The Famous Ward Singers, based in Philadelphia, were one of the foremost gospel groups of the post-war era. Originally founded as a family group in 1931 by Gertrude Ward as a family group, then called, variously, The Consecrated Gospel Singers or The Ward Trio, the collective achieved fame after the Second World War when Gertrude's daughter Clara Ward was leader. - A gifted singer and arranger, Ward adopted the lead-switching style, previously used primarily by male gospel quartets, creating opportunities for spontaneous improvization and vamping by each member of the group, while giving virtuoso singers such as Henrietta Waddy, Marion Williams and Willa Ward Moultrie the opportunity to perform the lead vocal in songs. - This 77-track collection comprises a fairly significant proportion of the 130 or so A and B sides released on the Gotham and Savoy labels during this era, which represented the years when they achieved their greatest success. The releases were under various guises - Clara Ward as a solo artist, The Famous Ward Sisters Of Philadelphia, The Clara Ward Specials, Clara Ward & the Ward Singers, The Clara Ward Singers, The Famous Ward Singers and simply as The Ward Singers. It features the million-seller Surely God Is Able, along with How I Got Over, and Packin' Up, plus many gospel classics and standards. Ward died in 1973 at the age of 48 and Aretha Franklin and Rev. C. L. Franklin sang at her funeral in Philadelphia. She was honoured posthumously at the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City four years later in 1977.

Track List

1. Surely God Is Able
2. I Need Thee Every Hour
3. The Fountain
4. How I Got Over
5. I Don't Know Why
6. Throw Out the Lifeline
7. He'll Never Let Go My Hand
8. Hark the Voice
9. When I've Done the Best I Can
10. When the Gates Swing Open
11. Happy Over There - Part 1
12. I'm Waiting for Jesus
13. At the Cross
14. In That Great Judgement Morning
15. On Higher Ground
16. Faith Moves Mountains
17. I Heard of a City Called Jerusalem
18. Jesus
19. Stretch Out
20. Just One Moment
21. Each Day
22. Jesus Is All the World to Me
23. The Day Is Past and Gone
24. Get Back Jordan
25. How Far Am I from Canaan?
26. He Knows How Much We Can Bear
27. My Jesus Is All and All
28. Who Could Ask for Anything Else
29. I'm Bound for the Higher Ground
30. When I Woke Up in Glory
31. That Awful Day Will Surely Come
32. The Old Rugged Cross
33. Oh My Lord What a Time
34. I Heard the Voice of Jesus
35. The Old Landmark
36. I Will Trust in the Lord
37. This Little Light of Mine
38. Until I Found the Lord
39. How Many Times
40. Since I Found the Light
41. I Just Can't Make It Myself
42. I Know It Was the Lord
43. I Want to Be More Like Jesus
44. Who Shall Be Able to Stand
45. Farther on Up the Road
46. Only the Crumbs
47. God's Amazing Love
48. Treading the Wine Press Alone
49. Oh Gabriel
50. Lord Touch Me
51. I'm Goin' Home
52. Hold Back the Tears
53. Anywhere in Glory
54. Great Is the Lord
55. Packin' Up
56. Nearer My God to Thee
57. Climbing Jacob's Ladder
58. I Feel the Holy Spirit
59. I'm So Glad
60. Our God Is Real
61. In His Arms
62. Pure Gold
63. Good News
64. Got on My Traveling Shoes
65. He's Watching Over You
66. We're Gonna Have a Time
67. We Shall Be Changed
68. Every Day Will Be Sunday
69. God Is Good
70. I'm Getting Richer
71. I'm Gonna Move Upstairs
72. A Sweeter Tomorrow
73. Life Is Just One Step
74. Rock of Ages
75. The Lord's Army
76. Handwriting on the Wall
77. Contract with the Lord