Artists – M

LP from Bloomington, Indiana gospel group The Majestics, released on Hillside Gospel Records.

The Majestics consisted of the Christy family - Barney, Brenda, Debby, Keith, and Ray. They released at least one other LP, Jesus Never Fails, also on Hillside Gospel.

Credits on the LP include Ray Christy on bass, Debby Christy on piano, Tony Farr on steel guitar, Horace Whidby on lead guitar, and Gene Lawson on drums. The LP was recorded at Hilltop Studio and was engineered by Jack Linneman.

Tracklist
A1 My Tribute
A2 Yesterday
A3 When I Wake Up To Sleep No More
A4 In The Valley He Restoreth My Soul
A5 Rise And Be Healed
B1 What A Lovely Name
B2 I Love Him Too Much
B3 Love Beyond Compare
B4 I Don't Know Why (Jesus Loved Me)
B5 It's Worth It All

1982 LP from jazz pianist Martha Young, released on Carnelian Records.

Martha Young was the niece of legendary jazz saxophonist Lester Young and of jazz drummer Lee Young. Martha Young started out playing in Los Angeles, backing players such as Dexter Gordon. She was also the house pianist at several clubs in the area. Martha was a popular pianist in the San Francisco jazz scene in the 1970s and 1980s.As far as I can tell, this is the only recording Martha Young ever made. This recording was captured live at Bajone's in San Francisco on August 9-10 1982. Accompanying Martha Young are several other popular jazz musicians in the San Francisco scene, including Haley White and James Leary on bass, and Eddie Marshall and Gaylord Birch on drums.

Tracklist:
A1 Broadway
A2 Meditation
A3 Tranquility
A4 All My Children
B1 Hi-Fly
B2 My Favorite Things
B3 We Three
B4 Down Under
B5 Killer Joe

1961 LP from Tennessee gospel singer Lowell Mason, released on Crusade Records.

Lowell Mason was known as "The Singing Midget" due to his "unique stature". He lived all over throughout his life, turning up in Michigan, Tennessee, Missouri, and Oklahoma at various points. He released many LPs throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Lowell Mason passed away in 2023, but his website lowellmason.com is still active.

Bill Miller plays piano on this LP.

Tracklist
A1 In The Kiamichis
A2 I'll Fly Away
A3 Kneel At The Cross
A4 My God Is Real
A5 Jesus Hold My Hand
A6 Just A Closer Walk With Thee
A7 Supper Time
B1 Victory In Jesus
B2 No Tears In Heaven
B3 Lord Build Me A Cabin In Glory
B4 Take My Hand, Precious Lord
B5 Oh, How I Love Jesus
B6 I Won't Have To Cross Jordan Alone

1975 LP from pedal steel player Jody McCauley, released on World Records.

LP by Pennsylvania gospel singer Vonnie McClure.

Tracklist
A1 The Glory Song
A2 Hold To His Hand
A3 When I Lay My Burdens Down
A4 I've Learned To Believe
A5 The Days Of Noah
A6 By And By - The Morning I Can See
A7 Made Of Clay
B1 I'll Be Faithful
B2 All I Ask For
B3 Get In Touch With God
B4 He'll See Me Through
B5 I Surrender Lord
B6 Broken Promises
B7 Jesus Brought Sunshine To My Soul
B8 I'm Looking For Jesus To Return - Christ Is Coming Again - Added Grace

Country-Gospel LP from The McCormick Singers features Peggy O'Neal, released on Songs Of Faith Records.

The McCormick Singers are lead by "Pappy" Neal McCormick (1909-1998) and the lead singer of the group is his wife Peggy O'Neal. Other members of the band are Ray Kirkland on banjo and Jimmy Williams on guitar. most of the tracks on the LP were written by the band members.

Peggy & Neal released at least one LP under their own names, and the group recorded songs for many gospel compilation LPS released on labels like Gospel Time and Modern Sound.

The Country Music Hall Of Fame website has some information about Neal McCormick. He grew up in a sharecropper family in Mississippi and worked in radio and played guitar in some bands, including his own band The Hawaiian Troubadors. Hank Williams joined his band when he was a young man, and McCormick was also a member of Hank's Drifting Cowboys at one point. McCormick was also, apparently, the first musician to play an electrified instrument on WSM Radio - a pedal steel. There is a short video on "Pappy" Neal McCormick at encyclopediaofalabama.org.

Tracklist
A1 Behold I Come Quickly
A2 Heavenly Highway
A3 It'll Be Glory
A4 What Will The Coming Of The Lord Mean To You
A5 My Dear Father Is Sleeping
A6 When I Pray
B1 Little David's Harp
B2 He Came A Long Way From Heaven
B3 When They Prayed Through
B4 Jesus Is Mine
B5 Love Your Neighbor
B6 God Hears And Answers Prayers

Description coming soon!

Tracklist
A1 What's The Matter
A2 Don't You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me
A3 Elvira
A4 Do It To Me
A5 One Monkey Don't Stop No Show
B1 She Never Likes Nothing For Long
B2 Lukenbach Texas
B3 Blueberry Hill
B4 Next In Line
B5 Mona Lisa

LP from Kentucky country-gospel band The McCubbins Family, released on Superior Inc.

Haskell McCubbins started out singing gospel music with his brothers as The McCubbins Brothers Quartet. Eventually he formed the family band on this LP wit his wife and daughters. The McCubbins Family consists of Haskell, Annette, Jane Ann, Linnie Sherice, and Lucindy. They released seven albums during their music career, at least two of which (Forty Years Still Singing and Keep On Marching) can be heard on YouTube and apparently they hosted a gospel radio program for over twenty years.

The Haskell Family was inducted into the Kentucky State Gospel Singing Convention Hall of Fame in 2021.

Haskell passed away in 2021.

Tracklist
A1 Put Your Hand In The Hand
A2 I Will Serve Thee
A3 If It Keeps Getting Better
A4 I've Got Peace Like A River
A5 Open Your Heart
B1 That Day Is Almost Here
B2 One More River
B3 The Next Steps
B4 Redemption Draweth Nigh
B5 I Know

Track from Carolyn McDade's 1977 LP Under One Moon, released on Sonory Records.

From the Smith College Libraries website:

"Born June 19, 1935 to a Southern Baptist family, Carolyn McDade is a feminist, a writer of women's music, and self-described activist. She studied education at Louisiana Tech, where she received her BA in 1957. Once she married and had three daughters, she had to put music to the wayside. McDade picked it up again in 1970 by beginning a series of recording projects. Her song "Spirit of Life" remains popular in the Unitarian Universalist Church. She later began to lead religious workshops and retreats, including at Womancenter, which she co-founded in Massachusetts in 1983. The center closed in 1991 due to financial difficulties. Her activism in the 1980s included involvement with war tax resistance and the establishment of a refugee sanctuary at the Community Church in Boston. She has also been involved in the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, the National Assembly of Religious Women, and the Radical Women's Caucus of Unitarian Universalists."

LP from brother and sister singing duo Sharla and Tommy McNeely on Sounds of Life Records.

The McNeely siblings were from Mesquite, Texas. I believe this is their first LP - they released at least one other, titled We Two, also on Sounds of Life. This LP is frequently included on lists showcasing weird/bizarre/creepy album art.

Sharla passed away in 2024 and Tommy passed away in 2025.

Tracklist
A1 The Unseen Hand
A2 Oh What A Happy Day
A3 Ten Thousand Years
A4 Without The Grace Of God
A5 Redemption Draweth Nigh
B1 Then Why The Tears
B2 Don't Let Me Walk Too Far From Calvary
B3 Exactly What I Need
B4 An Unfinished Task
B5 The Lighthouse

Country gospel LP from Pound, Virginia group The Meade Family Quartet, released on Meade Records.

The group consists on Rev. George Meade, his wife Lillian Meade, Roger Meade, and Ralph Meade.

The LP was recorded by Bob Dingus for Meade Records.

Tracklist
A1 It's Not An Easy Road
A2 Lord I Need You
A3 The Heavens Looked Down On Me
A4 Jesus Prayed Alone In The Garden
A5 I'm Moving up Home Someday
A6 Do You Know My Jesus
B1 I'm Looking For Jesus
B2 I'm Building A Bridge
B3 When I've Gone The Last Mile Of The Way
B4 Nearer To Thee
B5 Time Has Made A Change In Me
B6 The Day Of Wrath

From theladyorganist.com:

"A big-timer on US radio and TV in the 40s and 50s, at the height of her career she appeared on 5 radio shows and 5 TV shows weekly. Here she is on YouTube in Ken Griffin’s TV show 67 Melody Lane, in 1954 (I think), playing Flight of the Bumble Bee. The dialog is stilted, the scenario contrived, but Marjorie plays with charm and zip.

She was a child prodigy, with her first broadcast performance on the piano at age 7 – and appears to have been a consummate professional all her life, touring coast-to-coast as well as fitting in the TV and radio shows plus recordings and live gigs. She died at the age of 88 in 2009."

From Wikipedia:

"A calliope is an American and Canadian musical instrument that produces sound by sending a gas, originally steam or, more recently, compressed air, through large whistles—originally locomotive whistles.

A calliope is typically very loud. Even some small calliopes are audible for miles. There is no way to vary tone or loudness. Musically, the only expression possible is the pitch, rhythm, and duration of the notes.

The steam calliope is also known as a steam organ (orgue à vapeur in Quebec) or steam piano (piano à vapeur in Quebec). The air-driven calliope is sometimes called a calliaphone, the name given to it by Norman Baker, but the "Calliaphone" name is registered by the Miner Company for instruments produced under the Tangley name."

Description coming soon!

Tracklist
A1 Ready To Go
A2 Don't They Know
A3 So Many Reasons
A4 If You Know The Lord
A5 I've Found A Hiding Place
B1 Moving Up To Heaven
B2 Rainbow Of Love
B3 Give Up
B4 Had It Not Been
B5 I Won't Turn Back

Description coming soon!

Bluegrass band Montezuma's Revenge's 1976 LP First Run, self-released on Prune Records.

Monetzuma's Revenge was a self-described "bionic bluegrass" band based in California. They have an eclectic sound that blends bluegrass, country, blues, rock, and traditional folk sounds. This is a really fun record with some great picking as well!

1963 LP by flamenco guitarist Carlos Montoya (1903-1993) released on RCA Victor.

Tracklist
A1 Toque De Caña
A2 Tango Antiguo
A3 Levante
A4 Seguiriya

1984 LP, recorded in 1959, from Missouri banjo player Harold Morrison, reissued on Old Homestead Records.

From Wikipedia:

"Harold Morrison (January 30, 1931 - December 21, 1993) was an American country music singer-songwriter and session musician. He played banjo, dobro, and guitar on albums with musicians such as Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells, The Wilburn Brothers, and Tammy Wynette. Throughout his musical career, Morrison was a cast member and recurring guest on multiple country music television shows, such as the Ozark Jubilee, the "Wilburn Brothers Show," and The Porter Wagoner Show."

This LP was originally released in the 1960s as part of a 6 LP box set released by Reader's Digest titled "Country & Western Music Jamboree". It was released as a standalone LP in 1984 by Old Homestead Records by Bob Ensign. Personnel on the LP include Mac Wiseman on guitar, Harold Morrison on banjo, Curly Seckler on mandolin, Benny Martin on fiddle, and Joe Zinkun on bass.

Album of a cappella gospel from The Mountain Anthems Ladies' Octet.

This group is based in Salisbury, Pennsylvania and they are from The Mountain View Mennonite Church. They released at least 9 LPs that I can find online, and the grup is still around today, regularly performing in the region and releasing CDs.. The Ladies' Octet has also performed with The Mountain Anthems Male Chorus on some releases under the name The Mountain Anthems Mixed Chorus.

On this LP, the members of the octet are Irene and Glenda Yoder (sisters), Marlene and Ruth Yoder (sisters), and Loretta, Delores, Vera, and Gloria Schrock (sisters). The LP was recorded by Larry Heatwole.

You can learn more about The Mountain Anthems on their website at https://www.mountainanthems.com/

Tracklist
A1 Blessed Saviour, We Adore Thee
A2 There's Enough Of God's Love
A3 Somebody Loves Me
A4 Someone To Care
A5 I Cannot Tell, I Do Not Know
A6 Jesus Be The Lord Of All
A7 I've Been Changed
A8 Reach Out To Jesus
B1 Come, Holy Spirit
B2 I've Been To Calvary
B3 Without Jesus You Won't Make Heaven
B4 Forever Is A Long, Long Time
B5 He Is Lord
B6 Lift Me Up Above The Shadows
B7 What A Day That Will Be
B8 The Night Before Easter

The Music Makers were an a capella gospel singing group from Louisville, Kentucky. They were from the Newburg Church Of Christ. Members of the group included leader Jesse Murrah Jr, Marc Clemons (tenor), Patricia Livers (alto), George Moore (bass), Henry Livers (tenor), and H. Douglass (baritone).

In the 1980s members of The Music Makers, including Marc Clemons and Jesse Murrah Jr. formed up another a capella gospel group called Straight Company. They released an LP in 1983 called Glory Land Or Bust, and a few CDs in the 1990s, So Excited Acapella and Plugged In. It looks like they've continued releasing music, but I can't tell if any of the original members remain in the group. They have competed in many a capella singing competitions over the years and won many awards.Their YouTube channel is @officialstraightcompanymus8577 and their website is straightcompanymusic.com. There is an excellent music video on YouTube for their song "So Excited". If you're interested in 90s kitsch I highly recommend checking it out!

The LP was recorded at Fultz Recording Studio in Fairdale, Kentucky.

LP by Ohio gospel singer John Myers, released on Pinebrook Records.

I can't find any information about John Myers online. According to the liner notes he was raised in Cridersville, Ohio and started performing solo music when he was ten years old. It is unclear if he recorded any other music throughout his life.

The LP was produced and arranged by John Innes for Pinebrook Productions. Players on the LP include John Innes on piano, Chuck Nenneker on bass, Steve Hanna on drums, Rex Thomas on guitar, and LaDonna Dingledine on woodwinds.

Tracklist

A1 Step Into The Sunshine
A2 Rise Again
A3 Praise The Lord, He Never Changes
A4 All The Time In The World
A5 Welcome Back To Jesus
B1 Sunday Mornin'
B2 I Lost It All To Find Everything
B3 The Brush
B4 Jesus Use Me
B5 That's What Jesus Means To Me