‘ Michael Becker : RECORD REVIEW HE FIVE Blind Boys of ’. Alabama first formed _in the late 1930s as the Happy Land Singers. Together, the core group members, Blind Boys founder .Clarence Fountain, George Scott, “Jimmy Carter and Johnny Fields; have been spreading the gospel for. . five decades. Fountain began sing- ing at age 11. He was inspired by groups including the Golden Gate - Quartet and the Soul Stirrers. He. _has just turned 62.” - Deep River, produced by soul ~ ‘legend Booker T. Jones, is the first - of three releases on the Elektra ‘Nonesuch labels. ‘The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, : “featuring Clarence Fountain, ap- pear.in Vancouver on Wednesday, Feb, 3, at the Commodore. The “group opens for Maria Muldaur.” Music Now recently talked to Clarence Fountain on- ‘line from | Atlanta. . “ Music Now: How’ do you ex: © plain the powerful effect your: music has on secular au- ; . diences? ». |: - Fountain: “N60 “must remember, ‘t don't care who you are; ! don’t “care. what you believe i in, but there: is a part of God in all of us and. "that's the part we touch. Whether - you believe it or nat it is there. | think We touch that part.” . Music Now: I guess that brings’ you alot of j joy in what you: * Photo Michael P. Smith THE. FIVE Blind Boys of ‘Alabama, featuring Clarence Fountain, 3. people come up to shake our . hands, yes, it feels good because ';, «we know we helped somebody. It makes a great ditference to know » you've done some good some- “where.” " Music Now: Can you talk about some of the temptations “you must have gone through - when you first hit it big with /, “Can See. Everybody’ 's Mother But ~ Mine back in the late 19403?. - Fountain: “Well you know Little Richard and the guy that was pro- “ducing for Specialty Recards, Boss Blackwell, and Sam Cooke — we : were all recording in the studio at about the'same time. We came up =at the same time that Sam turned ‘rock ‘n’ roll. Sam got the big head ‘and wention to RCA Victor. open for Maria Muldaur at. the Commodore on Wednesday, Feb. “41 never did want to go" “rock ‘n‘ roll. My belief was to stick. with, ' God.” Music Now: How do you feel about the way the R&B quartet | sound developed i::ihe 1950s? | ’ It’s really a sound you helped * to pioneer in the gospel field. Fountain: “What they did is they took the gospel music and they turned it around and changed the - 'Ivrics and said.‘baby’ instead of.” _the Lord. | can name untold ;. groups. When James Brown first came out it was nothing but sing- ing gospel. He took the melody and turned it around and changed — the word and he got it made, that's all, ” See Who page 30° i Euro-Fashion Stops Importing HAPPY. HEIDEMANR WevEs SLASHED ALL OUR PRICES EVEN are ; "HIGH FASHION - FAR BELOW WHOLESALE! ets a. "