The Gospel Truth

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. This live recording from the Gospel Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem features Tharpe accompanied by the Sally Jenkins Singers and the church organ.

A 33 1/3 rpm record album titled “The Gospel Truth” recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe at the Gospel Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem, accompanied by the Sally Jenkin Singers. The vinyl record (2014.98.18a) has a black label with white lettering. The front of the album sleeve (2014.98.18b) is white, with a graphic design of four purple, blue and black squares arranged in a gradient around a central, uneven white cross. The bottom left square is black and contains a colored photographic image of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. She is pictured from the head up, face tilted upwards, eyes closed and appears to be singing. Along the right side is the Mercury logo in red followed by [THE GOSPEL TRUTH] in pink, [SISTER ROSETTA THARPE] in green [AND THE SALLY JENKINS SINGERS] in purple [RECORDED] in white [AT THE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST HARLEM] in blue. The back of the jacket is white with black text. To the left is the track listing, to the right is an essay about Tharpe, the performance and gospel music written by Martin Williams, co-editor of The Jazz Review. At the bottom left is technical information on how the recording was made, written by Jack Tracy, Recording Director of Mercury Records.