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The Swan Silvertones had seen many changes in gospel music, when they signed to VeeJay Records in 1956. They had seen gospel music evolving from its golden era, with the smooth a-capella deep harmony sound of the 1930's and 1940's, to the harder soul sound of the late fifties and sixties. The Swan Silvertones were formed in 1938, by Claude Jeter, in Coalwood, West Virginia. They were originally known as The Four Harmony Kings, but changed their name in 1942 to The Silvertone Singers, to avoid confusion with another group, "The Kings of Harmony," and began broadcasting a 15-minute radio show over Knoxville's WBIR, sponsored by the Swan Bakery Company, which dubbed them The Swan Silvertones.
Effective Public Speaking In 1946, The Swan Silvertones signed to King Records, for whom they recorded up until 1951. The King debut of I Cried Holy/Go Ahead was a substantial seller, but none of their subsequent King recordings registered as strong. Between 1951 and 1953, they recorded for Specialty Records, but only four singles were released during their stay with Specialty, who dropped them in 1953. The following years were tough for The Swan Silvertones, as they were without a record outlet, let alone a hit, in the highly competitive gospel field. Several members left the group during this period. With King, the group practiced a jubilee-style, later changing to a harder, more contemporary gospel sound during their Specialty days. Upon their arrival at VeeJay, the group started to develop a smoother, even more progressive approach. Paul Owens, a group member since 1952, is generally credited for this change. As an arranger, he had an open ear and was a fan of vocal groups like The Four Freshmen and The Hi-los. Owens tightened the group's harmonies and modernized their rhythms.
During their many years in the gospel field, the group was really centered around the great, elastic tenor sound of Claude Jeter. Claude Jeter influenced and gained the respect of many soul singers. New listeners to gospel music are often surprised by how much Jeter sounds like Sam Cooke, The Impressions or The Temptations. One should remember that Jeter was the original source. "Oh Mary Don't You Weep" was the group's biggest hit. Claude Jeter's improvised line, "I'll be a bridge over deep water if you trust my name," would inspire Paul Simon, many years later, to compose his "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The nine years at VeeJay were very successful for The Swan Silvertones, and as a result of this, the personnel of the group remained fairly consistent during this period. Aside from Jeter's powerful falsetto, we hear the underrated smooth tenor, Paul Owens, in Why I Love Him So, and The Lord Is Coming. The "hard" counter to Jeter's ethereal tenor is Paul Johnson, whose solo leads or seconds to Jeter can be heard on Nobody But You, Leave Your Burdon There, Love Lifted Me, Cross For Me, Search Me Lord, and Bible Days. Azell Monk, a powerful baritone, briefly filled Owens' spot in 1964 and can be heard on Without A Mother.
The tasty guitar accompaniment is provided by Linwood Hargrove on all the tracks recorded during the sixties. After the demise of the VeeJay label in 1965, The Swan Silvertones signed to Hob Records, but Jeter left after just one album to become a minister without a permanent pulpit. He explained it to critic Doris Worsham in 1977, "I do not pastor a church, because the church is in the heart of the men. I do not believe in denominations, only one God, one faith and one baptism. I evangelize wherever I am." Jeter's legacy rests on his remarkable work with The Swan Silvertones.
The Swan Silvertones Collection
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