Latest Update - March 16, 2023
This pancocojams post showcases five examples of Black Gospel versions of the song "Take A Trip" (On that good ole Gospel ship). The lyrics to certain versions of this song are included in this post. The sources for these songs are from from 19th century religious songs from enslaved Black Americans such as the lyrics given in the first section below.
The Addendum to this post showcases a sound file of the song "Gospel Ship" as performed by The Carter Family. This Anglo-American Country Gospel song was arranged by A. P. Carter. The sources for that Anglo-American song are also from 19th century religious songs from enslaved Black Americans.
The content of this post are presented for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to B. Chase Williams, and other composer and arrangers of these songs. Thanks also to .all those featured in these examples. And thanks to the sound file and video producers and publishers of these examples on YouTube.
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TWO 19th CENTURY BLACK AMERICAN SONGS THAT ARE PROBABLE SOURCES FOR THE 1996 GOSPEL SONG "TAKE A TRIP (ON THAT GOOD OLE GOSPEL SHIP)"
"THE OLD SHIP OF ZION III
Posted by Dicho (Frank Staplin) 10 Nov 01, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=41005 ,Add: OLD SHIP OF ZION (spiritual)
" [...]
Cho.
Don't you see that ship a-sailin',
Gwine over to the Promised Land?
I asked my Lord, shall I ever be the one,
Shall I ever be the one, shall I ever be the one,
To go sailin', sailin', sailin', sailin',
Gwine over to the Promised Land?
2. She sails like she is heavy-loaded, etc.
3. King Jesus is the captain, etc.
4. The Holy Ghost is the pilot, etc.
The above, from North Carolina, is in Allen, 1867, Slave
Songs of the United States."
[...]
THE SHIP OF ZION V
Dis de good old ship o' Zion, (3 times)
An' she's makin' for de Promise Land.
She hab angels for de sailors (3 times)
An' she's makin' for de Promise Land.
An' how you know dey's angels? (3 times)
An' she's etc.
Good Lord, shall I be de one? (3 times)
An' she's etc.
Dat ship is out a-sailin', sailin', sailin',
An' she's etc.
She's a-sailin' mighty steady, steady, steady,
An' she's etc.
She'll neither reel nor totter, totter, totter,
An' she's etc.
She's a-sailin' away cold Jordan, Jordan, Jordan,
An' she's etc.
King Jesus is de captain, captain, captain,
An' she's making for de Promise Land.
From T. W. Higginson, 1867
THE SHIP OF ZION VI
De gospel ship is sailin', Hosann-sann.
O, Jesus is de captain, Hosann-sann.
De angels are de sailors, Hosann-sann
O, is your bundle ready? Hosann-sann.
O, have you got your ticket? Hosann-sann.
Versions 4-6 from T. W. Higginson, Negro Spirituals, Atlantic Monthly, 1867.
See Fenner, Dett and others for other early versions.
OLD SHIP OF ZION VII
Cho"...
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WHEN WAS B. CHASE WILLIAM'S "TAKE A TRIP ON THAT GOOD OLD GOSPEL SHIP" RECORDED
"Minister Brian Chase Williams (B. Chase Williams), a native of Cincinnati, Ohio was destined for greatness since birth. At the tender age of 7 years old, he began playing the piano in his local church. At the age of 10, B. Chase began directing choirs and expanded within his musical gifts.
[...]
in 1993, he started the ministry of “ShaBach”; a group of
remarkable, anointed, skilled, and unique singers who love God.
[...]
B. Chase Williams and “ShaBach” soared to unexpected heights
in music, ministry, and profession. He recorded his debut album “Take a Trip”
with Light Records where that same named tune peaked the Billboard Charts at
#10 for 29 consecutive weeks. A sophomore album titled ‘Give it Up’ released in
1997 and peaked at #36 of the Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart."...
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Excerpt 2
From
google.com
https://books.google.com › books
Vol. 108, No. 11 · Magazine
The debut project from B. Chase Williams & the ShaBach
Choir, Take A Trip is a unique stylistic.
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LYRICS: TAKE A TRIP (On that good ole Gospel Ship)(B Chase Williams)
I'm gonna
(take a trip)
On that
(good ole gospel ship
And we'll go sailing through the air
And when my
(ship comes in)
Gonna leave
(this ole world of sin)
And we'll go sailing through the air.
Repeat
Trouble in my way, I have to cry sometimes
Trouble in my way, I have to cry sometimes
I lay awake a night, but that's alright;
Jesus he will fix it after while
Stepped in the furnace a long time ago;
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
They wasn't worried, this I know
Jesus he will fix it after while
Jesus,He will fix it (repeat)
Right now.
Source http://www.lyriczz.com/lyrics/b-chase-williams/98499-take-a-trip/ with the beginning arrangement from the YouTube recording given below as Example #1 and as sung in most of the rendition of this song on YouTube.
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FEATURED EXAMPLES
With the exception of Example #1, these examples are presented in chronological order by their posting dates on YouTube, with the oldest dated example given second, third, and forth.
Example 1: b chase Williams - take a trip on that good old gospel ship
demetrrius3000 Uploaded on Aug 6, 2011
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Example #2: I'm GOING TO TAKE A TRIP IN THAT GOOD OLD GOSPEL SHIP-GOSPEL TRAIN
Regina Thomas, Uploaded on Jan 20, 2010
JAMAICAN CONVOCATION 2009
-snip-
The choir and the congregation repeatedly sing these lyrics:
I'm gonna take a trip
In the good old gospel ship
And fly far beyond the sky,
I'm gonna sing and shout
until the heavens ring
And bid this world goodbye.
-snip-
In this video this song is sung during a church offering.
As an aside, notice that the middle aged & older women in this church wear hats, but most of the younger females don't. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/04/why-fewer-african-american-women-wear.html for a pancocojams post about the custom of African American women wearing hats in church.
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Example #3: Take a Trip...on This Old Gospel Ship
belikejcn08, Uploaded on Jul 12, 2010
April on lead....Antioch Baptist Church Gospel Choir Anniversary 2010
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Example #4: "TAKE A TRIP ON A GOSPEL SHIP" BY EVANG. GUSSIE TURRENTINE
Pearl Morgan, Published on Jan 28, 2013
Evang. Gussie Turrentine sings "Take A Trip" as our New Life of St. John Baptist Church Family give our tithes, where Rev. Gordon Wells is our Pastor and 1st Lady, Evang. Shirley Wells
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Example #5: Rev. Utah Smith - Take A Trip
vknfuj, Uploaded on Mar 30, 2010
A great song.
-snip-
Hat tip to the anonymous commenter (January 23, 2017) who alerted me to this 1953 recording by African American singer Rev. Utah Smith.
The previously featured example is no longer available.
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ADDENDUM: "THE CARTER'S "GOSPEL SHIP"
The 1996 Black Gospel song "Take A Trip" (On That Good Ole Gospel Ship" is probably an evolution of 19th century African American religious songs that refer to "the Gospel ship".
The Anglo American religious song "That Old Gospel Ship" which was recorded in 1935 by The Carters is probably also an evolution of one or more of those 19th century religious song. The Carter's song has different lyrics and a different tune than "Take A Trip" (On That Good Ole Gospel Ship".
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Here's some information about The Carter's "The Gospel Ship"
From https://www.countrythangdaily.com/old-gospel-ship/
..."Dubbed as country music’s first family, The Carter Family did not only focus on recording country songs but also specialized in Southern gospel music. One of their beautiful gospel recordings was called the “Gospel Ship.”
[...]
Different sources provide varying information as to who the
song’s real author is. AllMusic.com says the composer is Traditional and by
this, it means the song has no established author. It belongs to those tunes
dating back to the pre-publishing era. On the other hand, Classic Country
Lyrics credited the writing to one of the group’s members, A.P. Carter."...
-snip-
This article indicates that this song was first released in 2000. That information is contradicted by multiple online sites that give the year 1935 for the first time that The Carter's first recording the first recorded that song. "The Gospel Ship" is included in The Carter's 2000 album entitled Can The Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music’s First Family. Click https://genius.com/The-carter-family-gospel-ship-lyrics for the words to that song.
Carter Family-Gospel Ship
ILOveOldies, Uploaded on Mar 8, 2011
-snip-
LYRICS: GOSPEL SHIP
(Recorded by the Carter Family; Written by A.P. Carter}
I'm going to take a trip in that good old gospel ship
I'm going far beyond the sky
I'm gonna shout and sing till heaven rings
When I bid this world goodbye
I have good news to bring and that is why I sing
All my joys with you I'll share
I'm going to take a trip in that good old gospel ship
And go sailing through the air
Repeat #1
I can scarcely wait I know I won't be late I'll spend my time in prayer
And when the ship comes in I'll leave this world of sin
And go sailing through the air
Repeat #1
f you are ashamed of me you ought not to be Yes you'd better have a care
If too much fault you find you will sure be left behind
While I'm sailing through the air
Repeat #1
Source http://www.classic-country-song-lyrics.com/gospelshiplyricschords.html
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The Reverend Utah Smith also recorded a version of this song for the Checker label, c. August 1953, as "Take A Trip." He is accompanied by an unknown female choir and his electric guitar. It was issued as Checker single #785, c. November 1953.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that information with us, Anonymous.
DeleteI wonder what was the date for The Carter Family's recording of "Gospel Ship".