After a 2-year stint with the Inspirations, Ronnie once again departed the group, but he would return once again in a few years. In the meantime, the Inspirations hired a young gentleman named Chris Smith to sing baritone. The group was already familiar with Chris, as he had filled in with the group a few times during recent years in various vocal positions. Chris was also a “student” of the Inspirations style, as he sang and “looked” like a true Inspiration, and he was also an extremely versatile singer who could sing any part. He loved the Inspirations’ style and was a big proponent for the Inspirations getting back to that classic Inspirations sound, as well as some of the foundational cornerstones that were part of the group in the early days, and we’ll see some of that influence in the next couple of recordings.

Since Chris already knew the guys from having filled in, when he officially joined the group full-time, there wasn’t a lot of time spent learning parts or getting acquainted, and they immediately prepared for a new recording titled, “Yes, I Will Be There”. Produced by Martin and recorded at Dawn Studios in Ashville, NC, one big thing that set this album apart from any of the previous albums by the group, was there were no drums or electric guitars…just piano, bass and acoustic/rhythm guitar. As Martin stated very plainly in an interview I did with him in the fall of 1988, “piano, bass and guitar was enough!” Musicians performing were Otis Forrest on piano (who was a 20+ year veteran playing on Inspirations albums), along with Tim Compton playing bass and Mike Riddle (of the Primitive Quartet) playing the guitar. Another aspect that made this album unique was that most of the songs were either published by the Inspirations, or they were from songwriters they were familiar with.

The album kicks off with the anthem, “By the Blood of the Lamb”, which featured Troy. Published by the Inspirations, the song was written by Sidney Coble, who was a minister of music at a church in North Carolina, and the Inspirations would go on to record other songs written by Coble in the forthcoming years. This song was the second single release from this album, and though it never hit the Top 40 chart, it was an excellent anthem for the Christian entering the gates of Heaven…“If someone asks me how I made it, quickly I’ll say it, by the blood of the Lamb I’ve made it through!” This was a perfect opening song for the album, and is followed by the bouncy, “Waiting on the Other Side”, which was written by a gentleman named, Larry Whitehead, who was an outstanding writer, penning such great songs as “Sing About Heaven”, “Death Valley Days” and “The Only Fire I’ll Ever Feel”. The song was a popular one amongst various groups at the time, as it was recorded by the Wilburns a year earlier on their “Reporting for Duty album, and also by the Singing Echoes, who recorded it in 1989 on their “Holding to the Promises” album.

With each man carrying a line in the verses, the Squire Parsons penned, “I Will Meet You in That City” fits on this album perfectly, and pairs exceptionally well with the up-tempo tune, “It’s Praying Time”. Featuring Mike, this song was written by Newt Kelly (who wrote, “Your Tears Are Touching God” that the Inspirations recorded back in 1980) and published by the Inspirations, and it’s a highlight of the album.

Closing out the first side is the fun, nostalgic tune entitled, “Old Time Singing School”. This tune reminds me of the song “Marion County Tradition” that the Inspirations recorded back in 1974 on their “More to Go to Heaven For” album, and it’s one of my favorites from this album. Published through Inspirations Quartet Music, the song was written by a gentleman named Johnny Coe, who was Chris Smith’s high school teacher. Beyond just being a high school teacher, Coe also played piano for a group of young men in a quartet of high school students (which also included Chris)…does this story sound familiar? The Inspirations would go on to record several more songs written by Coe in the forthcoming years, but I think this is my favorite of his. The song features some delightful piano highlights as well as shape note singing by the Inspirations, and with almost a comical feel, the chorus is a lot of fun to listen to, especially Chris’ part, “I got stuck with baritone…”. This would be a fun song for the current group to tackle and one I think they’d have a lot of fun with in concert.

Side two kicks off with the dramatic feel of the title song, “I Will Be There”, which was written by Lois Gail and published through Tuckaseigee Publishing. With Mike , Troy and Archie each taking a verse, the song hits a crescendo as they hit the chorus singing, “and the kings of all ages must fall on their face, as the blood washed army enters under the banner of Amazing Grace, and when the Lord ascends the throne and Heaven’s choir begins to sing, yes I will be there, when they crown Him king!” This was the first single release from this album, but only charted for about 4 months in 1989, topping out at #25 in the March 1989 Singing News chart. I always felt this was a great song, and wish it had a stronger showing in the charts. I was a DJ at the time this song came out, I loved the song immensely, and I remember playing it on my show quite often.

Picking up the tempo, we come to the exciting, “Then We’ll Be Glad”, which was written by JB Spencer. The song was originally recorded by the Spencers on their 1985 album, “Praying”, and it was a big hit for the Spencers, peaking at #7 in the August 1986 Singing News chart. In fact, this was the song that really made me a huge fan of the Spencer’s music during the mid-80’s. The Inspirations rearranged it a little differently from the Spencer’s version, turning it into more of a bass feature. The song has Chris taking the melody on the verses, but Mike takes the lead on the chorus, and it was a perfect song for the Inspirations and a highlight of the album.

Next, we come to a couple more songs written by Johnny Coe, as we slow the pace back down for Chris to take the lead on the song, “Jesus Will Take Care of Me”. The song has a very sweet, easy-going feel, reminiscent to something maybe the Blackwood Brothers or Blue Ridge Quartet would have sung back during the 50’s or 60’s, before we come to the tender, “Daddy’s Bible”. Over the years, the Inspirations usually included a touching “mama song” or “daddy song”, and Troy does a great job singing this Johnny Coe penned tune, before the album concludes with the convention feel of, “I’m Singing Today”. Featuring Mike’s booming bass voice on the chorus, it’s an excellent song to wrap up the recording.

I got this album when I saw the Inspirations in the fall of 1988, when they sang at Fellowship Baptist Church in Durham, NC, and it was the only time I got to see the Inspirations with Chris as part of the group. As I had mentioned earlier, by this time I was a DJ, and I interviewed all the Inspirations for my weekly radio show that evening. I was 16 years old and fancied myself a Paul Heil “wannabee”, but the guys treated me very kindly and with respect, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to talk to each man about the group and this latest album.

With the pairing down of the music to just piano, bass and guitar, “Yes, I Will Be There” was a unique concept at the time. During this era you had groups like the Kingsmen, Hemphills, Hinsons and Paynes who had a full band that created a lot of excitement from the stage, plus, you also had groups like the Talleys, Cathedrals, Gold City and Nelons who recorded those huge power ballads filled with massive orchestral arrangements, and then you had the new Christian Country craze with groups like the Mid-South Boys that were creating all kinds of buzz, and in the midst of all that “noise”, you had the Inspirations, who decided to take it old school and keep it simple. While this album may not rank in my top 10 of favorite albums by the Inspirations, I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed listening to it, and drinking in the simplicity of it all. Though I deeply appreciated what the Inspirations were trying to do with this recording, as one who thoroughly enjoys hearing a robust music track, along with taking in how the fiddle and steel interacts musically with the piano and guitar, I did kind of miss that component, and I often found myself wondering what a steel guitar would sound like in different parts of a song on this album. Not just any group could pull off what the Inspirations did with this album, and “Yes, I Will Be There” was a very classy presentation of a simpler sound, and despite the modest music tracks, the album was refreshingly upbeat, and it had a rich depth and a warm feel overall.

Incidentally, after being with Canaan Records for 17 years, “Yes, I Will Be There” would be the Inspirations’ last album with the label. With the exception of a couple of recordings that were released on Canaan during the early 90’s (I’ll get more into those in future articles), the Inspirations would remain an independent artist for the next several years, until they signed with Horizon Music Group in 2001. Essentially, Andy Tolbird (who was the Executive Producer for all the Inspirations’ albums between 1982-1987) was the only person Martin would talk to at Canaan Records, and with Andy’s departure from Canaan/Word in 1987, Martin felt they had lost their last ally with the label, and the Inspirations opted not to renew their contract with the record company in 1988. It seems that the parent company for Canaan (Word, Inc.) seemed to be more laser focused on artists who were more “hip” and commercial at the time, and they devoted more and more of their resources into the Contemporary Music field (much like Benson did with the demise of Heartwarming, and eventually RiverSong), and by the mid-90’s, sadly, Canaan Records was no more, but the rich legacy and the music the label created will never be forgotten!

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