Thursday, September 16, 2021

The Clark Sisters - "There Is A Balm In Gilead" (1986) & Karen Clark-Sheard - "Balm In Gilead" (1997)



Gospel Nostalgia, January 24, 2012


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Karen Clark-Sheard"Balm In Gilead!"




TheBL&S singers, Apr 15, 2012

album- "Finally Karen" 1997

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases examples of the Clark Sisters' 1986 rendition of "There Is A Balm In Gilead" and Karen Clark-Sheard's 1997 
version of the traditional African American song "There Is A Balm In Gilead"..

Information about the Clark Sisters and additional information about Karen Clark-Sheard is included in this post along with the lyrics to these versions of that traditional African American song.

These renditions are based on the African American Spiritual "There Is A Balm In Gilead".

I refer to these renditions as "gospelized Spirituals". Gospelized Spiritual is my term for Spirituals that are arranged and performed in a Gospel style. 

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.
 
Thanks to The Clark Sisters for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples from YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/09/misheard-lyrics-there-is-bomb-in-gilead.html
for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Misheard Lyrics: "There Is A BOMB In Gilead" (YouTube Comments From The Discussion Thread For Gospel SInger Karen Clark-Shield's Video "Balm In Gilead")".

Also, click  http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/examples-of-spiritual-there-is-balm-in.htm for the 2014 pancocojams post that is retitled " YouTube Examples of the African American Spiritual "There Is A Balm In Gilead" "

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLARK SISTERS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clark_Sisters
"The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm (born 1948), Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford (born 1953), Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark (born 1954), Dorinda Clark-Cole (born 1957), and Karen Clark Sheard (born 1960). 

The Clark Sisters are the daughters of pioneering gospel musician and choral director Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. They are credited for helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream and are considered as pioneers of contemporary gospel. Their biggest hits include: "Is My Living in Vain", "Praise the Lord (Hallelujah)", "I Can Do All Things Through Christ That Strengthens Me", "A Praying Spirit", "Nothing to Lose, All to Gain", "Endow Me", "Jesus is a Love Song", "Ha-Ya (Eternal Life)", "Pure Gold", "Expect Your Miracle", and their biggest, mainstream crossover hit, "You Brought the Sunshine". As a group, The Clark Sisters have won three Grammy Awards[1] and are the highest-selling female gospel group in history.[2] In 2020, it was announced the Clark Sisters would be honored with the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the 35th Annual Stellar Awards.[3]

[...]

Early years

The Clark Sisters were born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, to world-renowned gospel choir director and musician Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. Dr. Clark was married twice: her first marriage in 1945 to Leo H. Cullum, Sr. produced two children, Leo, Jr. and Jacqueline (Jacky). After her divorce, she met and later married Pastor Elbert Clark in 1952. This marriage produced four daughters: Denise, Elbernita (Twinkie), Dorinda, and Karen. They each began singing at an early age in the choir at their father's Church of God in Christ, and by the late 1960s they were all performing together in church services, usually singing songs written and arranged by their mother.[4] Shortly after the Clarks' divorce in 1973, Dr. Clark formally created "the Clark Sisters" and the sisters recorded their first album, Jesus Has A Lot To Give, on their uncle (their mother's younger brother) Bill Moss' local label Billesse Records.[5] The first television appearance of the Clark Sisters was on TV Gospel Time. [6]

The following year, Dr. Mattie Moss Clark Presents the Clark Sisters was released and people around Detroit began to take notice of the group. The Clark Sisters signed to Sound of Gospel Records in 1974. Under this association, the group released albums such as Unworthy, Count It All Joy, and He Gave Me Nothing to Lose, which hit the top 20 of the Billboard Spiritual LPs chart.[7][8] By this point, Dr. Clark had turned over control of the group to Twinkie, who continued to write, arrange, conduct, and produce all of the Clark Sisters' recordings. Their popularity soared with the release of the live recording Is My Living in Vain, in 1980. Their debut live recording was first ranked on the 1981 Billboard Spiritual Albums year-end chart at number 21, before topping the year-end Spiritual Albums chart of 1982.

[...]

Also known as The Dynamic Clark Sisters (1980)

The Legendary Clark Sisters (2017-Present)"....

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INFORMATION ABOUT KAREN CLARK-SHEARD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Clark_Sheard
"Karen Valencia Clark Sheard (née Clark; born November 15, 1960) is an American Grammy Award-winning Gospel singer, musician, songwriter, and business woman. Clark-Sheard is the wife of the current Church of God in Christ Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard and she serves as the current First Lady of the COGIC denomination. Clark–Sheard is best known as the youngest member of influential gospel group the Clark Sisters. Clark–Sheard is also the mother of contemporary gospel singer and actress Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. She has released five solo albums, seventeen with the Clark Sisters and collaborated with her son J.Drew Sheard II and her daughter Kierra Sheard.

During the hiatus of the Clark Sisters, Clark–Sheard rose to fame after she recorded her critically acclaimed and much anticipated solo album Finally Karen, which spawned her hit, "Balm in Gilead" (a re-recording of a song she originally recorded as part of the Clark Sisters back in the 1980s for their Heart & Soul album) the R&B-flavored "Just For Me" and "Nothing Without You" – a contemporary duet with R&B diva Faith Evans. Finally Karen became one of the most successful gospel albums of 1998 earning Sheard a Grammy nomination and earning her a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for "Best Female Vocalist"[2]

After her debut album success and much touring, Clark–Sheard was hospitalized in 2001 after one of her blood vessels burst during a cosmetic procedure, resulting in doctors giving her a 2% chance of survival. Her testimony inspired the title name for her long-awaited sophomore project, 2nd Chance released in 2002. Clark–Sheard recorded two more live albums, including The Heavens Are Telling and It's Not Over (which featured some studio recordings), before releasing All in One, Clark–Sheard's first all-studio-recorded album in 13 years. The album debuted at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Gospel Chart and #98 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart, while its first single "Prayed Up" has so far peaked at #9 on the U.S. Billboard Gospel Songs chart.[3]"...

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LYRICS- THERE IS A BALM IN GILEAD
(Twinkie Clark, Traditional)
 
I know one who cares, found in him piece of mind
I know one who cares, found a friend so loving kind

I know a man who cares, found in him piece of mind
I know a man who's there, found a friend so loving kind,

There is a Balm in Gilead [4x]

Medicine used in the bible days to heal the sick and take the pain away [2x]

There is a Balm in Gilead, There is a Balm [4x]
Repeat There is a Balm in Gilead [4x]

He healed the sick and he raised the dead, 5,000 hungry souls he fed [2x]

If theres a need in your life today, just look to jesus he'll brighten your day [2x]

If theres love you need today, just look to jesus he'll brighten your day,

If theres joy you need today, jesus will send it your way.

Jesus is a Balm in Gilead, removed the tomb the third day and rose from the grave,

he took the keys of death hell and the grave, laid the foundation open up the way. [2x]

There is a Balm in Gilead

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LYRICS- BALM IN GILEAD

(Writers: E. Clark, (Twinkie Clark), Traditional)

[Verse 1:]

There is a balm in Gilead.
There is a balm in Gilead.
There is a balm in Gilead
There is a balm in Gilead.

(There is a balm in Gilead).
(There is a balm in Gilead).
(There is a balm in Gilead).
(There is a balm in Gilead).

[Chorus:]
Oh, there is a balm in Gilead,
There is a balm,
Hey, hey, hey, there is a balm.
There is a balm,
Hey, hey, hey, there is a balm.

[Verse 2:]

Medicine used in the Bible days
To heal the sick and take the pain away.
Medicine used in the Bible days
To heal the sick and take the pain away.

(Medicine used in the Bible days)
(to heal the sick and take the pain away).
(Medicine used in the Bible days)
(to heal the sick and take the pain away).

[Chorus]

[Bridge:]

(Jesus is a balm in Gilead),
(He's a healer, Jesus is a balm in Gilead).
Jesus is a balm in Gilead,
He's a healer, Jesus is a balm in Gilead.

Jesus is a balm in Gilead,
He's a healer, Jesus is a balm.

[Chorus]

[Vamp:]

There is a balm,
Hey, hey, hey, there is a balm.
There is a balm,
Hey, hey, hey, there is a balm.

[Ending:]

There is a balm.

Online source: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/karenclarksheard/balmingilead.html

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