I Got The Holy Ghost I Feel Now/It’s Good To Be Loved God

Released in 1975 on the Designer label, this single by Reverend Joe Taylor is a quintessential example of the independent gospel soul scene that flourished in the American South during the mid-1970s. Designer Records, based in Memphis, was a prolific hub for gospel artists who were often excluded from mainstream secular distribution but maintained vital, devoted followings through church circuits and independent radio play.

The record fits within a long tradition of vanity and small-label gospel production, where the design aesthetic was typically utilitarian, prioritizing the message and the spiritual authority of the performer over elaborate packaging. These pressings were often distributed directly by the artists at performances, making them significant cultural artifacts of grassroots religious music and the enduring legacy of the soul-gospel crossover era.