Great Unexpectations
How Pastor T.L. Barrett's gospel-funk masterpiece changed my life plus Latin Gold Records' Summer Sale
From the minute I heard the first organ notes on “Like A Ship” by Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir, I felt that things were going to be different. But then that chorus of kids kicked in, and it changed everything I thought this song was going to be. It was like a mini-life lesson in less than 30 seconds - that sometimes life works out for the better, especially in the ways you least expect it.
I fell in love with this song after discovering to it on my Spotify Discover Weekly. It was during the peak of my “I-feel-like-my-Discover-Weekly-playlist-sometimes-knows-me-better-than-some-friends” era where I was excitedly awaiting that Monday refresh to discover new sounds. Hearing “Like A Ship” was like hoisting the mass and setting sail to the rabbit hole story of Pastor T.L. Barrett, who was indeed, a pastor, and so much more.
I’m waiting for the documentary and eventual biopic about this complicated figure. His story is complex yet his alone. In 2010, Light in the Attic Records, the label behind the resurgence of Donnie & Joe Emerson, announce their reissue of his debut album and detailed the complicated history of this man:
T.L. Barrett is a complicated figure. Context colors perceptions of the man. To many on Chicago’s South Side, Barrett has been known for more than four decades as an activist and pastor, an influential figure in the city’s black community, and an active participant in numerous projects and initiatives intended to improve social and economic conditions on the South Side. To record collectors, he’s known for recording the classic, much-sought gospel record Like A Ship…(Without A Sail). To the Illinois legal system, he’s the man who fronted a series of pyramid schemes that defrauded thousands of people (for which Barrett was ordered to pay restitution to avoid a prison sentence). Among his supporters at one time, were Jesse Jackson and former Chicago mayor Eugene Sawyer. To his parishioners, Barrett (who continues to minister) acts as a social conscious by preaching a doctrine of personal responsibility, and is a champion of economic development. To music critics and collectors, he was the purveyor of top-notch gospel recordings. The one certainty Barrett proves is that the complexities and contrasting elements of lives are what make individuals so compelling (Light in the Attic Records).
T.L. Barrett: a pastor, activist, community member, father, defrauder, and gospel-funk bandleader responsible for creating one of the most sought-after gospel records of all time. I wonder what the Pastor thinks of his life in hindsight. Did it turn out the way he expected? Probably not. Did it turn out for the better, though? I think that’s really between him and his God. His life (which I highly recommend you read his Wikipedia) demonstrates that our lives are a continually evolving story, one that cannot be defined by one moment in time but rather the amalgamation of moments, big and small, tiny and monumental. Our lives are defined by the full scope, and even then, trying to fit it into a neat definition limits the idea that multiple things can be true all at once.
While Barrett may not have had an idea of how his life would play out, he certainly channeled all the complex emotions of being a mortal man trying to live up to the expectations that his God commanded in a post-Civil Rights world into an album that transcends music. Whether you like gospel music or not, it’s undeniable how good this album is. It’s funky, full of soul, passionate and bombastic. Barrett’s voice holds a spectrum of emotions, all backed by a choir of youths from his parish transcending their age to convey angelic knowledge and wisdom.
Recorded in 1971 by a 27-year-old pastor and an after school program choir, Like A Ship is a stirring and powerful meditation on the wayward aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement. Tracked with the help of Chess/Cadet maestros Gene Barge, Phil Upchurch, and Richard Evans, the album is a mix of euphoric gospel and Mayfield-esque politcal soul, with sleigh bells, hand claps, and jazzy piano stabs. Sampled by T.I., Kanye, and Khalid, Barrett created a rapturous, crossover gospel classic that's still wildly relevant (The Numero Group).
While “Like A Ship” is the clear powerhouse song on the album, the full LP is a journey into the complex emotions of a singular man as he grapples with being a just person in an unjust society. “Nobody Knows” tells the tragic tale so simply yet with such emotional depth and sadness that listeners empathize with its hardship. It’s the story of life not going the way you expect it.
Nobody knows
All the trouble I’ve seen
nobody knows
All my sorrow […]
This is a mean world to try to live in
But you’ve got to stay ahead until you die
Expectations are a funny thing. We expect that life should be good. We all deserve happiness. Yet, expecting something and seeing it not play out leads to pure disappointment. Often, many will say that living a life without expectation is the best way to to avoid disappointment. I would push against that, though. We shouldn’t avoid disappointment - it is a crucial part of life that forms us, makes us stronger, makes us better. I think we should have expectations of the common things that we want and we deserve. At minimum, there are basic rights and principles that we should all expect of ourselves and each other.
More, though, we should all expect the unexpected because that’s perhaps the most permanent expectation of all - that life will never go according to plan. Pastor T.L. Barrett’s life certainly seems to have gone this way, whether he would admit it or not.
My life, too, has gone this way.
In January 2017, when the Light in the Attic reissue of Like A Ship (Without A Sail), was finally available again, I bought it immediately. I was in a pretty low moment of my life, having just gotten out of a relationship that took a lot out of me. Spinning Like A Ship was one of the first joys I experienced again during that time of my life. I was so excited to spin it at home that I put a video up on it my Instagram Stories (which had just come out!). A few minutes later, I got a DM from a woman I didn’t know. She said that she also loved this song and didn’t know it was on vinyl. After messaging each other for 24 hours straight, I took a chance and asked her to grab a coffee. That woman would later become my now-wife.
Like I said, life works out for the better, especially in ways you least expect it.
LATIN GOLD RECORDS’ SUMMER SALE - SATURDAY, 6/29
We’re only a week into Summer but things are heating up, so how about a vinyl record sale to keep the fire burning?!
This Saturday, June 29th at 9AM PST, I’ll be hosting a SUMMER SALE on the Latin Gold Records Instagram featuring a hot mix of Salsa, Bossa Nova, Funk, Hip-Hop, some World heat, and the Light in the Attic reissue of Pastor T.L. Barrett’s Like A Ship. These are sure to burn up your speakers and the dance floor!
In addition, I’ve got 4x limited edition Latin Gold Records black corduroy hats for sale! Each purchase gets a free postcard and sticker while supplies last.
As a subscriber of First Pressing, below is your exclusive sneak peek of the full collection going on sale. Mark your calendars and see you on the Latin Gold Records Instagram this Saturday, June 29th at 9AM PT / 12PM ET.
That’s it for this issue of First Pressing. Thanks so much for reading, and STAY COOL.
Happy Spinning,
Kadrian
P.S. Have you listened to Pastor T.L. Barrett? Thoughts? What album surprised you in an unexpected way?
Ah what an amazing album!! And a lovely story about how the music connected you with your now wife. I first heard of the good pastor in 2021 when Numero Group released a 5-disc box set entitled I Shall Wear A Crown. That album became my #2 album of 2021 which is really saying something as I rarely include compilations or reissues on my AOTY lists. But it was just SOOO good and helped me navigate what was an extremely difficult year for me. It’s a collection I go back to regularly (listening to it again right now in fact) and brings me great joy.
Great piece! I haven’t listened to “Like a Ship…(Without a Sail)” in a long time, you’re encouraging me to go back and check it out. I’m pretty sure this record also came my way through discover weekly, I wonder how similar Spotify thinks our taste is. Also can’t wait for the sale, so many great records lined up. I’ll have push notifications turned on as usual!