IF YOU are going to get an endorsement, a presidential endorsement is the one to get - or at least from the man who went on to become president.
While on the campaign trail, the now US president-elect Barack Obama took time to meet the legendary Harlem Gospel Choir, who make a welcome return to Galway to play the Town Hall Theatre on Monday December 1 at 8pm.
Then again, the choir are used to rubbing shoulders with the great and good of the world, having played for Pope John Paul II and toured with U2.
Allen Bailey founded The Harlem Gospel Choir on January 15 1986 on the 57th anniversary of the birth of Dr Martin Luther King. “The choir is based on Dr King’s principles of bringing different people together,” he told me when I interviewed him some years ago, “and to give people a better understanding of the Black churches and their function as they are important in the Black community.”
The wider world’s first introduction to the Harlem Gospel Choir came via U2, who were so impressed by the choir, that they asked them to join them on tour in 1987. A live recording of the choir singing ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ with Bono (which knocks the stuffing out of The Joshua Tree version ) was then included on Rattle and Hum.
How did the choir get to work with U2?
“Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records at the time, visited our church,” Bailey explained. “We did a lot of cover versions and we turn every song into a gospel song. He heard us doing ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ and just flipped. He got in touch with U2 and then Island got in touch with our pastor.
“They said U2 wanted to perform with our choir and our pastor said “U who?” They told him they played rock’n’roll and our pastor told them that U2 better understand that ‘We rock’n’roll too. We rock for Jesus and roll for the Lord!’”
For tickets contact the Town Hall on 091 - 569777.
