The Greenes – Part 1
This month, I’d like to begin an in-depth look at one of my favorite southern gospel “mixed” groups: the Greenes. (Recall that “mixed” simply means a mix of male and female vocalists, as opposed to an all-male quartet).
Like many other mixed groups, the Greenes were a family group of brothers Tim and Tony Greene. Initially, the group also included their sister, Kim, and father, Everette. The Greenes enjoyed a great deal of success on the southern gospel scene throughout their nearly thirty years of ministry, from the early eighties through the year 2010.
The Greenes hailed from Boone, North Carolina, and began singing in area churches as early as the late seventies. They released their first album, entitled Walking In God’s Sunshine, around 1980/1981. At the time, Tim Greene was 17, Kim was just shy of 14, and Tony was 12. Their second album, Gloryland, released in 1982, produced their very first Top 40 hit song of the same title.
In 1984, the Greenes (then billed as the ‘Singing Greenes’) signed with the Eddie Crook Company. You may recall from previous articles that this was a ‘development label’, giving up-and-coming artists the opportunity to reach a national audience. The Eddie Crook Company excelled in not only producing professional-grade recordings that could compete with more well-known groups, but also in the area of radio promotion, constantly supplying stations with 45 rpm singles of their latest releases. (Other groups that got their start with Eddie Crook include the Bishops, the Perrys, the Hayes Family, and the McKameys, just to name a few).
Their first release for Eddie Crook, on his MorningStar label, was entitled Greenehouse, released in 1984. This album gave us one of their many “signature” songs – “It Sure Sounds Like Angels To Me”, which also became their very first Top 20 hit. Although this album contained ‘covers’ of other popular songs of the time (“We Shall See Jesus”, “I Know What Lies Ahead”, “Look For Me”), we’re also treated to a song written by Tim and Kim Greene –“Calmer Of The Storm”. Tim would soon begin to write many of the group’s songs.
In 1985, the Greenes released their second album for MorningStar, Evergreene. They recorded a song on this album written by Kirk Talley entitled “Ride On The Clouds”, which became their first Top 10 hit, peaking at #10 on the Singing News Chart in April of 1986.
After two releases for Eddie Crook, the Greenes then joined the Benson Company, and were signed to their RiverSong label, which was home to groups like the Cathedrals, Gold City, the Hemphills, and the Speers. The Greenes would only record one album for RiverSong, though, entitled When He Sees Me, released in 1986. Two songs were sent to radio from this recording, the title cut, and another song entitled “Going On With My Jesus”.
By now, the Greenes were doing their fair share of traveling, while at the same time trying to live their individual lives. Tim answered the call to preach, while Kim obtained her cosmetologist license and was working at a hair salon. Tony began working at a local funeral home. The group would then perform concert dates on the weekends.
After less than a year with Benson, the Greenes then signed with a then brand-new label, Eagle One Records, joining groups like the Paynes, the Dixie Echoes, and the Lesters. Their first release for Eagle One, in 1987, was entitled Family Praise. This album gave us another one of their “signature” songs, “There’s A Miracle In Me”, written by Phil and Carolyn Cross. This song would go as high as #2 on the Singing News Chart in January of 1988, and would be re-recorded by the group several times in later years.
By 1988, Eagle One had been re-branded as Journey Records, and the Greenes released a recording called From Our Hearts. The group enjoyed the success of another Phil Cross song on this album “Restless Hearts” (inspired by the then-popular country group of the same name).
Then, in the July 1988 issue of Singing News Magazine, news broke that Kim Greene was getting married to Dean Hopper of the Hoppers. Rumors began to circulate…would Dean join the Greenes, or would Kim join the Hoppers? (Singing News assured readers, though, that there were no plans for the due to launch their own group, the Greenehoppers).
We’ll continue our look at the Greenes next month!
