Billy James Hargis – “An Evening With Billy James Hargis and His Kids”
A quick Google search tells me a fair deal about Mr. Hargis, he was an Evangelical preacher who reached his height in the 50’s and 60’s. He preached an anti-Communist, pro-segregation message. Shortly after releasing this album, he had to resign as President of the American Christian College because of allegations that he seduced two students, one female and one male. He also produced an album that has an interview with Lee Harvey Oswald.
The album opens with “Go Tell It On the Mountain” and we’ve got some pretty nice bass going in the back, this song does seem to have that choir sound to it. We continue on with “The Battle Hymn of Republic” and it’s once more done in that choir like sound, and personally, I don’t think anyone quite delivers this song like Joyce or Merrill – there is a solo by a gentleman named Tom Spiers, but it’s barely audible. “My God and I” continues the album, and we’ve got some violins, and I feel like we’ve kind of got an entire ensemble thing going with this album, you’ve got a choir, soloists and a concert band. It’s not a bad song, I am just not vibing with this album. “God Bless America” comes next, and we definitely are keeping up with that choir sound to the album. I feel like the piano playing sounds a little out of tune on this one. The song is good. “The Hallelujah Chorus” closes out the A-Side, and I will say that this one fits the album, and is probably the best song so far on the album.
The B-Side opens with “Edelweiss” which is sung by Billy James Hargis II, who is a junior in high school, and will be joining the wonderful kids at the American Christian College – the song is backed by an accordion, and almost inaudible vocals once more because the whole song is overpowered by the accordion. “Walking in the Sunshine” comes off as an album promising song, it’s got that 60’s sunshine pop sound and it’s backed by an acoustic guitar, could it be Billy James Hargis on the guitar? Definitely the best song of the album. “Daddy Sang Bass” comes next, Rick Owsley delivers the solo vocals, and I’m really hoping he is the bass vocal that chimes in, because you can’t really hear any of the other vocals. “How Great Thou Art” comes next, and it has Robert Goodwin on the solo, and his vocals are actually intelligible on this one, and not heavily distorted by the backing musicians, or overpowered. It is a nicely done version of the song. “Oh, Happy Day!” comes next, and it’s bass-y with a soloist named Kemp Kemper (I think that’s a badass name.) The album closes out with “Bye and Bye” which starts with Billy James Hargis telling a story before he goes into the singing, it’s not bad, it’s mostly overpowered by the guitar playing, and the chorus / harmony vocals.
In the end, not really an album that piques my interest.
Catalog Number:
LP 30002
Credits:
Soloists: Billy James Hargis (“Bye and Bye“), Billy James Hargis II (“Edelweiss“), Rick Owsley (“Daddy Sang Bass“), Robert Goodwin (“How Great Thou Art“), Tom Spiers (“Battle Hymn of Republic“) & Kemp Kemper (“Oh, Happy Day!“)
Cover Photograph – Howard Hopkins
Engineer – Harrell Canning
Director – Robert Goodwin
Organist – Ray Elmore
Producer – Billy James Hargis
Released:
1971
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