Sista Monica "Gimme That Old Time Religion"
Song Titles

1. Bye & Bye - traditional
2. Walk Around Heaven All Day - written by Rev. James Cleveland, C.George
3. Gimme That Old Time Religion 1:37
4. Didn't Rain - written by MahaliaJackson
5. Down by The River Side - traditional
6. The Stranger - written by Dorothy Love Coates
7. Walk All Over God's Heaven
8. Amazing Grace/Motherless Child
9. When The Saints Go Marhing In
10 He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
11. Don't Knock - written by The Staple Singers
12. I Want Jesus To Walk With Me
13. Gimme That Old Time Religion - traditional

Arranged and Produced by Sista Monica Parker
Co-Produced by Ron E. Beck - drummer
Children's Choir directed by Kate Alm
Adult Choir directed by Sista Monica Parker
Mo Muscle Records & Ent. release date June 26, 2001

Available at
CDBaby.com

Song Reviews by Peggy Leyva-Conley of deltasnake.com

Gospel and blues musician Sista Monica is one of those mult-talented performers who has a calling and a message in her music. It is clear from the opening of her song titled "Walk Around Heaven All Day" that this is a deep-rooted gospel and blues song that will touch, and send a bone chilling experience all over your body. Sista Monica is a genuine musician who speaks from her heart and soul. If you love Etta James you are going to love Sista Monica as her essence and presence is strong to compare the two.

Sista Monica has performed across the USA and Europe. She has performed for former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hilary Clinton. She has also been nominated for a W.C. Handy Award the highest appraise in the blues music industry a musician can receive.

Gimme That Old Time Religion
This is an old gospel song, which is legendary especially here in the USA. Sista Monica is singing with joy and the choir in the background is accompanying her as she is belting out in song of praise and dance. This number clearly helps you understand where her gospel and deep spiritual voice has deep-rooted influence in her life.

Walk Around Heaven All Day
Sista Monica belts out on this song in deep rooted feelings one of these mornings it won't be very long, you gone to look for me and I will be gone on home. I'm going to a place where there is nothing, nothing to do, just walk around, walk around heaven all day. If, this song does not touch your heart and soul I don't know what will. This is the real thing to deep and emotional passion for the love of the gospel. The song is compelling and orchestrates a deep movement-taking place. The song is based on a divine spiritual walk and faith for the love of the Lord. The song is based on the long journey we all must walk and take in this life before we enter into the Kingdom of God from his assured blessings in this life.

By And By
This next song many times growing up in church we sang on Sunday mornings. This is an other classic gospel song. The song is about not giving up in this life. The message is given to be spiritually ready for that day when we all return home to our creator. When our long journey has been completed. This song is also about not giving up in life's battles and hardships. Sista Monica sings with such a deep and strong voice on this song.

Didn't It Rain
Listen closely to Sista Monica's voice on this song. She can carry such deep and long notes when performing in vocals. Her voice is dynamic and incredibly strong. She is like the thunder and the rain put together. She has the power of the spirit in her that just pours out all over the place.

Down By The River Side
This is another classic gospel song highly recognized in the gospel songs of the world. Sista Monica carries the whole band and choir throughout this performance in the forefront of her state presence. This song will have you clapping and singing with joy in your heart. There is a touch of Dixieland Jazz on this number accompanying the gospel sound.

The Stranger
Sista Monica performs an outstanding performance on this song. The song is about a woman who committed adultery. The stranger in the story is the Lord who freed these women of her sins. The Lord blessed her and told her to go on home. In reality this was a story from the bible. It was about Jesus delivering a woman from her wrong doings in which she found peace. Sista Monica is sending a message to the listener through her music that this same person is the same person, who healed the women then, is the same person, who can heal us even today.

There are so many other wonderful songs on the initial CD release such as all Over God's Heaven, Amazing Grace/Motherless Child, When The Saints Go Marching In, He's Got The Whole World In His Hands, Don't Knock, Walk With Me Lord, and lastly Gimme That Old Time Religion.

The overall CD by Sista Monica demonstrated her strong sense of culture and respect to the gospel music in which she is grounded.

Monica Parker was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, graduated from West Side High School and used her G.I. benefits she pursued her B.A. at Indiana University in Business Management with emphasis in Marketing. She started singing at age 7 as a member of The Great Band Missionary Baptist Church Choir. In 1972 at age 16 she attended Miracle Temple Church Of God In Christ (C.O.G.I.C) offering a strong alto voice to this spirit-filled choir. After three years in the U. S. Marine Corps with an honorable discharge for being a recruiting sergeant, Parker returned to the Midwest residing in Chicago, Illinois. She was then 25 years of age. She attended Life Center Universal Awareness Church singing harmonies in the choir. In 1987, she relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and joined Life Center Ministries in Oakland under Pastor Walter Hawkins. She enjoyed singing for a short time in the Edwin Hawkins Music & Arts Seminar Choir until she moved to Santa Cruz, California in 1991.

To offset her musical career she has been an engineering executive recruiter and consultant for high tech corporations in the Silicon Valley for 14 years. As a choir member Monica Parker had never sang solo or led songs in front of a group. At the age of 36, she decided to balance her life from the rigors of corporate America she after seeing M.C. Hammer on the Arsenio Hall show. She bought a microphone and started a band in 1992. Three years later she became a singer/songwriter with her first CD "Get Out My Way" ending with a moving acapella version of "Precious Lord Take My Hand". Sista Monica Parker soon developed a tremendous global following attributed to her dynamic stage presence and charisma when connecting with the audience. Now, almost a decade later, she is considered a show-stopping festival favorite touring the world as an international recording artist with other award winning CDs. The add to her catalog of CDs is the self-titled 1997 release "Sista Monica", the 2000 release "People Love The Blues" and the 2001 release "Sista Monica Live In Europe."

Since 1995 Monica Parker has produced and released 5 CDs on her Mo Muscle Records & Entertainment record label located in Santa Cruz, California. Known for her deep and rich contralto voice, she sings mostly original gospel-influenced Blues and Soul. She has won numerous awards and has traveled around the world entertaining audiences in Turkey, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, Great Britain, Mexico City and the U. S. She includes a gospel song while in concert and on her each of her CDs - never forgetting her roots. Sista Monica has shared the stage at major festivals with legends such as Al Green, BB King, The Temptations, Mavis Staples & The Staples Singers, Gladys Knight, the late John Lee Hooker, Dr. John, Taj Mahal and many other Grammy Award winning artists.

"Gimme That Old Time Religion" took two years in the studio to complete between tours. "I felt like the Pied Piper gathering voices and musicians to produce this compilation says Sista Monica. In 1999, Ken "Big Papa" Baker her tenor sax player and a dear friend suddenly passed away. Humming and singing the gospel songs of yester-years, plus the support of friends from all parts of the Bay Area helped to heal her sorrowed heart. The CD features Kate Alm-piano player and musical director for the Calvary Episcopal Children's Choir of Santa Cruz. She directed 16 children ages ranging from ages 3 to 11 that sang on "He's Got The Whole In His Hands". Kate also played on "Down By the River Side", "Bye & Bye", "Gimme That Old Time Religion" and other traditional gospel favorites. John Turk - Music Director of the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church Choir located in San Francisco, California plays a heart-felt piano on Rev. James Cleveland's "Walk Around Heaven All Day". Tim Landis also from Glide Memorial played lead guitar on each track. Ron E. Beck, co-producer and drummer sang tenor in the choir. Bill Bosch played upright acoustic bass, a visually impaired Dayan Kai played New Orleans style clarinet on "When The Saints Go Marching In" along with Art Alm-tuba, Noel Catura tenor sax and Eddie Ramirez on trumpet to round out the brass section. Jackie Gainey of Richmond Temple C.O.G.I.C. offered a high-spirited Hammond B3 organ throughout the CD and most remarkably on the title track. The Adult Choir singers included Rebecca Adams, Ann Peden, Shiela Truso, Arron Woods, August O'Connor, Tammy Brown, Ron E. Beck, Donisha Leggett, Scarlett McKinley, Rolesa Smith, Tanya Fitzgerald, Vince Harris, Tony Howard, Leslie Mixon, Shelton Crutch, Janet Crutch and Kate Alm. Sista Monica led and directed the adult choir.

"A feeling of joy comes to my heart when I sings gospel, and while some of the songs speak of the future and the hereafter, they give me happiness and hope for a better day right now. I love all types of music, however with all its truth and humility, there is nothing that goes deeper and does my heart better than singing some traditional gospel songs" says Sista Monica Parker

Basic Recording Engineer: Allen Goldwater Magic Sound, Santa Cruz, CA
Vocal Recording: Steve Savage Different Fur, San Francisco, CA
Mastering Engineer: Steve Savage Savage Sound, San Francisco, CA
Photography: Paul Schraub Santa Cruz, CA
Make Up Artist: Joslyn White Santa Cruz, CA
Cover Design: Michael Ashley Ash Café, Santa Cruz, CA
Layout & Design: Sean Singleton Santa Cruz, CA
Manufacturing: Digidoc Productions Anaheim, CA

Distributed by
City Hall Records of San Rafael, CA
and Valley Records Distributors of Woodland, CA

Available at
CDBaby.com

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