The Re’Generation - Kum-by-ah

Topic: Religious Folk Music Revival
The Church of the Nazarene was organized as a Pentecostal alternative to the Assembly of God that spoke in tongues.  It reaffirmed its anti-glossolalia position in 1976 after the Charismatic Movement began spreading. [1]

Many Assembly of God churches remained open to popular music.  In 1971, Ralph Carmichael, who was raised in the church, said “as a Christian composer, I feel I must write in whatever idiom will be most effective for Jesus’ sake.”  He added: “our message stands the same, but the vernacular and communication tools must change in order to stay relevant.” [2]

Benson Publishing had thrived on Nazarenes’ willingness to buy songbooks. [3]  Thus, when Capitol Records couldn’t sell its copies of Larry Norman’s first album, it leased its rights to Benson’s Impact Records, where it became an “instant hit.” [4]

Benson was aware that the audience for its records was composed of groups with different tastes.  Some considered Frank Sinatra too popular, some thought that of Elvis Presley, and some so deemed Bill Gaither’s Trio.  It had established the Impact label in 1968 for the more modern Southern Gospel groups that used electric instruments and arrangements influenced by Nashville musicians. [5]

Still, On This Rock was a bit more than Impact could digest.  Norman said he did a “special re-mix” that he hoped would “soften the cultural blow by lessening the distortion and percussion in favour of the lyrics and harmonies.” [6]  Later, he said “I’m rather happy that the album sounded so benign instead of embodying the ferocious rock statement I wanted to make” because it “traveled well.” [7]

Thurlow Spurr’s parents had been evangelists in Fulton County, New York, [8] where they used drums in their services in the late 1940s. [9]  He organized a choral group in 1963 that staged high-school assemblies on drivers’ education for Chrysler.  In the evenings, the Spurlows presented a different program, the Splendor of Sacred Sounds, in local churches. [10]

Larnelle Harris played drums for the group between 1969 and 1971.  He described its program as “creating smooth harmonies in the Fred Waring tradition and playing modern arrangements.”  In particular, he remembered the subterfuges they used to smuggle his drums into churches so they could present them as a fiat accompli. [11]

The Chrysler program ended in 1971, and Spurr used his experience organizing tours to foster other groups, including one directed by Derric Johnson. [12]  As mentioned in the post for 8 March 2020, Johnson had released records by Skyline Methodist Church through the Nazarene’s Lillenas Publishing Company in 1968 and 1970.  Re’Generation’s 1971 album-songbook package was sold by Lilleanas’ Tempo Records. [13]

Re’generation made its first record for Impact in 1972. [14]  The same year an agent for DisneyWorld heard the group and hired it to perform at the Magic Kingdom in 1973. [15]

Johnson was still producing song collections for youth groups in 1974 that were marketed with accompanying albums.  One contained a version of “Kum-by-yah.”  The words were slightly different than his 1970 version: in keeping with the emphasis on personal salvation that was derived from the Jesus Movement, he changed “come by here” to “come by me” in the refrain of the third verse.

The choral parts were more demanding.  Re’Generation would strike a chord on a syllable and then, as a group, change chords, sometimes several times.  “Lord” and “ah” in the last line went through four modifications.  The last syllable was held for more than two measures (9 beats).

The most striking innovation was in instrumentation.  The New Sounds used a banjo, which someone in the group played.  Re’Generation was an a capella group.  Bob MacKenzie [16] provided the musicians. [17]

Benson had moved beyond the stereophonic technology used by Hope.  The liner notes, indicated track recording sessions were scheduled in South Carolina, while overdub and remix sessions occurred in Indiana and Tennessee.  

The choral group probably recorded the written arrangements with a pianist and possibly a drummer.  MacKenzie, then, could add other instruments in the pauses between lines and verses.  He used a banjo on “Young Believers” and jazz instruments on “Greater Is He That Is in Me.”  For “Kumbaya,” Henry Slaughter [18] created the sound of a blues harmonica with a clavietta. [19]

Churches who wished to perform “Kum-ba-yah” had two choices.  Their pianists could play the arrangements provided in the songbook, which were chords no different than were heard with hymns.  If they wanted something livelier, they could purchase the “pre-recorded orchestral accompaniment tape.” [20]

Performers
Book
Vocal Soloist: soprano
Vocal Group: soprano, alto, tenor, bass
Instrumental Accompaniment: piano
Rhythm Accompaniment: none

Album
Vocal Soloists: one woman, one man
Vocal Group: men and women
Vocal Director: Derric Johnson

Instrumental Accompaniment: piano; [21] clavietta played by Henry Slaughter; xylophone type instrument played by Farrell Morris

Rhythm Accompaniment: muted drums played by Buster Phillips

Credits
Book
Arranged by Derric Johnson
Arr. ©1974 by Dimension Music.

Album
Traditional
Arr. D. Johnson/Dimension SESAC

Notes on Lyrics
Both
Language: English
Pronunciation: not indicated
Verses: kumbaya, prayin’, singin’, happy

Vocabulary
Pronoun: someone, me
Term for Deity: Lord
Special Terms: none

Book
Basic Form: verse-chorus
Ending: repeat refrains as a verse

Album
Basic Form: five-verse song
Ending: none

Both
Unique Features: refrain varies by verse: kum by ah, come by here, come by me

Notes on Music
Book
Opening Phrase: 1-3-5
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: not specified
Key Signature: five flats; final chorus two sharps

Both
Basic Structure: strophic repetition
Ending: hold final note
Harmonic Structure: parallel octaves

Singing Style: several notes to one syllable for last syllable of “kumbaya” and final “Lord”; change notes as group in harmony

Solo-Group Dynamics: group echoes text of soloist; the New Sounds had repeated “kumbaya” as an echo

Album
Vocal-Accompaniment Dynamics: clavietta plays a counter melody; drums constant beat

Unique Features: use of clavietta

Notes on Performance
The cover for a 1971 Re’Generation songbook showed three young women with long, straight hair, and two older women with more formal hairstyles.  The hair of the five men was short; however, several had long forelocks like the Beatles.  The men were wearing colored, long-sleeve shirts with neckties, while the women were wearing brightly colored dresses or tops. [22]

Nine years later, at an appearance at Nashville’s Nazarene College, five man were wearing three piece suits and five women were in white pant suits.  The women’s hair was less formal, while the men’s was about the same, perhaps with shorter forelocks.  There were no signs of musical instruments on stage. [23]

Audience Perceptions
The Trevecca College yearbook described “their cherry smiles, stage personality, and smooth flowing music” as a “counter-statement” to the “the nightmares of the past.”  The group embodied “oneness in a strong heritage of faith and freedom, a musical unit that emphasizes positive attitudes and actions.” [24]

Notes on Performers
The style of Re’Generation became more middle-of-the-road, Easy Listening after Johnson became associated with Disney.  Its name was changed to Voices of Liberty when it began performing at Epcot Center in 1982. [25]

Johnson stayed with Disney as a consultant until he reached age 75 in 2005, [26] but had begun directing a choral group at the Quaker’s George Fox University [27] in 1994.  He taught there from 1996 [28] to 2005. [29]   He’s been a worship leader at Downtown Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida, since 2015. [30]

Alicia C. warned “this church isn’t for you if you like a praise group and a rock band.”  Instead, “this church is the way it used to be: good hymns sung by people who really care about each other.”  The congregation was described as older, with few members under age forty-five. [31]

Availability
Book: Derric Johnson.  “Kum-by-ah.” Fun ’n Easy, Volume 2.  Nashville: John T. Benson Company, 1974.  6–10.

Album: The Re’Generation.  “Kum-ba-yah.”  Fun ’n Easy, Volume 2.  Impact R3285 1974.  It also was available as a cassette (C9285) and an 8-track tape (T9285).

End Notes
1.  Charles L. Perabeau.  “The Church of the Nazarene in the U.S.: Race, Gender, and Class in the Struggle with Pentecostalism and Aspirations Toward Respectability, 1895-1985.”  PhD dissertation.  Drew University, May 2011.  45–63, especially 53.

2.  Ralph Carmichael.  Quoted by Mary Violet Burns.  “The New Sound.”  91–99 in Jesus People Come Alive.  Edited by Walker L. Knight.  Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1971.  97.

3.  The history of the Benson companies is sketched in the post for 19 July 2020.

4.  Gregory Alan Thornbury.  Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?  New York: Convergent Books, 2018.  57.  He noted that Benson did not pay the required royalties on sales.  Norman was introduced in the post for 4 October 2020.

5.  Ivan M. Tribe.  “Heart Warming Records.”  183 in Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music.  Edited by W. K. McNeil.  New York: Routledge, 2005.

6.  Larry Norman.  “The Growth Of The Christian Music Industry.”  Cross Rhythms website.  11 October 2006.   Page 3.

7.  Thornbury.  57.  He gave no source for the 2002 quotation.
8.  Item.  The [Troy, New York] Times Record.  18 May 1950.  4.

9.  “Past President of the Gospel Music Association and 8-year Board Member - History.”  Thurlow Spurr’s website.

10.  Herb Wood.  “Spurrlows Spur Safety with Musical Message.”  Billboard.  3 December 1966.  60–61.

11.  Larnelle Harris.  Shaped Notes.  With Christine Schaub.  Nashville, Tennessee: Morgan James Faith, 2018.  Chapter 3.

12. [Decatur, Illinois] Herald and Review.  24 November 1971.  3.  Posted by HeraldReview.  18 May 2018.  “The Re’Generation, presented by the Spurlows, will perform at 7 p.m. today at Peoples Church of God [. . .] along with their evening concerts, the group is active during the day in special presentations for high schools, colleges, and service organizations.”

13.  Songbook: Derric Johnson.  Re’Generation Songs.  Kansas City, Missouri: Lillenas, 1971.  [WorldCat Entry.]

Album: The Re’Generation.  Tempo/Impact.  [World Cat entry.]

Album: The Re’Generation II.  Tempo/Impact.  [WorldCat entry.]

14.  Re’Generation.  Believe.     Nashville, Tennessee: Impact Records, 1972.  [WorldCat entry.]

15.  Bill Iadonisi.  “Interview with Derric Johnson-Founder of ‘Voices of Liberty’.”  Disney by the Numbers website.  2018.

16.  MacKenzie was profiled in the post for 26 July 2020.

17.  Johnson was not a trained musician.  As mentioned in the post for 8 March 2020, he learned by doing from Orval Butcher.  Otis Skilling did the orchestrations for the 1971 albums. [32]  He was probably the link between Spurr and Johnson.  He had worked as an arranger for the Spurlows, [33] at the same time he had a vocal group performing in San Bernadino [34] and Costa Mesa, California. [35]  He later worked on the music staff at Skyline. [36]

18.  Henry Slaughter was music director at Rex Humbard’s Cathedral of Tomorrow.  He later played piano for the Southern Gospel quartet, The Imperials, and then worked for Bill Gaither. [37]

19.  Claviettas were André Borel’s version of Hohner’s melodica.  It was a reed instrument with a 34-note keyboard that was played by blowing into it. [38]

20.  Item Y1029.
21.  The liner notes listed two pianists: Otis Forrest and Bill Purcell.

22.  Derric Johnson.  Re’Generation Songs, Book Two.  Kansas City, Missouri: Lillenas Publishing Company, 1971.  It was subtitled “as sung by The Spurrlows and Re’Generation.”

23.  “Nashville Based Re’Generation Performs in Gym.”  The Darda.  Trevecca Nazarene College yearbook, 1979 edition.  48.

24.  Darda.  48.
25.  Iadonisi.
26.  “Derric Johnson.”  LinkedIn website.

27.  The Portland, Oregon, school is affiliated with the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends. [39]  It wasn’t clear if Johnson commuted from Orlando, Florida, or lived there.  His wife was raised in Portland. [40]

28.  Kari Godel.  “George Fox To Host Music Workshop Friday Evening.”  The [George Fox University] Crescent.  20 September 1996.  1.

29.  “Derric Johnson.”  His website.

30.  Carolyn Nichols.  “Jim Henry Breathes Life into Downtown Baptist.”  Baptist Press website.
16 February 2015.

31.  Alicia C.  “Downtown Baptist Church.”  Yelp website.  3 January 2016.
32.  World Cat entries cited in note 13 above.
33.  Harris.
34.  Item.  San Bernardino [California] Sun. 10 May 1969.  A9.

35.  “Pickens, DeRose Announce Entertainment for Banquet.” [Vanguard University] Clarion.  4 December 1969.  3.

36.  Item. The Pasadena [California] Star-News.  27 October 1973.  4.
37.  David Bruce Allen.  “Henry Slaughter.”  Southern Gospel History website.

38.  Wikipedia.  “Melodica.”

“Borel Clavietta.”  Melodica World website.

39.  Wikipedia.  “George Fox University.”
40.  “Debbie Johnson.”  Downtown Baptist Church, Orlando, Florida, website.