How ironic that an ode to perseverance and success would be written and recorded by a vocal group that disappeared shortly thereafter into the mists of obscurity.
The Festivals were a soul quartet that originated in Texas, though you'd never suspect that when you listen to You're Gonna Make It. This paean to the power of positive thinking has a Windy City sound/Impressions sound, no doubt due to the fact that Johnny Pate, who worked with that renowned group for years, did the arrangements on this.
Driven by a bassline too legit to quit and sparkling chimes, this sprightly stepper wants you to know that, whatever your trials or tribulations, however destitute or money or hope you may be, you can be successful so long as you cling to your dreams and don't stop believin'.
Impossibly, this short & sweet charmer stalled at #28 on the R&B charts in 1970, and appears to have been The Festivals only top 40 R&B hit, though any soul fan will also make a solid case for an earlier single, You've Got the Makings of a Lover. If I accomplish nothing else in this world, I would at least like for Woody Price, Vaughan Price, Earl Moss and Leon Thomas to know how much this song means to me. I return to it frequently when I find myself in difficult times, which given my profession occur more often than I'd like.
So, to The Festivals, thank you for writing and recording an anthem that gives me courage to keep on pushing, keep on driving, and never give up. Sure hope this message finds you somewhere and lets you know your song made a difference in someone's life...
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