Song: Call on God
Song by: Sharon Jones

Podcast vocals: Gail Nobles
Story by: Gail Nobles


Hi! I’m Gail Nobles, and you’re listening to The Gospel Blues Show.

What is gospel blues? According to Wikipedia, it is a form of blues based on Gospel Music that has been around since the inception of blues music. It combines evangelistic lyrics with blues instrumentation, often blues guitar accompaniment.

Have you ever heard of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings? They are under the R&B category, but have a song titled “Call on God”. I can hear the Gospel, soul, & the blues.

You know your life gets filled with so much sorrow And it seems like there’s no tomorrow In these times that we live in today Seems like everything is in your way. You just call on God And he will provide ….

In the lyrics, it’s simply gospel. Sharon Jones was the lead singer of the group. The song is from the album: Soul of a Woman. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. Call on God was a song that was written by Sharon Jones. I don’t see Sharon Jones under the Gospel category. Her genres are Soul, Retro-Soul, R&B, ; Funk. I think she could be written under Gospel or Gospel Blues. Either one.

It is said Sharon wanted to do more gospel songs. However, she passed away. When Sharon wrote the song Call on God, she must have felt God in her soul. It’s good to know she had him on her mind. The way she had sung the song sounds as if he was deeply felt. It sounds as if the song could reach someone in any category in all directions.

Sharon Jones wrote the song Call on God in the late 1970s for E.L. Fields’ Gospel Wonders, which is a choir at the Universal Church of God in New York City that Jones sang with throughout most of her life. The song was actually recorded in 2007 during sessions for the Sharon & the Dap-Kings album 100 Days, 100 Nights. When it was saved for a gospel album, they never got around to recording. Sharon played the piano for the song and sang her parts with the band.

I’m Gail Nobles. Today’s topic: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.