Mighty Clouds of Joy
Encyclopedia
The Mighty Clouds of Joy is an American gospel
quartet.
) without diluting the essential religious essence of their material. The long-lived group flourished throughout the rest of the 20th century, scoring numerous Grammy Award
s and nominations, as well as several hit albums along the way.
Based in Los Angeles
, California
, the original group members include Joe Ligon, Johnny Martin (died 1987), Ermant Franklin Jr., Artis Turnbough (d. 1999), Elmo Franklin (d. 2008), Richard Wallace, Rodney Hamilton, Leon Polk and David Walker (who also recorded several tracks with Link Wray
under the name "Bunker Hill").
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
quartet.
Career
The Mighty Clouds of Joy were formed in 1960 and started out in a tradition-based style. Eventually they added soul, R&B, and rock flourishes into their musical mix (one of their early hits was produced by Gamble and HuffGamble and Huff
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and record production team who have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records. They were pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label...
) without diluting the essential religious essence of their material. The long-lived group flourished throughout the rest of the 20th century, scoring numerous Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s and nominations, as well as several hit albums along the way.
Based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the original group members include Joe Ligon, Johnny Martin (died 1987), Ermant Franklin Jr., Artis Turnbough (d. 1999), Elmo Franklin (d. 2008), Richard Wallace, Rodney Hamilton, Leon Polk and David Walker (who also recorded several tracks with Link Wray
Link Wray
Fred Lincoln "Link" Wray Jr was an American rock and roll guitarist, songwriter and occasional singer....
under the name "Bunker Hill").
Albums
- Steal Away To Jesus (Peacock, 1960)
- A Bright Side (Peacock, 1961)
- The Best Of The Mighty Clouds Of Joy (Peacock/ABC 1973) (Reissue-MCA)
- It's Time (Dunhill/ABC 1974)
- Kickin (ABC 1975)
- The Truth Is The Power (ABC 1977) (Reissue-Myrrh)
- Live And Direct (ABC 1977)
- The Very Best Of The Mighty Clouds Of Joy (ABC 1978)
- Changing Times (Epic/CBS, 1979)
- Cloudburst (Myrrh/CBS, 1980)
- Request Line (Myrrh/Word 1982)
- Sing and Shout (Myrrh/Word, 1983)
- Night Song (Word, 1989)
- Power (Intersound, 1995)
- I Want to Thank You (EMI Gospel, 2002)
- In The House Of The Lord: Live In Houston (EMI Gospel, 2005)
- Movin (EMI Gospel, 2007)
- At The Revival (EMI Gospel, 2010)
- 50 Year Celebration (EMI Gospel, 2011)
Singles
- "Amazing Grace" (1975); US#3 R&B#4 UK#15 US Hot Dance Club Play #2
- "Mighty HighMighty High (song)"Mighty High" is 1975 disco/R&B single by Los Angeles-based gospel group, Mighty Clouds of Joy. The single proved to be very popular with disco fans as the song stayed at number one on the disco/dance chart for five weeks. It became their biggest hit on both the soul chart, peaking at #22, and on...
" (1976); US Hot Dance Club Play #1
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
External links
- The Mighty Clouds of Joy official website