Troubles Of The World

For those without an intimate knowledge of the private-press-dominated gospel scene of the 1960s, '70s and '80s, The Mighty Greg Belson and his forthcoming Divine Funk compilation of rare gospel-soul and gospel-funk offers a brilliant introduction to the sound - as does this sampler "45", one of a number being released ahead of the full collection. Christian Harmonizers' 'Troubles of the World', which sits on the A-side, is so rare and obscure that it has no Discogs entry. While that's no guarantee of quality, the track genuinely is sensational, sounding a lot like James Brown making gospel-funk rather than the sexually charged sweatiness he was known for. Turn to the B for another exceedingly hard-to-find treat: Gospel Travelers' more laidback, sweet, soulful and bluesy 'Jesus is Watching You'.