(V/A)- Songsters & Saints: Vocal Traditions on Race Records Vol. 1 (Matchbox, 1984)

The first of a landmark two volume series compiled by Paul Oliver, released as a companion piece to his book of the same name. "Race Records", in this context, refers to commercially produced records originally brought to market with black audiences in mind. Record One focuses on secular show-tunes and hokum entertainments, while Record Two explores a wide variety of gospel and religious recordings. A high quality scan of the inner sleeve's ample liner notes has been posted above. I highly recommend reading them over. These volumes are long out-of-print, although a large handful of the tracks have, over the years, made it to some other great compilations, such as: American Primitive Vol. 1: Raw Pre-War Gospel, Good For What Ails You: Music From The Medicine Shows, and Washington Phillips- What Are They Doing In Heaven Today? (*DL) and, most likely, plenty of others as well.

Here's a Songster:

Here's a Saint:


Download Link: (V/A)- Songsters & Saints: Vocal Traditions on Race Records Vol. 1 (Matchbox, 1984)

Record 1.
Dances And Traveling Shows
Peg Leg Howell and Eddie Anthony
- Turkey Buzzard Blues
Pink Anderson and Simmie Dooley
- Gonna Tip Out Tonight
"Beans" Hambone - El Morrow
- Beans
Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band
- Under The Chicken Tree
Alec Johnson
- Mysterious Coon
"Big Boy" George Owens
- The Coon Crap Game
Memphis Sheiks
- He's In The Jailhouse Now
Charley Patton
- Elder Greene Blues
Hambone Willie Newbern
- Way Down In Arkansas

Comment, Parodies And Ballad Heroes
Lil McClintock
- Furniture Man
Julius Daniels
- Can't Put The Bridle On That Mule This Morning
Hezekiah Jenkins
- The Panic Is On
Bogus Ben Covington
- I Heard The Voice Of A Pork Chop
Johnson - Nelson - Porkchop
- G. Burns Is Gonna Rise Again
Bo Chatman
- Good Old Turnip Greens
Two Poor Boys
- John Henry Blues
Will Bennett
- Railroad Bill
Kid Coley
- Clair And Pearley Blues

Record 2.
Baptists And Sanctified Preachers
Rev. Jim Beale
- The Hand Of The Lord Was Upon Me
Rev. A.W. Nix
- After The Ball Is Over
Rev. Isaiah Shelton
- As The Eagle Stirreth Her Nest
Rev. J.M. Milton
- Silk Worms And Boll Weevils
Rev. H.M. Massey
- Old Time Baptism - part 2
Rev. J.T. Burch
- Baptised By Water, and Baptism By The Holy Ghost
Rev. E.S (Shy) Moore
- The Solemn Warning
Elder Curry
- Prove All Things
Rev. Leora Ross
- God's Mercy To Colonel Lindbergh

Gospel Soloists And Evangelists
Missionary Josephine Miles and Sister Elizabeth Cooper
- You Have Lost Jesus
Mother McCollum
- When I Take My Vacation In Heaven
Eddie Head and his Family
- Down On Me
Washington Phillips
- I Am Born To Preach The Gospel
Blind Roosevelt Graves and Brother
- Telephone To Glory
The Guitar Evangelist
- Death Is Only A Dream
Blind Willie Davis
- Your Enemy Cannot Harm You
Blind Nesbit
- Pure Religion
William and Versey Smith
- When That Great Ship Went Down