Spiritual usually known as "(In) My Father's House", originally created by blacks during slavery.
"My father's house" could be a synonym for Africa.
First printed in Pentecostal Revivalist (1919), compiled by Thoro Harris (1874–1955).
A version of "In My Father's House" was also printed in Carl Sandburg's 1927 American Songbag.
In 1929 a slightly different version was printed in the hymnbook Songs Of Cheer For Children
C. & M. A. Colored Gospel Quintet seems to be the first act to record the song in 1922.
C.&M.A. stands for Christian and Missionary Alliance.
(o) C. & M. A. Colored Gospel Quintet (1922) (as "Everything's All Right In My Father's House")
Released on the Chicago Gospel Tabernacle Record label.
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(c) Hickory Nuts (1927) (as "There'll Be No Liars There")
Recorded September 24, 1927 in Winston-Salem, NC
Released on Okeh 45220
78 RPM - The Hickory Nuts - There'll Be No Liars There / I'm Going To Leave You - OKeh - USA - 45220
(c) Pace Jubilee Singers (1928) (as "My Father's House")
Recorded February 20, 1928 in Chicago
Released on Gennett 6394 and on Superior 352
Also released on Bell 1176 (as by the Plantation Jubilee Singers)
And on Champion 15473 (as by the Dixie Jubilee Singers)
(c) Four Wanderers (1929) (as "In My Father's House")
Recorded September 17, 1929 in New York.
Released on Victor 38545
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(c) Rev. Edward Clayborn (1929) (as "Come And Go With Me To My Father's House")
Recorded October 11, 1929
Released on Vocalion 1425
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(c) Belt Sacred Quartet (1929) (as "Come And Go With Me")
Recorded October 21, 1929 in Dallas, TX
Released on Victor 23398
(c) Bessemer Melody Boys (1930) (as "In My Father's House")
Recorded May 31, 1930 in Memphis, Tenn.
Released on Bluebird B5778
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(c) Brother Son Bonds 1934 (as "In My Father's House")
Recorded September 8, 1934 in Chicago
Released on Decca 7024
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(c) Carter Family (1934) (as "There'll Be Joy, Joy, Joy")
Recorded December 11, 1934 Camden, NJ
Released on Bluebird B-5911-A
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(c) Lake Howard (1935) (as "Within My Father's House")
Recorded April 30, 1935 in New York
Released on Perfect 6-01-55
Listen here: Within My Father's House - Lake Howard.mp3
(c) Eagle Jubilee Four (1938) (as "In My Father's House")
Recorded November 4, 1938
Released on Vocalion 04613
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(c) The Golden Trumpets (1956) (as "Come And Go With Me")
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(c) The Imperial Gospel Singers (1958) (as "My Father's House")
Recorded March 18, 1958
Released on Savoy 4097
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(c) Jimmy Jones and The Sensationals (1959) (as "Come on and Go With Me")
Recorded ca. February 1959
Released on Savoy 4116
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(c) Sleepy John Estes (1962) (as "In My Father's House")
Recorded April 22, 1962 in Chicago, IL
Released in 1998 on Testament Records
Listen here:
Or here:
(c) Harry Belafonte (1963) (as "In My Father's House")
Recorded live on August 23, 1963 at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles
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In a complete new musical arrangement by Edwin Hawkins, the song was recorded by the Northern California State Youth Choir.
The Edwin Hawkins Singers began as The Northern California State Youth Choir of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. and was founded in May 1967 by Hawkins and Betty Watson.
Members were aged 17–25. As was common in gospel circles they produced and distributed their own LP: "Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord", recorded live in 1967 at Ephesian Church of God in Christ in Berkeley, California. Originally released on the Century Records label
(c) Northern California State Youth Choir (1968) (as "To My Father's House")
Lyrics:
Come and go with me to my father’s house to my father’s house. (2x)
There’ll be no cryin’ there. There’ll be no dyin’ there.
Come and go with me to my father’s house to my father’s house.
In my father’s house. There are so many mansions there.
If they were not true you know I would have told you so.
I’m goin’ to prepare a place for you and where I go you can go there too.
Come and go with me to my father’s house to my father’s house.
Listen here:
(c) The Edwin Hawkins Singers (1969) (as "To My Father's House")
The exact same recording was re-released in 1969, under the banner of The Edwin Hawkins Singers, on the a sublabel of Buddah Records: Pavilion Records.
Because the Church of God in Christ objected to Buddah retaining the Northern California State Youth Choir name, the company rechristened it "the Edwin Hawkins Singers" for its reissue of the original album.
And in 1970 it was nationally distributed by the Buddah-label.
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The German-based group Les Humphries Singers recorded an exact copy of the Edwin Hawkins-version.
In their home-country, "To My Father's House" didn't chart at all, but in 1970 it catapulted to the Nr 1 position in the Netherlands and Belgium.
(c) Les Humphries Singers (1970) (as "To My Father's House")
Listen here:
(c) Etta James (1982) (as "To My Father's House")
Listen here:
More versions here:
Not to be confused with "In My Father's House (Are Many Mansions) written in 1951 by Aileene Hanks
And also not to be confused with another traditional called "Come And Go With Me" recorded by Peter, Paul & Mary and yet another song called "Come And Go With Me", recorded by The Spirit Of Memphis.