Evelyn Turrentine-Agee’s two versions of "Come by Here" are the opposite of those of the Spirituál Kvintet, Evereadys, and José Carreras. For those fans interested in hearing her sing, the recording is primary, not the live performance because she turned the lead over to another woman in a video of a 2000 Detroit concert uploaded to YouTube.
Turrentine-Agee had a stroke in 1999, and may have been taking rests during the concert when she could turn the performance over to someone. She had cancer surgery in 2011, and Lee Hildebrand noted, in a concert in Oakland, California, she sat and let her son take over the singing. [1] The woman singing in the 2000 concert may have been her daughter. [2]
Other than the differences in soloists, the live and recorded versions had the same traits as the two versions by The Eveready’s: the record was polished and the verses were sung, while the live performance had more spoken testimony.
Performers
Vocal Accompaniment
Live Performance: three women
Recording: two women, one man
Instrumental Accompaniment
Live Performance (musicians not visible): two level keyboard, neck of a bass or guitar visible, something like a pedal steel guitar. The keyboard usually sounded like an organ.
Recording (credits for album): keyboards, lead guitar, synthbass
Rhythm Accompaniment
Live Performance (musicians not visible): might have been a quiet drum
Recording (credits for album): percussion, drums, bass, organ
Credits
Arranger
Recording: Gloster Williams
Notes on Lyrics
Pronoun: somebody
General format: ritual prelude-denouement structure
Line repetition pattern: AAAB
Line form: statement-refrain
Live Performance
Prelude
One woman, presumably Turrentine-Agee, spoke:
"This is the time that we wait for in ever service, the annoiting of the Holy Ghost, to stop by for a little while"
She continued by itemizing things that happened when one was saved, with an emphasis on marital problems. Her reference to redeemed children abandoning the streets drew the greatest response from the audience.
Transition
The woman turned the microphone over to another woman, and she and the group sang three verses: come by here, somebody needs you, and somebody’s praying.
Denouement
The lead woman testified in a speaking voice. One line was: "I know he’s present, but he needs us to invite him in." The group continually repeated the "come by here" verse.
Recording
Prelude
Turentine-Agee testified we need your spirit Lord.
Transition:
Turrentine-Agee stated the line of a verse the group sang, while she spoke about it. Verses included we need your spirit, come by here, and somebody’s praying.
Denouement:
Turrentine-Agee testified on how much she needed the Lord.
Notes on Music
Opening phrase: 1-5
Tempo
Live Performance: slow; uniform throughout
Recording: slow; uniform throughout
Singing style:
Live performance: the soloist ornamented each word, especially in the beginning of the transition.
Recording: when Turrentine-Agee sang, she began a phrase with ornamentation.
Basic structure: soloist supported by group
Live performance:
Prelude: Turrentine-Agee spoke with instrumental accompaniment
Transition: the soloist sang with the group.
Denouement: the soloist spoke with the group singing one verse over and over in an unchanging style. Her voice got harsher as she continued. The tape stopped before she did.
Recording:
Prelude: began with chords played by the keyboard (changed between piano and organ sound). Turrentine-Agee spoke with only instrumental accompaniment.
Transition: Turentine-Agee spoke with group singing related verses at same time. She sang all or part of the last line of each verse.
Denouement: Turentine-Agee spoke with organ/piano as primary accompaniment. Her speaking style alternated between spoken and sung sections, with some high pitched notes and much ornamentation. The group sang the line "come by here" at the ends of sections.
Notes on Performer
Turrentine-Agee was raised in Saint Louis, Missouri. [3] Her mother was from Mississippi,[4] and her parents may have moved to the city. Her father was a deacon and founding member of the New Seraphim Baptist Church [5] there. More important, his mother was a singer, and he was a quartet singer. [6] During her childhood, he organized her and her siblings into singing groups.
She moved to Detroit where she earned a degree in Industrial Psychology from University of Detroit. [7] Her liner notes said she was working for Wayne County Legal Services and was a member of Michael Jones’ Fountain of Truth Baptist Church. [8]
Notes on Performance
Live Performance.
Three women stood behind the soloist, facing front, each with a microphone on a stand. They stayed in place, but shifted their weight from foot to foot. Once in a while one would lift a foot a little off the ground. The soloist did not change position often, and mainly used her arms and occasionally bent forward from the waist.
Turrentine-Agee and all the women were dressed alike in ankle-length, gathered skirts and matching tops that fell to their hips. There were two layers, a maroon one, and a filmier overlay that glittered a little in the light. They wore black heels and silver-colored ear-rings.
Notes on Movement
Live Performance
At times when Turrentine-Agee was speaking, her dress moved as if she were jiggling. It was not possible to see her feet to know what produced the effect.
During the transition, the three women had a set of gestures tied to the lyrics, but were not committed to doing them consistently or together. The one woman did few and did them close to her body; the others did them more often, and they reached farther from their bodies. The basic set of movements was:
Somebody - reach out with both arms
Come - bring the elbows back to bring the hands in
Lord - two hands reach up with elbows bent, and bring arms down
Here - turn hands palms down and reach arms out horizontally
Praying - hands in prayer
Otherwise, each individual would reach one or both arms upward. All the motions were done in time to the music, so the arms were usually in motion. However, the praying gesture was not done every time the word was used.
Influences:
The camp version of "Kumbaya" had mimic gestures and the verse "someone’s praying."
Notes on Audience
Live Performance: the camera showed several women in the audience who were waving their arms with closed eyes; one had tears on her cheeks. A couple men in front, who appeared in silhouette in long shots of the group, were standing with their arms raised above their heads.
Availability
CD: God Did It! Black Smoke Music. WOS1273. 2000.
Live Performance: VHS. Uploaded to YouTube by Pannellctp Traditional Gospel Music, 9 November 2013.
End Notes
1. Lee Hildebrand. "Evelyn Turrentine-Agee Delivers a New Gospel Keynote. East Bay Express, 11 May 2011.
2. Hildebrand.
3. Wikipedia. "Evelyn Turrentine-Agee."
4. Hildebrand.
5. Obituary for her sister, Paula Tyler. Austin Layne Mortuary.
6. Patricia Snider. "Evelyn Turrentine-Agee." Detroit Gospel website.
7. Wikipedia.
8. Liner notes. God Did It!
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