Swingin', Shoutin', Really Movin' Gospel: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A 33 1/3 rpm record album titled “Swingin', Shoutin', Really Movin' Gospel” recorded by Little Richard and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The vinyl record (2014.98.14a) has a purple label with white and black lettering. Across the top of the album sleeve (2014.98.14b) is the title in large block letters in a color gradient going from red to yellow: [Swingin', Shoutin', Really Movin'] followed by [GOSPEL] in blue and [LITTLE RICHARD] in red. Below, in smaller black type is [with SISTER ROSETTA THARPE]. The cover features a large color photograph of Little Richard covering the bottom two thirds of the cover. He is wearing a dark suit with white shirt and pocket square and a light-colored pattern tie. He is looking up and has his left hand slightly raised with his palm facing up. He is standing behind what appears to be a pulpit or lectern, with a microphone in stand just beside it.

The back of the sleeve is white with black text divided into thickly blocked sections, with [Gospel] in decorative font at the top, next to a Guest Star Records logo. At center left is the tracking listing [SIDE A / Certainly Lord / Does Jesus Care / Shine For Jesus / Just a Closer Walk / God Leads Us Along]. At center right is the track listing [SIDE B / I've Just Come From The Fountain / Tell God My Troubles / I Do - Don't You / Precious Lord / Jesus Walk This Lonesome Valley].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: ca. 1964
• Recorded by: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, American, 1915 - 1973
• Recorded by: Little Richard, American, 1932 - 2020
• Distributed by: Guest Star Records, American, founded 1954
• Manufactured by: Synthetic Plastics Company, American
• Type: record covers
• Type: long-playing records
• Medium: vinyl, ink on paper
• Dimensions: Diameter (record): 11 13/16 in. (30 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W (album jacket): 12 3/8 × 12 3/8 in. (31.5 × 31.5 cm)
• Place made: Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Gospel (Music)
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Mass media
• Topic: Rock and roll (Music)
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Object number: 2014.98.14ab
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gayle Wald
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.