" KING HERALDS "

  1971 - 1983

From childhood I’ve always liked to sing. In Indonesia, the country I was born, people in general like to sing. They do not ask themselves whether they can sing, I mean if they have talent to sing or not.

The King’s Heralds (1971-1977) 1. John Ramsey, first tenor, 2. Jerry Patton, second tenor, 3. Jack Veazey, baritone, 4. Jim Mc Clintock, bass

The King’s Heralds (1977-1983) 1. John Ramsey, first tenor, 2. Jerry Patton, second tenor, 3. Jack Veazey, baritone, 4. Jim Ayars, bass

In my adolescence I heard many male quartets, the style I liked most. I even sang in a few. My favorite gospel male quartet are the King’s Heralds. This group has existed since 1927 and that means it’s the world’s oldest active gospel quartet. Many things in life have their best season, a time when everything seems to have been perfect, a zenith in quality that can not be repeated.

The same thing happened to the King’s Heralds. For me his best season was 1971 to 1983.  All five singers from that period (the bass was replaced in 1977) had well-educated voices. They very easily could have become opera singers, if they wished. Modern gospel music groups do not have voices of classic quality anymore.  All five singers of the King’s Heralds were great soloists, yet perfectly in harmony with each other when they sang together. It’s difficult to find  a vocal group in which each of its members is an excellent soloist.

  

If I feel the need to listen to spiritual music I want it, of course, to touch my soul. But not every type of religious music can do that. And that, apart from the voices, is what I like about these two formations of The King’s Heralds. The songs they sing really sound to me as “church music” and I feel that God (or whatever name you give to the deity in which you believe, if you believe in one) speaks to me through them.

Among my favorite songs of the King’s Heralds I compiled 10 for you to hear and read their letters.


Enjoy!



1. The King’s Heralds (1971-1977)

The Man From Wayout.

Twenty hundred years ago
In a land across the sea
From His home beyond the heavens
Came the Man from way out
Only few were there to meet Him
When He came upon the sea
Everybody was expecting
Some different kind of king

Well, He grew up in a small town
Where the people weren’t so good
They did not appreciate Him
Like a home town really should

So He left His home and mother
Took a few men by His side
And He talked about a Kingdom
Where real love and peace abide

See Him giving God’s forgiveness
To a people tossed about
They all crowded around and listened
To the Man from way out

Though His love is all sufficient
To supply the deepest need
Many foolishly replaced Him
With their own religious creed

So they took Him to a mountain
Raised Him to the sky above
But the cross will stand forever
As a monument to love

Listen to His invitation
Now’s the time to try Him out
Let God fill your empty life now
With the Man from way out

YES, GOD IS REAL.


There are some things that I may not know
There are some places I can not go
But I am sure of this one thing
My God is real for I can feel Him in my heart

Yes, God is real, real in my soul
My God is real for He has washed and made me whole
And His love for me is like pure gold
My God is real for I can feel Him in my soul

I can not tell just how you felt
When Jesus washed your sins away
But since that day and since that hour
My God has been real for I can feel His holy power
Yes, God is real, real in my soul
My God is real for He has washed and made me whole
And His love for me is like pure gold
Yes, my God is real for I can feel Him in my soul

Yes, God is real for I can feel Him in my soul


PEACE

How can you say there’s peace when wars rage around?
How can you be happy when people put you down?
We know nowhere we’re going but we keep moving on
In this world we never slow down

Peace, peace, wonderful peace
Comes from the Lord in Heaven
Peace, peace, you can have this peace
Just reach out and take His hand

People have tried to substitute things for peace
But nothing has ever been found
The only way to happiness is to have this peace
And you find it only through God

Peace, peace, wonderful peace
Comes from the Lord in Heaven
Peace, peace, you can have this peace
Just reach out and take His hand


SIDE BY SIDE


Side by side we stand awaiting God’s command
Worshiping our saving King
Living by His grace and moving on in faith
Jesus Himself will see us through

Meet me in heaven, we’ll join hands together
Meet me by the Savior’s side
I’ll meet you in heaven, we’ll sing songs together
Brothers and sisters, I’ll be there
Praise the Lord we all will be there

Soldiers all are we to go where Jesus leads
We’ll fight in faith and we will overcome
Heaven is our goal and saving every soul
Pray that we all will be there

Meet me in heaven, we’ll join hands together
Meet me by the Savior’s side
I’ll meet you in heaven, we’ll sing songs together
Brothers and sisters, I’ll be there
Praise the Lord we all will be there

Side by side we all will be singing praise the Lord
Praise the Lord we all will be there

COME TO ME


“Come, come to me
Rest your body
Rest your feet
And come, come to me
Listen everybody, come right now to me
Listen everybody, come and be free”

Through the war and the hate that’s troubled us since our birth
Comes a voice from the clouds that’s heard through the whole earth
Through a thousand speakers in a thousand tongues
Everybody’s heard but few have found
The Man they’ve all been shouting about
And still the Man cries out:

“Come, come to me
Rest your body
Rest your feet
And come, come to me
Listen everybody, come right now to me
Listen everybody, come and be free”

We talk about love and the freedom of our mind
But we never outrace this mad circle of time
We come with nothing and that’s how we leave
The answer is there but nobody sees
The sciences in the glass are running out
And still the Man cries out:

“Come, come to me
Rest your body
Rest your feet
And come, come to me

Listen everybody, come right now to me
Listen everybody, come and be free

Come to me and be free”

2. The King’s Heralds (1977-1983)

TEACH ME LORD

Teach me to love and teach me to live
And teach me to see and yield and forgive
Father, we need You at work and play
So teach me to follow You day by day

Teach me to know Your voice and Your will
And help me to climb my own special hill
You have the plan, so help me to see
The plan You have for me, Lord
Teach me today, I pray
Teach me to love and give and live today

LOOK ! HOW FAR YOU'VE COME

So you’ve lost your will to live
Seems you’re down to your last friend
And the weight of the world
Keeps tryin’ to pull you in

Don’t give up, don’t give in, give it all to Him
‘Cause He cares so much more than you know
When it seems who you really want to be
Is someone you’ll never become just look how far you’ve come

Though you’ve failed at plans you’ve laid
Don’t forget the steps you’ve made
He has brought you this far
He can take you the rest of the way

Don’t give up, don’t give in, give it all to Him
‘Cause He cares so much more than you know
When it seems who you really want to be
Is someone you’ll never become just look how far you’ve come

I know it’s not all easy easy
But don’t you throw it all away, no
You’ve come to far to turn back now
You’re headed home, you’re not alone

Don’t give up, don’t give in, give it all to Him
‘Cause He cares so much more than you know
When it seems who you really want to be
Is someone you’ll never become just look how far you’ve come

Don’t give up, don’t give in, give it all to Him
‘Cause He cares so much more than you know
When it seems who you really want to be
Is someone you’ll never become just look how far

Don’t forget how far
Just look how far you’ve come

SWING LOW SWEET CHARIOT

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

Well, you know, I took a look over
Jordan and what did I see
Coming for to carry me home
A band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home, ride the chariot

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

I’m sometimes up, I’m sometimes down
Coming for to carry me home
But still my soul is glory bound
Coming for to carry me home

If you get there before I do
Coming for to carry me home
Tell all my friends I’m coming too
Coming for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

Well, swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home
Swing low, sweet chariot
Coming for to carry me home

EAGLE SONG

I stood and watched an eagle glide
Spread his wings and soar across the sky, so gracefully he flew
Rising effortlessly
I wanted to know just how to be free

Tiny fingers curled ’round mine
Perfectly formed, new born, the image of two
Infinite mystery
I wanted to know where life comes from

What human intellect can’t sway must be explained the way
Earth wisdom, religions of men
Search without end to fill the spirit house within
Simplicity of God somehow escapes man

I reach for the eternal one creation
He was waiting to reveal His purpose in me
He said “This is where life begins
I made your spirit to light on the wind”

Come let’s fly on the wind
Come on let’s fly on the wind
On the wind, on the wind, on the wind

 

IF PEOPLE

If people would care about people
Jesus would be seen
And if people would help other people
Jesus would be seen

If people would love one another
They would learn what happiness means
And Jesus would be seen

Not in a stained glass window
Not in embracing a tree
Not in some complex philosophy
Nor the doing of religious deeds

But if people would learn to love people
Caring for each other’s needs
Then God will be someone the world can know
And Jesus will be seen

But if people would love one another
They would learn what happiness means
And Jesus would be seen