MP3 Back In The Day - GOSPEL: Contemporary Gospel

Contemporary Gospel and Inspirational Music

16 MP3 Songs
GOSPEL: Contemporary Gospel, EASY LISTENING: Mature



Details:
Back In The Day, written and recorded by Franklin Thompson (aka, Francois Ja'boi), is a unique and innovative gospel CD album. It is a collection of songs written by Thompson over the 1980-1999 time period. The album introduces the Selah Sound, a new genre of contemporary gospel and secular message music created by the artist (see below for further details).

Back In The Day is the third installment of the Selah Sound Old School Collector's series. It is a unique mixture of Funk, Pop, Rock, and Folk music styles set against a contemporary music background. In addition to its spiritual and educational value, Back In The Day is good music to just relax and listen to.

There is something on this 16-song CD for everyone. Hit songs that received radio play include: Saved & Classy Lady, Mountains, Dinosaur, Keep On Running, We Walk Together, Two times You, and This Feeeling. If it's music innovation and lyrical content you appreciate, then you are bound to like the following cuts: Separate Ways, Jesus Party, Spiritual Babies, and Enemies Within Us. If you are into a more standard acoustic sound, then you'll enjoy: Simply Knowing, and The Lord's Prayer.

In addition, the cut entitled "Rappin for Jesus" was the first original gospel rap song written by a Nebraskan that received radio station airplay back in 1986 -- years before the genre was accepted in mainstream churches. This is a small but important part of the innovation-legacy of the artist.

The most salient characteristic of this project is its attention to spirituality and the kingdom principles of Our Lord. Unlike some other contemporary gospel projects, this one is about more than just style or "the beat". It is about the word of God delivered in a clear and uncompromising fashion.

Thompson is also a founding father of contemporary gospel music in the state of Nebraska. During a time when the genre was thought to be sacriligious, Thompson and two other important innovators -- the late Joe McBee of Lincoln, and Gus McNair of Omaha -- blazed the trail for its acceptance during the early 1970s long before the likes of Kirk Franklin and Mary, Mary hit the national music scene. While his colleagues championed the cause of live performances, Thompson did the same plus became the leader of original recorded music. He also became the movement's biggest recruiter of new contemporary talent. Today, all Nebraska contemporary gospel artists stand on the shoulders of these three music pioneers.

For this reason we, at Titus-Vision Records, sincerely believe this product will become a collector's piece for those who appreciate a little history mixed in with their praise and worship. Back In The Day is an important Midwest piece of the larger historical evolution of contemporary gospel music in America.

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An Explanation of the Selah Sound of Music:
A New Genre of Social, Political, and
Spiritual Commentary Music


Some artists set the standard for on-stage performance (i.e., Patty LaBelle, Beyonce Knowles), some are music innovators (i.e., Little Richard, Kool Herc), while a fortunate few are able to accomplish both (i.e., Michael Jackson, Prince). One mark of a music innovator is whether or not he/she can make a significant contribution that adds to the total music picture. Often this is accomplished through the creation of a new genre of music, or the extension of an existing one to new levels.

Franklin Thompson accomplished the latter when he created the Selah Soundâa unique and innovative funk and rock style of music that addresses social, political, and spiritual commentary. Selah is a biblical term meaning âcontemplate on this thought.â The genre has received positive reviews from local & national rating sources and has not been duplicated by any other artist anywhere since its inception.

Listed below are main elements that set the Selah Sound apart from other genres of music:

⢠Restorative DissonanceâThe Selah Sound makes you think while you dance
⢠A unique mixture of funk and rock styles, with an occasional infusion of rap
⢠Musical structure that simultaneously pays homage to old & new music styles
⢠The blending of haunting themes & melodies matched against a driving beat
⢠Unique lyrical content that addresses urban problems of today
⢠Lyrical content that pushes the edge in asking the tougher questions regarding games people play with themselves and with each other
⢠Lyrical content which redefines what it is to be a true spiritual person

Although one can easily hear traces of Sly Stone, Larry Graham, George Clinton, David Bowie, and Sting when listening to Thompsonâs original songs, he was able, nonetheless, to extend past those influences and create a whole new sound which is distinctly his own.

Thompson was successful at infusing the new genre at multiple music levels. A commercial R&B/Funk version can be heard in the songs entitled Skin Deep and Epiphany, while cuts such as Two Times You and Spiritual Babies display the contemporary gospel version. The Selah Sound in its most raw and purest form, however, is best heard in the following alternative funk/rock tunes: Color Me Rainbow, Dinosaur I and II, Separate Ways, Thinking Impaired, Ghost Dance, and Solo Dancing I & II. These and other songs can be heard by purchasing any one of the four installments of Thompsonâs Old School Collectorâs Series (refer to cdbaby.com website).

One day the genre will become an international craze. It may happen during the originatorâs lifetime, or perhaps long after he is gone. When it does, artists and musicians will be able to reach back into time and see that its roots began in Omaha, NE during the mid 1970s by an unassuming yet dedicated songwriter named Franklin Thompsonâa man who had an unwavering commitment to bettering his community through the power of music. The Selah Sound is original, reflective, restorative, and healing. Long live the Selah Sound!