and you know, I’m gonna say, I l-o-v-e Tammy’s version over the original one, it is almost incomparable! She’s really an amazing vocalist. “I’ve Got A Song” comes next, and I can’t get over this album as an entirety – Tammy’s vocals, Bill’s orchestrations and Delores’ repertoire of songs, every thing about this just falls into a perfect Crusade production by Ray Harris. The team of the Harris’ and Bill Casolari proves time and time again, that they were one of the biggest driving forces in Gospel music in the heyday of Gospel music. The album continues on with “I’ve Got a Friend” and it’s a bit of a slower paced track, but Tammy does a wonderful job with this one. Tammy closes the album with “(Lord) Your Love is Lifting Me Higher” – which is a cover of the Jackie Wilson track, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher” and you know, I love this gospel rendition of it. The instrumentalization – wait, did she just go into “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” ? Yes, yes she did! Praise! Fantastic album. Absolutely, one of the best Tammy Renee’ Harris albums. The orchestrations by Bill Casolari on that one were impeccable.
Catalog Number:
LP S 259-25
Credits:
Solo & Background Vocals – Tammy Renee’ Harris
Orchestrations & Engineer – Bill Casolari
Technical Consultant & Photographer – Ray Harris
Repertoire – Dolores Harris
Spiritual Inspiration – Flo Hammill
Recorded at Crusade Studios, Flora, IL.
