Biography

Following the loving recreation of a vintage radio show that formed the core of 2021’s Radio Days, the Chuck Wagon Gang returns with Come Go With Me, a glistening new collection for Mountain Home Music that finds the present-day version of the legendary gospel group serving up equal portions of old songs and new — but all bearing the signature sound that has sustained the Gang for an unprecedented career that’s now lasted nearly 90 years.

Produced by Jeremy Stephens, leader of the popular bluegrass revivalist band, High Fidelity, and a former member of the Chuck Wagon Gang himself, Come Go With Me makes a compelling case for the timelessness of the group’s sound. Indeed, at a time when the listening audience’s appetite for the down-to-earth resonance of acoustic sounds, the sturdy simplicity of traditional styles and the abiding warmth of sincere gospel sentiments has never been larger, the elemental approach embodied in this down-to-earth yet well-crafted collection has never been more appealing.

With Stephens on board not only as producer, but as instrumentalist alongside studio wizard David Johnson and award-winning bassist Mike Bub, the Gang serve up a set that embraces continuity through a seamless blend of material that, whether old or new, sounds tailor-made for their old-school approach. Bookended by new songs — the closing “Our Sins Are Washed Away” even comes straight from the pen of the group’s leader, Shaye Smith — the Chuck Wagon Gang visit classics like “I Dreamed About Heaven Last Night” and Dottie Rambo’s thoughtful “For What Earthly Reason” and recent arrivals like “The Mighty Word of God” and the bluegrass-flavored “I Will Not Cry Today,” presenting each in an arrangement that faithfully reflects the essence of the sound first brought to the world three generations ago, yet infuses it with new energy.

Says Smith, “We have an interesting variety of selections on Come Go With Me. Maybe for the first time ever, there are as many brand new songs as recognizable favorites. But even these old favorites are new for the Gang. I believe there is something for everyone within this album and we are anticipating its release with great excitement!”

About the Chuck Wagon Gang
Although the Chuck Wagon Gang has been around since 1936 — undergoing many personnel changes over the years — its sound and devotion to old-fashioned gospel has remained much the same. Their greatest significance is that the band provides an important link between country music and traditional sacred songs of the South. This music has moved Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Charlie Daniels, and generations of gospel singers and open-eared listeners. For more than 80 years, the Chuck Wagon Gang has offered hope and harmony, faith and family and is now in its third generation.

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