McDonald's Gospelfest, Vol. 1; McDonald's Gospelfest, Vol. 2

Sponsored by the McDonald's Operator's Association of Southern California, this two-tape set of the Sixth Annual McDonald's Gospelfest is hosted by Marilyn McCoo and Glynn Turman. Eight gospel choirs perform, along with guest stars Edwin Hawkins and Daryl Coley. Taped live at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium on November 3, 1990, the proceeds from the concert (and a portion from the sales of the videos) are donated to the United Negro College Fund. Unfortunately, the video quality is not as good as it should be (the red curtain backdrops tend to bleed into the choirs), and the audio quality varies. The opening number on Vol. 1, for instance, is a high soprano chorus piece in which the lyrics are completely incomprehensible. The solo spots fare much better. While some moments stand out (a gospel rap piece by The Conquerors, a choir from a penitentiary, for example), the overall feel is of an amateur video. The ending is particularly embarrassing: after a few words, the winning choir director asks for his pastor to come up onstage, and is basically told by the presenter behind him to cut it short (a simple edit could have omitted this). Not a necessary purchase. (Available from: Xenon Entertainment, 211 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401; 1-800-468-1913.)