Comments on: Friday Five: Amazing Grace

By: Michael A.

Michael A. — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 05:33:16 +0000

Thanks Sheldon. I’ll probably order a used copy from Amazon, because I’m interested in some of the other tracks as well. Dolly is one of my favorites and I have hundreds of her songs in my library. Time to add 10 more. :)

By: sheldon

sheldon — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 17:59:38 +0000

Michael A; The Dolly version is from a CD Dolly did to raise money for the Dollywood Foundation. It was never released in stores, just sold exclusively through Dollywood. Copies show up on eBay all the time, and usually for a great price. I’d buy Dolly singing the phonebook, so I am biased a little, but she did a really good job on the CD – well worth the effort for you to find it.

By: Michael A.

Michael A. — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 04:08:31 +0000

I can’t find the Dolly version available for purchase anywhere online. :(

By: Ken Morton, Jr.

Ken Morton, Jr. — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 01:08:16 +0000

Despite the fact that you completely “wasted” a full hour of my afternoon, thanks for that Library of Congress link, Jon. :) I had never been there before. For those that didn’t click his link, there are 3,000 recorded versions of the song there.

By: luckyoldsun

luckyoldsun — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 23:26:06 +0000

“amazed …that Alan Jackson did not include this song”

AJ tends to project a laconic, laid-back demeanor. Maybe the intensity of these lyrics didn’t fit his persona or the mood he was trying to create for his album. (I have not heard the “Precious Memories” album, but it’s just a guess.)

The song calls for Robeson or Ernie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD5T4XnwZ9M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2edeu-4IvUs

By: Barry Mazor

Barry Mazor — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:12:54 +0000

Y’know that time on Star Trek when they played that song on the bagpipes and they sent Spock’s dead body out into space that was really rad I thought and you knew they would bring Spock back, but still the song was like really amazing.

By: Adam Sheets

Adam Sheets — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:01:40 +0000

My personal favorite is the Blackwood Brothers from their “Stranger from Galilee” LP from 1958.

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 20:34:41 +0000

I’m just amazed (pun intended) that Alan Jackson
did not include this song on his “Precious Memories” album! Crikey mate!

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 19:13:59 +0000

No one’s posted on YouTube the excellent Ralph Stanley version that’s on Clinch Mountain Gospel, but you can hear him do that at http://youtu.be/SN5rH4AXrE4 – pretty good even if Keith Whitley’s not in there.

More generally, there’s a great history of the song, with lots of audio samples of different versions, here: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/grace/grace-home.html .

By: Michael A.

Michael A. — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 17:54:25 +0000

A search of my iTunes library reveals a number of versions that I like (Lari White, Connie Smith, LeAnn Rimes, Ladysmith Black Mambazo with Emmylou Harris and Aretha Franklin) and a few that were… underwhelming (Alabama, The Maverick Choir)