SPIRIT Mies' (The Rev

Billboard DECEMBER 2, 2000 Artists & Music

Top Gospel Albums.. r

COMPILED FROM A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF RETAIL STORE, MASS MERCHANT, SoundScan® Fir "In the midst of their regrouping," Sanders notes, w w 6 AND INTERNET SALES REPORTS COLLECTED, COMPILED, AND PROVIDED BY Milli (444 "some things may have been neglected. Now that w ° ARTIST TITLE everything is in place, maybe the project can get the = 5 ; IMPRINT & NUMBER/DISTRIBUTING LABEL attention it warrants." NO. i Caesar is not the only artist whose promotion may YOLANDA ADAMS have been affected by the transition. While the Tom - 1 1 61 ELEKTRA 62439/EEG ® 24 weeks at No. 1 MOUNTAIN HIGH...VALLEY LOW SPIRIT mies' (the Rev. Milton Brunson's Thompson 31 has ® 6 4 YOLANDA ADAMS Community Singers) Oct. release, "Real," ELEKTRA62567 /EEG CHRISTMAS WITH YOLANDA ADAMS received regional sales spikes, it has yet to chart. Walls has left 3 3 29 MARY MARY C2/COLUMBIA 63740 /CRG THANKFUL by Lisa Collins In related label news, Denise Anointed to pursue other interests. 4 2 12 BEBE MOTOWN 159405/UNIVERSAL LOVE AND FREEDOM UP IN THE AIR: With the Nov. 17 disbanding of Myrrh Records, the label's Black Music Division has IT'S OFFICIAL: EMI Gospel has entered into a 5 5 14 DONNIE MCCLURKIN VERITY 4315o® LIVE IN LONDON AND MORE... been folded into Word Entertainment. The consoli- long -term, multimillion dollar partnership with Bish-

R dation of staff has effectively cut the label's gospel op T.D. Jakes. The pact calls for Jakes and EMI 6 4 5 THE NEW LIFE COMMUNITY CHOIR FEATURING JOHN KEE VERITY 43139 Li NOT GUILTY... THE EXPERIENCE staffing in key areas like retail and radio promotion, Gospel to launch a label dedicated to the creation of leaving many to question the impact it will have on new recordings based on themes derived from Jakes' 1 7 14 KIRK FRANKLIN PRESENTS 1NC B- RITE490325/INTERSCOPE KIRK FRANKLIN PRESENTS 1NC the marketing of acts like Shirley Caesar, the Tom - best -selling books and theatrical productions. The mies, New Direction, Marvin Sapp, and Kelli label will also serve as home for new and developing 8 8 8 AARON NEVILLE TELL IT 20287/EMI GOSPEL DEVOTION Williams. artists hand- picked by Jakes, with the first two artist 9 9 9 KURT CARR & THE KURT CARR SINGERS Among those troubled by the recent changes is signings expected to be announced soon. The initial GOSPO CENTRIC 490747/ INTERSCOPE Ma AWESOME WONDER top -selling artist Caesar. She says, "I'm really con- offering from the new label will be a live album cerned over losing [Myrrh GM] and recorded at Jakes' 26,000- member church, the Pot- lU 11 36 FRED HAMMOND & RADICAL FOR CHRIST Jim Chaffee VERITY 43140 PURPOSE BY DESIGN Roland Lundy [former president of Word Enter- ter's House, in Dallas. The album is tentatively tainment] within less than a month. They still have scheduled for release in March 2001. 11 12 58 CECE WINANS WELLSPRING GOSPEL 51711/SPARROW ALABASTER BOX Cheryl Moore [director of marketing] and Alvin VARIOUS ARTISTS 14 41 Williams [A &R], and that's encouraging, but I don't CAN LIGHTNING STRIKE TWICE? Well, all ® EM1AYORD 43149NERITY WOW GOSPEL 2000 THE YEAR'S 30 TOP GOSPEL ARTISTS AND SONGS - know that the two of them will be enough. We've indications are that's exactly what is being planned

13 10 4 LEE WILLIAMS AND THE SPIRITUAL QC'S identified where our market segment is and would in Houston for New Year's Day, as the all -star line- MCG 7018E1 GOOD TIME like to have a greater presence in it. up and excitement continue to build for the Take It to the Astrodome, following 14 13 3 NATALIE WILSON & THE S.O.P. CHORALE "When you don't have a lot of black presence, then the Bridge concert at GOSPO CENTRIC 490675/INTERSCOPE [GIRL DIRECTOR] your project will not get either the attention or dol- last year's inaugural event. Already confirmed are lars needed to aptly market it," she continues. "I'm Vickie Winans, Bobby Jones, Juanita Bynum, 15 16 9 T.D. JAKES INTEGRITY/WORD 61069 /EPICME GET READY! THE BEST OF T.D. JAKES just praying the merger yields more marketing dol- Hezekiah Walker, actresses Tia and Tamera lars. I've got a brand -new `dying' CD out there that Mowry, Jonathan Slocumb, Jackie McCullough, 16 15 11 SHIRLEY CAESAR MYRRH/WORD 61071 /EPIC ® YOU CAN MAKE IT needs to begin to make it." Donald Lawrence, Tramaine Hawkins, and the 11 20 7 SOUNDTRACK GOSPO CENTRIC 490754/INTERSCOPE HIS WOMAN, HIS WIFE Carolyn Sanders, who manages Caesar, says the Mighty Clouds Of Joy.

18 18 56 YOLANDA ADAMS VERITY 43144 THE BEST OF YOLANDA ADAMS promotion of the multiple -Grammy winner's latest project, "You Can Make It," may well have been BRIEFLY: Brandy has signed on to be a presen- KEITH "WONDERBOY" JOHNSON & THE SPIRITUAL VOICES 25 13 impaired by the company's transition and subse- ter at the 16th annual Stellar Awards, set for Jan. ® WORLD WIDE GOSPEL 2635 LIVE & ALIVE quent restructuring. 13, 2001, at the Atlanta Civic Center. 20 23 18 RICKY DILLARD & "NEW G" (NEW GENERATION CHORALE) CRYSTAL ROSE 20960 III NO LIMIT 21 28 3 DOTTIE PEOPLES ATLANTA INTL 10268 SHOW UP & SHOW OUT INT'L WESTERN MUSIC

22 19 54 HEZEKIAH WALKER & THE LOVE FELLOWSHIP CRUSADE CHOIR (Continued from page 44) VERITY 43132 ® FAMILY AFFAIR released by Western Jubilee Record- 23 24 48 TRIN -I -TEE 5:7 B-RITE 490359/INTERSCOPE mg SPIRITUAL LOVE ing Company.

24 26 31 THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE CHOIR This year, the WMA inducted M2.0 COMMUNICATIONS/WORD 63805 /EPIC GOD IS WORKING - LIVE Yodelin' Slim Clark, Frankie Laine, Hillbillies 25 22 8 TONEX TOMMY BOYNERITY 43153/JIVE PRONOUNCED TOE -NAY and the Old Beverly into its Hall of Fame. Clark was named the BISHOP CARLTON PEARSON 26 21 8 World Yodeling Champion in 1947. ATLANTIC 83399/CHORDANT E BISHOP CARLTON PEASON PRESENTS: AZUSA PRAISE JUBILEE! Laine was responsible for the hits 21 27 38 DONALD LAWRENCE PRESENTS THE TRI -CITY SINGERS "Mule Train" and the western music EMI GOSPEL20251 ® TRI- CITY4.COM classic "High Noon" (though Tex Rit-

( 37 4 EVELYN TURRENTINE -AGEE FEATURING THE "WARRIORS" ter is well known for the film version). W.O.S. 1273/WORLD WIDE GOSPEL GOD DID IT! The Old Beverly Hillbillies, not to be

29 29 9 B.B. JAY HARRELL41699 /JIVE® UNIVERSAL CONCUSSION confused with the '60s sitcom, were a popular musical group in the 1930s. 3D 33 8 DAMITA ATLANTIC83330/AG DAMITA Pat Gorman, merchandise manag- CHESTER D.T. BALDWIN & MUSIC MINISTRY MASS er for Old Tucson Studios, says most Q RE -ENTRY MI 1259 SING IT ON SUNDAY MORNING! of the western music artists sell their own product during the convention, 32 31 4 LAMAR CAMPBELL & SPIRIT OF PRAISE EMI GOSPEL 20290 WHEN I THINK ABOUT YOU so local businesses located near the venue, including the shops at Old © 39 31 BISHOP CLARENCE E. MCCLENDON PRESENTS THE HARVEST FIRE MEGA MASS CHOIR INTEGRITY/WORD 63542/EPIC SHOUT HALLELUJAH Tucson Studios (a movie location turned tourist attraction) don't nec- 30 50 NORMAN HUTCHINS JDI1258El BATTLEFIELD 34 essarily see a bump in sales. Never- 35 32 85 T.D. JAKES ISLAND INSPIRATIONAL 524630/IDJMG ® SACRED LOVE SONGS theless, she views the awards as a boost for the genre. RE -ENTRY PAUL BEASLEY AND THE ORIGINAL GOSPEL KEYNOTES ® J & M 7284 YOU ARE THE ONE "In the old days it was Gene Autry and Roy Rogers in the movies that SAINTS WITH A VISION MUSIC & ARTS SEMINAR MASS CHOIR © RE -ENTRY drew attention," says Gorman. "Now MEEK 4004 CALLING ALL SAINTS A Celebratory Smooch. Fueled by the success of hit single "Kiss This," they don't have as many western Aaron Tippin's sophomore album for Lyric Street, "People Like Us," was certi- RE -ENTRY GOD SQUAD AMEN 1501 GOOD MORNING NEIGHBOR 0 movies being made any more, so fied gold by the Recording Industry Assn. of America just two months after its awards shows, and even ads and 39 1i 13 DOROTHY NORWOOD WITH MIAMI MASS CHOIR release. Lyric Street president Randy Goodman rallied the staff to celebrate MALACO 6032 OLE RICKETY BRIDGE [western] magazines, have more the fast -selling disc. Pictured in the bottom row, from left, are Goodman, Tip - THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE CHOIR than helped." pin, and Tip Top Entertainment's Billy Craven; in the middle row, Lyric Street CI RE -ENTRY ATLANTIC 83297/AG HALLELUJAH! THE VERY BEST OF THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE CHOIR senior VP of marketing and promotion Carson Schreiber, producer Biff Wat- Q Records with he greatest sales gains this week. Recording Industry Assn. Of America (RIAA) certifi- son, producer Mike Bradley, and Lyric Street senior product director Greg cation for net shipment of 500,000 album units (Gold). RIAA certification for net shipment of 1 million TO OUR READERS units (Platinum). RIAA certification for net shipment of 10 million units (Diamond). Numeral following McCarn; and in the back row, Lyric Street senior VP of A &R Doug Howard, Platinum or Diamond symbol indicates album's multi -platinum level. For boxed sets, and double albums with Keeping Score will return next director of promotion Kevin Herring,VP of promotion Dale Turner, and director a running time of 100 minutes or more, the RIM multiplies shipments by the number of discs and/or tapes. Kennedy. All albums available on cassette and CD. *Asterisk indicates vinyl available. se indicates past or present week. of A&R Shelby Heatseeker titles. W 2000, Billboard /BPI Communications.

BILLBOARD DECEMBER 2, 2000 www.billboard.com 47