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Monday, February 3, 2020

Brother Claude Ely - The Gospel Ranger


Do You Want To Shout


I Want To Go To Heaven


The Gospel Ranger
Brother Claude Ely
And The Cumberland Four
King Records - Cincinnati, Ohio
King 801

The Gospel Ranger
Brother Claude Ely
And The Cumberland Four
Gold Star
Rite Records Productions- Cincinnati, Ohio
Sides #30913 & #30914
Pressed April 2, 1973

The Gold Star / Rite Record release appears to be a "private press" by Ely even though the cover is, more or less, a reprint from the King issue. The reprocessed stereo would have followed the King High Fidelity release. The samples heard above are digitized from the stereo issue.

From the back cover: I was born in a little mountain home in the hills of Virginia on Pucketts Creek, five miles out of Penningtons Gap, Lee County, and attended school there.

As a young boy around the age of twelve, I was taken ill with T.B. and was given up to die by the doctors. They told my father to take me home and let me have my way and trouble me in no way. Around about a week later, as I laid on my bed, I felt the pains as they left my chest and body and I turned on my side and went to sleep.

I had never played any music or sung any before, but as I awakened the next morning I heard the sound of music. Someone in the house was playing the mouth harp. I asked for it as a child would and wanted to play and sing. They gave it to me and I began playing music on this harp. My uncle had ordered a guitar from a mail order catalog and he got it on the same day after I had received my healing. Not knowing how to tune his guitar, he called for a neighbor to tune it for him. My uncle played the guitar that day until he became tired and I asked him to let me play with it. He brought it to my bed and laid it across my chest and by the hand of God my fingers began to play the chords and a voice came in my mouth to sing. From that day to this I have been playing the guitar and singing.

I have given my life to playing and singing religious songs and trying to make people joyful and glad with God. I have made up religious songs and sung them from coast to coast in the United States, in Canada and in Alaska.

I have been preaching at Camp Meetings and singing for many years. some of the big ones were at Mobile, Alabama; Texarkana, Arkansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Richmond, Virginia.

Most all of the songs I sing are my own composition. To make this album I called on the talents of some of my good friends who are singing and playing with me and I appreciate their help and the time they gave. We recorded this at the wonderful modern King Records Studios in Cincinnati, Ohio. I hope you like this album and you can get a part of the same feeling and gladness out of hearing my songs as I do in singing them.


Stop That Train
The Love Of God Is Real
God Understands
Paul's Mission
You Took The Wrong Road Again
Jesus Of Nazareth
Do You Want To Shout
Those Prayers And Words Still Guide ME
I Wonder
My Crucified One
The Old Fireside
I Want To Go To Heaven

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