Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Canaan is a subsidiary of Word Entertainment. It started in 1965 as a vehicle for the label's
Southern Gospel quartets. After being absent from the southern gospel music industry for a
number of years, Word Entertainment revived the Canaan Records label in 2007, placing Dave
Clark as the General Manager of the label and announcing Canaan's relaunch on June 6, 2007.
The first group to sign with the label after the relaunch was southern gospel veteran group, The
Hoppers, who released their first Canaan Records album, The Ride on September 4, 2007.
Early labels were red with black print. Later, the label changed to black with a color logo and a
distinctive vertical row of colored dots down the middle of the label. In the mid-1980s, the label
changed to a full color label showing a desert town (presumably Canaan) at sunset, with colors
fading from green to yellow to orange in the sky, and tones of brown for the sand. For the 2007
relaunch of Canaan Records, the logo was changed to display the word "Canaan" in a script-style
font with the word "RECORDS" below in a sans-serif font, with the label name surrounded on
either side by arching curves, implying an oval shape around the words.
The Best of the Happy Goodmans - The Happy Goodman Family [1966]
The Little Man with the Big Heart - Hal Kennedy [1966]
Blue Ridge Quartet Sings America's 12 Favorite Hymns - Blue Ridge Quartet [1967]
The Happy Gospel of the Happy Goodman Family - The Happy Goodman Family [1968]
Ride That Glory Train with the Blue Ridge Quartet - Blue Ridge Quartet [1970]
Talk About the Good Times - Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters [1970]
The Many Moods of the Florida Boys - Florida Boys Quartet [1970]
Good Times with the Happy Goodman Family - The Happy Goodman Family [1970]
Rise and Shine with the Blue Ridge Quartet - Blue Ridge Quartet [1970]
The Old Cajer Bagwell Place - Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters [1971]
Sand in Their Shoes and a Song in Their Hearts - Florida Boys Quartet [1971]
Hallelujah! - Vestel Goodman [1971]
You Won't Believe This (Live in Langdale) - Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters [1971]
The Bright New Sound of the National Gospel Band - National Gospel Band [1971]
Leave Your Sorrows and Come Along - The Happy Goodman Family [1972]
The Blue Ridge Quartet Puts It Together - Blue Ridge Quartet [1973]
Gospel Music to Believe In: The Dove Awards, 1972 - Various Artists [1973]
The Happy Goodman Family Hour - The Happy Goodman Family [1974]
Easy on the Ears and Heavy on the Heart - Cathedral Quartet [1976]
We're Not Getting Older, Just Closer to Home - Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters [1976]
Gospel Music Association's Top Ten Songs of 1976 - Various Artists [1977]
Peanuts to President: The Plains, Georgia Gospel - Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters [1977]
The Very Best of the Goodmans Live -The Happy Goodman Family [1977]
Gospel Music Association' Top Ten Songs of 1977 - Various Artists [1978]
Wrapped with Grace and Tied with Love - Lewis Family [1979]
Sing About a New Day - Florida Boys [1978]
CAS-9844 - Gospel Music Association Top Ten Songs of 1978 - Various Artists [1978]
Gospel Music Association' Top Ten Songs of 1980 - Various Artists [1981]
I'm Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I'm Going to Be a Diamond Someday) - Lewis Family [1981]
Gospel Music Association' Top Ten Songs of 1981 - Various Artists [1982]
The Best of the Cathedral Quartet - Cathedral Quartet [1982] Reissued in 1987 as C09896.
Three German Police Dogs and an Ol' Yeller Cat - Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters [1983] Recorded
live.
The Best of...and a Whole Lot More - Rex Nelon Singers [1984] Reissued as Canaan 701 9914
136.
Today's Roster
Word announced that a collection featuring some of the hits from past artists would soon be
released. In addition the following artists have signed to release brand new albums on Canaan
Records.
* The Hoppers
* The Lefevre Quartet