Numero Group's fifth number covers the output of this southern gospel/country singer, a collection of recordings that, unlike the other Numero releases, was recorded for a major record label, however equally challenged with facing extinction as the others. Fern's album Singing a Happy Song was recorded for Paramount's Dot imprint but it soon became the property of MCA following a buyout and basically layed dormant for 25 years before being returned to Fern Jones after a lengthy letter campaign.
Fern Jones' style of rockabilly gospel is the type of music I fondly recall hear when digging through the dingy used record stores on the weekend. It's a bit of Sunday salvation with a spice enough to make it lovable and not repulsive. Fern began playing guitar and piano at 12, by 14 years old was singing on Saturday nights, and by 16 was married to a man who soon thereafter heard the calling to become a preacher. With her hand in her husband's, his hand in god's, she embraced the gospel and devoted her life to the music of the lord, playing to thousands in tents and small churches for years around the south for years until her retirement in 1960. Like JS Bach, Fern was a voice of God, claiming that she only wrote down the music that came to her from divine power.
Fern's music was about belief and hope, of the salvation she has seen, and it's inspiring. Her voice is shining and full of conviction. Jeff Lipton's nearly made me a believer, as his remastering job makes these nearly 18 year old recordings sound as good as the recording equipment captured them back in the day. I find myself in agreement with her lyrics that the people who go to church every weekend but are as evil as the devil during the week "Ain't Got Nuthin';" I'm convinced she truly believes in the word of the bible verbatum, as Pentecostals do, when she assures her belief in the stories on "I Do Believe;" while her renditions of "Didn't It Rain" (see Songs: Ohia) and "The World Is Not My Home" (see: His Name Is Alive) are like divine artifacts. Her original "I Was There When It Happened" even became a popular tune, with recordings made by both Johnny Cash and Jimmy Swaggart.
Like Numero 003, the Bandit label release, the accompanying booklet provides a great little story on her life and recordings, as it's something unique, original, and unfortunately something we'll probably never be able to see a documentary or feature length on.
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