Gospel song "No Condemnation" (1940s Mississippi COGIC Congregation & by the 1950s group Gospel All Stars)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Update- Feb.10, 2024

This pancocojams post showcases two examples of the old Gospel song "No Condemnation".

The first example is recorded at a Mississippi COGIC (Church Of God In Christ) congregation. The YouTube publisher of this sound file gives the date as "late 1930s." However, the editor of pre-war blues blog gives the recording date as "1941".

The second example by the Gospel All Stars was recorded around the mid 1950s (as extrapolatedd from a mention of that group recording with Rev. James Cleveland during that time period, although this recording doesn't include Rev. Cleveland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cleveland

Lyrics to both of those examples are included in this post.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/10/no-condemnation-gospel-recording-by.html for the companion pancocojams post entitled "No Condemnation" (Gospel recording by Natalie Wilson and SOP Chorale and by Ricky Dillard and New G).

The content of this post is presented for historical, religious and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of these songs. Thanks also to all who are featured in these recordings and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE #1: No Condemnation - COGIC Heritage Tribute



StarBrown1 Uploaded on Jun 20, 2008

Does anyone remember No Condemnation? For many years, this song was a staple in COGIC churches and now it's a part of that heritage. While it has been sung by others, COGIC put a stamp on it. This rendition is a field recording of a COGIC church service in Mississippi, done by Fisk University in the late 1930s.* It's rough and a little raw--but it's real.
-snip-
*The wwebsite indicates that Fisk University recorded this congregation singing in 1941.
-snip-
Comments:

whatuwatchingjoe, 2008
"What are the words they are saying?"

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StarBrown1, 2008
in reply to whatuwatchingjoe
"It is a little hard to understand. It's an old song taken from the scripture (Romans 8:1). And this is being sung in a testimony service; so, it's a variation of the original."

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StarBrown1, 2008 [LYRICS]*

There is therefore now,
no condemnation
No condemnation in my mind

When I rose this morning,
no condemnation
No condemnation in my mind

How do you feel,
no condemnation
No condemnation in my mind

I feel alright, no condemnation
No condemnation in my mind

I can testify, no condemnation
No condemnation in my mind

I can tell the World,
no condemnation
No condemnation in my mind

Therefore now, no condemnation
No condemnation in my mind
-snip-
*I reformatted this comment, putting the lyrics into lines and spaces.

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Revpraiser, 2009
in reply to StarBrown1
"I thought that the words to this song was "There is no condemnation in my life". This was the expected answer after one has received the baptism in the holy ghost. I thank God because I know that there is no condemnation in my life."

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sentraejcs, 2010
in reply to Revpraiser
"@Revpraiser the church I come from, the founding pastor's wife use to sing , "no condemnation in my heart" "

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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS RECORDING
From http://prewarblues.org/2007/04/
"Pep Talk
Posted in 1940s,Gospel on 04.16.07

..."These tracks were recorded by Fisk University on the Mooreheed Plantation in Mississippi. The church and congregation were lead by Rev. McGhee although he doesn’ appear to be the vocal focus on any of the tracks. It is rumored that he might be the same as F.W McGhee ,but it is hard to tell from these tracks. These track feature an incredible energy – the foot stomps dominate the mix and the vocals mimic that rhythm in shape note fashion. Really incredible track for those tax day blues.
-snip-
The following track (song) listings were given:
Rev. McGhee and The Church of God in Christ – No Condemnation (1941)

Rev. McGhee and The Church of God in Christ – Testimony (One Day Lord I’ll Give Up This World For You) (1941)

Rev. McGhee and The Church of God in Christ – Jesus Is My Everything (1941)"

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE #2: Tribute to The Gospel All Stars- "No Condemnation"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgsww0dPCxU

Embedding disabled by request.

Rowoches, Uploaded on Apr 12, 2008

Based out of New York, you really don't hear much of the Gospel All Stars, but they were another good Gospel group, in my opinion.

My transcription:
Lead -I feel alright
Group- No condemnation
Lead -I feel alright
Group- No condemnation
Lead -I feel alright
Group- No condemnation
Lead -I feel alright
Group- No condemnation
All- No condemnation in my soul today
No condemnation in my soul today

Lead –I know I feel like shouting
Group- No condemnation
Lead – Nobody doubting
Group- No condemnation
Lead- I feel like shouting
Group- No condemnation
All- No condemnation in my soul today
No condemnation in my soul today

All- In my soul today
In my soul today
Jesus washed all my
sins away.
In my soul today
In my soul today
There’s no condemnation in my soul today
There’s no condemnation in my soul today.

The next verse is verse #1 sung in another language [Which language?] and the chorus sung in that same language.

The song ends with the group singing
"No condemnation in my soul today" [in English.]
-snip-
This is my transcription of that recording. Additions and corrections are welcome.

As an aside, I remember hearing this song in my home church (Union Baptist Temple Church) in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the late 1950s or early 1960s. My recollection is that the last two lines of each verse were
"There’s no condemnation in my soul today
There’s no condemnation in my soul".
-snip-
I don't recall the verses that were sung, but I can imagine a number of lines that the lead could sing (such as "I've been redeemed", Gonna sing and shout", "Gonna walk in Glory" and "with Jesus my God my Savior"), all with the same group response "(there's) no condemnation."

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