The Edwin Hawkins Singers vs. James Cleveland | Head 2 Head

In the 10th edition of Head 2 Head (2025), The Edwin Hawkins Singers and James Cleveland contend for the best rendition of “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.”

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians performing the same song and compare their performances.  After deliberation, we decide which performance is the best or moves us more subjectively. In the 10^th edition of Head 2 Head (2025), The Edwin Hawkins Singers and James Cleveland contend for the best rendition of “Jesus, Lover of My Soul”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. The Edwin Hawkins Singers, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” 

Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord // Sony Music Entertainment // 1968

“Jesus, lover of my soul / Let me to Thy bosom fly.” Those lyrics hail from an old, beloved hymn by Charles Wesley. The late, great Edwin Hawkins (1943 – 2018) and The Edwin Hawkins Singers make “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” sound brand-new and completely original. The sound might contrast with the original penned by Wesley, but the powerful nature of the hymn is unchanged in the hands of The Edwin Hawkins Singers. “Jesus” is the second track from Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord released in 1968.

From the jump, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” is high-energy, set in the bright key of D-flat major.  D-flat is an awesome key for gospel music, by the way.  Piano, drums and the tambourine are key instruments within the musical accompaniment. The piano playing is incredibly bluesy. During the verses, The Edwin Hawkins Singers show off a mix of show choir and classical choral sensibility. They masterfully deliver Wesley’s reverent and thoughtful lyrics. In the first verse, they continue singing, “While the nearer waters roll / While the tempest still is high.” In the second verse, they tout, “Plenteous grace from Thee is found / Grace to cover all my sin / Let the healing streams abound / Make and keep me pure within.” Amen!  The chorus is where the choir is its most dynamic:

“My Savior, hide, Savior, hide

Till the storm of life is past

Safe into the heaven’s guide

And receive my soul at last

And receive my soul at last.”

As epic as the chorus is, the bridge may be the section to beat. Vamping, the choir sings in four parts.  It begins with the basses, setting the foundation with “Jesus is the lover of my soul.”  From there, the tenors, then altos, and finally, the sopranos assert powerfully, in harmony,  “He’s a lover, of my soul.”  At the end of the brief outro, the final chord, performed on the word “soul” is stunning.  Rather than end on a standard D-flat major chord, the choir surprises us with a super cool ‘jazz’ chord.  Years after its release, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” in the hands of The Edwin Hawkins Singers sounds fresh!

Appears in 🔻:

• The Edwin Hawkins Singers, Jesus, Lover of My Soul: Covers No. 9 (2025)

2. James Cleveland & The Voices of Cornerstone, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul”

The King of Gospel Music // Malaco // 2021

The King of Gospel Music, James Cleveland (1931 – 1991), was known for his unique arrangements of hymns and transformations of pop songs. With no shortage of gems in his catalog, among my favorites from 💿 The King of Gospel Music is “Jesus, Lover of My Soul”.  Cleveland, like Edward Hawkins, takes this hymn by Charles Wesley and transforms it into his own.

The lyrics of “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” are poetic and spiritually charged. More innovative, however, are some of the musical choices made by Cleveland.  Examining the hymn in my African Methodist Episcopal hymnal, it is slightly irregular (the phrasing) given its six-four time signature. Worth noting that there is another variant with a different tune. Cleveland black ‘gospelizes’ it, matching the colorful, traditional sound we’ve associated with him historically. Cleveland also digs deeper into the possibilities of music theory and is more liberal with the black gospel palette.  Set in the key of E-flat major, the second half of the verses opt for a modal interchange, shifting to E-flat minor, and at times, playing with E-flat Dorian (the C natural as opposed to C-flat).  For more reference to where this happens lyrically, here’s the rest of the first verse, which Cleveland and Voices of Cornerstone treat as the recurring chorus:

“Hide me, O my Savior, hide,

Till the storm of life is past.

Safe into the haven guide,

O receive my soul at last!”

The harmonies captured by the choir were much more innovative for gospel music at the time this record arrived, incorporating harmonies from jazz.  Throw in one of the funkiest bass lines and drum grooves you’ll hear in gospel music, and “Jesus, Lover of my Soul” gets a radical transformation.  Another cool addition by Rev? The vamp on the lyrics, “Receive me, lord,” which plays around with this minor/modal key. “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” in the hands of James Cleveland is a must-hear.

Appears in 🔻:

• James Cleveland, Jesus, Lover of My Soul: Sunday Refresh 🙏 18 (2022)

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

So, which gospel musician and choir performed the best rendition of the beloved hymn, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul?” Was it the bright, spirited, major-key take by The Edwin Hawkins Singers or the funky, minor-key version by James Cleveland and the Voices of Cornerstone? Honestly, before listening to The Edwin Hawkins Singers version multiple times, I would have been prepared to hand the definitive interpretation to Cleveland and Cornerstone. For one reason, the Cleveland version is the one I have been most familiar with and heard first. But, having experienced the excellence of both recordings, which exalt the Most High, the only fitting and possible outcome in my eyes is a tie.  Both versions are distinct and special in their own way.  Both are important to black gospel music.

The Edwin Hawkins Singers vs. James Cleveland: Head 2 Head No. 10 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Malaco, Sony Music Entertainment; Israel Torres, KoolShooters, Los Muertos Crew, RDNE Stock project, Thomas Ronveaux from Pexels]