Here’s the most contemporary offering in our Sunday Gospel series, “Protector Of My Soul” by Tony Edmondson, from the 2007 CD release “He Can Make It Right”. Mr. Edmondson is a singer and guitarist who grew up on the soul scene in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Production credits go to Curtis Brooks and Lindsey T. Parker, two individuals with roots in soul music in nearby Kinston. Enjoy!

Another week, another Milestone! Check out the Now-Again website for recently uncovered photographs of Carleen Jean Butler of the legendary Charleston, South Carolina funk outfit, Carleen & the Groovers.

We are excited to announce that we have just located Mr. Charles “Chuck” Wells, a native of Wilson, North Carolina who cut several 45s in the 1960s. One of the sides, “The Love Knot” (Goldleaf 340) has lived on as a Northern Soul spin. More to come….

HSE (Hoyt Sullivan Enterprises) was an industrious gospel label, based out Greenwood, SC. Despite hundreds of records by nearly as many artists, little is known about label owner Hoyt Sullivan himself. Few artists who recorded for the label even interacted with the elusive beauty supply salesman, bringing into question how much input, if any, he had in shaping the wealth of religious recordings released on HSE and associated labels, including (but not limited to): Su-Ann, Ken-Tone, Sav-All, et al. Liner notes written by the Pickin County native shed some light on Sullivan’s commitment to his cause.

Let me tell you about myself. I am a sinner saved by the Grace Of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. Before God came into my life I was an alcoholic, a thief and a liar. I was everything that the Devil wanted me to be. I am fifty-nine years old but really just twenty-two years old. That is how long I have been fighting the Devil.

Sisters Betty, Linda, Doris, and Miriam Gerald of Mullins, SC recorded numerous singles and albums for HSE. “Just Make It In” b/w “When I Get To Heaven,” was their second. Backed by their father on piano, the familial harmony and naturally incongruent sound of 8+ hands clapping make for a sturdy offering of down-home Carolina gospel.

Special thanks to the fine folks at JustMovingOn.Info for maintaing a phenomenal site, providing the Gerald Sister photo seen above, and for supplying terrific information on obscure gospel recordings from sea to shining sea. Hallelujah!

Dave Tompkins’ book How to Wreck a Nice Beach: From World War II to Hip-Hop did not just pop up over night. Dave has been writing vocoder-sensitive articles for a myriad of magazines for a myriad of years. One of the more Carolinacentric ones appeared in Stop Smiling Magazine some several years ago. “The Night-Time Master Blaster” is the tale of Fuquay-Varina vocoderist James L. Garrett, whose electronically elegant single, “Nasty Rock” was broken wide open over the airwaves of Charlotte’s WPEG (soon, the world!) thanks to the Night-Time Master Blaster himself, Les Norman. “Les had a good heart,” Garrett said. “He reached out when he didn’t even know us. That’s how we got to New York. That’s how we opened for the Isley Brothers and the Manhattans.”

Dave will read from his book today at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, 3pm. The after party at 5 Star on Morgan St is alleged to feature a vocoder and Roland 808, courtesy of Davy DMX. Although a James L. Garrett appearance is unconfirmed, we are posting his 1983 master(blaster)piece here at Carolina Soul to pay homage to yet another eccentric moment in Carolina music history.