The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two NAACP Image Award nominations. They won Grammy Awards in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, and 2003 and have collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Don Henley, Ray Charles, Queen Latifah, Joe Sample, Quincy Jones, Marcus Miller and Gordon Goodwin.
In 1980, Claude McKnight formed an a cappella quartet, The Gentlemen's Estate Quartet, at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, a Seventh-Day Adventist College, where he was a freshman. He auditioned fellow students for the hobby group. The Gentlemen were rehearsing in a campus bathroom (later said to be in Peterson Hall), getting ready for a performance, when Mark Kibble walked by and heard them singing. He joined the harmonizing, adding a fifth part, and ended up singing with them onstage that very night.[1] Mark later invited Mervyn Warren to join the group. The group performed under the moniker "Alliance".
The group performed in local churches and on campus over the next years, with members changing due to college's inevitable comings and goings. In 1985, the lower half of the group (bass, baritone, and second tenor) left upon graduating. At that time, Alvin Chea, Cedric Dent, and David Thomas joined.
The group was signed to Warner Brothers in 1987, and quickly changed its name to "Take 6" after a name search revealed that "Alliance" was already being used. Their eponymous debut album, released in 1988, won them two Grammy Awards and resulted in top ten appearances on both the Billboard Contemporary Jazz and Contemporary Christian Charts. Take 6's swinging, harmony-rich gospel sound attracted a flurry of attention, and the group went on to record or appear with a number of luminaries, including Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder.
In 1991, after the release of their second album, So Much 2 Say, Mervyn Warren left the group to pursue a career as a producer. Joey Kibble, Mark's younger brother, was invited to round out the vocal lineup. The group added instrumentation to their purely a cappella sound beginning with the record He Is Christmas; Join The Band and Brothers continued their streak of success, and Take 6 amassed a total of seven Grammys and eight Dove awards, as well as topping the Downbeat Magazine's Reader's and Critic's poll for seven years' consecutively.
Take 6's 1998 release, So Cool, brought the group back to its a cappella origins.
In 2006 the group launched Take 6 Records and the 2006 release Feels Good was released on that label.
The group currently lists Nashville, Tennessee as its home.[2] All members grew up Seventh-Day Adventist.[
Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion
Take 6 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get up into the high mountains, Oh
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
Get up into the high mountains
Get thee up to the high mountains
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, Arise, Arise, Arise
The glory of the Lord, Glory of the Lord
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
Say unto the cities of Judah
The glory of the Lord, The glory of the Lord
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
Get up into the high mountains, Oh
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
Get up into the high mountains
Get thee up to the high mountains
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, Arise, Arise, Arise
The glory of the Lord, Glory of the Lord, Is Risen
The glory of the Lord, Glory of the Lord, The Lord, Glory, yeah
Oh get Thee up, Get thee up high
Get way up and shout, Shout about
Get Thee up, Yeah
Just get Thee up, Thee up
Get thee up, Get way up
Get way up, Shout
Gotta shout about it, Gotta get a hold on myself
Get Thee up, Get Thee up
Just get Thee up, I know I gotta get up and talk about it
Get way up, Shout - from the top with all you got
Just get Thee up, Can't say no more about it
Can even tell a friend, Tell anyone that can comprehend
Get Thee up
The lyrics of Take 6's "Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion" come from the Book of Isaiah in the Bible. The song is based on Isaiah 40:9 which reads, "Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, 'Here is your God!'" The song is a call for the people of Zion and Jerusalem to spread the good news of the glory of the Lord to the rest of Judah. The repetition of the phrase "Get up into the high mountains" emphasizes the urgency and importance of spreading the good news.
The song has a joyful and energetic feel to it, with the use of vocal harmonies and hand clapping adding to the celebratory tone. The repetition of the phrase "Arise, Arise, Arise" further emphasizes the call to action and the need for the people to rise up and spread the good news.
Overall, "Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion" is a song of praise and exaltation, calling on the people of Zion and Jerusalem to spread the word of the Lord and share the news of His glory with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
You, who bring good news to the people of Zion
Get up into the high mountains, Oh
Climb to the highest point and spread the message
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, Arise, Arise, Arise
You, who bring good news to Jerusalem, arise and shine
The glory of the Lord, Glory of the Lord, Is Risen upon Thee
The Lord's glory has risen upon you
Say unto the cities of Judah
Announce to the cities of Judah
Oh Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
You, who bring good news to the people of Zion
Get up into the high mountains, Oh
Climb to the highest point and spread the message
Get thee up to the high mountains
Climb up to the high mountains
The glory of the Lord, The glory of the Lord
The Lord's glory, the Lord's glory
Get way up and shout, Shout about
Climb high and shout, shout about it
Gotta shout about it, Gotta get a hold on myself
I must shout about it, I must control myself
Just get Thee up, Thee up
Just climb up, climb up
Can't say no more about it
I can't say more than that
Tell anyone that can comprehend
Tell those who can understand
Get way up, Shout - from the top with all you got
Climb high, shout from the top with all your might
I know I gotta get up and talk about it
I know I have to get up and talk about it
Get Thee up
Climb up
Contributed by Madison D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
T. Lynn Hamilton
Take 6 is probably the most underrated a capella group of all time! Fabulous, FABULOUS! I MISS THEM....
Alexander McLeod
Tori Hamilton not underrated, just forgotten to this generation. but we're here though, pushing them forward!
Lywnn Johnson
I agree, no QUESTION! Uniquely superior
Quinton R
I so agree with you👍🏽
Lucretia Davis
Yes agree!!! Many after them are definitely inspired by them.
jackaray1
I can't believe this song isn't out there more. Stevie Wonder rips it up, and backed up with such an incredible harmony? Man. this is too good.
Alexander McLeod
I swear I had this on repeat for most of 1994. Thank you so much for uploading!
Marlyn Hunter
Dude! Me too!
Frank
Me three!
Marlin Sanders
The Glory that is coming to Zion and Judah in Israel soon, is flowing so incredibly through this song. If this song is so beautiful, how much greater the reality of that Glory in Christ soon to be revealed. GET THE UP! SHOUT!