Search - Edwin Hawkins :: Love Is the Only Way

The Hawkins clan (Tramaine, Walter, the Edwin Hawkins Singers) have been leading lights in the modern funk-gospel scene since the 1960s. In 1969 the Hawkins Singers helped spread their message of faith to the entire nation when their version of the 19th-century Baptist hymn "Oh Happy Day" became a Top 40 hit. Since then Hawkins has spread the gospel through a series of seminars given for mass choirs. His first solo record since 1989, Love Is the Only Way is a cleanly produced effort with plenty of bright choir vocals, heavy grooves, Funkadelic-style synthesizer whoops, and heavy-duty lead singing from multiple Grammy Award winner Edwin. There are two new recordings of "Oh Happy Day" here: a heavy funk take and a "European mix" fit for the dance clubs. --Mike McGonigal