Southern Gospel Music vs. Bizarro Southern Gospel Music
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Written: 07/02/2008 
Author: Nick Bruno
Category:
The Gospel Truth
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Do you like Superman? Anyone who is a fan of Superman knows about Bizarro World. It’s a cube-shaped planet called “Htrae” – “earth” spelled backwards. Bizarro World has many of the same characters that Earth has – Bizarro Superman, Bizarro Lois Lane, and Bizarro Perry White. The main difference is that in Bizarro World, everything is the exact opposite of things on Earth. It’s good to be bad in Bizarro World. For example, Superman is good, Bizarro Superman is not. Bizarro “society” is ruled by the Bizarro Code which states, “Us do opposite of all Earthly things! Us hate beauty! Us love ugliness! It is a big crime to make anything perfect on Bizarro World!”
BIZARRO SGM
And so, I am happy to announce that I have the solution to SGM being dead last in every category…Bizarro Southern Gospel is taking over the industry.
We have Bizarro record companies that feel it is a crime to make a great recording.
We have Bizarro radio promoters who never really promote a thing.
We have Bizarro artists who refuse to admit they cannot sing,
And, we have Bizarro charts which don’t bear the slightest reflection of what is popular and what is not.
REAL Southern Gospel is the greatest music this side of heaven…yet we keep trying to change it. We are allowing the Bizarro World infiltrators to make it progressive, or country, or contemporary, or heaven knows what next.
I love listening to Southern Gospel Music when it is performed well. I love quartets, trios, duos, male groups, mixed groups, family groups, and soloists. Whoever is singing Southern Gospel Music is singing my song. I love it.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH SOUTHERN GOSPEL MUSIC! LEAVE THE MUSIC ALONE!
The reason SGM is dead last in every category is not because of the music. The music has stood the test of time. When people hear SGM performed professionally, they love it too.
The real problem is that the Southern Gospel Music Industry is really two industries... PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR.
PROFESSIONAL SGM INDUSTRY
I suppose one could argue all day about the definition of a “PROFESSIONAL.” To me, a professional group is talented at every vocal position, is full time, draws people to their concerts, and has good sales at their table and also at retail. You all know exactly what I’m talking about so there is no reason to split hairs over this.
We’re talking about groups like The Booth Brothers, The Inspirations, Gold City, Greater Vision, The Talleys, The Perrys, The Hoppers, The Isaacs, Gaither Vocal Band, The Kingsmen, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, The Dove Brothers and others. NOTICE, I said. “And others”. These are not the ONLY professional groups – I’m naming a few who come to mind. These groups are all different in style but they are professional. They are making money, serious money.
I’ve compiled a list of professional groups and I find that there are about 30 groups, and I had to relax my definition of “professional” a little to get to 30.
These are the groups that draw people to concerts, to the bookstores, and to the National Quartet Convention. They are sought after by songwriters, promoters, talent agencies, and record labels.
If the President wanted to have a Southern Gospel concert at the White House, you can be sure the artists appearing would come from this list.
These artists record great songs written by talented and anointed songwriters
Concert promoters book these groups mostly through talent agencies that are also professional, like The Beckie Simmons Agency and The Harper Agency.
These groups are recorded by professional record companies, Crossroads, Canaan, Homeland and Daywind, to name a few, that make recordings to the highest industry standards. Then the companies market and promote the recordings through the print medium and radio, and also distribute the artists’ recordings to the retail market.
The important thing about this side of Southern Gospel Music is that everything, EVERYTHING, songwriting, promoting, booking, recording, EVERYTHING…is driven by the artists’ ability to appeal to the consumer, spiritually and materially. Songwriters, promoters, talent agencies, and record companies need artists that can help them make a profit.
The professional side of SGM is driven by the artists’ ability to MAKE money.
BIZARRO SGM INDUSTRY – NON PROFESSIONALS
The amateur side of SGM is driven by the artists’ ability to PAY money.
There is NOTHING WRONG with being new, with being an amateur. Every professional listed above started out as an amateur and worked hard to become a professional.
To me, the word “amateur” has two meanings:
1.Someone who chooses to do something for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons.
We have lots of artists in SGM who are “amateurs” by choice. They don’t have a competitive spirit; they just want to be a blessing. They love the music and want to get out there and get involved, but they don’t want to leave their jobs, so they go out and sing a couple of times a month and have a great time. Some of these groups are pretty good, and they desire to be the best they can be, but they have no illusions of grandeur. I work with many groups like this and I can tell you, I love it. It’s singing for the best of reasons…because you love it.
Now folks, I want you to hear me loud and clear. There is absolutely nothing wrong with weekend warriors, “newbies”, making custom recordings and getting out there and singing their hearts out week after week. Please understand me here. This is not the problem. Just like there is nothing wrong with me playing my heart out at softball two nights a week. But… if I try to get my softball team into the eastern division of the American League to compete with The Yankees and The Red Sox…now that’s a problem!
What troubles me is that you can understand how ridiculous it would be for my softball team of pot bellied aging men to try to play in the Major Leagues but you can’t (or maybe won’t) understand how ridiculous it is for an inexperienced group to try and do the things the pro groups do.
FAST RIDE ON A SLOW TRAIN TO BIZARRO WORLD
Which brings me to the second meaning for “amateur”.
2. Someone who is inexperienced or unskilled as in, “Hunting lions is not for amateurs.”
We have many, many artists who are inexperienced and unskilled in the craft of singing. The sad thing is that they don’t know it.
What they need is TLC and guidance but what they are getting is a fast ride on a slow train to SGM Bizarro World where you will find:
Too many “amateur” artists who are “legends in their own mind.”
Amateur record companies pretending to be big shot companies when they are nothing more than custom recording companies.
Amateur radio promoters who will never admit that they cannot possibly track all the songs.
Amateur periodicals with top 80 charts, knowing that probably 40 of the slots will be taken by amateur artists who will also buy ads.
Amateur talent agencies trying to book amateur artists.
Amateur radio stations playing anything that comes down the pike.
CONSUMERS ARE CONFUSED BY THIS SGM BIZARRO WORLD
They go to a concert and hear a professional group do a wonderful performance. The next week an amateur group comes to their church and stinks up the platform.
They hear a great song on the radio by a professional group followed by a group that sounds like a bunch of cats with their tails caught in the door.
They see photos of our professional groups, but they also see photos of amateur groups in ill-fitting suits with coat sleeves that hang 6 inches past their fingers.
To the world it’s all the same...it’s the same industry…Southern Gospel Music. The reason it’s all the same to them is because we have allowed it to be the same.
Every single person reading this knows that it is true. Yet, we turn our head the other way and allow it to continue, as though it’s not happening.
It’s all about the money. It’s the little groups with stars in their eyes that are funding SGM Bizarro World. As long as they are willing to keep paying, there will be a magazine, a promoter, and a record company that will gladly take their money.
ESCAPE FROM BIZARRO WORLD
So…how do we fix this mess?
My friends, the answer is so simple that it is profound.
ADMIT IT!!!!
Yes, that’s right…admit it. The first step in fixing a problem is to admit that there IS a problem.
Let’s stop “pussyfooting” around and start telling the truth about all this nonsense.
We all know what’s rotten in SGM. We know who is doing it, and why they are doing it…to make money.
Yet we all just stand around like fools and act like it’s not happening.
We allow representatives of these companies to join our various organizations, sit on boards, attend meetings, and vote on matters of great importance to our industry.
What we should be doing is identifying these folks and calling their hand. “Hey you, yes you… your company, your magazine, your station, your group, your organization is doing things that are damaging to our industry. You and those like you are not welcome here. Please leave!”
It is not right for companies and individuals who damage our industry to receive recognition from the professionals. By turning the other cheek to their unscrupulous business practices we are allowing them access to our side of the fence, when what we should be doing is throwing the bums out.
Listen friends, I’m not saying we should eliminate amateur SGM. We need amateur artists. It is from this pool of talent that the professionals of tomorrow will come. But the key word here is “tomorrow.”
When they earn, EARN, their way into the professional ranks, they will be welcomed with open arms. Until that time we need to do all we can to train and nurture them, and teach them how to become professional.
Anyone who rips off one of these “newbies” should be “tarred and feathered” and hung from the giant screen TV at the National Quartet Convention.
OUR AMATEUR ARTISTS DESERVE BETTER.
I like this famous quote: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Folks, let’s stop doing “NOTHING.” Let’s start taking names and kicking tails. It’s time we reclaimed our industry. If you agree with me I ask you to help me. You can forward this article to anyone you think can help, pro group owners, professional record label heads, industry leaders, and your friends.
Remember… “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”
As always, I welcome your comments,
God Bless You,
Nick Bruno
http://www.nickbruno.com
Reader Comments
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I can imagine what Mr Pittans group must sound like. If you dont have the voices that are professional enough, Gaithers bunch couldnt make you sound good.
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My vote is with songwriter on this.
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I have no idea what Pittman's group sounds like. I was merely observing the irony of the whole situation.
20 or 30 people will almost always respond when a strongly worded column like this is written saying, "Right on?" I've been one who wholeheartedly agrees with much of what Nick Bruno writes, so I understand that. What I don't understand is why anyone who does the very thing this article asked for "must have a vendetta," etc.
If you applaud one person for saying names should be named, why would you attack another person for actually doing it?
It seems the SG fan is usually delighted with general negativity about the industry. The response is uniformly polar opposite when specific negativity is displayed, though. You say you agree 100%, but your action show that you really DON'T want anyone to take that step and be named.
Somewhere in between, there must be some solution. I'm not agreeing with Pittman, because I don't know what actually happened in that situation.
I'm simply noting that Nick Bruno did ask his readers to "admit it" and root out the people who are profiting off of the second type of amateurs he mentioned in his article. -
Well, I continue to disagree with you and I believe you are missing my point.
I think there is a distinction to be made between someone who is profiting off amateurs and someone who is DECEIVING them. Making a profit by producing a custom album is not a crime. Nick readily admits that he spends a great deal of time doing custom albums for amateur groups.
He says: Some of these groups are pretty good, and they desire to be the best they can be, but they have no illusions of grandeur. I work with many groups like this and I can tell you, I love it. It’s singing for the best of reasons…because you love it.
Nick's POINT is that many companies are DECEIVING these new artists and PROMISING THINGS THEY WILL NOT and CANNOT DELIVER.
I believe the story is clear if you read Mr. Pittman's own remarks. He says,
"when you get into the studio, things are different and many flaws are revealed when you are recording. However, if the producer does what he is supposed to do, these flaws can be corrected."
Translation: We didn't sound as good as we thought we would when we actually recorded our first album and Nick didn't fix our vocals as well as we would have liked him to.
NICK'S focus seems to be on industry people who are DECEIVING amateurs. Is Mr. Pittman saying he was deceived by Nick because Mr.Pittman didn't realize how HE actually sounded? -
After my initial post, I had no intention of responding any further. Some of the posts do not even deserve a response. However, I am responding to Songwriter.
It is very apparent you are either a close personal friend of associate of Nick’s and let me say I applaud and respect you for your loyalty. However, you do not know ME, how I sing or anything else about me. Since that is the case let me give a short history, not that I really need to. I started singing Southern Gospel Music in a quartet when I was fifteen years old. I am now 52 and have been singing all my life. I sang baritone for 27 years and for the last several years I’ve been singing bass. I was a music major in college when I first started and devoted all my time to music. I know there is no such thing as four part harmony unless you are singing a seventh or some other chord that will allow for the fourth part. I also know most SGM is written using chords I, IV and V during most of the song, which means there are only three notes with the bass doubling on either the tenor or the lead. I know there is no difference in “family” harmony and any other harmony, harmony is harmony. Families just are fortunate enough to have the same diction. I could go on, but there is no real need to do so.
All I have ever wanted to do is sing, and sing about Jesus. That is all. When we decided to try and take the “next step” it sure wasn’t to ever appear on main stage at the quartet convention, and it wasn’t for personal gain, it was to open doors where we could travel and go to places we have never been before simply to mention the name of Jesus. That is the only reason.
When I referred to “flaws” in my original post, I meant when you get in the studio, with headphones on, folks may hit the last note of a phrase, especially the vowel sounds a little flat, or as many would say they “shave the note” a little. That is what we experienced. As for me personally, I try to push too hard, trying to sing bass like I did when I sang baritone, hitting notes sharp. The thing is we hear it and correct it when we are allowed. Singing live, we have no problem, and the harmony is there. I’ve heard groups where you have two people singing the same notes. That will not happen in any group I may be associated with.
When you stated I was being un-Christlike and mean spirited, let me say if stating the factual truth is un-Christlike and mean spirited, then I guess I am guilty. But I did base my comments on fact, even though I did not lay out the details, not just on opinion or what I think.
Now I will try to say what I meant and you may have to read somewhat between the lines.
Professional groups, when they record spend 3 to 10 days in the studio working on vocals. That is why their recording projects sound so good. This goes back to the person producing the project, which is what they are being paid to do. I guarantee you if any “professional” group spent 6 hours in a recording studio laying down vocals, the project would not sound that good. That is basically how long we spent in the studio the first time we recorded with what we thought was the label for us to record with. We spent 4 days on our last project and you can tell a major difference.
Now referring back to the original article. For the past several years these articles seem to attack the SGM industry and indicate what all is bad with it. Well I consider anyone who sings, whether you call them weekend warriors, weekend groups or regional groups, amateurs. The groups who sing for a living are the “Professionals.” Trust me, I’ve heard many weekend groups who sound as good as anyone singing. The other major aspect of this is just about every “amateur” group I know sings local to where they live. They have a following of people who love to hear them sing, it doesn’t matter what they sound like. The major part of this is they lead people to Christ, and I don’t care how you or anyone else tries to spin it, that is the major reason. If you are in it for the money, notoriety or personal recognition, then I believe that is wrong. God gave us the talents to do what we do; we sure didn’t acquire them on our own. Besides, I don’t how it is where you live but around my home the local gospel stations only play “The Professionals”. If a local group has a recording that is released as a single, the local radio stations still consider the group a “local” group and will not play their music. So how do we come up with this idea?
You know, I would ask this question, on what empirical evidence is this article based. What studies have been conducted to substantiate the fact that Amateur group’s problem with Southern Gospel Music, if in fact there is something wrong with it.
Now I will give my opinion as everyone else has stated “opinions”. The problem with SGM, if there is there are people in the industry who are concerned only with themselves and personal gain. This leads to division and folks working against each other rather than working together. If we would come together, work together and all have a common goal, that of spreading the word, and take out the personal part of it, I wonder how far the industry, if that is how you wish to refer to it, would progress.
The other thing that comes to mind, again just opinion, I believe we are living in the last days, according to the Bible, and Jesus indicated in the last days we Christians would be hated for his name sake. That is where I think we are. I remember a time 30 years ago when you could have an all night gospel sing with just local groups and people getting together to form a quartet and pack the venue. They would stay all night long. Now, the crowds are smaller and seemingly getting worse. I think it is a sign of the times.
I personally don’t listen to rock or country music. It is not because “Amatuers” are singing the songs, it is simply because I don’t care for that type of music. Ever thought that is why people don’t listen to Southern Gospel.
By the way, if it makes you feel good to attack me, then go ahead and do it all you want.
Lacy -
I do know Nick, yes. That's why I read his column every month -but that's not why I made my comments. Someone with his long history in SGM and stellar reputation does not need to be defended.
In addition, I too love the Lord as you do Mr. Pittman. My sincerity and yours is not in question. I just don't like it when I see someone using a public forum to say something that should be said privately between two Christians. This is what the BIBLE teaches.
Although it's obvious that Nick COULD name names - he does not. NOT HERE. And I don't believe he is advocating that either. I believe that ANYONE reading this column clearly understands he meant in the boardrooms, in the committees, at the conventions, he feels people who are SCAMMING artist by LYING TO THEM should be exposed.
Evidently, you are reading a different column than I am every month. His goal seems to be to encourage HONESTY and INTEGRITY in SGM.
Being unhappy with one recording project he produced does not make him in to someone who cheats people. I'm sure there are other groups out there who would say exactly the opposite about a Nick Bruno produced project.
In my opinion, you are and were annoyed at Nick and used this forum to take a shot at him. I am not attacking you, I am stating my opinion - as you stated yours. -
Nick, I always enjoy your articles and appreciate the way you lay it all on the table. Just to show a parallel, I am a cabinetmaker by trade and have been involved with this industry since the late 1960's and have been plagued by the unprofessionals who are infiltrating the industry. I am retired now due to a disabling injury, but before I left the industry, I was having to bid against these same people who were cutting prices and getting some jobs. I even had some of the people who gave the jobs to some of these people call me later to "fix' some problems left by the other cabinet makers. I even had one job where I was beaten on the bid, where I provided the materials for the other person to do the job, who was doing it for "$200 less than whatever" I bid. He mishandled the oak and it was never the same, because he let the moisture content rise to a bad level before using it. So, there are those in every industry. They will always be with us. They will probably never realize why they never made it. They will just wake up one day and see that there is no place to sing anymore. So I say just let them sing. I will listen to whom I want, will support whom I want, where they be local, pros, regional or whatever. We had a group at our church, who were real favorites of our church this past weekend. One of the singers introduced a song he had written called"Down on her knees". and said it was more a contemporary song than S.G. I told him after church not to put labels on them, to just keep writing songs like that, and it didn't to be placed in a genre, just sing it.Billijoe
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Sir:
I have been a follower of SG for most of my life - I am a music educator, by the way. I am convinced that SG has an inferiority complex: it isn't satisfied with being itself. -
A great article, Nick.God is good all the time & all the time God is good.
Elaine Harcourt
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Sir -
I have felt for some years that SG has an inferiority complex. Instead of being what it is, too often the push is to be like other styles of music. In doing so, SG is lost in the mix.
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