Gospel Singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe With The Sally Jenkins Singers

Rosetta Tharpe, born Rosetta Nubin, grew up in the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) church with her mother, Katie Bell Nubin, an evangelist, singer, and mandolin player for the church. Rosetta began playing in the church at a very young age and joined her mother in an evangelical music troupe performing around the South at the age of 6. Later the mother and daughter pair were active in the 40th Street Church of God in Christ Church in Chicago, which they used as a home base between traveling to church conventions. The songs on this album were recorded during a live performance of Tharpe at the Church of God in Christ Church in Harlem and features Tharpe accompanied by the Sally Jenkins Singers and the church organ. Originally recorded in 1959, this is a later UK release of selected songs.

A 45 rpm record album titled “Gospel Singer: Sister Rosetta Tharpe with the Sally Jenkins Singers" recorded live at the Church of God in Christ Church in Harlem. The front cover of the record sleeve (2014.98.1b) features a black and white portrait of Sister Rosetta Tharpe singing into a microphone. She is pictured from the chest up and is looking up and away. The image is on a black and orange background with white and orange lettering. The back of the record sleeve features the track listing [Side 1 / 1. BRING BACK THOSE HAPPY DAYS / 2. GO GET THE WATER / Side 2 / 1. IT'S ME / 2. I HAVE GOOD NEWS TO BRING]. The back also has information about the record and biographical information on Tharpe, noting [This recording was made at the Church of God in Christ in New York by one of the outstanding gospel singers of our time, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, with the Sally Jenkins Singers and the active participation of the congregation. Such are the bare bones of the facts about this record, a record that gives you all the emotional enthusiasm and devotion that is an integral part of negro worship].