Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series about Spiritual and Gospel versions of "Twelve Gates To The City" (also known as "Oh What A Beautiful City" and "Meet Me In The City").
Part IV showcases several YouTube examples of the Famous Davis Sisters singing "Twelve Gates To The City" or their updated version of that song "Meet Me In The City". Biographical information about the Famous Davis Sisters is also included in that post along with selected comments from two of the discussion threads for those featured examples.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/information-about-early-spiritualgospel.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides information about the Biblical inspiration for "Twelve Gates To The City" and cites some early recordings of this song.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/several-lyric-versions-of-twelve-gates.html for Part II of this series. Part II showcases several lyric versions of the song "Twelve Gates To The City" (also known as "Oh What A Beautiful City" and "Meet Me In The City"/"Have You Heard Of A City").
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/03/rev-gary-davis-twelve-gate-to-city.html for Part III of this series. Part III showcases a sound file of Reverend Gary Davis singing "Twelve Gates To The City". Biographical information about Reverend. Gary Davis is also included in that post.
Thanks to the Famous Davis Sister for their musical legacy. Thanks also to the unknown original composers of "Twelve Gates To The City", thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1: "Meet Me In The City"- The Famous Davis Sisters [sound file]
Rowoches, Published on Jan 10, 2013
The Famous Davis Sisters of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania singing "Meet Me In The City", which is a later re-make of one of their hits, "Twelve Gates To The City." This is from the Davis Sisters album IN MY ROOM (Savoy, 1967). They performed this rendition on one of Chicago's popular tv shows in the late 1960's.
-snip-
Here are some comments from this sound file's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only):
1. saintben2000, 2012
"i don't think people understand how pivotal the davis sisters were. they represented a sense of connection between everyday life and the gospel. it was almost as if they were preaching but singing the sermon. women gospel groups were very aware of a line between the preacher and the choir and the davis sisters blurred that line. you really got the sense that they would whip out a bible at any moment. that was unique for that time. nobody else had it."
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2. Timothy Williams, 2012
"Love this version better Lawd I Wish that footage was still available them singing this on Jubilee Showcase. And that organ is pumping."
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REPLY
3. Rowoches, 2012
"That's the late, great Eddie Brown. He was the husband of Evangelist Rosie Wallace (Brown), who pastors the First Church of Love, Faith, & Deliverance in Philly. Many people know Rosie and her choir through the song "God Cares." He also accompanied Marion Williams many times, including in the movie FRIED GREEN TOMATOES when she sings "Didn't It Rain" during the church scene."
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4. marioparty12345, 2017
"Back when they had tambourines in the recordings and tore up as well 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾"
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5. ChevyDude65, 2017
"I can only imagine what a meeting would have been like with The Davis Sisters. They sound like the old Fire baptized singers we used to hear years ago. I never thought those days would be gone."
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REPLY
6. Rowoches, 2017
"Yep, they were from out of the Fire Baptized Church. This ladies were some heavy hitters, for sure! Rough, tough and gutsy voices!"
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Example #2: The Davis Sisters - "Twelve Gates To The City" ["Meet Me In The City" video]
Trevon Dawson, Published on Jan 9, 2015
The Famous Davis Sisters sing "Twelve Gates To The City" Jesse Dixon on Organ & Thomas Whitfield on Piano
-snip-
Here are some comments from this video (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
1. Codycole80, 2015
"These women could SANG! Just discovered them here on YT about five years ago and always wondered why I'd never heard of them prior."
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2. Joey Night Train, 2015
"The sister in back/left side... The handclaps .. She just propels the rhythm. Might someone tell me her name. Thanks for posting"
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REPLY
3. blavis50, 2016
"that my Aunt Alfreda Davis clapping"
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4. Auntie Cutie, 2016
"((Shouting))!!! Yeeees Lord!!! Meet In The City!!!"
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5. Gail Simpson, 2016
"hunny alfreda better be clapping 😂😂😂😂"
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6. Amondo Floyd, 2016
"alfreda better double clap"
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7. marioparty12345, 2018
"The song they did here is called “Meet Me In The City” a sped up version of Twelve Gates To The City . Love it anyway tho"
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5. Steven Majors, 2017
"who's playing the tambourine? Oh by the way your Aunt Audrey and those killer wigs man."
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REPLY
6. blavis50, 2017
"Steven Majors that is Cynthia Young playing the Tambourine. She also known for nickname Gimpy. After Curtis Dublin died, she would fill in and play the piano for"
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REPLY
7. Gail Simpson, 2018
"I soooo would love to find a tambourine from that year"
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REPLY
8. Shonda GospelDiva, 2018
"Okay? Those tambourines would last for YEARS!!!! These little flimsy things they got these days won't last a month in a holiness church... (that includes COGIC, Apostolic, Pentecostal.... you know!)"
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9. Etirps 902102, 2019
"Haha!!! The woman on the left hand is really badass!! I have never saw one who makes some groove with handclaps!!!!!!!"
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Example #3: The Famous Davis Sisters "Twelve Gates To The City" [sound file]
malacomg, Published on Mar 29, 2016
Vintage music from the 1950's from one of the pioneers of Black Gospel Music
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE FAMOUS DAVIS SISTERS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Davis_Sisters
"The Davis Sisters of Philadelphia, PA were an American gospel group founded by Ruth ("Baby Sis") Davis and featuring her sisters Thelma, Audrey, Alfreda and Edna. Imogene Greene joined the group in 1950, and was later replaced by Jackie Verdell when Greene left to join the Caravans.
Early years
Raised in the Fire-Baptized Holiness Church in Philadelphia, the Davis Sisters were one of the first female groups to sing "hard gospel" of the sort being pioneered by the Dixie Hummingbirds and other male quartets of the day. They achieved a big sound, managing to sound like a choir behind the lead singer by positioning themselves several steps behind the microphone.
[...]
The Davis Sisters also accompanied their singing with the rhythmic and sometimes spontaneous spirited choreography that other singers, such as Dorothy Love Coates and the Ward Singers later made famous; the Davis Sisters were heavily influenced at this time by Gertrude Ward, the organizing spirit behind the Ward Singers and a guiding light for gospel music in America. Ray Charles also modeled the sound of his backup group, the Raelettes, on groups such as the Davis Sisters and the Caravans.
[...]
The Davis Sisters' perpetual hit and theme song: "Twelve Gates To The City", the title of their first album issued on Savoy as MG-14000, still sells today.”...
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The word "Famous" may have been added to "The Davis Sisters" group name because there also was a White (country music) singing group with that is known as "The Davis Sisters".
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This concludes Part IV of this four part pancocojams series.
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