BELFAST RB BOOKLET 2020 - Flipbook - Page 54
Ci t y of Belf ast Grand Bl ack Chapt er - Dem onst rat i on Bookl et 2020
GIVE ME THAT THAT OLD TIME RELIGION …
Last year a national television documentary focused on
the background and historical attribution of the deeprooted evangelical Protestant faith of the folk living in
America's deep southern-belt states. It centred on their
music and particularly the many Biblical and Christian
lyrics of many of the songs they both wrote or recorded.
One such singer-songwriter was Alfred
Grant Karnes who was born in the Virginian
County of Bedford on February 2nd, 1892 but
later moved to Corbin in Kentucky where he
became the local Baptist Minister and Gospel
Hall Singer.
During 1927, in response to various
advertisements looking for nearby artists
to make demos for Victor Records, Karnes
drove to Bristol Tennessee where at the
recording sessions
he made six sides, all
were gospel musicals
accompanied only by
his own harp/guitar
which was unlike any
modern
recording
instrument but one
that dated back to the
Edwardian Era.
It had a large guitar body with an extra set
of strings above the main board which were
unfretted. These were struck along with the
regular guitar strings to produce the effect of
two separate guitarists. Karnes accented this
effect by playing the fretted strings with a
distinctive slapping effect.
The best known of his recordings were
'Bound for the Promised Land' and 'Where
we'll never grow old.'
Karnes' records
sold well enough for
him to record seven
more sides for the same label but thereafter
made no further recordings and returned to the
pulpit in Corbin for the rest of his life until he
died in May 1958. Karnes is buried in
McHargue Cemetery, Lily, Laurel County,
Kentucky.
As a gospel preacher he sang with a
sturdy loud and clear, stentorian baritone
voice which complemented his playing.
His songs were exclusively gospel and were
a mixture of traditional hymns and originals.
His records are still unique in being the only
known use of the harp-guitar in Old Time
Music and which had largely been seen as a
novelty instrument of limited appeal being both
difficult to play and unwieldy to hold.
Later, Karnes also inspired the music and
songs performed by
the late Country and
Western idol Patsy
Cline (right) during the
50s and 60s, and one
in particular, being
penned around our
Lord's earthly works
which was entitled:
'that wonderful someone.'
"That wonderfu l someone , who makes a ll the s tars shine
Who fashioned the mountains , to reach to the sky
Who brings each tomorrow; who he ars every p rayer
In s unshine, or s orrow, if you ca ll, He'll be the re
That wonderfu l someone; who makes the flo we rs grow
Who paints ev'ry sunset, with co lours that g lo w
Look a ll around you and these wonders you' ll see
Designed by that someone , just for you and for me."
IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN - 52 - AND THE FUTURE OF THE LIVING