Lift Him Up (Help Me Jesus)

Audio file
Date recorded: October 4, 1959
Contributor(s): Performer: Unidentified woman; Performer: Unidentified; Recordist: Lomax, Alan
Subject(s):
Genre: sacred song, spiritual
Culture: African American, Southern U.S.
Instruments: drum(s), organ, piano, voice
Setting: The Pentecostal Temple
Location: Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Physical form: Reel to Reel
Tape number: T907
Track Number: 1
Archive ID: T907R01
Note: Alan Lomax: "Marvellous sound effect; hard to understand words." Editor note: Lomax's Tape log is unclear – this song he has labelled "Hymn," though it is the "Help Me Jesus" (the common name is "Lift Him Up") noted at the end of the previous tape. It is in fact the first song on T907 and not the last on T906.
Belongs to: Memphis III 10/59
About the session: Spirituals and preaching recorded at a service at the Pentecostal Temple in Memphis. Another song was noted by Alan Lomax at the end of T907 (on the original tape box) - "Heaven is Mine," led by Madame Mattie Wigley. Perhaps he is referring to the version that appears on T859 and is included in this session. It is unclear whether the first two tracks here are actually from the Pentecostal Temple (they certainly are of a different quality - perhaps they were recorded before the service took place) - they have been included because of a note of Alan's inside the T859 box that identifies them as being from "The Memphis Holiness Temple." The two tracks from 880 have been included as well based on similar instrumentation and sound quality.
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