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Background Track:
"I'm Going On" by Commissioned (features Fred Hammond, Keith Staten, Mitchell Jones, Karl Reid, as lead singers; written by
Michael Brooks; from the album "I'm Going On")
The Group Commissioned
began as a few guys from Detroit named Mitchell Jones, Keith Staten, Karl Reid, and a bass player/singer named Fred Hammond
decided to start a band. They added a piano player/songwriter, Michael Brooks, and a drummer, Michael Williams, to became
known as the group COMMISSIONED.
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(Go Tell
Somebody: From Left to Right: Mitchell Jones (crouching in yellow) Fred Hammond, Karl Reid (in yellow), Michael Brooks (all
white), Keith Staten (crouching, blue) and Michael Williams)
Go Tell Somebody
(their second
album)
Tracklist:
Victory
Love Isn't Love
Go Tell Somebody
Cry On
Who Do Men Say I Am?
Hde The Word
Learn To Pray
Running Back To You
This was Commissioned's second
album from Light Records, released in 1986.
This album starts off with the
song "Victory", composed by Mitchell Jones and his longtime Commissioned ally (and sometime Commissioned backup vocal), Parkes
Stewart. Fred Hammond starts with a nice bass guitar entry, followed by Mike Williams on drums, followed by Mitchell
Jones and Commissioned. This song has a portion of the song "Victory Shall Be Mine" included in it ("Hold Your Peace,
Vengeance is mine...Victory, Victory Shall be mine...). "Love Isn't Love" was written by Michael Brooks, and features
a nice introductory solo by Fred Hammond. The lead guitar on this song is NICE!!! "Go Tell Somebody" is also written by Michael
Brooks and is sung by Keith Staten. This is a nice song with a message. The next track "Cry On" is a sort of
mellow song, and is sung by Mitchell Jones. This is a Commissioned classic which was also remade by Mitchell Jones and
his daughter Adrienne on his album Still Commissioned: The Songs of Mitchell Jones. "Who Do Men Say I Am?" is
a song written by Fred Hammond (He also put it on his album "In Case You Missed It And Then Some" in which Keith Staten and
later member Marcus Cole are guests in this song along with others). "Hide the Word", the next track, is pretty nice, and
features mentionable parts by Karl Reid and Keith Staten, nice bass playing by Fred Hammond at the end. "Learn to Pray" features
some nice guitar playing and drumming at the beginning mixed with Commissioned's signature round tenor
sound and Fred Hammond's lead voice. The last song "Running Back To You", mainly features Fred Hammond singing solo (an alright
song, but I think that it's impact on Fred Hammond been hyped up a little bit - speaking of those who feel that this
song put Fred Hammond on the map - however, this song is nice).
This album reached number 2 on
Billboard gospel charts.
Selected Sample Tracks
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I'm
Going On
(their first
album)
Tracklist:
I'm Going On
'Tis So Sweet
I Can See Jesus
Unworthy
You've Got A Friend
The City
Giving My Problems To You
Surely We Need Him
This is
Commissioned's first album, released in 1985 by Light Records. It featured hits such as "I'm Going On"- A nice song for its
time, with nice Latin Drumming and Percussion Work done by Michael Williams, followed by the round tenor sounds of Commissioned. "'Tis
So Sweet", lead first by Mitchell Jones, and also Fred Hammond. What I like most about this song is the last part (Lyric:
"Yeahoo...Jesus!...Oh I Love You!"). "I Can See Jesus" has an 80's rhythm, and may remind you of one
of The Winans' tracks. "Unworthy" is a classic Commissioned song, with a part sung by each of Commissioned's
vocalists (Mitchell, Fred, Karl, and Keith). Later member Marvin Sapp even sung it on his 2002 album I
Believe. Now What can I say about "You've Got A Friend"? It's lead by Keith Staten, and sounds pretty good, especially
the ending. "Giving My Problems To You" is another hit from Commissioned which is also sung by tenor Keith Staten
(the horns in the background can make you love this song). "The City" is a quiet, almost hymn-like song (in a sense) sung
by Commissioned, with Mitchell and Fred leading various sections of this song. "Surely We Need Him" is a nice song which
has a nice pickup late in the song ("Surely We Need Him, Surely We Need Him, Yeah...).
Selected Sample Tracks
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On The
Winning Side
Tracklist:
You Keep On Blessing Me
Strange Land
I’m Gonna Let My Love Flow
You Can Depend On Jesus
Only What You Do For Jesus Christ Will Last
What Will You Say?
When Jesus Sings
Perilous Times
Jesus Cares
This album is
Commissioned's third album from Light Records, released in 1987.
This album starts with "Keep On Blessing
Me" written by Michael Brooks, with a nice collaboration of sound for the time. Michael Williams starts drumming while then
Fred Hammond comes in on the bass, with a brass sectional collaboration that I like. You have to hear it to know what I'm
talking about. "Strange Land" has become a favorite of mine, I like how it begins with an A capella harmony that reminds
me of Take 6. "I'm Gonna Let My Love Flow" has grown to become one of my favorites. I like its beginning lyrics, along with
Mitchell Jones' singing the intro, "It's been a while my brother..." along with the stints of the bass guitar played by Fred
Hammond, his singing is great to. In "You Can Depend on Jesus", Mitchell Jones' singing is like that of a love song, the ending
of the song is also exceptional, a beautiful song to listen to if you're going through. In the song "Only What You Do For
Christ Will Last", I just recently realized that the repeated refrain "They Must Know" is used in Commissioned's
song "They Must Know" written by Wanya Morris (Boys II Men) in Commissioned's later album Irreplaceable Love. The song "Perilous
Times" utilizes the urban sound that Commissioned will be known for in their later albums, especially those on Benson
Records. Altogether, this album is uplifting especially in songs "You Can Depend on Jesus", and "Jesus Cares".
Selected Sample Tracks
You Keep On Blessing Me, Strange Land, I'm Gonna Let My Love Flow, You Can Depend On Jesus, Only What You Do For Christ Will Last
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Did you know that
Commissioned and the group Witness are related? Witness was founded at least in part by Michael Brooks, who was
also an original Commissioned member. They also had, on occasion, Fred Hammond playing the bass guitar, Eric Brice on
lead guitar, and Earl Wright on keyboards/organs (Eric Brice and Earl Wright were not Commissioned Members but did help on
their albums - mainly the Original ones). After his departure from Commissioned, Michael Brooks still continued
to compose much of Witness' music.
©2003-2010, by J. Lawrence. All Rights Reserved
PLEASE DO NOT PLAGARIZE MY TEXT AND ALBUM NOTES!!!
Contact information: This site made by J. Lawrence
email: thewinans_commissioned@yahoo.com
When emailing, please use a subject line that relates to Commissioned.
THIS IS NOT COMMISSIONED'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE (NOR IS THIS THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF ANY OF COMMISSIONED
RESPECTIVE MEMBERS), NOR IS THE BUILDER OF THIS WEBSITE IN ANY WAY CONNECTED TO COMMISSIONED. Thank you for reading this message
and visiting this website.
Note: PLEASE DISREGARD ALL ADS.
The author of this site has no control over
what ads come onto his site, and is very sorry for this inconvenience. (My site is much more enjoyable with some form of pop-up
or ad-blocker)
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