At that point the Silvertones represented an amalgam of two styles: the close barbershop harmonies that they had featured when starting out in West Virginia and virtuoso leads supplied by Jeter and Solomon Womack. The group later lost Womack, but added Paul Owens in 1952 and Louis Johnson in 1955. The three singers with their sharply contrasting styles — Jeter a tenor who could sing falsetto withut losing his lyric control, Owens a crooner and Johnson a hard shouter — played off each other to great effect in songs such as "Mary Don't You Weep".
The group recorded for Specialty Records from 1951 to 1955, when it switched to Vee-Jay Records. The group recorded one album with Hob Records after Vee-Jay shut down in 1965, at which point Jeter left the group for the ministry.
Go digging in the crates and find em. they'll steal your soul!
P.O. Box 78036, Indianapolis, IN 46278 ~ 888.350.0400 (phone) ~ 888.350.0400 ( fax)
“Where Serious Musicians Surf” ~
P.O. Box 78036, Indianapolis, IN 46278 ~ 888.350.0400 (phone) ~ 888.350.0400 ( fax)
“Where Serious Musicians Surf” ~ http://www.indie-music.com
Artist: The Swan Silvertones
CD: Need More Love (Bles Sed Records)
By Dan MacIntosh, Indie-Music.com
The Swan Silvertones have been around, seemingly, forever. Claude Jeter originally
formed the group as the Four Harmony Kings, way back in 1938. Jeter died in 2009, but
The Swan Silvertones live on with Need More Love, a traditional and worshipful new
album.
Nothing sums up enjoyable black gospel better than the track, “Let’s Go to Church”.
When The Swan Silvertones sing, “When you get there, you can leave your troubles at
the door,” the same can also be said of the experience in listening to these 12 enthusiastic
tracks. Gospel music is all about focusing on God, and turning away from all the (mostly)
bad reports on the TV news. The black church experience is as much physical as it is
emotional and spiritual. Therefore, The Swan Silvertones encourage listeners to clap their
hands right along with this vocal quintet during “Let’s Go to Church”. That’s an offer
impossible to refuse.
This CD opens with “New Jerusalem”, a traditional gospel powerhouse. The track
features unobtrusive drums and guitar, yet upfront church-y piano. This ‘New Jerusalem’
they speak of is heaven, by the way, a place where there will be no tears or pain. “What
About You” also rolls with a traditional feel, with its foot-stomping beat and call-andresponse
vocal arrangement. This is the sort of lyric one can easily imagine being sung in
a child’s Sunday school class. But deeper than that, it’s a personal testimony. This man’s
life has been changed by God; what about you?
The title track, “Need More Love”, is a slow burner, an R&B ballad. It is, as the title
states, a cry for more charity among mankind. It’s the kind of song that would have also
fit in well with old, ‘70s O’Jays recordings. But instead of blaming the problem merely
on the lack of brotherly love, this lyric holds out hope of a better world with the help of
Jesus’ power. You can’t love “without Jesus on the inside,” they remind us.
Black gospel music is also about holding onto hope and two of these songs speak about
having good reasons to believe in the future. “I Can Make It” takes the familiar hymn,
“Amazing Grace”, and turns it into a lyric about dedicated perseverance. The track’s
arrangement utilizes keyboards that mimic a backing horn section. On “I’ll Make It
Home Someday”, the hope of a heavenly home is specifically spotlighted. This time, the
vocal is falsetto, in the tradition of The Chi-Lites and The Stylistics. Sometimes the road
of this life seems nearly impassible to traverse, and heaven appears almost out of reach.
But The Swan Silvertones are here to remind us, that if we keep on keeping on, we’ll get
there.
This release ends with “Message/Prayer”, which closes the recording the same way most
church services conclude – with a prayer. It’s the sort of conclusion that clearly sets it
apart from ‘just another CD’. You get the feeling these men truly care for the folks that
buy and listen to their CDs. Need More Love does not just carry on the name, The Swan
Silivertones; it also carries on a musical tradition that is as powerful as a jubilant Sunday
morning in church.
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Swan Silvertones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go, go tel, tell everybody, go
Go tell, tell everybody go,
Go tell, tell everybody go,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching
For silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
The shepherds stirred and trembled,
When lo, above the earth,
Rang out the angels calling,
That hail our savior's birth.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
Tell me the lowly saviour,
A humble cloth was worn.
And then there was the vision,
And on the crib was born.
Go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
You better go tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere,
Go tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
That Jesus Christ is born.
That Jesus Christ is born.
The lyrics of Swan Silvertones's "Go Tell It On The Mountain" talk about the birth of Jesus Christ and how the news should be spread across the world. The song begins with a chorus that urges everyone to tell the news to everyone they come across. The repetition of the chorus highlights the importance of the message it carries. The phrase "Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere" emphasizes the need to spread the news as far and wide as possible.
The second stanza paints a picture of shepherds watching over their flocks on a silent night when a holy light shone through the heavens. This sets the stage for the announcement of the Savior's birth, and the chorus is repeated, calling on everyone to spread the good news. In the final stanza, the singer reminds us of the humble circumstances and vision surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. He encourages the listeners to go forth and share the news of his birth, underscoring the importance of the message.
The song is a gospel classic, its lyrics and upbeat melody giving a contemporary feel to the story of Jesus' birth, which has been passed down from generation to generation. It resonates with believers all over the world, and the message of the song is still significant today. The song is a reminder to everyone that we should share good news with others, and the joy of the Savior's birth is something that we should all strive to share with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Go, go, tell everybody,
Spread the message far and wide,
Go tell it on the mountain,
Proclaim it with passion and enthusiasm,
Over the hills and everywhere,
In all places, across all lands,
That Jesus Christ is born.
That a savior has come to bring hope and salvation,
While shepherds kept their watching
As the shepherds kept watch over their flocks,
For silent flocks by night,
Amidst the quietness of the nighttime,
Behold throughout the heavens,
Suddenly, an angelic display filled the skies,
There shone a holy light.
A divine radiance illuminated the darkness,
The shepherds stirred and trembled,
The shepherds were overwhelmed and afraid,
When lo, above the earth,
But then, in the heavens,
Rang out the angels calling,
The angels proclaimed a special announcement,
That hail our savior's birth.
Celebrating the savior's arrival and mission,
Tell me the lowly saviour,
The story of this humble savior,
A humble cloth was worn.
Born into humble circumstances, he wore simple clothes,
And then there was the vision,
A divine vision came to pass,
And on the crib was born.
And he was born in a humble manger.
You better go tell it on the mountain,
It's important to share this message widely and urgently,
That Jesus Christ is born.
That hope and salvation have arrived in the form of Jesus Christ.
Writer(s): TRADITIONAL, WHITE JASON A
Contributed by Savannah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.