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- Date Released: January 1, 1960
- Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B
- Style: R&B
- Label: Vee-Jay Ltd. Partnership / The Orchard
Responsible for the careers of Johnnie Taylor, Sam Cooke and others, this quartet is one of the greatest gospel groups of all time.
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We Say...
It's tough to wrap ones' brain around the idea that "Somewhere to Lay My Head," the first track on the Highway QC's Jesus is Waiting, was the B-side to the group's first single. Not only did it quickly become one of the group's signature songs, I'd argue that this pure and plaintive a cappella number is among the greatest gospel songs ever recorded — or heck, that it's simply one of the greatest songs, period. Johnnie Taylor's lead tenor vocals generate goosebumps each and every time, from his opening, bluesy "whoooaaahhh" to the final note he delivers with the rest of the group behind him. A quartet of this sort is only as strong as its weakest link, of course, and with the Highway QC's there are none. The bass vocals are perfect, the first and second tenors are never out of tune for half a second.
Fans of golden age gospel may be well aware of the restrained yet intense charms of the QC's, but their general obscurity is a bit baffling when you first hear them. This music is simply so good it can be hard to listen to anything else some days — the arrangements are tight but not overly so, and the convictions are so intense it gives you, well, more goosebumps. The album's title is a bit curious and seems to be the product of misunderstanding. The song it seems to take its name from is actually the 1960 recording "Jesus I'm Waiting" — as in, "Jesus, I am waiting for you." -
They Say...
The Highway Q.C.'s were considered gospel's greatest farm team, the place where aspiring quartet lead singers would hone their skills before joining a group on the A list. But that doesn't mean the group made inferior music; the songs on Jesus Is Waiting, a single-disc collection combining two albums they cut in the mid-'50s and early '60s, can stand with any issued by the better-name ensembles. A youthful Johnnie Taylor soars, whoops, and moans through songs done from 1955-1957, while Spencer Taylor comes on with equal might and ferocity on the later material. They may not have had the reputations or kept their members as long, but at times the Highway Q.C.'s made music that resounded with as much fury as anyone on the gospel trail.
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24 Total Tracks, 64:17 Total Length
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Credits
- The Highway Q.C.'s - Main Performer // Johnnie Taylor - Vocals // Calvin Carter - Producer // Lee Hildebrand - Liner Notes // Gordon Skene - Digital Transfers // Spencer Taylor - Vocals // Billy Vera - Series Supervision // Bob Fisher - Engineer // Bob Fisher - Digital Mastering // Bob Fisher - Digital Remastering
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