Jimmy Swaggart - The Ring of Fire
Jimmy preaches to the youth of America about perceived evils such as sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll (especially acid rock), womens' reproductive rights, miniskirts, and sex. This particular record was recorded during the late 1960s (either 1968 or 1969). Back then, it seems that Jimmy knew what he was talking about, especially sex. Later in the 1980s, as is the case with most self-righteous individuals especially preachers, the married Swaggart displays hypocrisy by engaging in adultery with a prostitute at a motel. There's also an interesting tidbit connecting Jimmy to an important rock 'n' roll figure. I actually didn't know this until I heard this record.
A few years ago (I believe 2003), I found a copy of this record inside a Goodwill at Midwest City, Oklahoma, a suburb east of Oklahoma City. This is one of my favorite Goodwill finds and this record provides much entertainment. Portions of this record have been sampled by Meat Beat Manifesto and Christian Marclay. If anyone else sampled this, please let me know.
In the "Where Are They Now?" portion of this post, the defrocked Swaggart still heads his own ministry, Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. He also still preaches on TV, most notably on Spike TV according to his web site. Jimmy seemingly has been banished to obscurity as a flock of televangleists have replaced him on the totem pole in terms of followers, prestige , notoriety, and media coverage.
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. The Ring of Fire side 1 {29:06}
Side 2
1. The Ring of Fire side 2 {28:15}
Yay, Grey!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wicked and wonderful basement you got. Great stuff. Bring it on! My sample-trigger finger is already itching like ... hell.
Cheers, your co-Closeteer.
Thanks for the compliment, H.C. I wasn't sure if you're interested in this stuff. Now I know. There's more to come for your sample-trigger finger. (Good one.)
ReplyDeleteWicked people do help in making this place wicked. ;)
Talk to you later. Cheers.
From another blog (Vinyl Mysteries), I got a small excerpt from "The Man Who Talked To Trees" by R.W. Schambach. Do you have that one? It's excellent, but I've always wanted to hear more.
ReplyDeleteI've listened to great portions of the Swaggart yesterday evening, and I must say, he really is gross. Gotta love that vibrato in his voice.
H.C., sorry I don't have that Schambach record. I would like to hear more myself. I'm hoping a copy will turn up at one of the local thrift stores/flea markets.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit Swaggart has a nice and engaging speaking voice. I heard he was a good singer too, but I never have bothered to pick up one of his gospel LPs.
The scary thing is that you posted this stuff. Even scarrier is that I have this album in my basement. I keep it with my Vincent Price collection just to be on the safe side. However I did meet this Jimmy boy about 3AM at a Holiday Inn in 1976. Two of his clowns were hauling his whiskey soaked ass to his room. Must have been a tough week on the tent circet.
ReplyDeleteDeadguy
I own this little monstrosity. I bought it for a dollar at a flea market, at least ten years ago. He had an entire box of Swaggart LPs, and I should have bought more. I decided to be disciplined and only make one purchase, so I bought the one where he evangelizes about the evils of extra-marital sex...right around the time he himself got caught with a prostitute. Oh the glorious irony...
ReplyDelete-Ben
Another fellow here owning up to, well, owning this killer record. Perhaps more interesting, though, is that I too picked it out of the stacks of Midwest City's Goodwill. An astonishing coincidence. Perhaps Jim Records is now distributed through Goodwill stores!!! Great blog. Glad to find you.
ReplyDeleteIt's been awhile since I checked up on this post. I appreciate all the comments. They're all interesting and illuminating.
ReplyDeletedoloreshart,
If you're reading this, would it be okay if I write an e-mail to you?
I went to that same Goodwill about four months ago and there were no records there. I don't go there often, but I wonder if that Goodwill takes in records anymore.
Interesting to know that another copy of "The Ring of Fire" showed up there though. The only copy I've ever seen is the one I bought. I am kind of surprised that other copies haven't shown up around the central Oklahoma area (at least when I step foot in the shops or estate sales). But I see a lot of Swaggart's gospel LPs lying around probably destined to either stay there forever or find a new home in a landfill.
Wow, the comments keep rolling in on this record! Feel free to write, grey calx, although I'm afraid that I won't be much help in your finding that next cache of Jim recs. (By the way, the Brent Rinehart post was a treat.) Looking forward then, doloreshart
ReplyDelete