The Evereadys - Lord Come By Here (Recorded Version)

Topic: Live versus Recorded Versions
The differences between live and recorded versions of "Come by Here" stem from the imperatives of radio programming. Until the maturation of the internet with web sites like YouTube and artist-support organizations like CD Baby, the only way an artist could become known was through records played on radio stations, advertisements for live performances, or word of mouth. In the 1940s, stations used 78’s; in the 1950s, they were 45’s. The physical size of the records limited them to about three minutes. Station managers then scheduled their advertisements around those time slots, and maintained their scheduling ideas even after technology made longer songs possible.

"Come by Here" was used in religious services that invoked the presence of the Holy Spirit. By the early 1960s, recordings had distilled the ritual into three minutes with a three-part structure.

(a) A prelude with verses appealing to the Lord. The soloist or two alternating soloists and the group often alternated parts in a call-response pattern. Everyone used normal singing voices.

(b) A transition between the two phases that might be handled by the instrumental accompanists or by the singers.

In some versions, the second part dramatized the coming of the Spirit with solos over percussive group-chants. It might be a spoken-sung line, or one that became increasingly higher pitched until it incorporated screams. Several singers might take turns in different styles.

(c) A denouement dramatizing the presence of the Spirit. The solo-group interaction was the same, but more vocal ornamentations were used. Key words tended to used instead of phrases, and, often, testifying was done.

Performers
Vocal: solo and group sections

Instrumental accompaniment: piano, guitars, and organ were identifiable

Rhythm accompaniment: drums and a shaker were identifiable

Credit
By Jerome Williams

Notes of Lyrics
Language: English
Pronoun: somebody
General Format: ritual prelude-denouement structure.

Prelude Section:
Form: three verses with the AAAB line repetition form. The soloist sang the line with variations, and the group repeated it with fewer changes. The last line was variations of "If You don’t stay long."

Theme: a statement of a problem (somebody needs you) followed by an appeal to the Lord to solve the problem (I’m leaving a message) and then an explanation for why the Lord’s presence was needed (somebody’s sick).

Transition:
The soloist began repeating short phrases from the prelude like "somebody’s praying" and "looking for a blessing," while the group chanted variations of "stop by here."

Denouement Section:
The soloist reduced the lines to key words ("I need you," "I’m waiting") while the group continued to chant "stop by here." Toward the end, the lead simply repeated "come on" and "I need you."

Influences:
"If you don’t stay long" was used in 1952 by Lightnin’ Hopkins recording. [1]

Repetitions in the denouement of needing the Lord in the morning, in the evening appeared in a 1958 Hightowers recording. [2]

Notes on Music
I don’t know the voices of the members of the group and so I can’t be more specific. If anyone has more information, I would be glad to include it. One of the YouTube comments said: "Jerome is the bomb... I wish my tenor would stay that high. His range is dynamic!!" [3] This suggested Jerome Williams was the lead singer.

Opening Phrase: Eveready's own melody.

Prelude Section:
The first verse of the prelude was sung by one person, and the other two verses were sung by another with a higher pitched voice. In the second verse, the individual began the lines on successively higher tones. In the third verse, he added screams on the variations. Guitars and organs underscored the melodic aspects of the section.

Transition:
The first singer returned while the man with the higher voice accented the ends of lines with screams. A piano replaced the organ and guitars to emphasize the rhythm.

Denouement Section:
The first singer ended phrases with gasps at the ends of lines, while the man with the higher voice added accenting trills. Again, the piano was used.

By the way, I don’t mean scream or gasp to be pejorative; I am using them as non-technical terms to describe the vocal quality. I would be happy to incorporate better terms if someone has suggestions that refer to specific lines in the video.

Notes on Performers
The Ever Ready Gospel Singers began in Detroit in the early 1950s when Jackie Wilson was a member. The sister of one of the members encouraged her sons, Jerome and Marvin Williams to form a group and reuse the name in 1967. By the early 1980s, the members included "four sets of brothers including his [Jerome’s] own brother Marvin, Aaron Beasley, Marvin Reed and Charles and Kenny Porter." [4]

Photographs reproduced on the video showed six men. For a while, Jerome worked "with the music ministry at Pastor Marvin Winans’ Perfecting Church in Detroit," but then returned to singing. [5] In 2007, the Evereadys were a quartet composed of Bealsey, Reed, Freddy Williams and his brother Jerome. [6]


Availability
Album: Revived. Malaco Records MAL 4385. 1983. Uploaded to YouTube by Bobby Lahmon, 24 December 2008. 

Live concert: uploaded to YouTube by dshock11, 7 May 2008.

End Notes
1. Lightnin’ Hopkins [Sam John Hopkins]. "Needed Time." RPM 359. Houston, 1952.

2. Hightower Brothers. "Come By Here." Gospel 1008. New York City, 13 October 1958.

3. bigboybev. YouTube. 2008.

4. "The Evereadys - Group History." Gloryland Gospel website.

5. Same as #4.

6. Bob Marovich. "Eveready’s Aaron Beasley Dies in Detroit." Journal of Gospel Music website. 3 October 2007.