Thursday, September 16, 2010

Tim Spencer Family

Artist: Tim Spencer Family
LP: Circuit Ridin' Preacher
Song: "Circuit Ridin' Preacher"
[ listen ]
Song: "Down Deep In My Heart"
[ listen ]
Song: "These Old Bones"
[ listen ]

Featuring songs written by family patriarch Vernon "Tim" Spencer, who was one of the founding members of The Sons of the Pioneers, this 1958 religious LP is loaded with catchy ditties. The album's title cut includes a refrain used by my favorite circuit ridin' preacher, Harry Powell, played by Robert Mitchum in the 1955 film "The Night of the Hunter." I'm also posting "Down Deep In My Heart" because, along with a nice vocal melody, it features some terrific instrumental bits with guitar and organ. "These Old Bones" is thrown in too, since it's relentlessly catchy and I'm pretty sure it features Tim's son Harold "Hal" Spencer on lead vocals. With that nifty suit and crew-cut, he's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen on the back of a record. You can read all about Tim Spencer and his family here, where you'll also find lots of neat pictures and some sheet music for songs Tim wrote. The "Circuit Ridin' Preacher" LP liner notes and a Spencer family photo are included below.

 [ Tim Spencer Family: Harold—Velma—Tim—Loretta ]

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