The Paynes – “Ready or Not” (1982)

The Paynes – “Ready or Not” (1982)

For the next group in this series, I want to take a few weeks to focus on a group called the Paynes. I came to appreciate this group during my teenage years in the 80’s, and though their time as a full-time group was relatively short lived compared to many of the...
The Hemphills – “Hits” (1989)

The Hemphills – “Hits” (1989)

The last recording the Hemphills released before coming off the road is this wonderful culmination of hit songs spanning their entire musical catalog. I remember talking with them in the summer of 1989 and this album was already in the works, and they were probably...
The Hemphills – “Celebration” (1989)

The Hemphills – “Celebration” (1989)

After “Revival” was released in 1987, it would be 2 years before the Hemphills would release a new album. During this time, the group left RiverSong Records and joined ranks with their friend Bill Traylor on his new label, Homeland Records. With renewed excitement,...
The Hemphills – “Revival” (1987)

The Hemphills – “Revival” (1987)

One of the most popular albums in the Hemphills’ discography was this gem from 1987 titled, “Revival”. Featuring a classy cover shot of the group, the soft pastel color pallet of the cover perfectly contrasted the vibrant colors of their last 2 album covers. By the...
The Hemphills – “I Can Smile” (1986)

The Hemphills – “I Can Smile” (1986)

By 1986, the Benson Company had dropped the Heartwarming label as lots of changes were going on within the company during that time, and in the process, the Hemphills signed with RiverSong Records. RiverSong was actually started in 1983 by Bill Traylor, and by 1986,...