Selections 1976-1988 (1997)

About this title: This is a 34-track double-CD compilation drawn from Sweet Honey in the Rock's first eight albums, covering their 13-year, seven-album tenure at Flying Fish Records, plus one album recorded for Redwood Records. The song choices and non-chronological sequencing highlight the group's consistently impressive vocal interaction during a time when nine different singers made up a quartet or quintet (not counting sign language interpreter Shirley Childress Johnson, who joined in 1980), the only constant member being founder Bernice Johnson Reagon. Employing influences including folk, R&B, and even ... read more

Tracks:

1. Ella's Song [Reagon]
2. Wade in the Water [Traditional]
3. Denko [Traditional]
4. On Children [Gibran/Barnwell]
5. Echo [Reagon]
6. Joan Little [Reagon]
7. Beautitudes [Reagon]
8. Peace [Elouard/Casel]
9. Sitting on Top of the World [Chatmon/Vinson]
10. More Than a Paycheck [Barnwell]
11. Crying for Freedom in South Africa [Williams/Reagon]
12. They Are All Falling Around Me [Reagon]
13. Mae Frances [Reagon]
14. I'm Gon' Stand!!! [Reagon]
15. Feel Something Drawing Me On [Brewster]
16. In the Upper Room [Campbell/Campbelol]
17. Seven Principles [Reagon]
18. Testimony [Ferron]
19. Oughta Be a Woman [Jorden/Reagon]
20. Fannie Lou Hamer [Reagon]
21. Meyango [Traditional]
22. Run, Mourner, Run [Traditional]
23. As Long as I Have Breath in My Body [Reagon]
24. No Images [Cuney/Barnwell]
25. Sometime [Reagon]
26. The Gift of Love [Harris]
27. Biko [Reagon]
28. My Way [Reagon]
29. State of Emergency [Harris]
30. Cape Fear River Chant [Reagon]
31. Rivers of Babylon [Dowe/McNaughton]
32. Stranger Blues [Traditional]
33. Oh Death [Reagon]
34. Breaths [Diop/Barnwell]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.