E-mail a friendThe Blind Boys of Alabama
airdate November 22, 2004
The Blind Boys of Alabama may be the only group formed during the Depression that's still going strong. The gospel quartet was formed in 1937 at the Talladega Institute for the Deaf and Blind. Known for their harmonies and vocal solos, the group has resisted the temptation to cross over to secular music. In 2004, they won their third consecutive Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album. They recently collaborated with Ben Harper on a new album, "There Will Be A Light."
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Tavis: I'm pleased to be joined by talented musician Ben Harper and gospel singing sensation Clarence Fountain. Ben had teamed up with Clarence and the Blind Boys of Alabama for a terrific new gospel CD called "There Will Be a Light." Later on in this program, Ben and all the Blind Boys will perform a song from the disc. But first, Ben, nice to see you.
Ben Harper: Great to see you.
Tavis: Clarence Fountain, nice to see you, too, sir.
Clarence Fountain: I'm glad you do.
Tavis: I love those pipes. I could have been something if I had a voice like that, Clarence.
Fountain: Well, I'm glad I got it.
Tavis: I guess I better talk real fast, Ben, because you and Ms. Dern, Laura Dern that is, are expecting another baby, and I'm told it's due, like, literally any minute now.
Harper: Car is running.
Tavis: So congratulations on that.
Harper: Thank you. Thank you.
Tavis: Tell me how this project came to be, because I'm told it wasn't supposed to be a CD.
Harper: In the bigger picture, it was supposed to, huh? But when we started it, it was just a couple of songs in the studio.
Fountain: Right, right. Sometimes when you get started on something, you can't stop, you know. And this is one of those records that we just couldn't stop. We started and just got good. And we just kept on going. Then it ended up being a CD.
Tavis: Tell me--when you say it got good to you, Clarence, and you just kept going, what happens in a session, whether it's with Ben Harper or anybody else, what happens in that session where you know there's something here and we've got to keep moving with it?
Fountain: Well, you know, that's when you can get the vibes from the other guy, and Ben was doing all the singing. We just doing the background, but we sing a little bit on the "There Will Be a Light" and a couple more tunes on there. But with Ben, you know, it's just like cooking breakfast in the morningtime. You put your eggs on, scramble 'em well done. He gives it to you well done. So to tell you the truth, it's just a good thing that we made this CD because, hey, it gets better and better as we go.
Tavis: Yeah. Ben, tell me two things. One, what's it like working with a group as legendary as the Blind Boys, number one? Well, take that first and I've got a follow-up.
Harper: It's an honor. An immeasurable honor. I had to make sure I stepped around that part of it to get to business, because you can get overwhelmed with it when you're working with legends with the likes of the Blind Boys of Alabama. And by the way, there's not--you know, they're the last group standing. You know, they're the ones. They've made it. They've done it, you know, and it's far and few. John Lee made it. Muddy made it. Those legends made it. And these fellows made it. Blind Boys of Alabama to the top of the hill. To the top. They are the greatest soul gospel group living and breathing. And sooI sidetracked. It's an honor. If you can absorb the honor in the moment, you'd be overcome and you wouldn't be able to get to work. So fortunately time allows it to absorb month by month, year by year. It's still sinking in what it's meant to work with them, and I think it still will be in the years to come. But what was great about it was they work in the studio harder and stronger and faster than most people my age do. They just--everything that I throw at them, we just dig in. And it would be done so quick. It was like, "What's next, Ben?"
Tavis: When you say you threw stuff at them and they responded just like that, tell me what it was--or what it is, I should say--about their sound, about their style that you thought would work well with what you wanted to do on this CD? Because you could have chosen anybody else, I suspect.
Harper: Well, it started on their record. They asked me to come in and do a couple of songs with them for their next album project. And I stepped in and it just took on a life of its own.
Tavis: I heard you--or read you somewhere the other day make a distinction between gospel and religion. Do you recall this conversation you had with somebody the other day?
Harper: Yeah, I said it.
Tavis: For our audience, tell me what the distinction you were attempting to make between gospel and religion?
Harper: Well, that's a big conversation. See, if I tackle that, it might be something different than what Clarence would want me to say. So I've got to keep myself in check.
Tavis: All right, so break me up just a little bit. I'll let Clarence get some of this. Go ahead, Ben.
Harper: Well, you know, it's just--gospel is just an unarguable truth from the heart to the heart, and religion is a false platform that politicians will throw at you to run on nowadays, something like that. You know what I mean?
Tavis: You're right. That's not a conversation, that's a seminar. That's a whole seminar, that topic. Clarence, talk to me the difference between gospel and religion in what you do.
Fountain: Well, listen, religion is a duty. You understand what I'm saying? And gospel is a message that the Lord left for us to go by because it's only good news. The savior is coming back and you better be ready. That's the most important thing. And religion, you know, some people put religion in different places, but I put it right where it's supposed to be. Ain't nothing but a duty. And as old country folks say, well, I know I've got religion. That means they know that they got something that will carry them to heaven, coming down to earth, whatever. And it's a good thing to know you've done your duty well. And the other part, it's just something that I love to do and that serve the Lord. And that's the most important thing.
Tavis: Ben made the point a moment ago in his mind, and I suspect a lot of folks agree that you are one of the great gospel groups. Ben put you as the greatest gospel group still around after all these years. To what do you attribute the staying power of the Blind Boys?
Fountain: Well, I give all mine to the Lord, because he said if you do certain things, I'll give you longevity. And I'm thinking, I have a birthday coming up so, you know, I know I've got longevity because I've been here for a while.
Tavis: Yeah. Tell me what is it about the gift that you and the guys have that allows you to perform so excellently a variety of music? I mean, it's all gospel from your perspective, but you've done it with so many different artists over the years and made it sound so different on so many different records.
Fountain: Well, we learned how to do what's asked of us to do. And if it sounds good, we'll tell you up front, hey, that's good. That's our opinion. If it doesn't sound good, I'll just tell you point blank, that ain't nothing, man.
Harper: And that's the truth. He'll let you know. He'll let his own group know, let me know.
Fountain: You know, you have to be good with your own self, know when you haven't done the job. You've got to know this. But if you never learned this, then you'll never know this.
Tavis: When something doesn't sound good to you, right quick, Clarence, when something doesn't sound good to you, is there a particular reason why it doesn't sound good? When you say it doesn't sound good, are you talking about the harmonies? What are you talking about?
Fountain: I'm talking about the harmonies, all of it put together. If it doesn't sound good, it just doesn't sound good. You know, for a fact thatotake it out and put it on the market, and see whether I'm right or wrong.
Tavis: Well, I tell you one thing, it does sound good. All of it sounds good. Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama. "There Will Be a Light." Up next, Ben and Clarence will be joined by the rest of the Blind Boys of Alabama for a special performance. Stay with us.
Tavis: From their CD, "There Will Be a Light," here are Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama performing "Well, Well, Well." Good night from Los Angeles. Enjoy and keep the faith.
Harper: Well, well, well
Blind Boys: Well, well, well
Harper: The man who stole the water
Will swim forevermore
But he'll never reach the land on that golden shore
That faint white light
It will haunt his heart
Till he's only a memory
Lost in the dark
So dig a hole in the ground,
Straight down to hell
Till there ain't no more water
In the well, well, well
When you're down on your knees
With nothing left to sell
Won't you try digging a little deeper
In the well, well, well
Well, well, well
Well, well, well
So take care of your body
Like you care for your soul
Don't you dig yourself
Into a hole
Until you've paid the price
You can't know what it's worth
The air and the water
The fire and earth
Now dig your hole in the ground
Straight down to hell
Till there ain't no more water
In the well, well, well
When you're down on your knees
With nothing left to sell
Won't you try digging a little deeper
In the well, well, well
Well, well, well
Well, well, well
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