Our in-depth look at some of southern gospel’s premier recording labels continues this month with perhaps the most well-known company: Canaan Records, the chief competitor to last month’s focus, HeartWarming Records.
Canaan Records
Canaan Records was launched in 1964, just about two years after HeartWarming. Canaan was a subsidiary of Word Records, based in Waco, Texas. Word had been releasing scores of sacred recordings since 1952, but Canaan would serve as Word’s gospel music label (the term ‘southern gospel’ had not yet been coined). One of the first groups to sign with Canaan would be the Florida Boys.
Canaan would soon add to their roster the Blue Ridge Quartet, Dixie Echoes, Couriers, and, by 1967, the increasingly-popular Happy Goodman Family.
Canaan’s popularity exploded in the 1970s. By the mid-70s, the roster included Wendy Bagwell & The Sunliters, the Cathedral Quartet, Florida Boys, Jimmie Davis, Lewis Family, Happy Goodmans, LeFevres, Kingsmen, and the Thrasher Brothers.
The story of Canaan Records cannot be told without mentioning Marvin Norcross. Marvin joined Word Records shortly after its founding in 1952, serving as Vice President. He would also spearhead Canaan Records, often serving as producer for many albums on the label.
Norcross was admired by many for his honesty, integrity, and Christian demeanor. Jim Myers, president of the Gospel Music Association (GMA), noted, “In Marvin Norcross, there burned a special fire fanned by an unswerving commitment to the Christian ethic, by unqualified dependability, by wholesome humor, and by one of the heartiest, warmest, and most eager handshakes I have ever known”.
The aforementioned was actually delivered at his funeral. On June 18, 1980, at the age of just 51, Marvin Norcross suffered a fatal heart attack. Canaan quickly regrouped as they prepared to enter the 1980s.
Before moving on, recall that Canaan Records was part of a larger company, Word Records. Since Canaan’s founding, Word had added other labels to accommodate newer styles of Christian music. DaySpring Records featured inspirational/light contemporary artists such as the Imperials and the newly-formed Gaither Vocal Band. Word’s Myrrh Records label was quickly becoming a leading contemporary Christian label with artists like BJ Thomas and Amy Grant.
As the 1980s progressed, the Canaan roster dwindled for various reasons. The Happy Goodmans had disbanded by 1983. The Kingsmen had moved to HeartWarming Records in 1976. The Cathedrals signed with the newly-formed RiverSong Records in 1983. Canaan did retain, though, groups like the Inspirations, the Rex Nelon Singers (formerly the LeFevres), Florida Boys, Wendy Bagwell & The Sunliters, and had just welcomed the Talleys.
Just like last month’s story of HeartWarming Records, here, once again, is where the story gets complicated, and documentation is rather sparse. In 1987, Canaan re-brands itself as ‘The “New” Canaan Records’, with a new emphasis on Christian country music. This was highlighted in the August 1987 issue of Singing News Magazine, which introduced readers to two of Canaan’s newly-signed artists: Bruce Carroll and Terri Gibbs.
The response from many fans was not favorable. They felt that Canaan was all but abandoning southern gospel music. Canaan executives reassured them that southern gospel was ‘here to stay’. Thus, a minor change was made – the ‘Canaan’ label was reinstated for southern gospel artists, while the newly-added Christian country artists would be placed under the ‘New Canaan’ label.
By the early 1990s, the Canaan Records name appears on fewer and fewer albums. Often times, albums are released under simply ‘Word Records’, or ‘Word/Canaan’. The label seems to all but fade by the mid-to-late 1990s (although it is briefly revived in the mid-2000s).
Availability Of Canaan Records Releases
Canaan has fared a tad bit better than their competitor, HeartWarming. In a future article, we’ll discuss Homeland Records, which launched in 1987. Throughout the 1990s, Homeland, which apparently had access to the Canaan masters, released many cuts from the 1970s and 1980s on a number of ‘Collection’ CDs for various artists. By the late 1990s, a handful of Canaan albums were re-issued on CD in their entirety.
Canaan is presently owned by Curb Records. Curb has made a small number of albums available on digital streaming platforms. Search such artists as Cathedrals, Inspirations, Nelons, and the Happy Goodmans, to find a handful of Canaan releases available. Some have just recently been added, so it will be interesting to see what becomes available in the coming years.
For many years the ‘big two’, Canaan and HeartWarming, dominated the southern gospel industry. However, there were some smaller, or ‘development’, labels that provided a launching pad for many ‘up-and-coming’ artists. What’s more, these labels did exceedingly well, often times rivaling the ‘big two’. We’ll begin exploring some of these smaller labels like MorningStar, WindChime, and even Eagle One in next month’s article.
