Biography - Bags Entertainment

Mighty Clouds of Joy
The world best-selling gospel quartet
It's not hard to divide the world of Gospel
quartet music into categories. In fact, there
are really only two. There's the Mighty
Clouds of Joy, and then there's everybody
else.
After 44 years and 35 albums, three
Grammys and trophy-case full of almost
every award imaginable; shows that have
run a gamut from the church-house to the
White House, and top-billings with a
dazzling roster of superstar artists from
nearly every genre of popular music (the
Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, James
Brown, Earth, Wind & Fire, Luther Vandross, Ray Charles, and Paul Simon are but a
few), The Mighty Clouds of Joy are more than a Gospel legend. They are nothing
less than a national treasure.
Still, one must choose his words carefully when describing the Clouds. "Icons?"
Absolutely. "Pioneers?" Without a doubt. "Venerable?" Most certainly. "Forefathers"
of modern Gospel, R&B, rock and pop? It's just the straight fact of the matter; but
don't let founding member and lead vocalist, Joe Ligon, or any of the other five
Clouds hear you referring to them with any synonym that even hints at greatness in
the past tense.
At a career point where any act would be honored and happy to simply kick back
and ride on its reputation, the Mighty Clouds of Joy today find themselves not only
back in the recording studio, but signed to the hottest label in contemporary Gospel,
produced by one of the hippest hit-makers on the charts today, and delivering one
of the strongest collections of new material in their already immense catalogue of
classic songs.
So give their preeminent past its due, but get ready for a new and potent shot of
classic and contemporary Clouds, with their newest release, In the House of the
Lord-Live in Houston. Produced by Sanchez Harley (Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin,
Shirley Caesar, Rizen), the sound is pure Mighty Clouds of Joy, and as mighty as
ever.
“Sanchez told me going in that he intended this to be the greatest Clouds album
yet," says Joe. "There are a lot of different styles that have come together over the
years to create what people know as the `trademark' Clouds sound, and we
wanted to hit on a lot of those high spots on this album. Sanchez, myself and the
entire group, were all absolutely intent on making this the definitive Mighty Clouds
of Joy album to date."
One listen to House of the Lord confirms that the Clouds have achieved and even
surpassed that lofty goal. On an album featuring one classic-in-the-making after
another, it's hard to even pick individual standouts; still Joe has several that resonate
with him in particularly powerful ways.
He comments that the album's title song, the rocking, toe-tapping "In the House of
the Lord," stirs strong remembrances for him, both musical and personal. "I love that
song because it describes so perfectly the church experiences I had coming up,"
says Joe. "It's written from the viewpoint of a young boy, remembering when his
grandma would take him to church--just like mine did--and the deacons would all be
praying; the choir would be singing, and the preacher just preaching away. The
groove of the song felt so good, and it brought back such good memories that I
knew right away we had to record it."
The rollicking, traditional quartet workout, "Old Revival Back Home," was written by
Joe, and originally recorded in the ‘80s, minus the Clouds, on an album that
featured Joe backed by a choir. Though lead singers of other quartets would later
experiment with the same combination, once again Joe was ahead of his time, and
the album and song both failed to receive the attention he had hoped for. Still he
believed strongly in that song in particular, and "kept in his back pocket," with the
thought that indeed it might fit well on a subsequent Clouds' project. Standing strong
and fresh on House of the Lord, it proves itself imminently worthy of having been
held onto.
"My grandfather was a preacher in a little town called Elem, Alabama, about fifty
miles outside of Montgomery," says Joe, "and my father was a great quartet singer
in that same church. I vividly recall every August they'd have a big revival. It usually
lasted a week, every weeknight, with a different guest pastor, and then all day
Sunday, ‘on the grounds,' as they said. Everybody brought food, and it was good
food too, man, and all you could eat. And the music was as good as a lot of what
you'd hear well-known, touring, recording groups do; only our folks just did it for the
love of the music and the Gospel. It was good times¬ósome of the best of my
life¬óand enough to inspire a song I love, and that finally has found its place and
time."
Born and raised in rural Alabama, the musically gifted but still stage-shy Joe moved
to Los Angeles to live with his uncle in his early teens. He teamed with a couple of
singing classmates, one of whom was Johnny Martin, Clouds' co-founder and career
member until his death in 1987. As that core group drew singers from several other
popular local groups, including Richard Wallace, still a member of the Clouds
today, the first incarnation of The Mighty Clouds of Joy was formed. By 1960, they
had a major Gospel record deal, with a hit single and album flying up the charts,
portending from the start what would be far greater things to come.
Adding bass, drums, and keyboards to the previously sparse traditional quartet
accompaniment of a lone electric guitar, as well a colorful, matching outfits and a
smooth, choreographed stage presence, the Clouds were major Gospel innovators
from the start.
Moving to then-giant ABC Records in 1974 brought the first of a decade-long string
of big R&B-flavored Gospel hits records for the Clouds, featuring "Mighty High,"
which peaked at No.2 on the Billboard dance charts in ‘75. Even as they began
to work a steady rotation of major secular venues¬óincluding Carnegie Hall,
Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Carter White House, and the
Apollo Theater¬óthe Clouds never dodged their roles as believers, nor shied away
from their identity as a devoutly Gospel group. Still, it was a fairly radical, even
daring, move for a Gospel act to make at the time, and one that Joe now is not
afraid to admit he sometimes worried over. However, in retrospect, The Mighty
Clouds of Joy, like no act before them, had in fact carried the Gospel message into
the age of modern R&B and urban music that is today a cornerstone of the genre.
"Looking back," Joe says, "I can see that we were able to take Gospel music through
a lot of doors, and to a lot of places and people it had never been before. And
there's no way that could ever be anything but good."
Still joined today by his early partner Wallace, and longtime members and vocalists
Mike Cook and Ron Staples, with Johnny Valentine, Orick Ewing, Alfred Hudson
and Ervin "Big Man" Williams making up the band, Joe¬ówho was and is the living,
breathing definition of a true "soul" singer¬ósays the word "retirement" is not even a
part of his vocabulary.
"Gospel singers never retire," Joe says, laughing. "They'll sing until they can't talk
anymore. And if they can't walk, they might just get in a wheelchair and roll out on
that stage and sing. The Clouds have had their share of tough times, especially
playing the South back in the ‘60s, when a black person couldn't even count on
getting a motel room, or service in a restaurant. I've had many a meal served on a
greasy paper plate out of the back door of kitchen. But we made it through all that,
and we're still here and singing better than ever. I have no complaints. How could
I? Even if I was given the chance, I wouldn't change a bit of it.
"We've achieved every dream I ever held in my life, and far more, just to inspire
people to want to go on living," he concludes. "Folks find something in Gospel that
they don't find in any other kind of music, and it changes their lives. They know
Christ is real¬óeven though they've never seen Him¬óbecause they can feel His
presence in Gospel music. Just to used by Him like that, even in a small way¬Öwho
could ever ask for anything greater than that?"
Indeed. And who could ask for 45-years-and-counting of the passionate and stirring,
still sweet and soulful sound of the once and ever Mighty Clouds of Joy?
musicdivision@bagsentertainment.com
July 2012