After 2 years with the group, tenor Nielsen was first to go and Jim Murray would replace him. Murray's past included stints with the Stamps Trio,Inspirationals, and Orrell Quartet.About this time, Slaughter also departed with Joe Moscheo of the Harmoneers replacing him at the keyboard. Health issues also forced Hess' to retire and McSpadden chose to leave as well. In 1967, the core of Murray, Morales and Moscheo took on little-known Roger Wiles (from family group the Melodaires) and ex-Stamps Quartet member Terry Blackwood.[3]This new outfit proved even more successful than the first, racking up "Male Quartet of the Year" honors in 1969 from the Gospel Music Association[4]. Rocker Elvis Presley had long harbored a love for gospel and Jake Hess in particular and invited them to tour as his backing vocalists. They joined him on the road from 1969-1972 and recorded two Gospel albums with him, including his final Grammy Award winning album He Touched Me. It was during this period that Wiles left in 1970 to be replaced by former member of The Downings Greg Gordon[5]Gordon's addition would also signal the beginning of the group's musical shift as their live album of that year, Gospel's Alive and Well, would feature a cover of the Simon and Garfunkel pop hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water".
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