There's Gonna Come a Morning
This song was an attempt at the gospel idiom, which Leon described as an "imitation", suggesting he had a specific model in mind. His point of reference seems to have been the 'Queen of Gospel', Mahalia Jackson, who recorded a version of "The Saints" in 1962. In "There's Gonna Come A Morning", the leading melody seems to borrow from "The Saints", and several of the lines are variations on that song's lyrics. (Leon's quasi-celebratory adaptation is interesting as an historical artefact, from a writer who would go on to compose songs such as "Stand Up For Judas".)
"Admittedly this is a blatant imitation, biblical imagery and all. My only defence is this. I discovered with some shock that where I live in Wembley, there was a positive dearth of songs which expressed the joy, spontaneity and fervour found in the best gospel songs. So I decided I would try and fill the gap." - LR (Look Here (songbook), 1968)
Recordings
Version 1 (1965) Group recording, leading off their first album