STARDAY RECORDS 678

SINGING WILLIS FAMILY

Nov 57

45-678-A - He’ll Answer You

(Red Smith)   (Starrite BMI)

45-678-B - I Need The Lord

(Bob Wills)   (Starrite BMI)
STARDAY RECORDS 678

Source: Lars Lundgren

Nice gentle gospel from the Willis Family. The female singer has got a nice voice but sometimes it slightly overpowers the tracks, especially the first side. “He’ll Answer You” is a nice piano led tune with a melodic guitar solo. (Sadly, mine jumps, kinda spoiling the effect). Flipside is a bit more of a raucous affair. A male vocalist takes the spoils on the singing and there’s no instrumental solo.

Of course, I can’t work out who the “Singing Willis Family” is, or where they’re from, since there’s no label address and they recorded covers – one penned by Red Smith and the other by Bob Wills. There was a gospel record on a King-Pressed Dixie Label (45-123) By Harmon J Willis and the Willis Family (based out of Greer, SC – 1968?), but I don’t know if they are the same as here. The was another “Singing Willis Family” who recorded on a “No Name Label” out of Ft Worth, TX as well (An SO pressing from 57), but they maybe the Singing WILLS Family. (I have the record listed as both so I’m not sure if the typo is mine or not)

No matter – just play the sides and get right with God!