Out of all contemporary gospel groups, Commissioned has had the greatest impact on both sacred and secular music over the last 20 years.
Experience this awesome group for yourself with “The Essential Commissioned,” a first-rate collection of classics from Commissioned’s 1985-2002 recording career.
Indeed, most of the essentials are here, including favorites such as “I’m Going On,” “Running Back to You,” “Ordinary Just Won’t Do,” and “Go Tell Somebody.”
The style that Commissioned pioneered has become so common that most people don’t recognize the group as the originator of that sound. If more people understood the musical impact of Commissioned, its members would be millionaire’s several-times over.
When Commissioned came out with their debut “I’m Going On,” only a handful of gospel artists were releasing songs that appealed to youth outside the church.
Commissioned was the first group to combine Christ-centered lyrics with R&B, funk and hip-hop rhythms, a new sound for the gospel community. Young adults and teens bought Commissioned albums because they sounded so much like what was on the radio.
Many of us can recall the days when WTLC-FM was on the 105.7 dial and our city didn’t have a Black gospel station. You had to wait until early Sunday morning to hear church music. I remember noticing that Commissioned’s “King of Glory” (1991), an obvious gospel song, was being played on WTLC at times besides Sunday morning.
It was common at that time for youngsters to cruise their cars up and down 38th Street with their stereos blaring. A few of them played “King of Glory” as they packed the strip. You had to hear it to believe it; a gospel song being boomed alongside cuts by hardcore rappers like Dr. Dre, Too Short and Eazy E.
This is the kind of impact Commissioned had on a generation that used its songs to draw closer to Christ and survive challenges in high school and college.
At first, Commissioned’s insistence on having street credit with their progressive sound cost them support among conservatives in the gospel community. However, the group soon overcame this opposition by keeping their message focused on Christ. Senior saints liked Commissioned because their singing sounded like the old quartet groups, and the youth enjoyed them because their beats were cool.
Commissioned also pioneered the concept of making vocal harmonies more prominent. Previously, harmonies were mixed in the background. Commissioned’s tight harmonies took center stage, as opposed to lead vocals and instruments.
This harmonic approach was quickly adopted by virtually every male R&B group of the era, from Jodeci and Silk, to Boyz II Men and Dru Hill. Songs by these groups sound a lot like Commissioned’s “The City” (1985), “I Am Here” (1990), “Please You More” (1991), “Crucified With Christ” (1996) and “Walk Right” (2000).
It’s a shame Commissioned doesn’t get more credit for this innovation.
Additionally, Commissioned launched the careers of gospel stars who left the group to pursue their own ministries, such as Fred Hammond, Michael Brooks, Keith Staten and Marvin Sapp, whose current hit “Never Would Have Made It” is being played constantly on gospel and R&B radio formats.
At least seven Commissioned “greatest hits” packages have been released, which is proof of the group’s popularity. These past compilations, however, excluded important songs or focused too heavily on the contributions of one member.
The “Essential Commisssioned” is the group’s first complete compilation, covering its greatest studio cuts and best live performances.
An innovative group like Commissioned deserves to have its story told correctly, and that’s exactly what “The Essential Commissioned” does. Longtime fans will be reminded of how we experienced the life-changing power of Christ through its music, and new listeners will understand why it’s so hard for us to let this group go.
“The Essential Commissioned” can be found in most music stores, department stores and Christian bookstores.
Did you know: Two Indiana natives, Fort Wayne keyboardist Maxx Frank and Evansville’s Montrell Darrett were members of Commissioned. Frank replaced original keyboardist Michael Brooks in 1991, and Darrett replaced original lead singer Fred Hammond in 1996.
