Sister Rosetta Tharpe was only second to Mahalia Jackson in the pantheon of gospel greats. Rosetta's church style was more secular than the other "Saints". She possesed a remarkably powerful mezzo-soprano voice, which she inflected with a biting attack and fiery, swinging rhythmic drive, not unlike that of the later Dinah Washington. Her song style was filled with blues inversions, and a resonating vibrato, which she used to call "vibrater". Rosetta could also pick blues guitar like a Memphis Minnie. She was a true pioneer and the only fully-fledged gospel singer to cross over in the jazz field.
 

The Original Soul Sister - Tharpe, Sister Rosetta  

Disc 1

1. Rock Me 2:33
2. That's All 2:32
3. My Man And I 3:00
4. The Lonesome Road 2:32
5. Bring Back Those Happy Days 2:52
6. This Train 2:39
7. I Looked Down The Lane (And I Wondered) 2:51
8. God Don't Like It 2:47
9. Beams Of Heaven 3:07
10. Saviour Don't Pass Me By 2:45
11. The End Of My Journey 3:05
12. Sit Down 2:19
13. There Is Something Within Me 2:23
14. Stand By Me 2:50
15. Trouble In Mind 2:32
16. Rock Daniel 2:52
17. Four Or Five Times 2:28
18. Shout, Sister, Shout 2:48
19. The Lonesome Road 2:47
20. Shout, Sister, Shout 2:41

Disc 2

1. Rock Me 2:45
2. That's All 2:34
3. Just A Closer Walk With Thee 2:45
4. Precious Lord, Hold My Hand 3:01
5. I'm In His Care 2:53
6. Nobody's Fault But Mine 3:03
7. I Want A Tall Skinny Papa 2:50
8. What He Done For Me 2:39
9. I Want Jesus To Walk Around My Bedside 2:38
10. All Over This World 2:35
11. Pure Religion 2:31
12. Rock Me 2:47
13. That's All 2:03
14. Trouble In Mind 2:39
15. Rock Daniel 2:41
16. Down By The Riverside 3:46
17. I Want A Tall Skinny Papa 2:28
18. This Train 2:48
19. Sin Is To Blame 2:59
20. That's All 2:53

Disc 3

1. Let That Liar Alone 2:35
2. The Devil Has Thrown Him Down 2:45
3. Sleep On Darling Mother 2:53
4. God Don't Like It 2:31
5. I Want To Live So God Can Use Me 2:31
6. Rock Me 2:35
7. What's The News 2:52
8. Nobody Knows, Nobody Cares 2:35
9. Jesus Taught Me How To Pray 3:05
10. Forgive Me Lord And Try Me One More Time 2:35
11. What Is The Soul Of Man? 2:30
12. Singing In My Soul 2:53
13. I Claim Jesus First 2:39
14. Strange Things Happening Every Day 2:50
15. Two Little Fishes And Five Loaves Of Bread 2:55
16. Don't Take Everybody To Be Your Friend 2:24
17. How Far From God 2:55
18. When I Move To The Sky 2:53
19. Jesus Is Here To Stay 2:48
20. Jonah 2:58

Disc 4

1. God's Mighty Hand 2:53
2. The Lord Followed Me 3:10
3. This Train 2:47
4. Oh, When I Come To The End Of My Journey 2:56
5. Didn't It Rain 2:36
6. Stretch Out 2:42
7. This Train 2:40
8. When I Come To The End Of My Journey 2:39
9. Beams Of Heaven 2:39
10. Up Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air 2:30
11. My Journey To The Sky 3:10
12. Teach Me To Be Right 2:45
13. I Heard My Mother Call My Name 2:44
14. Heaven Is Not My Home 2:40
15. The Natural Facts 3:13
16. Ain't No Grave Hold My Body Down 2:52
17. Lay Down Your Soul 2:24
18. Precious Memories 2:51
19. Family Prayer 2:39
20. Down By The Riverside 2:29
21. Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? 3:14 DISCOGRAPHY

DISC ONE - SHOUT SISTER SHOUT

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc.
New York, October 31, 1938

64727-A ROCK ME Decca 2243
64728-A THATâ??S ALL Decca 2503
64729-A MY MAN AND I Decca 2503
64730-A THE LONESOME ROAD Decca 2243

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc
New York, January 10, 1939

64881-A BRING BACK THOSE HAPPY DAYS Decca 2558
64882-A THIS TRAIN Decca 2558
64883-A I LOOKED DOWN THE LANE(AND I WONDERED) Decca 2328
64884-A GOD DONâ??T LIKE IT Decca 2328
64885-A BEAMS OF HEAVEN Decca 3254
64886-A SAVIOUR DONâ??T PASS ME BY Decca 3254

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc.
New York, March 13, 1941

68815-A THE END OF MY JOURNEY Decca 8538
68816-A SIT DOWN Decca 8538
68817-A THERE IS SOMETHING WITHIN ME Decca 8548
68818-A STAND BY ME Decca 8548

Sister Rosetta Tharpe g (-1), voc; with Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra : William "Chiefie" Scott, Archie Johnson, Nelson Bryant, tp; George Stevenson, Donald Cole, Eli Robinson, tb; George James, Billy Bowen, as; Buster Bailey, cl, ts; Stafford Simon, ts; Ernest Purce, bs; Bill Doggett, p; Trevor Bacon, g; Abe Bolar, b; Panama Francis, d; Lucky Millinder, ldr.
New York, June 27, 1941

69437-A TROUBLE IN MIND Decca 4041
69440-A ROCK DANIEL (-1)Decca 3956

Sister Rosetta Tharpe g (-1) voc; with Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra : William "Chiefie" Scott, Archie Johnson, Nelson Bryant, tp; George Stevenson, Floyd Brady, Edward Morant, tb; Ted Barnett, George James, as; Stafford Simon, ts; Ernest Purce, bs; Bill Doggett, p; Trevor Bacon, g; Abe Bolar, b; Panama Francis, d; Lucky Millinder, ldr.
New York, circa August 22, 1941

FOUR OR FIVE TIMES Soundie 3608
SHOUT, SISTER, SHOUT (-1)Soundie 3701
THE LONESOME ROAD Soundie 4106

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g (-1), voc, with Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra:

Same personnel as above
New York, September 5, 1941

69707-A SHOUT, SISTER, SHOUT Decca 18386

DISC TWO - ROCK ME

Same personnel and recording date as "Shout, Sister, Shout".

69708-A ROCK ME (-1) Decca 18535

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; with Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra : Archie Johnson, Freddie Webster, Nelson Bryant, tp; George Stevenson, Edward Morant, Sandy Williams, tb; George James, Ted Barnett, as; Stafford Simon, ts; Ernest Purce, bs; Bill Doggett, p; Sterling Marlowe, g; George Duvivier, b; Panama Francis, d; Lucky Millinder, ldr.

New York, November 6, 1941

69910-A THATâ??S ALL Decca 18496

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc.

New York, December 1 1941

69980-A JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE Decca 8594
69981-A PRECIOUS LORD, HOLD MY HAND Decca 8610
69982-A Iâ??M IN HIS CARE Decca 8594
69983-A NOBODYâ??S FAULT BUT MINE Decca 8610

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, voc; with Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra : Archie Johnson, Freddie Webster, Nelson Bryant, tp; George Stevenson, Edward Morant, Joe Britton, tb; George James, Billy Bowen, as; Stafford Simon, ts ; Ernest Purce, bs; Clyde Hart, p; Trevor Bacon, g; George Duvivier, b; Panama Francis, d; Lucky Millinder, ldr.

New York, February 18, 1942

70345-A I WANT A TALL SKINNY PAPA Decca 18386

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc.

New York, June 10, 1942

70352-A WHAT HE DONE FOR ME Decca 8639
70353-A I WANT JESUS TO WALK AROUND MY BEDSIDE Decca 8634
70354-A ALL OVER THIS WORLD Decca 8639
70355-A PURE RELIGION Decca 8634

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g (-1), voc; with Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra : Joe Guy, Frank Humphries, Joe Jordan, William Scott, tp; George Stevenson, Joe Britton, Gene Simon, tb; Billy Bowen, Tab Smith, as; Michael Hadley, Sam "The Man" Taylor, ts; Ernest Purce, bs; Ray Tunia, p; Trevor Bacon, g; George Duvivier, b; Panama Francis, d; Lucky Millinder, ldr; Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman, M.C. AFRS - "Jubilee" Broadcasts, Hollywood and/or Culver City, circa July/August 1943.

Jubilee 36 or 39 ROCK ME (-1) V-Disc 129
Jubilee 36 or 39 THATâ??S ALL V-Disc 129
Jubilee 36 or 39 TROUBLE IN MIND V-Disc 129
Jubilee 37 ROCK DANIEL (-1) V-Disc 129
Jubilee 38 DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE (-1)
Jubilee 38 I WANT A TALL SKINNY PAPA

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; with Louis Jordan & his Tympany Five: Eddie Roane, tp; Louis Jordan, as; Arnold Thomas, p; Jesse "Po" Simpkins, b; Rossiere "Shadow" Wilson, d; Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman, M.C.

AFRS - "Jubilee" broadcast, Hollywood, circa August 1943

Jubilee 41 THIS TRAIN

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, voc; with Erskine Hawkins & his Orchestra :
possible personnel: Erskine Hawkins, Sam Love, Charlie Jones, Dud Bascomb, tp; Ed Sims, Don Cole, David James,. Norman Greene, tb; Bobby Smith, Jimmie Mitchell, as; Julian Dash, Paul Bascomb, ts; Haywood Henry, bs; Gene Rodgers, p; Bill Johnson, g; Lee Stanfield, b; Kelly Martin, d; Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman, M.C.

AFRS - "Jubilee" broadcast, Hollywood circa August/September 1943

Jubilee 43 SIN IS TO BLAME

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; with probably Noble Sissle & his Orchestra : possible personnel might feature most of the following : Edna Williams, Wendel Culley, Demas Dean, Clarence Brereton, Russell Smith, Clarence Wheeler, Tom Lindsay, tp; Chester Burrill, Herb Fleming, Harry White, "Big Chief" Russell Moore, tb; Jerome Pasquall, Gene Mikell, Ben Whitted, Otto Mikell, as; Gilber White, Philip Cubinar, ts; Howard Biggs, p; Jimmy Jones, b; Wilbert Kirk, Chick Morrison, d; Noble Sissle, ldr, Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman, M.C.

AFRS - "Jubilee" broadcast, Hollywood, circa November 1943

Jubilee 56 THATâ??S ALL

Disc Three - DISC THREE

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc.

New York, November 26, 1943

71523-AA LET THAT LIAR ALONE
Decca 48023
71524-AA THE DEVIL HAS THROWN HIM DOWN Decca 48024
71525-A SLEEP ON DARLING MOTHER Decca 8657
71526-A GOD DONâ??T LIKE IT Decca 48022

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc

New York, December 15, 1943

71570-A I WANT TO LIVE SO GOD CAN USE ME Decca 8657

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; with unidentified orchestra, possibly
Jack McVea and his Combo or Lucky Millinder & his Orchestra.

AFRS. "Jubilee" broadcast, Hollywood, circa April 1944

Jubilee 75 ROCK ME

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc.

New York, April 21, 1944

72016-A WHATâ??S THE NEWS Decca 48023

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc.

New York, September 11, 1944

72377-A NOBODY KNOWS, NOBODY CARES Decca 48024
72378-A JESUS TAUGHT ME HOW TO PRAY Decca 48021
72379-AA FORGIVE ME LORD AND TRY ME ONE MORE TIME Decca 48021
72380-A WHAT IS THE SOUL OF MAN ? Decca 48022

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; acc. by Sam Price Trio : Sammy Price, p; Abe Bolar, b; Harold "Doc" West, d.

New York, September 22, 1944

72396-A SINGING IN MY SOUL Decca 8672
72397-A I CLAIM JESUS FIRST
Decca 8672
72398-A STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN EVERY DAY Decca 8669
72399-A TWO LITTLE FISHES AND FIVE
LOAVES OF BREAD Decca 8669

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; acc.by Sam Price Trio : Sammy Price, g; Billy Taylor, b; Wallace Bishop, d.

New York, January 11, 1946

73274-A DONâ??T TAKE EVERYBODY TO BE
YOUR FRIEND Decca 11002
73276 HOW FAR FROM GOD Decca 48030
73277-A WHEN I MOVE TO THE SKY Decca 11002

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; acc.by Sam Price Trio : Sammy Price, p; Ben Moten, b; Ed Bourne, d.

New York, May 2, 1946

73548-A JESUS IS HERE TO STAY Decca 48013
73549-A JONAH Decca 48013

DISC FOUR - THIS TRAIN

Same date and personnel as "Jonah"

73550 GODâ??S MIGHTY HAND MCA 510.148
73551 THE LORD FOLLOWED ME Decca 48030

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; acc.by Sam Price Trio : Sammy Price, p; George "Pops" Foster, b; Kenny Clarke, d; Marie Knight, voc (-1)

New York, July 1, 1947

73987-A THIS TRAIN Decca 48043
73988-A OH, WHEN I COME TO THE END OF MY JOURNEY (-1) Decca 48043
73989-A DIDNâ??T IT RAIN (1)
Decca 48054
73990-A STRETCH OUT (-1) Decca 48054

Sister Katy Marie : Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; Marie Knight, voc (-1); unknown, p;b;d.

Los Angeles, July 1947

DB 104-A THIS TRAIN Downbeat 104
DB 104-B WHEN I COME TO THE END OF
MY JOURNEY (1) Downbeat 104

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; Marie Knight, voc; acc. by Sam Price Trio : Sammy Price, p; Pops Foster, b; Wallace Bishop, d.

New York, November 24, 1947

74153-A BEAMS OF HEAVEN Decca 48070
74154-A UP ABOVE MY HEAD I HEAR MUSIC IN THE AIR Decca 48090
74155-A MY JOURNEY TO THE SKY Decca 48090

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g, voc; acc. by Sam Price Trio : Sammy Price, p; Pops Foster, b; Wallace Bishop, d.

New York, November 25, 1947

74166-A TEACH ME TO BE RIGHT Decca 48083
74167-A I HEARD MY MOTHER CALL MY NAME Decca 48166
74168-A HEAVEN IS NOT MY HOME Decca 48190
74169-A THE NATURAL FACTS Decca 48166

Same personnel as above, but add Marie Knight, voc (-1)

New york, November 26, 1947

74170-A AINâ??T NO GRAVE HOLD MY BODY DOWN Decca 48154
74171-A LAY DOWN YOUR SOUL Decca 48083
74172-A PRECIOUS MEMORIES (-1) Decca 48070
74173-A FAMILY PRAYER Decca 48190

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, g. voc; acc. by Sam Price Trio : Sammy Price, p; Billy Taylor, b; Herbert Cowans, d; The Dependable Boys, vocal group.

New York, December 2, 1948

74641 DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE Decca 48106

Sister Rosetta Tharpe , g, voc; acc. by James Roots quartet : James Roots, org; Grady Martin, g; Billy Taylor, b; Herbert Cowans, d; The Rosetta Gospel Singers : Sarah Brooks, 1st soprano; Lottie Henry, 2nd soprano; Barbara Johnson, 1st contralto; Erma Wallace, 2nd contralto.

New York, December 12, 1949

75588 WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY
CRUCIFIED MY LORD ? Decca 48136