1984 was a celebratory, “Twentieth Anniversary” year for the Inspirations. Though 20 years had passed, and many changes had taken place since those humble beginnings in Martin’s basement, Archie, Martin and Jack (who were part of those first basement sessions in 1964), along with Troy, who joined 2 years later, were still vital members of the group. Furthermore, adding Mike, who has been a pivotal member for 12 years by this point, these 5 gentlemen have enjoyed many miles together, experienced many highs and lows, and were still making great music together! When you think about it, the guys were still relatively young, as by 1984, Archie and Troy were still in their 30’s, Jack was hitting 40 and Martin was just 2 years’ shy of hitting 50! The young’uns…Mike was pushing 30, and Myron (who joined just a little over 2 years prior) was just entering his 20’s!

Celebrating this 20-year milestone, the Inspirations released “Twentieth Anniversary”, which was produced by Martin Cook and recorded at Mark V Studios in Greenville, South Carolina. Using the same musicians as previous sessions, they once again, changed out steel guitar players and hired Larry Orr, who played on some of their early albums back in the 60’s. Larry played for the Blue Ridge Quartet and the Happy Goodman Family during the 70’s, but he kept ties at Mark V throughout the 70’s and 80’s, continuing to lend his talents for recording sessions there.

This was such a classy cover shot of the group, gathered around a white grand piano with their black suits, contrasting against the white background. Paying homage to their storied history, the back cover shows vintage shots of the group through the years sitting on the piano in nice picture frames. Another thing I’ll also point out…the album’s title, “Twentieth Anniversary”…a lot of milestone albums don’t have it spelled out like that, as they usually just use the numbers “20th”…but I think spelling it out gave the album an added touch of class to an already classy cover shot.

The album kicks off with the emotionally tinged, “In Heaven Mama’s Won’t Cry”, which was another “mama song” written by Dennis Bradley (who also wrote “I Like the Songs that Mama Sang the Best”, that the Inspirations recorded in 1980). I love the steel and electric guitar work on the song, and while I am generally not a big fan of “mama songs”, I’ve always loved this song, and it’s one of my all-time favorite Troy features. I remember hearing the Inspirations stage this song when I saw them in 1984, and I immediately fell in love with it, and it’s remained a favorite for 40+ years!

With some cool piano licks, the tempo quickly picks up for the Squire Parsons penned, “You Don’t Have to Wait”. This was the only song singled from this album, and it did very well for the Inspirations, peaking at #7 in the June 1985 Singing News chart. The Kingsmen also recorded the song as well, on their 1984 album, “The Game of Life”. The Kingsmen’s rendition was the first version I remember hearing as a kid, and for many years (being a HUGE Kingsmen fan), I preferred the Kingsmen’s version over the Inspirations’. Over time though, I’ve grown increasingly fond of the Inspirations’ rendition (not that I ever disliked the Inspirations version, I just preferred the Kingsmen’s country/rockabilly arrangement), and while I still love the Kingsmen’s rendering, I really can’t decide which version I prefer anymore!

Slowing the tempo down, Jack is featured on the Gordon Jensen penned, “The Precious Old Story of Love”. The Inspirations had recorded a couple of Jensen penned tunes in the past (“Jesus Will Outshine Them All” and “The Christian Way”), and this particular song was pitched to Andy Tolbird via Jensen’s producer, Neal Joseph, as a possible fit for the Inspirations. In fact, Jensen originally recorded “Precious Old Story…” a few years earlier in 1979, on his self-titled solo album. I always thought this was a great song and a perfect fit for the Inspirations, as well as for Jack. If you notice, Jack is typically featured on a specific type of song, usually something thoughtful and very easy going, and it sounds as if this song was written specifically for Jack! The Rex Nelon Singers also recorded the song on an independent recording that was released in 1984 as well.

The tempo picks up a bit for the excited expectation of the song, “Look What I’m Trading for a Mansion”, which features Archie. Written by Paul & Beverly Chitwood, the song was based on a true story from a dear friend in the couple’s church. Many people think Kyla Rowland wrote this song, and though she did not, she did record it, and it was a popular song for her group, the Rowlands, who recorded it on their 1992 recording, “Where is God”. The song was also a concert favorite for the Perrys, who recorded the song a year later, on their 1993 recording, “Grace”. The Inspirations eventually re-recorded the song several years later, on their 2012 recording, “It’s in the Savior’s Hands”, and it’s one that the group will still pull out of the hat to sing from time to time. The Inspirations’ version was my first introduction to the song, and I’ve always loved their performance, but after I heard the Rowlands version and later, the Perrys, I fell in love with the more dramatic, emotional flare of their performances, as well as the wonderful promise it holds for the believer!

Keeping the tempo upbeat, we come to the reflective, “Springtime in the Smokies”, which was written by Bill Mahan, and published by the Inspirations. Featuring Archie, the song is tailor made for the Inspirations, who always proudly touted they were from the “Heart of the Great Smoky Mountains”, and the song paints a beautiful picture of that region and gently reminds us who made it all…“He made the flowers that bloom in the spring, and the sun that shines on you, He made the wind the plays in the trees and I know that He cares for me!”.

The second side begins with a couple of Charles Wycuff tunes, with the first being the warm feel of “He’s the Owner, He’s the Lord”, which was published through the Inspirations’ Tuckaseigee Publishing company. Featuring Troy, the song has some really cool piano and guitar highlights throughout. I’ve always been a fan of this tune, as well as the subtle jazz inflections in the song, before the tempo picks up for the second Wycuff tune, “I’ll Know the Sound”. The song was published by Tennessee Music & Printing Company, which is the publishing arm of the Church of God denomination, and with Archie and Troy trading lead lines on the chorus, it has that classic Inspirations feel. A personal favorite of mine, I’ve always loved the light and airy feel of the song, and the piano work is exceptional!

With a nice steel guitar track, Archie and Mike share lead duties on the Colbert & Joyce Croft penned tune, “I Welcome You Now”, before Archie sings the Barbara Spencer penned, “I’m Following the One”. Around this time, the Spencers were beginning to make waves within the industry for their wonderful songwriting and country style gospel music, and they originally recorded the song on their 1983 album, “God’s on Our Side”. I wouldn’t come to appreciate the music of the Spencers until about a year or so later after this album by the Inspirations came out, and I instantly became a big fan of their music! This song is one of my favorites that feature Archie, and I think it would be a great song for Isaac and the current group to bring back!

Closing out the album, we come the Kyla Rowland penned tune, “Heavenly Honey”, which was inspired from an experience Kyla had during a spirit filled Brush Arbor meeting in Kentucky. The Inspirations did a great job with their unique version of the song, singing each verse acapella, with the music kicking in for the choruses. The Talleys recorded the song around the same time as the Inspirations, on their second album, “Lift Up Your Voice”, and the Hoppers eventually cut it the following year on their 1985 album, “Citizen of Two Worlds”, but it was likely Kyla’s brother, Ron, who recorded it first with the Dumplin Valley Boys on their 1984 album, “His Name Was John”.

I bought “Twentieth Anniversary” when I saw the Inspirations in the fall of 1984 at Fellowship Baptist Church, and they staged several songs from this album that night. I have loved this album from the start, and it still ranks as one of my favorite albums by the group. Overall, it’s a pretty upbeat album with a good variety of songs to keep it fun and interesting. There is also a certain warmth and depth to the overall quality of sound on the recording that I hadn’t heard in the last few albums. Interestingly, there are no songs from the Stamps Quartet or Stamps-Baxter catalogs, which was such a big part of their music during the 60’s and 70’s. Nonetheless, it’s a spectacular album that was a classy piece of work from top to bottom!

Looking for new ways to present their music and find new audiences, in 1984, the Inspirations began singing in Gatlinburg, TN (which was becoming a major tourist area during this time) by renting out Ogle’s Restaurant, which had a 500-seat auditorium. The group would sing 5 days a week from June-October, and then would travel the quartet circuit from November-May. At first, the guys liked the idea of being at home more, but they soon got bored with it, and making the daily trek over the mountains to Gatlinburg every weekday began taking its toll. Eventually, they started doing less performances each week, until finally ending it altogether in 1989. While it seemed like a good idea at the time, this venture took them off the concert trail for about half the year, and though they were exposing their music to new audiences, it actually gave the Inspirations less visibility from an industry and fan perspective, as most fans preferred seeing the Inspirations out on the road, and were not accustomed to traveling to a destination to see their favorite group. The Inspirations would still do sporadic concerts close to home during this time (I saw them at the Greenes Homecoming in Boone, NC in August 1986), and they continued having their annual Singing in the Smokies, which continued to draw thousands of fans from around the world, but it just wasn’t the same as traveling across the country and meeting your fans. Additionally, the Inspirations were not attending or singing on the main stage during the National Quartet Convention during this time as well, which was also a big deal to many fans.

During the 80’s, Southern Gospel was being inundated with lots of new sounds and new groups such as the McKameys, Perrys, Talleys, Paynes, HeavenBound, Greenes, Gold City, Mid-South Boys and many others. During the 70s, the same group would be on the charts with multiple songs on any given month, but by the 80s, most groups were lucky to have only a couple of songs in the chart in a given year. With so many groups out there on the road, competition was heavy for radio airplay, as well as spots on major concert stages across the country, thus creating a tough market all the way around. The more traditional groups, like the Inspirations, still had a place at the table though, and their fans continued to rally strongly behind them. The Inspirations’ consistency, and the fact that they never wavered or deviated from their convictions and musical style, is what continued to make them a favorite amongst the fans. While this album celebrated their 20th anniversary, the Inspirations continued to remain steadfast and strong, eventually celebrating their 40th, and most recently, their 60th anniversary, with seemingly no end in sight for the Inspirations!

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