This is a CD of the Oak Ridge Boys' 1974 TV filming of their songs at the Jake Hess show studios. This 1974 filming was filmed and shipped off to many TV shows in 1974. The Oak Ridge Boys had just signed with Columbia Records in 1974 to try to break from gospel into pop, while still keeping their lyrical direction in a spiritual one. The Oaks had just fired tenor Willie Wynn, since his voice wasn't right for a pop group, and signed Joe Bonsall as their new tenor. The Oaks released their first album on Columbia, which was self-titled, and they won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance for "The Baptism of Jesse Taylor", which you can hear on this DVD. The Oaks also had their first chart success, with "The Oak Ridge Boys" reaching #38 on the Billboard Country Album Charts. The album's singles did not get any airplay on country, pop, or gospel radio stations though, as Columbia refused to service the Gospel radio stations, and the country and pop radio stations thought the Oaks were still gospel.

This starts with "The Oak Ridge Boys"'s second single, "He's Gonna Smile on Me", which had an excellent 70s pop melody. Then, it was the Grammy Award winning "The Baptism of Jesse Taylor", which was a great message song that is still in the Oaks' live show today. Then, Joe Bonsall's very first lead was performed, "What a Time We Will Have Over There", which I believe wouldn't have been performed by Joe if he had been a member of the group for a while, because it is a Willie Wynn-type song. Next is another Joe Bonsall-led song, the Bill Gaither written "Because He Lives", which was done by Joe when he was with the Keystones, and the Oaks made the decision to put it in their live show for Joe to do when he joined the Oaks. I couldn't include it on this concert posting, since it is officially released. It was not on the Oaks' 1974 self-titled album, but you can hear this exact recording of this song on the Oaks' 2009 CD and DVD "A Gospel Journey". Next was "Sanctified", a William Lee Golden-led song about the temptations of life, which was on Street Gospel in 1973. Next was the only William Lee Golden-led song on the Oaks' 1974 self-titled album, "Put Your Arms Around Me Blessed Jesus", a song that the Oaks did in their live show, but bored me, personally. Next was "Jesus Is the Man (For the Hour)", a song that was off of the Oaks' 1972 Gospel album, "Light", and continued to be performed, despite the changes in the group's members. I couldn't include it on this concert posting, since it is officially released, but you can hear it on the Oaks' 2009 gospel album, "A Gospel Journey". Next was an Oaks classic that had been a favorite in their show for a few years, "I Know". Next was another classic which won the Oaks a Grammy in 1969 off of their album, "It's Happening", and became an Oaks standard, "Jesus Is Coming Soon". Next was a song from "Street Gospel", "King Jesus", which I believe was one of the gospel singles off of that album. Next was their cover of the Kris Kristofferson classic, "Why Me", which was a popular track in their live show. The last song done by the Oaks on this video package was one of the best-written Oaks songs ever, "You Happened to Me", which was a popular song off their 1974 self-titled album. This concert closes with two songs by the Oaks Band, led by drummer Mark Ellerbee, "Rockland Road" and "Give Me Just a Little More Time, Sweet Jesus".

Track List:

01 - He's Gonna Smile on Me
02 - The Baptism of Jesse Taylor
03 - What a Time We Will Have Over There
04 - Sanctified
05 - Put Your Arms Around Me Blessed Jesus
06 - I Know
07 - Jesus Is Coming Soon
08 - King Jesus
09 - Why Me
10 - You Happened to Me
11 - Rockland Road (Oaks Band)
12 - Give Me Just a Little More Time, Sweet Jesus