Jesus Is A Soul Man

I don't buy a lot of Christian records, but this one from the Sego Brothers & Naomi had just the right hook to catch my interest: Jesus is a Soul Man. Get it? I love the way bible-belt Christians will co-opt almost any aspect of secular culture to get their word out. One day Jesus is a Soul Man, and the next thing you know, there are Christian heavy metal bands playing at your local football stadium. Watch out!

This is pretty much a one-joke record (unless you count the subjoke included in the title song, I'm sure SOULed on him). I suppose the idea was to get the kids interested enough to listen to the more serious Jesus tales later on the album.

Interestingly enough, Jesus Is A Soul Man comes to us from Nashville-based Spar Records, the same recording geniuses behind The Now Generation. I guess when you're hip, you're hip!

Jeff Sessions (unbiasedwhiteguy@senate.gov) says:
This is the kind of unbiased music I used to listen to in the Methodist Church Sunday school back home in Hybart. Good times. (07-14-2009)

Anthony Callis (acallis@stx.rr.com) says:
I sure would love to have the chords to Jesus Is A Soul Man. If anyone has this would you please send to my email address? (01-06-2009)

Yngve Bjerke (y-bjerke@online.no) says:
To doorag. Thank you for your nice describtion of our vertion of Jesus is a Soul Man.
The Firebeats are a norwegian band from Oslo.
They started in 1962 and are still playing. They released their first LP-record in 1965/66, and all together they have released 10 albums and numerous singel-records in english, norwegian, danish and swedish.
Jesus is a Soul Man was recorded in Denmark in 1976.
Yngve Bjerke
Meber of The Firebeats. (02-06-2008)

Wang says:
Am I the only one to notice that the woman in the center seems to have an inverted cross on her stomach? (12-20-2007)

Mr. Million says:
Jest all you wish, but this group was the first to sell one million records in the Gospel music industry. (07-26-2007)

haywood jablomy says:
I remember SEGO diet shakes!
And what is it with the Buick-sized bouffant hair on these gospel singers? (07-17-2007)

Steven Garrett (sgarrett3@verizon.net) says:
I wish I could have met the whole group. I only remeber my Uncle W.R. just a little bit. But I have a video of the group and they sounded so good. (04-23-2007)

Sego lover says:
This group put out some great gospel music in their day. I'm not familiar with this record, but I have a few of their other albums from the 60s or 70s that feature timeless Southern gospel music. (02-09-2007)

ze kraut says:
I kind of start liking your troll here, mr. peanut head... there should be no religious discussions in music.
BTW My mum had such a dress, that was in 65.
PS Love the site. Spent three hours here now. Keep up the great work. (01-30-2007)

Charles F Kane says:
Was this album from the 70's or older? (12-26-2006)

Linda says:
Why is it that if there is something good and decent out there, there are those that will not except it but try to find someway to deny it. It doesn't matter how Jesus is sung about as a soul man or as King of Kings only that he can be your best friend when you really need someone and there are none to be found. Stop fighting it but except him today. (10-22-2006)

john says:
just because the subject of this music is religious doesnt make it good music. the fact that they tried to spread christian beliefs through pop music is great but the actual music isn't really appealing (06-27-2006)

Peter Green says:
It's easy to criticise this music from a 21st century perspective, but for teenagers in the late 1960s, this song and others like it were a breakthrough. Conservative Christians had toned down the music-hall fun of the 1880s/1890s hymns until they were deadly boring, and suddenly this fun stuff had actually made it onto the radio and caught their attention.

Some of what has come since has been pretty banal, but there wouldn't have been anything new in Christian music if it hadn't been for the pioneers who tried something new and overcame the critics.

I'm a Baptist minister these days, and still occasionally whistle "Jesus is a soul man" when I'm cheerily nostalgic -- and I try to remember that I've got to encourage the teens and twenty-somethings to use the music of their generation, and not get stuck with the music of mine. (06-24-2006)

Hazel SEGO Johnson (hazel.johnson@outokumpu.com ) says:
The Sego Brothers and Naomi was my father's group. They all loved the Lord very much and poured their lives into the ministry of the gospel. I am very proud of their life's work. Several of the members have since gone on to be with Jesus but their music ministry still remains.
Thanks to those who have had kind words. (05-01-2006)

Wally says:
Yeah, that song came out about 1967, 68 and was played on the Rock/Pop stations. Lawrence Reynolds sang it. (10-03-2005)

Jesus Christ says:
Jeezus Kee-Rist! (09-21-2005)

chris eaton says:
I LOVE THIS SONG. I LOVE JESUS. (09-10-2005)

Jesus De La Pinga (elsalvador@jahoo.com) says:
Don't listen to that maricon Raul. Tengo mucha mas alma que ello. (06-10-2005)

Raul Pato (flangobbler@jahoo.com) says:
Dudes, Jesus lives down the street from me and he sure ain't no soul man. (06-09-2005)

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