#2158: Never Failed Me Yet

New Sounds | May 24, 2010
Gavin Bryars' "Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet," is a late minimalist piece for orchestra and tape that has had an almost legendary effect on its audiences. Opening with a homeless man singing a simple melody that is looped over and over again for the entire 74 minutes of the album. Bryars weaves in a beautiful string arrangement that develops slowly underneath the melody, and singer Tom Waits joins in at the end. Hear this remarkable piece (in a slightly condensed form) on this edition of New Sounds.

PROGRAM #2158 Music with Analog Tape (First aired on Tuesday, 5/27/03)

ARTIST(S)

RECORDING

CUT(S)

SOURCE

Steve Reich

Early Works

It's Gonna Rain, excerpt [1:30]

Nonesuch #79168**
www.nonesuch.com*

Gavin Bryars

The Sinking of the Titanic

Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet, edited [15:00]

Obscure Records, 1975 LP, long out of print. A re-recorded version, with Tom Waits, was released in the mid 1990's by Point Music.
That version is available for purchase at Amazon.com*

Scott Johnson

John Somebody

John Somebody I & III [13:00]

Nonesuch #79133.** www.nonesuch.com*

Phil Kline

Unsilent Night

From Light [6:00]

Cantaloupe #21005
www.cantaloupemusic.com

Robert Fripp & Brian Eno

The Essential Fripp and Eno

Wind On Water, excerpt [1:30]

Caroline #61886
Available for purchase at Amazon.com*

Ingram Marshall

Fog Tropes/Gradual Requiem

Gradual Requiem, Pt. IV [8:00]

New Albion #002.**
www.newalbion.com

*, ** - Find the recordings you've heard - go to the New Sounds Recordings Information page

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