The Clark Sisters Release Encore

It seems that the anointing has truly made the difference in the Clark Sisters’ career. Steered by the iron-baton of their mother, Mattie Moss Clark, the legendary Church of God in Christ (COGIC) choir director, the Clarks Sisters were groomed for music careers. They fused blues, jazz, classical, swing and disco into their brand of gospel that clearly separated it from the rest of the gospel pack. “I trained my girls to get the sound I wanted,” she once told her biographer Eugene McCoy. “If I could not get it from others or knew that they did not have what I was after, I used the girls to get the sound.”

"The Clark Sisters set the trend for female vocalists in the contemporary gospel music arena,” the late Tim A. Smith, a radio announcer for Detroit’s WDTR 90.9FM radio station, once said. “Their preacher-like vocal squalls and jazz influenced scatting acrobatics has been imitated by thousands of singers of all musical genres. They've both inspired and/or paved the way for such talents as Mariah Carey, Witness, Virtue, Trin-i-tee 5:7, Kim Burrell and Faith Evans."

It all began in 1973 when Jacky, Elbernita “Twinkie”, Dorinda, Denise and Karen Clark were all teenagers. Their mother managed them and released their first LP “Jesus Has A lot to Give” on her brother Bill Moss’ Billesse record label. “We actually started out with Shirley Caesar,” Dorinda told GMMC magazine in 1994. “She would take us around on the road with her, giving us an opportunity to sing. That’s something not too many people know about.” Eventually, Armen Boladian at Detroit’s Sound of Gospel Records (their secular wing, Westbound Records produced the Parliament/Funkadelic hits of the 1970s) caught wind of the group and signed them in 1976. They scored with hits such as “Is My Living in Vain?”, “Hallelujah” and “Ha Ya (Eternal Life).”

Then, in 1983 the Clark Sisters’ song “You Brought the Sunshine” (built off a chord from Stevie Wonder’s “Master Blaster”) raised them to new heights of fame. An Elektra Records release of the song peaked at #16 on the Billboard Black Singles chart, earned them a Sunny Delight orange juice commercial and a 1985 Grammy awards performance. The buzz led to their first contract with a major recording label when they signed to Word Records’ Rejoice imprint in 1986.

Featured on this compilation are twelve of the most popular tracks from the Clarks’ three long out-of-print Rejoice albums. From 1986’s Top Ten Heart & Soul Lp, we have the lush ballads “Jesus is a Love Song” and “Pray for the USA.” There is also the subtle funk of “Balm in Gilead.” The up-tempo message song “Time Out” was remixed and reached the Billboard Top 50 club chart in 1987. However, the midtempo “I Am Blessed” remains one of the Clarks’ favorites. “That song is the epitome of the Clark Sisters’ sound,” says Karen Clark-Sheard. “We were known for doing different sounds and our harmony. We do some four-part harmony on that song. Each one of us had our own unique style and I think we showed that on that song.”

Their chief songwriter was Twinkie, who knew how to craft songs for her sisters’ voices and spiritual walk. Twinkie was really consecrated and really doing a lot of writing,” says Jacky Clark-Chisholm. “She’d write songs and we’d say, `no, we don’t like that.’ I could remember when she wrote `You Brought the Sunshine’; we didn’t like that because we felt like the beat was so different from our other music. But it was something that was in her and she’d say, `Ya’ll just do it and you’ll see that you’ll like it and we did because she knows us so well.”

The Clarks followed up with another Top Ten Lp Conqueror in 1988. The Grammy-nominated project boasted the urban flavored track “More Than A Conqueror” and the riveting ballad “Take Me Higher.” The track “I Won’t Let Go Until You Bless My Soul” was another slamming urban track that would have fit nicely on R&B radio play lists with Keith Sweat’s “I Want Her”, Pebbles’ “Girlfriend” or Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “Love Overboard” – the three biggest R&B hits of that year.

The sisters made their final Rejoice Lp a live set, Bringing it Back Home. The Top 20 project gathered a few new songs and a lot of classics such as their showstopper “My Redeemer Liveth.” Another gem is the hard-hitting, rock-tinted “I’ve Got the Victory.” The last selection from that collection is a blowout medley of their signature tunes “Is My Living in Vain?”, “You Brought the Sunshine” and “Hallelujah.” This new compilation is rounded out with the 1983 extended club mix of “You Brought the Sunshine” and Dorinda Clark Cole’s “Follow the Star” ballad, collaboration with Bishop T.D. Jakes and Angie Winans.

After the Clarks left Rejoice in 1991, Twinkie went solo for a decade, although, she occasionally performed with her sisters in concert. Denise had left the group prior to signing to Rejoice. The remaining Clark Sisters recorded briefly for Sparrow Records in 1993 before all completing hit solo cds. In 2007, the four sisters who had recorded for Rejoice reunited for the smash #1 comeback CD Live - One Last Time which featured the smash radio singles “Blessed and Highly Favored” and “Livin’” Old fans are happy to have their girls back together. They have been clamoring for the old music that made the Clarks famous and new fans just want to hear what the fuss is all about. Dexterity Records felt it was the perfect time to make these classic recordings available again and bring some sunshine to all of our lives and ears.

By Bil Carpenter