The recording of this album of hymn favorites was a work of dedication and love for the Osmond Brothers. The four boys, from the eldest, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay, have a deep and abiding faith and that faith is eloquently demonstrated in their singing of these inspirational melodies.
The hymns included in this album were chosen because they are familiar to everyone; they are among the best-loved sacred songs of all time. These particular selections were also chosen because their melodic content was most suited to the boys’ voices and type of harmony. Then too, they were chosen because of their joyful quality, the kind of hymns young people are most likely to enjoy singing.
The producers of The Osmond Brothers Sing The All-Time Hymn Favorites, Jesse Kaye and Don Williams, did everything humanly possible to preserve the naturalness – the spontaneous warmth and sincerity – of the boys singing in this album.
The boys were encouraged to sing these great songs of faith as they felt them – much as they would sing them at a service in their very own church. The musical adaptations (by George Wyle) and arrangements (by Wyle, Val Hicks and Dick Williams) were scrupulously prepared with the single thought of preserving the natural warmth and sincerity of the performances.
The Osmond Brothers have become family favorites since their first appearance on the Andy Williams TV show, and since then, have appeared regularly in the MGM TV series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters. They appeal to families across the nation because they have the healthy, happy look of wholesome family life themselves. As a matter of fact, the music is a very important part of their family life. The Osmond family has nine children and all but one are boys. Every Thursday evening is “Family Night” when the entire family gets together for a musicale. Each of the children plays some kind of musical instrument and each sings, dances, and recites. The selections in The Osmond Brothers Sing The All-Time Hymn Favorites are an integral part of these Thursday night musicales for the Osmond’s are a devout family in which each member is always ready to raise his or her voice in praise of the Almighty.
As has been pointed out above, great care was taken in the making of this album. Everything that was done at the recording session was pointed at capturing the love and the honesty with which the Osmond Brothers sing the great songs of faith and transferring that quality to this album.
As co-producer Jesse Kaye said in the production notes of this recording: “These boys are constant churchgoers where they sing hymns regularly; consequently, it was not difficult to transfer their love and sincerity to this phonograph record…nothing was done to change their understanding of the great hymns and so, there emerged an album of hymns sung right from the hearts of these wonderful little fellows which should please old and young alike.” |
