The Divas of Gospel is a collection of songs with leads by two of the most prolific personalities and voices in gospel: Albertina Walker and Yolanda Adams.

Fuel 2000, the label that warehouses material that has become our history, puts together an interesting bunch of tunes that features a young Yolanda Adams leading the Southeast Inspirational Choir, and a youthful Albertina Walker out in front of The Caravans.

You can hear what would become Adams' signature riffs and runs coupled with the ever-present intensity that presently draws hearts to her.

I still have a cassette tape of some of these recordings from the 80’s on the hit-rich label Sweet Rain, and remember clearly songs like "My Liberty", written by Carl Preacher. If you have the same tape you’ll be glad to be able to spin some with a little better sound quality.

FUEL 2000 GOSPEL

Fuel 2000 has compiled a great collection of vintage Gospel, found on these projects shown above.

Walker’s voice has scarcely changed from the early 60’s when she recorded songs like “Nobody Like Jesus” and “Freedom”, both scripted by Marvin Yancy. Yancy was a noted accompanist and singer in his own right, who had a prosperous stint in R&B before returning to the church and Gospel music in 1985.

The Caravans, formed in 1952 by Walker, have been the launching pad for such notables as Shirley Caesar, Inez Andrews, Dorothy Norwood and Cassietta George, and were at the time of these recordings signed to Jewel Records. The renowned Rev. James Cleveland was the noted accompanist for the Caravans, and honed his signature narrative style with the group.

This is a great compilation in a series by Fuel 2000 that includes albums such as Praise the Lord, The Best of Gospel, Jesus Walks With Me and We Sing For Thee, which feature more of Adams, Walker, along with a mixture of Inez Andrews, and the Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama, Fontella Bass, The Highway QCs and vintage Aretha Franklin among many others.

If that’s not enough for you there is a double disk set Absolutely the Best of Gospel that chronicles the deep history of Gospel.

The book is not closed on Walker and Adams, who continue to write new chapters and carry on the name of Jesus through music.