Search - Dorothy Love Coates :: B.O. Dorothy Love Coates

One of the greatest voices of all time

Daniel Gunter | Seattle, WA United States | 02/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The great performances on this CD define the best in gospel music. Ms. Coates' voice was intense, raw yet amazingly controlled. She seemed to have tapped straight into the current: anguished, yet certain of God's grace. The music is propulsive, driving, relentless, yet always swinging: you can feel the sway of Ms. Coates' body as she sings (and the swaying of the other singers, too). One of the great things is to listen to the backup singers, who are singing their hearts out! The lyrics are brilliant. It's hard to choose among them, but the lovely "That's Enough" has long held a special place in my heart. But all of the songs repay frequent listening.



Around Christmas 1999 or 2000, I found Ms. Coates' phone number on-line. (She was living in Birmingham.) I called her and told her that I was a fan. She was lovely and modest, amazed that someone would call all the way from Seattle! Sadly, she died in about 2002--a loss to this world, but I'm sure that she died secure in her love for God. It is an amazing world that it could have had such a person in it as the great Dorothy Love Coates."

Gospel greats

Araph Keita | 10/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Original Gospel Harmonettes are overlooked treasures in music history. The "original" was added to their names to distinguish them from other gospel groups with the same name. Since then, it has been dropped. Although Dorothy Love Coates was the main lead singer, all of the members led songs. Coates, Mildred Miller Howard, Odessa Edwards, Willie Mae Newberry Garth, Vera Kolb, and Evelyn Starks(pianist) provide some classic gospel gems with original songs by Coates as well as cover of some of the most popular songs in gospel history. Coates has written and/or arranged over 300 songs. Two volumes are on this disc. Volume one was released as "He's Calling Me" in 1955, then reissued as "The Best of..." in 1970. The second volume was originally released in 1971. Highlights include their acclaimed "Get Away Jordan." Also, note Miller Howard's shared leads on "He's Calling Me" and "Where Shall I Be." Starks is magnificent on the piano. Fans might also want to see the documentary on the group, produced by the University of Alabama. This was presumably the last interview that Coates gave before she died. The sad part is that when she died, she was still fighting to get royalties due to her from others recording her compositions over the years. As one other reviewer noted, musicologists considered Coates' voice to be "ragged" among other things. However, most agree that her passion and sincerety were what really made her unique. Many other groups began to imitate her movements, while performing. If you had a chance to see her perform live, then you'd understand what they mean. The group's arrangments were complex, but they were always on point. They took call and response patterns to another level, and the jazz/blues/gospel arrangements of Coates made them different from most other gospel groups of the period."

Music That Reaches out and Grabs you by the Soul!

P. B. Reynolds | North Carolina | 12/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't seen the inside of a church in five years. Christian music is usually not my thing. I am a sinner, and, admittedly, could be a far better Christian than I am; but when I hear the incomparable, soul-stirring gospel music of Dorothy Love Coates, I feel the hand of the Holy Spirit reach out, grab me, and assure me that everything's going to be alright. This wonderful, uplifting selection of unadulterated "old school" gospel music is salve for a troubled mind, a fire lit under an unresolved soul, and a net for falling spirits that simply never fails.



Though it is Christian music, I would recommend this CD to almost anybody, no matter what upbringing, belief system, or religion you adhere to. There is quite literally something here for everybody. The powerful, expressive, and boundlessly cathartic singing of Dorothy Love Coates can be appreciated by anyone who has ever felt doubtful, downtrodden, triumphant, or joyful.



I cannot give any disc of modern American music a more ringing endorsement than I can this glorious assortment of unforgettable, inspirational songs."