WHITE HEART 3
Since the release of their first album in 1982, White Heart has
been one of the most popular Christian rock groups. Despite
numerous personnel changes through the years, they have
endured and created high-quality music. Rick Florian, lead singer
of the band, talks about their upcoming release, HIGHLANDS,
their touring, and their opinions on mainstream distribution.
TWO HEARTS 6
Michael and Carrie Hodge, a.k.a. Two Hearts, came from very
different childhood experiences, but they have managed to build a
marriage based around their relationship with the Lord. They are
set to release their second album this month entitled GIVE 'EM
THE WORD. They talked all over each other as they were so
excited about the new material.
SCOTT BLACKWELL 8
Scott Blackwell is one of the pioneers of the Christian club and
house music scene. His numerous releases on MYX records have
expanded the market and raised the quality of Christian dance
music. While he knows that this is a controversial topic, he softly
states his opinions, with no intention of changing anyone else's.
He talks about his feelings on dancing and the beginning of his
new record label, N-Soul Records.
TAMI GUNDEN 10
Tami Gunden may not be one of the most familiar names in
Christian music, but she has consistently produced solid pop
music. She discusses how she got interested in music, her
religious background, her past work, and the most important thing
to her--her family.
REVIEWS 13
Reviews of the latest projects by World Wide Message Tribe,
Kenny Marks, Shack of Peasants, Andy Landis, Jerry Williams &
Harvest, Karthi, Scott Springer, Fear Not, Brother Brother, and a
concert review of David Meece.
INFORMATION CENTER 16
Get up-to date with new and upcoming release lists, the Top
Album list, THE LIGHTHOUSE Classifieds, and more.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR/PUBLISHER:
J. WARNER SODITUS
EDITOR:
BETH BLINN
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OUR MISSION: TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN A DEEPER
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST
USING THE MODERN MEDIUM OF CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC.
CHRISTIAN MUSIC, IN ITS VARIOUS CONTEMPORARY FORMS, CAN BE
USED AS A TOOL FOR ENCOURAGEMENT, CHALLENGE, CHRISTIAN
OUTREACH, AND CREATING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON MODERN
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FROM THE (FORMER) EDITOR:
Yes, the headline is true--former editor. If you've read THE
LIGHTHOUSE before, you've likely noticed the name Beth Blinn as the
writer of many articles here. Now, she has agreed to accept some more
responsibility in an editorial role to permit me to pursue advertising money
(which we absolutely need...) and other more administrative things. You'll
probably see my name around a little, but I'll try to keep that to a
minimum, for both our sakes...
I can honestly say that THE LIGHTHOUSE would not have come as far
as it has without the wonderful efforts of Beth. I know that she's probably
embarrassed by now, but I'll keep going. The other day I saw a card in a
store labeled as a "Thank You" card that pictures a person sleeping in bed
with an angel perched on the headboard. The inside of the card simply
says, you've been an angel to me. Beth, you've been an angel.
In the upcoming months, you'll hear more from Beth, as she whips this
place into shape, and keeps my attitude in check. Next month she'll
express some of her goals and plans for the magazine. We always
welcome your comments, your prayers, and support.
I have one item that's really been on my mind. You've certainly heard
the Nike commercials that state "Just Do It." Well, I think that we should
pay attention to those advertisements. I've dealt with a lot of people
through the work here at THE LIGHTHOUSE that SAY they will do
something, even several times, but then never follow through. I don't
know about you, but that really bothers me. I can forgive this, but I
wonder what kind of impression that would make on a non-Christian.
Would they be endeared to the relationship we have with the Lord if we let
them down?
I've tried to keep this in the front of my mind lately, and some people
may feel it is cold that I have told them that I am unable to do some things
for them, but I think it's important that we "Just Say No" if we can't "Just
Do It."
--J. WARNER "WHAT'S MY TITLE THIS MONTH?" SODITUS
WHITE HEART
SINCE THE RELEASE OF THEIR FIRST ALBUM IN 1982, WHITE
HEART HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CHRISTIAN
ROCK GROUPS. DESPITE THE NUMEROUS CHANGES IN THEIR
MEMBERSHIP, (ONLY MARK GERSMEHL AND BILLY SMILEY
REMAIN FROM THE ORIGINAL LINEUP), WHITE HEART HAS
WATCHED OTHER GROUPS COME AND GO, WHILE THEY HAVE
CONTINUED TO PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY, ORIGINAL MUSIC.
Perhaps that high quality is due to the fact that they seem to have a knack
for picking extremely gifted players, who frequently have gone on to
success in other areas. Dann Huff, who was the original guitarist, is a
highly-in-demand session player, who has played on so many albums that
it would probably take half a page to list them. He and brother David Huff
also have their own group, GIANT, that holds a mainstream contract. Gary
Lunn, Gordon Kennedy, Chris McHugh, Tommy Sims--have all gone on
to be highly-regarded session musicians in their own right. Sims was also
picked by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN to be the bassist in his new band.
Over the years, all of this talent has enabled White Heart to do what they
set out to do--produce music that would speak to this generation, and
affect as many people for Christ as possible. From their self-titled debut on
Home Sweet Home Records through last year's TALES OF WONDER,
on Star Song, they have consistently sought to challenge and encourage
their listeners to consider what God has done for them and what they can
do for God.
This month sees the release of their newest album, HIGHLANDS, which
is also on Star Song. I recently spoke with lead singer Rick Florian about
the new album, and some other subjects related to White Heart.
One of the most notable things about this new recording is that it is only
the second time in the history of White Heart that the group hasn't
changed members between albums. The current lineup of Florian,
Gersmehl (keyboards and vocals), Smiley (rhythm guitar and vocals),
Brian Wooten (lead guitar), Anthony Sallee (bass), and Jon Knox (drums)
has been together for a couple of years now, and as a result, the band had a
lot more known factors going into the recording.
"It was one less piece that you have to try to predict, which makes it
very nice," Florian explained. "It takes a lot of energy and focus to try to
maintain a direction--actually, a lot of times, for us, we have a general
direction, but it evolves and meanders on the way through, when you find
out pieces and parts that hit you in ways that you hadn't realized. As
pieces of the puzzle start coming together, you start seeing how the whole
thing's gonna look, and not having to deal with, well, how does this guy
actually--what's he gonna sound like, or how he plays, or what he adds
beyond just the sound of his bass, and the style of the way he plays drums,
or something like that."
White Heart frequently draws inspiration for their lyrics from the
experiences they have and the people they meet while on the road.
HIGHLANDS was no different. "Each album is really our experience
from the tour previous to it," said Florian. "So, a lot of the things on this
album were experiences that we'd had on TALES OF WONDER. And
TALES, simply being an album about realizing the tale of wonder that
God has placed inside your heart, and for those people that are finding out
what that relationship will mean, to those who have already found it--the
new album, HIGHLANDS, is kind of what do you do with it. Where do
you go with it. If you can envision yourself standing on a plateau and
looking out at the world, it should look different to you. The way that you
look at people that you knew before, the way that you see needs, the way
that you meet needs, the way that you love people, and the way that you
perceive love and what it truly means. Those kinds of things--and the way
that you reach out to people should be drastically different, or should
become drastically different. Whether for some people those things
happen little by little, when their walk begins with God, and for some
people it's pretty dramatic--that isn't the issue. It's more of--there should
be a consistent path, that you need to be directed on, for that change to
happen."
White Heart tours extensively, not only in the United States, but also in
Australia and Europe. It is somewhat ironic that it is in Europe that White
Heart has seen the kind of mainstream success most bands long for in the
U.S. The song "Desert Rose," off the POWERHOUSE album, hit number
one on secular radio in Germany, and the band was asked to perform on
German national television, before an audience of three million viewers.
In talking about their popularity in Europe, Florian discussed some of the
possible reasons for the success, besides God, of course.
"Sometimes I think people mention it [God] too often, and sometimes
not often enough," Florian said, "God is the one ultimately in control, and
in our little finite universe, in which we live, we kind of define terms in
the human sense. So, as far as the things that we're involved in with the
process--I think that we try to be careful not to talk in 'Christianese,' or
speak in a way that is so that a non-American couldn't understand it. It's
very important to us, for the kind of people that we want to talk to, that
this song can make as much sense to a Christian or a non-Christian,
equally. Not mostly to a Christian and less to a non-Christian, but equally
make sense to both of them. Now whether someone would agree or
disagree with the premise is up to each individual's own heart and what's
going on in their life. But, otherwise, going over to Europe means
nothing."
"Going over to Europe has always been fun," he continued, "because the
musical style that we play is something that is attractive to young
people...you get a lot higher percentage of non-Christians at shows. And
the nice thing over there is, if you have musical integrity, they listen to
what you have to say. They may not agree, but they listen... I think that's
why we've had some secular success over there, because they don't
delineate, or they don't even, what one might say, prejudice against the
lyrics. They may think it's stupid, or frivolous, but just like in our own
country, there is plenty of secular music that is frivolous and stupid, but it
gets the time of day, or the light of day. And we [Christian artists] don't
get squat, if I may say. It's a type of hypocrisy that exists there [in the
U.S.], that for all of their clamoring for liberties and freedom of speech
and stuff, it's just crazy."
When we talked about what mainstream exposure in the United States
might mean to White Heart, Florian put forth these thoughts. "Right now,
where we are, is on a Christian label. My personal belief, and the only
experience that exists within our industry, the only ones that have ever
been successful, as a secular company may consider successful, have been
people that have had secular distribution. And that is more than just having
a co-op deal with Capitol records--I mean somebody that actually markets
singles and all those kind of things. I would love for it to happen. I think
that it would be better for someone who's been around [the music
industry], than for someone who hasn't been around. Not from the
potential of success, but from the possibility of failure. We've been around
long enough to know, that I think that we're mature enough to be able to
handle being on a secular record label. But for some of the kids coming
in--it's hard enough being on a Christian label. All of the decisions that
tempt you, one way or another. In many respects, it's not vastly different,
except the scale is just smaller."
"So, yes, I would love to be on a secular label, or have some sort of
distribution system that worked beyond just sticking it in the Christian bin.
Because, that's where our direction is. I could write, I could sing a pop
song, that doesn't have next to anything to do with Christianity, and that
wouldn't bother me, but it would also feel more like I was a carpenter.
Which isn't a bad thing, it's just, kind of like evangelistic, in a certain
sense. Just like with AMY [GRANT] now, she can have opportunities to
share her life with some people in the industry, or other artists that she
comes in contact with. In that sense, it's more of just simply a job, and
then you have a life-style evangelism thing, rather than evangelism from
the stage. I don't think that is what we would do, but one of the big
problems is that the message is just not comfortable for people. They don't
want to hear it--they have to die to themselves, and that's not quite the
American way."
There have been some rumors flying around that Florian was having
problems with his voice, and that he was contemplating leaving the group.
When asked about this, he sighed, and explained that they were just that--
rumors. He said that some comments he had made about being
comfortable with the fact that his identity is not wrapped up in the band
were coupled with a few concerts where he had been having some
problems with his voice--but the problems were nothing serious, and
certainly not unlike those that any singer encounters when they are singing
a lot. People read into these situations, and the next thing you know, he is
on his way out of a group that he has been a part of for eight years. White
Heart fans, rest easy--he has no immediate plans on leaving, and would
appreciate the squelching of any rumors heard to that effect.
White Heart will be hitting the concert trail once again, but not until the
late January or early February. At the moment, the group is looking at
possibly having Keith Brown as the opening act, but details haven't been
finalized.
--BETH BLINN
ED. NOTE: FLORIAN WILL SPELL HIS FIRST NAME "RHIC" FOR
THOSE THAT HAVE TRACKED HIS PERENNIAL SPELLING
CHANGE.
WHITE HEART DISCOGRAPHY
White Heart 1982
Vital Signs 1984
Hotline 1985
Don't Wait for the Movie 1986
Emergency Broadcast 1987
Freedom 1989
Powerhouse 1990
Tales of Wonder 1992
Highlands 1993
TWO HEARTS
Husband and wife recording teams are always interesting. Integrating
music, touring, and life together, there are always unique aspects to such
duos. Michael and Carrie Hodge, now Two Hearts, are set to release a
follow-up to their STAND YOUR GROUND release with GIVE 'EM
THE WORD.
A musical child prodigy, Carrie experienced success at an early age.
Discovered by comedian team Rowan and Martin, she was taken to Las
Vegas to audition for LIBERACE, earning a spot to open for him. She
appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and has opened for
other veteran performers including George Burns, THE TEMPTATIONS,
and Jerry Lewis. For a twelve-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa, it might
seem she had done most everything. People were amazed with her talent,
her voice, and her presence, but she soon became a victim of her own
success. Following difficult teenage years, where she did not get along
with her mother, she left home to pursue her singing career.
After several years out of the spotlight, Carrie was introduced to
Motown Record's Berry Gordy, who became her manager and signed her
to a seven record deal. Her first Motown release took her music to Soul
Train and American Band Stand, and got her picture plastered throughout
record stores across the country. However, that success was short-lived, as
Gordy sold the company. After voicing her disagreement with the new
owner's musical and moral direction, Gordy released her from the
contract.
As a youth, she had been in and out of church. She always realized that
"my talent was a gift from God. At the time, I wasn't sure who that God
person was--but I knew that it came from Him and in some way I was
thankful." After her time with Motown, a friend invited her to church,
where she realized what was missing in her life. Carrie rededicated her life
to the Lord and things quickly began to change for her.
For Michael, his youth was not filled with the bright lights and big
crowds, but of guitar practice, boy scouts, and private school. His junior
high days were a struggle with low self-esteem--leading to drugs and
alcohol. But he was intrigued by the respect and love he received from
several Christian friends. "One of the things that attracted me to the Lord,"
tells Michael, "was when one of my friends told me that if God was going
to change you, that it was His responsibility; the Holy Spirit would come
in and change you, and I needed that. I had a real problem with drugs,
drinking, and a filthy mouth. I told myself that God was going to have to
do a major work and He did."
In high school, he played in several Christian bands and then served as a
youth minister during his college days. He also began to pursue studio
work as a guitarist, leading to many opportunities, including a brief
European tour with CHAKA KHAN. However, at that time, there was also
something interesting occuring in his life.
Michael was a studio musician for Carrie's second Motown record,
during the time she split with the company and was struggling with many
issues. Carrie claims that she was originally not interested in Michael, "I
was like, 'Who dresses you, Stevie Wonder?'" But through the urgings of
her producer, and attending Michael's Bible study, something began to
happen. Not wanting to be known as "a swinging single" (even though
Carrie claims that many women were after him and he was like a "pied
piper") he did not date much, and their relationship started very "low-
key."
Their relationship developed until he asked her to marry him--right
before he left to tour with KHAN. Remembers Carrie, "That's when we
got engaged, right before he left on the road. He was like, 'Would you
marry me, and by the way I have to leave for six months.'"
After their marriage, they started considering working together. Michael
tells, "The Lord really intervened and started shutting certain doors with
our careers and opening other ones. Carrie started singing on a lot of
Maranatha! records and I was doing mostly Christian records--playing
guitar on them. We thought about it and prayed about it and it wasn't
really until our second year of marriage that we were really even
considering really working together and secondly, doing Christian music
as kind of a life-time goal. The Lord really orchestrated it, it's really
incredible how all the circumstances happened that we got a record deal in
Nashville."
While Two Hearts' ministry has, for the most part, targeted and appealed
to youth, The Hodges feel that there are several aspects in their
relationship that will help them minister to other age groups as well.
Michael starts, "We're married and God has done such a dramatic healing
in both of us through our marriage that we feel like we have a real
opportunity to be an example for young people because for a young
person, there's not that many good examples of married couples that really
love each other."
Carrie is quick to add, "Sometimes it's a challenge. Sometimes you only
want to be One Heart. God brings you through those times. Our first year
of marriage, it was horrible. It was so hard. I would go through all that
again to get to where I am with Michael."
"A lot of Christian women won't say certain things," Carrie adds. "For
me, I have dealt with a lot of stuff. I have dealt with PMS. I have talked
with so many women that really appreciate a woman finally saying that
they are wicked three days out of a month. The most encouraging thing is
to meet someone that says, 'Your music really ministered to me.'"
Carrie's health has been a concern in their touring thus far. Michael tells,
"Carrie actually suffers from migraines. Sometimes when we were on the
tour in the fall, we'd have to take her to the hospital right after the show or
before the show and it's incredible how she's so frail in that she gets these
migraines, but she's also strong as a bull in that she's totally sick and
she'll go out and do a great show."
For Michael, another goal of their work is to present to people who they
are by their actions. He explains, "I'm a real fan of a theologian named
Francis Schaeffer and one of our sayings is taken from something that he
has said--what we want to do is TO BE and not TO APPEAR TO BE.
What you see is what you get. We're not going to try to pretend to be
'super-spiritualites' or something like that, because we're not, we're just
your basic average Christians that love the Lord and are happy to be able
to sing songs for Him. We're real people in a real world with a real faith
for God."
"We hope someday to have a family," shares Michael. "I really have a
desire to have an orphanage. That may sound weird or lofty, but I used to
do different projects with kids in Mexico and I really have a desire to do a
lot of stuff with children."
Carrie continues, "We've done a lot with abused children and I just love
handicapped children. They are the most loving children to be around. It
really brings you to your knees. I don't know if it'll ever come to pass, if
we'll ever get to have our own orphanage, but I know God has already
used us to help children out. If God would ever help us do that, that would
be a blessing."
While the Hodges may not have any children yet, their "family" does,
already include a "child," Baby, their schitzu puppy. Carrie fondly tells,
"Michael calls him Esau, our first born, very hairy. He is so funny, he's
our joy. That's a gift from God, he is so sweet." Baby also got to be a part
of the song "Give 'em the Word." Carrie explains, "He barks in the middle
of Michael's solo, so they kept it on. You've got to kind of crank it up on
his solo, and you'll hear him in the background and he kind of growls."
For Michael, the difference between Christian and secular touring is,
"When you're doing a pop tour, basically, you do your show and you
leave. It's very much a business. You do the minimal amount that you
have to do. You just show up at the last minute, you do your sound check,
and you do your show. With what we're doing, we have a great
opportunity, we get to hang out with the kids. It's a very close contact with
the kids, the promoter, whereas in the pop market, it's all business. We
really like what we're doing because we get a real chance to talk with kids.
A lot of kids will have problems and we attempt to talk to them after the
concert and they'll ask us questions. After, we pray with them. It's
incredible the opportunity to lead somebody to the Lord. That's an
incredible honor to encourage people in their walk especially to pray with
them to ask Jesus into their life. You can't beat that."
Touring does put some stress on their relationship. Michael explains that
it is usually challenging to get some time alone on the road. However,
"Sometimes we have a concert on a Friday, and because of the airlines, we
stay over until Saturday night, we'll have a really nice time on Saturday
together. Our favorite time is, when we're home by ourselves, take a walk
with the dog."
Carrie adds, "We've been home for several weeks now, and we loved it.
Baby has too. He hates it when we leave. My favorite time is when we're
in bed at night, reading the Bible together and Baby's laying on the bed
together with us, that is my favorite time. Michael and I plant, I love stuff
like that. I'm definitely all woman, I love my house."
This month, Two Hearts will release their sophomore album. What
should we expect? Michael starts, "Our first album was called STAND
YOUR GROUND, so we encouraged kids to not be afraid to be counted as
a Christian. We just did a March for Jesus. It's just so great to be able to
stand up and be counted and not to be afraid to be labeled in public. I think
that's the real challenge in the nineties. Where we live in Nashville, it's a
very Christian kind of town, but it was surprising, in a town with 850-
some churches, there were about 100 churches involved in the March for
Jesus. A lot of Christians are timid about being known publicly, like
'coming out of the closet' for the Lord."
"On the new album, GIVE 'EM THE WORD, we're working very
closely with Tyndale. They have an incredible Life Application Bible for
students and we're really having a lot of neat experiences with our friends
and people that were given this Bible because it's so easy to read. Every
page and every chapter has a little application, little testimonies how
people applied the Word. We're really excited about that."
Carrie continues, "We've got a lot of new stuff up our sleeve on this
next album. Michael's playing a lot more. We have one song that he plays
the mandolin on, and you will love that song. We have a lot of new things
that we haven't done--more live instruments."
"It's more of our ideas," she continues. "I could say more a little bit of
my ideas, my help to Michael. I think it's more back to our roots. Michael
plays more acoustic guitar, and a couple surprises we can't let out yet.
Something happened this past year. God really worked on Michael and I,
and you can really tell it in the lyrics. If you look at the lyrics, I think
you're really going to see a difference."
Michael adds, "Carrie and I were from such an R&B background that I
think, when we did our first album, we didn't want to be too R&B. Now
we kind of feel, 'Why not?'" He also mentions that the album is "Not an
attempt to cross-over. That's not even on our minds. We're definitely
writing to encourage people in their walk and lift up the name of Jesus
high above our own. It's got a lot of strong theological statements. We
have a song 'This Could Be the Time,' which talks about how the Lord's
definitely going to be coming back and people need to be ready.
Sometimes people forget about that. We have a really pretty song called
'Goin' Home.' It's kind of an exhortation to the Body that why is it when
we get together, we don't talk about going to heaven. That's a really
beautiful and convicting song. I feel that all the songs have real strong
messages to them."
Michael is the primary pen for Two Hearts lyrics, but Carrie desires to
assist more in the future. She has made a step toward that with the new
release, as she tells, "I'll take half credit on a song called 'Heaven to You.'
It's about God's gift to us."
Due to their October release, they will probably not participate in major
fall tours, but will play weekend dates and prepare for a spring tour, as
they plan to go out and "Give 'em the Word."
--J. WARNER SODITUS
SCOTT BLACKWELL
To dance or not to dance? It is a matter that has sparked much debate and
has created division among many people. You will probably be able to
determine my opinion on the matter, and I am in no way intending to sway
your feelings on the topic. Much to my surprise, Scott Blackwell seems to
have no intention to do that either. As one of the leaders of the movement
to expand Christian dance music, Blackwell has been intimately involved
with MYX Records in an effort to fulfill their goal to "bring 'house' to
every house." He has now started his own record company--N-Soul
Records.
Despite your opinion on this eternally "hot" topic, I hope that you will
read these excerpts from our conversation, and take a glance the life of
Blackwell and look at the work he does and why he does it.
I WANTED TO GO BACK TO TALK ABOUT YOUR TIME IN NEW
YORK AND HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THE NEW YORK
CLUB SCENE.
I started off as a club jockey in Texas. In high school I was a DJ and after
one semester of college at The University of Texas at Arlington, I moved
to Miami to DJ at a club down there for about four years. That's when I
got interested in recording and got a little eight-track set up, a couple
keyboards, a drum machine, and started twisting knobs at home. Then, in
1984, I was afforded an opportunity to move to DJ in New York. I was
totally plotting all this, the whole time. I really wanted to move into
production and was lucky enough to get some good remix credits on
records like DEBBIE GIBSON and worked as a remixer and DJ in New
York, until I left New York in October of 1988 and moved to California.
WAS THAT THE TIME YOU WERE RE-EVALUATING YOUR
CAREER?
My wife and I had separated. She moved to California about two years
before I did and got saved out here. She had a church praying for me that I
would come back to the Lord and be convicted for the life I was leading
with the drugs and adultery and the whole secular music scene--
everything that goes with it. I started getting convicted about everything
that I was doing and I found out that she got saved and the Holy Ghost
really grabbed a hold of me and shook me up. I tried to run for another
four or five months, after God started really rattling my chain, and finally I
agreed to come out and see her. I went to a Sunday service with her and
gave my life back to the Lord. I moved out here and I had no idea what I
was going to do. I had no idea to do Christian dance music. I had no desire
to deal with the kind of music I was dealing with anymore at all. In
hindsight, God was just cleansing me.
YOU HAD GONE TO CHURCH BEFORE ALL THAT?
I was saved when I was twelve and heavily involved in youth ministry for
a couple years. I got into high school and became rebellious and was
prodigal for six or eight years.
DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN?
We have a three and a half year old girl named Rebecca. She's in an acting
class right now.
HOW DID YOU THEN GET INVOLVED WITH MYX RECORDS?
I built a little recording studio out here and I was trying to do anything I
could to solicit my services as an engineer and recording facility to the
Christian music community. I knew no one, I was trying for a job with one
of the Christian record companies out here at an A&R position, but I
couldn't get a reference. On talk radio I heard a show on Christian music.
They gave out the number for anyone wanting to network into the
Christian music scene in southern California. They put me in touch with
Frontline Records and they shared their vision of wanting to create a dance
label and that's how MYX Records started.
NOW N-SOUL HAS COME ABOUT. WHAT LED TO THAT?
I had always wanted to have my own label, to be able to have the freedom
to do some more things musically and marketing-wise that I really didn't
have the access to at MYX. If MYX continues to go on and do well, I'll
get to produce with them, but I have a heart for reaching the secular dance
scene, so we're going to concentrate on that here at N-Soul. When FMG
[Frontline Music Group] reorganized, the opportunity was afforded to me
to go ahead and start a label now. That was a little bit ahead of my game
plan, but God opened the door and I'm real comfortable about doing it.
YOU SAID A GOAL IS TO REACH A NON-CHRISTIAN AUDIENCE.
WILL DMG [DIAMATE MUSIC GROUP] HANDLE ANY OF THAT
DISTRIBUTION?
No, DMG will just handle the CBA [Christian Booksellers Association]
side of the industry. We do have Word distribution in the U.K. We're
working on the other continents now. I'm going to just use the contacts
and the relationships that I developed in the mainstream, to bring N-Soul
to the mainstream. We're going to start by releasing remixes on vinyl only
for a couple markets, probably to New York and LA.
We've found that the kids will listen to the project, to the words if the
music is legitimate on a street level to them. If it's real, then you gain their
trust. I can't think of more fertile ground for spreading seeds. I've started
going back into secular clubs and spin guest-spots DJ'ing but I spin only
Christian music--the techno and rave stuff. I work every Friday night at a
place called The Flip Side which is a Christian club which I play all night,
but I play all types of music.
I HEARD ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE AT THE CORNERSTONE
FESTIVAL. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
I did not know it was an alternative festival. I was expecting it was going
to be a lot more mainstream than it was. That's the first festival I attended
and being around that many kids that are as aggressive as they are in their
subcultures, but still love the Lord. That was a real good experience for me
to be on the other side of that scene for a while. As far as the rave is
concerned, I thought it went great. Kids were really receptive. We had
people all the way until six in the morning.
DO YOU GET MANY PEOPLE NOT APPROVING OF WHAT YOU
DO FROM THE CHURCH?
Dance is such a touchy issue with a lot of people. Satan has perverted it so
much in the mainstream, I think people immediately put up walls. It's
definitely a gray area in the Bible. It's not like it's the eleventh
commandment--thou shall or shall not dance. I think the whole issue boils
down to an issue of personal accountability, personal attitude.
You can be boastful or lustful shooting pool or going on a beach trip with
your youth group. I don't endorse dancing for every Christian. If it's an
area where someone has a problem, they find that it feeds lustful sin in
them, then they shouldn't do it. That's the same as any other activity.
Dancing to Christian music in a Christian nightclub, where it's a
monitored environment, where there are people that are going up to people
on the dance floor if they're doing things that are not going to help Christ
be in that environment--it's about fellowship. Young kids and young
adults need that.
It would be a foolish statement to say that kids in a Christian dance club,
everyone that's dancing there is praising God as they dance --that's not
happening. But I don't think that is the only means for dance, but that
definitely happens. If that song has touched someone, a part of the song
might come on and they lift their hands up. It gets back to celebrating the
freedom that you have in Jesus.
You've got responsibility to watch your attitude and your actions and to be
courteous and thoughtful of others. I don't, by any means, endorse it for
everyone. Just like I wouldn't endorse going to the beach for everyone. I,
personally, don't go to the beach.
I LIKED THE STATEMENT YOU'VE MADE "IT'S NOT A MATTER
OF CAN WE OR CAN'T WE, BUT WHY WOULD WE?"
Exactly, that sums it up. I had lunch this past week with four or five of the
elders from our church--they are totally against it. I respect that, but what
I say to them is to come down and see what we're doing.
I think they're a little bit naive in regards to what some of the kids are and
aren't doing. For instance, our pastor won't let our kids go to The Flip
Side--he hasn't seen it. Until he sees it, he would rather err on the side of
being conservative than being liberal; I can respect that. But, the argument
on his side is that if kids go to a Christian club and they like it, then
they're going to want to feed that and go to secular clubs, because the
Christian club may not satisfy that.
I don't quite buy that. I was talking with the elders about this and I gave
the analogy that, "You enjoy humor, right? Then you can enjoy a clean
joke as long as it's not at someone else expense? Well, does that mean that
since there is dirty humor and there are a lot more bad jokes out there than
there are good jokes, should you not tell a joke? Is that going to make you
want to tell bad jokes?" They said that it was a good point.
One woman was saying that if the kids would REALLY give their life to
the Lord then they wouldn't have that desire. That is so hypocritical. What
are they supposed to do, get saved and then just lock themselves in their
room with their Bible? Look at the story of when the prodigal son came
home. They were having a party. I'm sure when they were dancing and
eating they were thankful to the Lord for what happened, but they were
enjoying themselves and celebrating the fact that he was back-- it was a
celebration, it was fellowship.
In doing Bible studies on dance, when I look at the scriptures, two stories
come to mind. One, when John [the Baptist] lost his head. Homegirl
danced in front of the king and got him so worked up that he said, "I'll do
anything for you." She danced in front of him and then Satan used those
actions. I'm sure she was very erotic, but the root there was he was lusting
for her. On the other hand, I hear a lot of the younger Christian dance
bands and rappers use the argument about when David danced before the
Lord. Well, that was undoubtedly drawn into the Holy Spirit. It says that
he danced so hard that his clothes fell off. I think that some of the younger
bands could find a little better argument, and be a little wiser than using
that particular event as an example of why we should dance. I think the
Bible's full of them, about celebrations and people dancing. I think those
are better examples.
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR ACCOUNTABILITY?
I run all my tapes by my pastor and he loves the tapes. He likes the
excitement it gives him, the energy that he gets from it. He can sense
God's hand in it. As far as lyrics are concerned, we pretty much bounce all
that off each other here in the studio and we hold each other accountable.
We run the songs through several Scriptural sieves, because the last thing
we want to do is put something out that is going to be in error to doctrine.
One thing on the projects I do is that I want them to be blatantly Christian.
I think it's fine for some artists to write in euphemisms and stories, but I
don't want there to be any doubt in the records that we put out that we're
standing up for Jesus.
I LOOK AT YOU AS PRETTY INFLUENTIAL IN DEFINING THE
DIRECTION THAT CHRISTIAN DANCE MUSIC HAS COME THUS
FAR. DO YOU FEEL ANY PRESSURE ON YOU FOR THAT?
No. We've definitely pushed the envelope further, as far as MYX Records
is concerned and the stuff we do at N-Soul will probably be pushing that a
little further.
It's such a new thing to the CBA community that there need to be half a
dozen companies like us. These kids are starving for this kind of music. I
don't feel competitive at all. The reality of the market is, yes, there's only
so much shelf space, but it's all about kids getting saved and being edified.
WHAT KIND OF STUFF DO YOU LISTEN TO?
I really don't listen to music from a consumer standpoint, it kind of ruins
it...
I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU LISTENED TO THINGS TO SEE WHAT
ELSE IS GOING ON AROUND THE DANCE SCENE.
I've been in it for so long that even though I'm not getting 50 records a
week like I used to, [I] can hear stuff and know what's going on. I can pop
in and out of the scene once every other month and know what's going on
without having to subject myself to that every week.
I FIGURED THAT WAS NECESSARY.
That was one of the things that got driven into me at Cornerstone, the fact
that up to that point I hadn't really been going out to know what was going
on. I realized that if I want to touch the kids in that scene, then I need to
know exactly what's going on in that scene. Unfortunately, the only way
to do that is to be there.
I would definitely want to go with another Christian, because if Satan
started getting on me, I'd have someone there that could pray or run out.
By no means am I encouraging Christians to go to nightclubs, I think we
have no business being there in a secular club. Someone may not have a
problem there, but it's difficult for me to see that.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW OR REMEMBER
ABOUT SCOTT BLACKWELL?
I guess my big goal in life is to have unity at home with my wife and my
kid. If my daughter, once she gets beyond the age of accountability,
whatever that is, that she really trust in the Lord as her savior. I can't
imagine anything greater than that. If people would just pray for me and
my family because we're really way out on the edge of this thing. We're
tearing up some new territory and Satan doesn't like that. We want all the
prayer support we can get. I always want to solicit that.
--J. WARNER SODITUS
TAMI GUNDEN
A name in Christian music that I have always remembered is Tami
Gunden. I saw her at my second Christian concert. Her energetic and
upbeat performance implanted a permanent image in my mind. While she
is not on one of the largest Christian labels or always topping the music
charts, I've admired her work. Iwas able to spend a morning chatting with
her about her music, her family, and her life.
I WAS SURPRISED THAT YOU WANTED TO DO THIS IN THE
MORNING--MOST MUSICIANS SEEM TO BE
AFTERNOON/EVENING PEOPLE.
I can't be an afternoon or evening person because I have a two-year-old--
she's up bright and early. So, I've been forced into getting up in the
morning and trying to be alert. [Laughter]
WHAT IS HER NAME?
Sarah
YOU'VE BEEN MARRIED HOW LONG?
Six years. It's a long time. I met Brad, my husband, when I was touring
with Mylon LeFevre.
I WAS GOING TO BRING THAT UP. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE
EXACTLY HOW OLD YOU ARE BECAUSE I SAW YOU WITH
MYLON IN LANCASTER, PA ON YOUR TWENTY-FIRST
BIRTHDAY.
Is that right? Well, I'm 29.
I REMEMBER IT BEING AROUND 1985 OR 1986.
I did a couple tours with him. That was probably 1985, if it was my
twenty-first birthday. I was sick, I remember. You saw me when I had
bronchitis.
IT DIDN'T SLOW YOU DOWN ANYWAY. YOU CAME OUT AFTER
YOUR SET AND YOU WERE DANCING, THERE WAS A LITTLE
OPENING BETWEEN THE FRONT AND BACK SECTIONS OF THE
ARENA AND YOU WERE DANCING THERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF
US. EVERYONE DARED ME TO GO UP AND DANCE WITH YOU.
That was a lot of fun working with those guys. That time in my life was a
lot of fun--that was really a highlight, working with the band, spending
time with them, all the people that we met.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO THAT KIND OF THING? WHAT GOT
YOU DOING MUSIC AS A CAREER?
I recorded, actually, when I was three years old--if you can believe that.
My family was very musical. We sang together as a family. I guess what
got me started in Christian music, though, was through my uncle. My
uncle Danny Lee was a songwriter and musician and had a group in the
early seventies. He wrote a lot of gospel songs that were fairly well known
in the mid-seventies, but he was one of the first to be signed with a secular
company,. He was signed with RCA and he did two records. He took a
tape of me singing some of his songs to Light Records out in southern
California, to Ralph Carmichael, and that was when I was thirteen years
old. My parents got a phone call a few weeks later from Light Records
offering me a recording contract.
I sang at church and sang locally in our home community. I grew up in a
rural part of Michigan, grew up in a farming area. My dad raised chickens.
I grew up on the farm with two brothers and two sisters, so it (the contract)
was kind of out of the blue in a way, and yet not, because my uncle was
involved in music and we were very close with him. He used to spend all
his holidays with us. He had worked with me for years because I loved to
sing and in fact, I had recorded an album when I was eleven in Nashville.
He had a lot of connections down there with a studio. ....he played a lot of
the instruments and all. He was the one that really encouraged me and
encouraged my parents to pursue music for me. The Lord opened up doors
when I was very young and started traveling more and once I signed with
a major recording company.
Through the years I did a couple records with Light Records and I
recorded an album called CELEBRATION . That's when I was introduced
to MICHAEL W. SMITH. MICHAEL, basically arranged the tracks on
that album and wrote half of the songs, he and his wife, DEBBIE. He sang
background vocals, and that was right about the time he was
contemplating signing with Reunion. By the time my record was done, he
had signed with them and was working on his first project for them. He
was great to work with and he's, of course, very talented. Then, through
the years, I did see him here and there and kept in contact somewhat.
Through that relationship he wrote the title cut of my most recent record,
BEHIND THE COVER. I was really privileged to do one of his songs
because he does not write for people that much anymore--basically
himself and AMY [GRANT] gets a song here or there. I was really thrilled
to be able to record one of his original, unrecorded songs. It's a good song,
a good message.
..It's great you're doing what you're doing.
IT'S MAINLY BECAUSE CENTRAL PA IS NOT UP ON CHRISTIAN
MUSIC AND YOUTH GROUPS DON'T USE IT.
It's the same way where I am up here outside of New York. Even a lot of
the Christian kids don't listen to Christian music. It seems not as much
when I was a teenager.
YOUTH LEADERS AREN'T EVEN TRYING TO USE IT AT ALL.
Isn't that a shame? It is... wonderful, it can make an impact in someone's
life. I know it did in mine. Just playing the music and everyday being
reminded of the Lord and it always focused my attention on the Lord. Had
I not been listening to it, I wouldn't have been thinking in those terms. It
always made an impact on my life and the music's so much better than
when I was listening as a teenager. Now, there's so much better music.
Since I'm such an old lady. [Laughter]
WAS THERE A SPECIFIC TIME THAT YOU DECIDED YOU WERE
GOING TO DO MUSIC, OR DID IT JUST TURN OUT THAT WAY?
I'd say a little of both. Obviously when I was thirteen years old, I wasn't
thinking, "I'm going to do music for the rest of my life." I didn't think that
far ahead. I would say when I was out of high school, about eighteen or
nineteen years old I was actually going to college part time and singing,
too, and I was really busy so I decided I would do music full time. At that
point, I [spoken hesitantly] dropped out of college. I hate to say it, but...
BUT YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK. [LAUGHTER]
I'm going to go back when I'm forty. [Laughter] I've thought of going
back. That is one thing I kind of regret. I think it would have kept my life a
little more in balance. Musicians--we can get out of balance with the
music and the traveling and all. I'd say at that point I thought I'd pursue
music and Christian work full-time, and I did. It was wonderful. That part
of my life, when I was on the road so much, at one point I was traveling
with a band and I think one year we did close to 200 concerts. That was
one of the busiest years of my life. It was a lot of fun, but, looking back, I
don't remember much of it, it was a real blur. A lot of good things came
out of that time. The Lord really worked though us and we really saw
young people come to know Christ. We grew a lot, learned about
ourselves. Having to work together with a group of five or six people, you
see a lot of your short comings. We learned to pray about everything and
really seek the Lord. I would say that when I was about 18 or 19 was when
I decided to pursue music and Christian ministry full-time. My parents
were behind me 100% and they really helped at that point in my life with
my career. My mom did a lot of the scheduling.
YOU GREW UP IN A CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD?
Yes, very much so. I grew up in a Mennonite home, which should be
interesting--you're near the heart of Mennonite, Amish country. My
parents aren't real conservative Mennonites, obviously, but they took us to
church every Sunday. I have wonderful memories of Bible School and
Sunday School. I was ten years old when I gave my life to the Lord. When
I look back, I certainly didn't understand everything about what I was
doing about giving my life to Christ, but that simple decision and simple
prayer that I prayed really changed the course of my life. It was obvious to
me that the Lord really took me in His hands from that point on and has
been with me ever since and it's amazing how the course of your life can
be changed by a decision to let God work and to let Jesus rule your life.
Even as I get older and have a family now, the more I know about the
Lord, the more I realize how little I really know about Him and how great
God is and how much I need to grow yet.
WAS THERE A MAJOR TIME OF REBELLION OR HAVE YOU
STAYED CLOSE IN YOUR WALK?
I really did stay pretty close to the Lord though the years. Even in my
teenage years I was really close to the Lord. At that point, I was already
singing quite a bit and I kind of stood out like a sore thumb around the
other kids. I'm sure that some kids admired what I did, but then other kids
thought I didn't quite fit, so they looked at me singing gospel music and it
was silly to them. During that time, as a teenager, I was pretty lonely. It
kind of drove me even closer to the Lord. I used to keep a diary and what
it ended up being, more or less was just a prayer journal. I used to sit for
hours and write out these long prayers and pour my heart out to the Lord.
It was really, that time in my life I really sensed the Lord's presence in my
life and I relied on Him as a friend at that time in my life. I really needed
Jesus as a FRIEND because I was very lonely.
WHAT KIND OF TOURING ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW?
This summer, we've been all over the place. I just got back, I was out for
21 days. The busiest time of year for me is summer, the spring and
summer. Since I've been married and I have a daughter, we try to keep a
balance with traveling and music. I think there's a danger there that people
tend to get consumed with it. There's so much more in life, so much going
on. There's so many things to be involved with in our communities and
church, so we try to keep a balance in our life--and that is a struggle with
a family. But that is something that we're trying to do because I think that
is my priority. My husband and my child have to come before the career. I
believe that's the way the Lord would have it.
WHAT DOES YOUR HUSBAND DO?
He manages my career, but he also teaches at a Christian college. He also
does some concert promoting, in fact, that's how we met initially. That's
what he was doing full-time--promoting concerts. He was involved with
the Creation festival. Now, he teaches business and economics at a
Christian college and he is working on his Ph.D. and it's pretty busy.
I WOULD IMAGINE. I'M NOT QUITE FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE
RECORDINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE. COULD YOU RUN THOSE
DOWN FOR ME?
CELEBRATION produced by Joe Huffman and arranged by Michael W.
Smith around 1983. Then WRITTEN ON MY HEART in 1987, then I did
a kids record in 1990 and then BEHIND THE COVER. The next thing
that I'll be working on will probably be another children's recording.
HOW DID BEHIND THE COVER COME ABOUT?
That was actually in the works for about two years. It actually came about
when we got all the songs together. I had been working on some songs.
My brother and I had been writing stuff and this label, Drexion Records
came together and I'd always wanted to work with John Andrew
Schreiner--he had produced a Christmas song for me a couple years ago
on a compilation album put together by Home Sweet Home Records, and I
had wanted to work with him because I liked his production style. He was
able to work on the project and we did pretty much all the recording in
Laguna Beach, (in) southern California.
LIFE'S TOUGH.
[Laughter] I know, it was really nice. In fact, his recording studio
overlooks the ocean. It's really beautiful. We did some of the vocals in
New York. When I did the vocals, I had just had my baby--it was three
months after she was born.
ANYTHING PLANNED AFTER THE CHILDREN'S ALBUM?
Not really. As far as a studio album for myself, that will probably be down
the road six to eight months, at least. I'm not on a "chuck-them-out every
year" time frame. I'm not into that whole scene so much.
WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DO YOU TRY TO PRESENT, OR IS
EVERY CONCERT DIFFERENT?
They kind of have the same theme, which is hope and encouragement.
There's a scripture that I usually share in my concerts and this is the
message that I have to share with people. In Romans chapter 12, the very
last verse says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good." I have really taken that to my heart. I think it's easy to become
overwhelmed, especially where I live. You turn the news on and the most
outrageous stuff is happening every day--it can be incredibly depressing.
It can be really discouraging, even as a believer. That scripture has
encouraged me particularly in the past few years being surrounded by so
much darkness. The message of Jesus Christ is about hope as much today
as it was fifty years ago. In the midst of the dark world we live in, there
really is tremendous hope in Christ and God has done so much in my life
and the life of my family in just being able to get up in the morning and go
out into the world with a positive attitude, trusting God with my life and
my family's lives, just being able to share that with people is a message of
hope.
ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I think I've blabbed a lot.
IS THERE A WAY YOU CAN SUM UP IN A SENTENCE, "WHO IS
TAMI GUNDEN?"
Not really. Not in a sentence or two. [Laughter] I'm just a simple person
who loves the Lord, trying to make a difference with my life. I've always
loved music and I try to use it to bring hope and a message of
encouragement to people.
--J. WARNER SODITUS
************************************************************
*
Crysal Lewis
"Never Again shall you be called 'the God-Forsaken' ... Your New Name
will be 'The Bride.'"-Isaiah 62:4 TLB
Look for the new Crystal Lewis Album "THE BRIDE" Releasing late
October nationwide.
Join the Crystal Lewis Fan Club! Send $15 to receive a photo, bio & tee-
shirt (made payable to Metro One). Crystal Lewis Accompaniement Tapes
also available, call for information & titles.
Metro One 5300 E. La Palma Ave. Anaheim, CA 92807
Tel. (714) 779-5155, Fax. (714) 779-9896
LOOK!!!!!! ONLY
$7 per tape / $10 per Compact Disc
+$1.50 shipping (made payable to Metro One).
Write us for a free copy of our newsletter!
***************************************************
REVIEWS
WORLD WIDE MESSAGE TRIBE WORLD WIDE MESSAGE TRIBE
(N-SOUL)
The first release by N-Soul Records is World Wide Message Tribe, a
band from Manchester England. Mark Pennells, Zarc Porter, and Andy
Hawthorne are the core of this techno-based group, with Porter and
Pennells penning most of the lyrics and producing the album. They have
created a rather unique dance release.
One of the most notable things about this album is that there is a
definitive answer to questions raised through the project. While many
groups vaguely mention religious ideas to provoke consideration by the
listener, WWMT take it a step further and ask "And now will you answer
to the love that Jesus has shown? And say that you're sorry, then move on,
never alone!"
Musically, they also leave the trodden path for a "long hike with the
chosen few." This hike may be a little strange for hard-core techno fans,
since it includes many paths that lead through some very non-typical
techno areas. By mixing in some rap and samples and several "tricks,"
they have created a project that varies from innovative to awkward at
times. Most problematic are some disjointed segments that nearly remove
the beat in several spots. Perhaps they strayed off the path a little too far in
those spots.
Another somewhat unique aspect of the project is a lengthy, yet easily
understandable, explanation of the Christian faith printed in the jacket.
They don't hide the specifics of their faith to subtly slide into the
mainstream, although it is of a caliber that could earn it a spot in the
secular clubs.
While the album was a bit awkward at times, and might prove slightly
challenging to really dance to, I thoroughly enjoyed the project. It was
energetic techno that was obviously well-produced and well engineered. I
think in some ways it is one of the best releases in the quickly developing
Christian dance market.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
KENNY MARKS ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY (DAYSPRING)
Kenny Marks has been around Christian music for nearly a decade and
while many of his songs have become classics, they have not grown old
and stale--most still pack the same emotional punch that they first did.
ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY is a collection of some of these songs, with
two remakes of older favorites, and a new "classic" to boot.
The new tune, "Absolutely, Positively Friends," is a rocker that should
become another Marks classic. Penned by Kenny and Pamela Marks, it's
upbeat, and imparts a warm feeling as a borderline rock-anthem. It
celebrates a friendship, either human, or you could interpret the friend as
God.
The remakes are "Friends" (the one penned by Marks and others, not the
MICHAEL W. SMITH version!) and "I Give it All To You," penned by
Tom Hemby.
Marks' "band" for the new recordings features some familiar names
such as Mike Mead, Wade James, Eric Darken, George Cocchini, and
background vocals by Chris Rodriguez, Chris Harris, and Michael Mellett.
And, if for some reason you aren't familiar with Marks' classics on the
album, then you are in for a treat. To me, Marks' songs have always
evoked a strong emotional response. They have put the Christian faith and
beliefs in the lives of every-day people and they teach a lesson. I would be
surprised if you could listen to "Next Time You See Johnny" and not feel
a sense of the Spirit as he tells of a little boy in prayer.
The musical tone for these hits varies from the contemporary to
moderate rock with a few nice ballads, and even the country flair of "I'll
Be a Friend to You."
If you're a Kenny Marks fan, this is nice to keep all the classics together.
If you are unfamiliar with Marks, this is a perfect opportunity to get a
wonderful introduction.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
SHACK OF PEASANTS GOSPEL BLUES VOLUME 2 (METRO ONE)
As its title states, this album is the follow-up to GOSPEL BLUES
VOLUME 1 that Shack of Peasants released in the spring. For those who
weren't aware of the first recording, Shack of Peasants is made up of a
number of contemporary Christian musicians who share a common love
for blues music. Led by ace guitarist Lanny Cordola, some of the other
members include Darrell Mansfield, Crystal Lewis, Phil Bardowell, and
Chris Lizotte.
As with VOLUME 1, this album is a mixture of old standards and new
songs written by Cordola and friends. One notable difference from the first
album, however, is the much larger part that Crystal Lewis plays in this
one. She does a very effective job at interpreting some of the old songs,
successfully paying tribute to the style, as well as making it seem fresh.
Cordola once again is great on the guitar--and contributes a couple of
tunes, "A Shack In Negev," "Hymns Of The Meek," and "Won't Be Long
Til' Paradise." The last song also appeared on Cordola's last solo album,
OF RIFFS AND SYMPHONIES. On that version, JON GIBSON handled
the vocals, while Lewis takes care of them on the Shack of Peasants
record. While I prefer the version by GIBSON, Lewis' take on the song
fits in better with the rest of this album.
Cordola also ably handles the lead vocals on a cover of BOB DYLAN'S
"Ring Them Bells." While he doesn't have the most wonderful voice in
the world, it is extremely suited to this type of song.
Another notable cut is "John the Revelator," which bears no
resemblance to PHIL KEAGGY'S version. This one is acoustic, with
Darrell Mansfield and Lewis sharing the vocals.
If you enjoyed the first album, or just have an appreciation for blues
music, pick up this one.
--BETH BLINN
ANDY LANDIS STRANGER (STAR SONG)
Well Christian music listeners, I am privileged to introduce y'all to a
very special woman, who I believe will be a force in the Christian music
industry in the 1990's. Andy Landis' debut solo album STRANGER is a
TOUR DE FORCE of complex vocals, mixed music, and enough guest
singers to end up being the Dove Awards Night in and of itself (DOLLY
PARTON, TWILA PARIS, RICKY SKAGGS and PHILLIPS, CRAIG
AND DEAN are just a few of the names that appear on this album).
Overall I would label the piece as having a country feel to it, but there
enough "pop-style" songs that I think anyone who appreciates a solid mix
of good music, performed by excellent musicians will enjoy the album.
Landis' vocals remind me sometimes of PAT BENATAR'S power and
LESLIE PHILLIP'S drive. As far as comparing Landis to anyone in the
Christian scene, I draw a blank--she seems to be building a special place
all her own, somewhere between country and pop/rock.
The lyrics found on this album alone are worth its price: all the songs
except one are written by Landis. The topics covered are quite deep, from
discussing rape in "No," to praising the value of a Godly man in "The
Measure of A Man," to a simple salvation message in "He's Knocking."
After listening to this album over and over, I have grown to listen to the
lyrics more than the music. Landis skillfully weaves tales of real life,
using such emotions and situations as despair, defeat in our spiritual lives,
paying bills, accountability, hurting people behind false fronts, and the like
and intertwines them with the threads of God's love, salvation and
sacrifice for us. She creates too many great songs to print here. My
personal favorite song (both lyrically and musically) is called "(Love Is)
Deeper Than Touch." It deals with the fact that friends still care and love
each other, even when separated. "If by chance we never meet again/Love
is deeper, deeper than touch/ Even when this world comes to an end/Love
is deeper, deeper than touch." These words alone on this blank page might
not look very moving, but hearing Landis behind it (as I am doing now)
makes it sure hard not to cry, remembering all of one's loved ones that are
kept apart.
I was especially impressed with the mission statement printed within the
album's front leaf: "I want to reflect God's love so others will be drawn to
Him. I hope to express joy so others will want Jesus in their lives. I won't
represent myself as being 'totally healed' or perfect because I'm not.
Thank Heavens I don't have to be! But I will present an honest, sometimes
painful, yet always grateful account of the Lord's patient handiwork in my
very human life. It is for Him that I humbly pray, 'God, make my life a
living invitation.'" Amen. Andy, you are certainly accomplishing your
goal with this record.
--BRYAN W. BRENDLEY
JERRY WILLIAMS AND HARVEST MIGHTY RIVER (BENSON)
Mighty River is the newest release by Williams and his group (not the
original Harvest). This album is quite up-beat but still carries the familiar
harmonies and message of spiritual warfare so characteristic of Williams,
an ordained minister of the Gospel. There's a trace of R-&-B in the
collection, some country gospel, and enough of Williams' soulfulness to
please any Harvest fan.
The Rhythm and Blues traces are especially evident in the cuts "When
You Feel The Love," and "I Won't Be Denied," in which the listener is
challenged to take a stand and "fight in the name of Jesus Christ."
The title song has some country gospel strains mixed with some more
contemporary sounds. The beginning harmony is beautiful, and is a
wonderful introduction to the rest of the album. The song, "Follow Me
Forever" is a reminder from Christ: "I'll promise I'll deliver you from all
of your enemies ... No greater love will ever be shown to you." The song
"Hold On" focuses on spiritual warfare, where the battle cry is that "Jesus
.. He will get him [Satan] and it won't be long!" A change in style for
Williams is the island-calypso-like song "In The Early Days," where less
ardent Christians are urged to call on Jesus to take them back to the days
of their first love.
Drummer Dean Castronovo really shows off in "Sometimes," "Spirit
Rain Down," and "In The Early Days." Marty Walsh, the guitarist,
displays his talent on the acoustic in "Hold On." Even though the current
lineup of Harvest has not been playing together all that long, they blend
together very well.
Williams, who has had problems with his throat and voice of late, really
does sound in good form on this album. The message of Harvest and their
contemporary style is especially appealing to youth and young adults. If
you are a fan, I know you won't be disappointed with this latest effort.
--JULIE HENRY
KARTHI KARTHI (FOREFRONT)
Newcomer Karthi is bounding onto the Christian music scene with an
energetic release for the pop-dance arena. Several tracks are produced by
Joe Hogue, while the balance are produced by Toby McKeehan, Todd
Collins, Joey Elwood, and Ron Griffith. The influences from Toby Mac
(McKeehan) can be easily felt with many smoothly flowing samples, ala
D.C. Talk's FREE AT LAST.
While the music is excellent, with great pop grooves and the production
is superb, none of that is what grabbed me on this album (well... the music
helped). What caught my ear (and mind) was the depth of the lyrics,
penned mainly by Karthi, with some excellent help. In an impressingly
vertical album for a debut, Karthi hits some decent topics with such cuts as
"Next to Ya" (the personal changes coming from prayer), "Are You
There" (how God patiently permits us to question whether He is there or
not), "Right Where You Want Me" (going where God wants us), and
"You Got to Me" (the joy of an intimate relationship with the Lord). "Air
You Breathe" is a highlight, talking about feeling inadequate and how God
will satisfy those needs.
The only thing I found that turned me off to this album was the silly
little "snippets" between songs, again ala FREE AT LAST. They are fun
the first time that they play, but after than they are very annoying. If I
didn't have a programmable CD player, I wouldn't listen to the album.
But, except for that, it's an excellent release, one sure to get people up
and dancing.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
SCOTT SPRINGER HELLO FOREVER (PAKADERM)
Scott Springer is normally associated with HALO, the pop/rock trio that
also records on Pakaderm records. On this album Springer goes solo, but
doesn't really depart from HALO'S style that much. It seems that the
Elefante brothers, keeping in mind the variety is the spice of life, have
decided to pursue some adult-contemporary type projects, as opposed to
the hard rock albums that they are most known for.
In Springer, they have a singer who is well-suited to the task. He has a
nice, melodic voice, that lends itself well to the ballads and mid-tempo
pop songs that populate this record. The first side kicks off with
"Anytime," a song about friendship that showcases a duet between
Springer and Jon Gibson. Gibson's soulfulness is a nice foil for Springer's
more conventional voice.
Some of the other cuts that stand out are "Psycho Babble," "Stand Up"
and "His Name Is Jesus." "Psycho Babble," has some insightful lyrics, and
an interesting melody, although it doesn't really fit with the rest of the
album. "Stand Up" is an acoustic rocker, with a hook that sticks in your
head. "His Name Is Jesus" is a strong, solid pop song, that features the
layered vocals that the Elefantes' are known for producing. The songs
sounds as if it could have come off of one of the MASTEDON albums, the
group that JOHN AND DINO ELEFANTE created for themselves several
years back.
All of the lyrics are pretty straight forward, similar to what you might
find on a PETRA album. This is a pretty solid release, and should appeal
to anyone who is a fan of the Elefante brothers' production. In other
words, if you like your songs smooth, sweet, and heavy with vocal
harmony, this one's for you.
--BETH BLINN
FEAR NOT FEAR NOT (PAKADERM)
A second offering from the Elefante brothers, but the only thing this
album shares with the SCOTT SPRINGER release is the fairly straight
forward lyrics and the producers.
This four member band used to be known as LOVE LIFE, and had one
album released on the Blond Vinyl label. A blues-based rock group, the
now-titled Fear Not has moved to the Pakaderm label, and the Elefantes.
This is good rock and roll, with a lot of energy and just the right amount of
attitude.
Lyrically, most of the album deals with how bad this world is, and how
good God is. While the lyrics are straight forward, they are able to avoid
most clich�s. Dealing with subjects like pride, suicide, and many other
evils of this world, the music is well suited to the topics.
Some of the strongest songs are "Suicide Sunshine," "Til The end of My
Days," "Take Hold" and "We Have A God." The musicianship on this
record is very good. The band is tight, and the Elefantes have not over-
produced this record--it has just the right amount or roughness that
accompanies the best rock and roll. Fans of GUARDIAN and BRIDE
should check this one out--Fear Not has joined the land of quality
Christian hard rock.
--BETH BLINN
BROTHER BROTHER YOUNG WARRIORS (GIANT)
Brother Brother, a new band comprised of Billy (a.k.a. Bud) Plake
(vocals and guitars) and Carl Kelly (keyboards and percussion), created a
tight, energetic rock release with their debut, YOUNG WARRIORS.
All the lyrics are written by Kelly and Plake (surprising for a new group)
and are straight out encouragement to stand firm in the Christian faith.
"Somebody Prayed" is a standout, telling the haunting story of praying for
unborn children and later seeing the boy playing and remembering that
"the only reason he's alive today is because somewhere somebody
prayed."
Musically, the album has garnered several slight comparisons to White
Heart, however, I think that is a little misleading. In my (humble?)
opinion, I think Brother Brother takes a little to much musical direction
from producer David Huff. They come off sounding very much like David
and the Giants, probably also assisted by using David and the Giants'
drummer Lance Huff on the project.
Their ability to effectively perform ballads shows through on "What
Kind of Love is This?"
It's a very enjoyable rock project, packed with encouragement and good
guitar licks.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
CONCERT REVIEW:
DAVID MEECE, SELINSGROVE, PA
On September 18, 1993, David Meece appeared in concert at
Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. I was fortunate enough to be
at the concert. If you remember, I reviewed Meece's new ONCE IN A
LIFETIME album a few months ago and really enjoyed it--hence my
excitement about the concert. I went with some friends who had seen a
Meece concert one other time, so I wasn't surprised by the lone piano on
the stage--but I sure was impressed at how good Meece can make one
piano sound!
I was apprehensive about the reproducibility of the music's sound
without backing vocals or instrumentation, but Meece made it all come
out--flawlessly! As I sat in the dim light, I was transfixed by the technical
correctness found within Meece's performance. The songs ranged from
current hits "Inside Out" and "Over You" to the old favorites "We Are
The Reason" and "Falling Down," all performed with so much energy I
thought Meece might blow a fuse before the three hour concert ended.
Meece's blend of humor and personal revelation also made for a
memorable evening. Most of the humor revolved around how Meece
changed his voice, either high or low, to mimic his mother. The funny
stories were used to drive home practical messages about God's control of
our lives and how Christians need to be real in their dealings with fellow
believers. Of course, Meece also discussed parts of his abusive childhood
and how he has come to grips with his past.
All told, the concert was great. If you are looking for a big stage show,
screaming guitars, and pyrotechnics, don't go see David Meece. But if you
crave great music, all done on piano, an honest guy, and lyrics that scratch
your soul--not many can do it better.
--BRYAN W. BRENDLEY
NEW RELEASES
4Him SEASON OF LOVE
Angelica GREATEST HITS
Debby Boone HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
Carman THE STANDARD
Steven Curtis Chapman THE LIVE ADVENTURE
Eric Darken A DRUMMER BOY'S CHRISTMAS
Deliverance LEARN
Cynthia Wilson Felder NEW SONGS OF ZION
Kathy Lee Gifford CHRISTMAS CAROLS
Global Wave System LIFE EQUALS DEATH
Mark Heard HIGH NOON
Frank & Betsy Hernandez SILENT NIGHT
Kurt Kaiser CHRISTMAS FAVORITES
Patrick Kavanaugh A TASTE FOR THE CLASSICS
Mo Leverett FOR THE BENEFIT OF DESIRE
Lost Dogs LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
L.S.U. SHADED PAIN (RE-RELEASE)
Geoff Moore & the Distance EVOLUTION
Prodigal Sons RETURN
Reggae Worship REGGAE WORSHIP
Shack of Peasants GOSPEL BLUES VOL. 2
Sixpence and None the Richer SIXPENCE AND NONE THE RICHER
Michael W. Smith BEST OF, THE FIRST DECADE
Straight Company SO EXCITED A CAPELLA
Tamplin TAMPLIN
various A MYX'ED TRIP TO A GOSPEL HOUSE 2
various SONGS FROM THE LOFT
various THE NEW YOUNG MESSIAH
Angie & Debbie Winans ANGIE & DEBBIE
Michelle Wagner HEART OF THE JOURNEY
Scott Wenzel HEART LIKE THUNDER
White Heart HIGHLANDS
Brett Williams & In Reach POWER & PROMISE
X Propagation CONFLICT
OCTOBER RELEASES
Angelo & Veronica A & V
Susan Ashton SUSAN ASHTON
Bruce Carroll WALK ON
Andrae Crouch UNTITLED
David and the Giants GIANT HITS
Deitophobia CLEAN
Al Denson REASONS
Rob Frazier THE LONG RUN
Glad ACAPELLA HYMNS
Ian Eskelin BRAND NEW LANGUAGE
Don Francisco PROMISE AND COVENANT
Mark Heard HIGH NOON
Two Hearts GIVE 'EM THE WORD
Catherine King WINDOWS AND DOORS
Crystal Lewis THE BRIDE
Riki Michele ONE MOMENT PLEASE
Rich Mullins A LITURGY, A LEGACY AND A RAGAMUFFIN BAND
Petra WAKE UP CALL
Poor Old Lu MIND SIZE
REZ Reach of Love
Linda Richards UNCHAINED HEART
Phillip Sandifer FOLLOWER
Wayne Watson A BEAUTIFUL PLACE
BeBe & CeCe FIRST CHRISTMAS
NOVEMBER RELEASES
Audio Adrenaline DON'T CENSOR ME
Calvin Bridges BY THE LORD'S MERCY
Detrius IF BUT FOR ONE
Eden Burning SMILINGLY HOME
Gospel Gangster GANG AFFILIATED
Nancy Honeytree PIONEER
Greg & Rebecca Sparks FIELD OF YOUR SOUL
Steve Taylor SQUINT
Mortification LIVE PLANETARIUM
Ben Okafor GENERATION
Passafist GENERATION
P.I.D. UNTITLED
various PRECIOUS CHILD
DECEMBER RELEASES
Brian Barrett UNTITLED
Bride UNTITLED
Allison Durham WALK INTO FREEDOM
P.F.R. (Pray For Rain) GOLDY'S LAST DAY
Twila Paris BEYOND A DREAM
Phillips, Craig & Dean UNTITLED
TOP ALBUMS
1. LE VOYAGE, Sandi Patti, Word
2. FREE AT LAST, D.C. Talk, ForeFront
3. HOPE, Michael English, Warner Alliance
4. CHANGE YOUR WORLD, Michael W. Smith, Reunion
5. THE GREAT ADVENTURE, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sparrow
6. NU THANG, D.C. Talk, Yo! ForeFront
7. THE ABSOLUTE BEST, Carman, Sparrow
8. SOUL, Margaret Becker, Sparrow
9. THE BASICS OF LIFE, 4Him, Benson
10. ONCE IN A LIFETIME, David Meece
11. TAKING HEAVEN BY STORM, Steve Camp, Warner Alliance
12. NOT ASHAMED, The Newsboys, Star Song
13. A HEART THAT KNOW YOU, Twila Paris, Star Song
14. HEAT IT UP, DeGarmo & Key, Benson
15. SET ME FREE, Acappella, Word
16. MICHAEL ENGLISH, Michael English, Warner Alliance
17. LIVE, WE COME REJOICING, The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir,
Warner Alliance
18. LIFT HIM UP, Ron Kenoly, Hosanna Music
19. BOB CARLISLE, Bob Carlisle, Sparrow
20. ANGELS OF MERCY, Susan Ashton, Sparrow
ON THE COVER
NEXT MONTH:
STEVE TAYLOR
OTHER UPCOMING FEATURES:
AL DENSON, LANNY CORDOLA, MICHAEL CARD, NEWSONG,
CRYSTAL LEWIS, KARTHI, THE STAND, AND CATHERINE KING
THE LIGHTHOUSE CLASSIFIEDS:
DEGARMO & KEY, GEOFF MOORE & THE DISTANCE, AND
KARTHI--in concert, Sunday, October 24, 1993 7:00 pm at East Juniata
High School, Cocalamus, PA (717) 535-5096.
- LIGHTSHINE MAGAZINE- Lightshine is sent out to many people who
really need to be encouraged and challenged by the Gospel. Hundreds of
secular bands and their fans receive the magazine free of charge. If you
share our sense of urgency for reaching out to this culture, join us in this
endeavor. A tax-deductible donation of any size will tap you into the
Christian metal underground and be a blessing to those without the Light
(2 Cor. 4:4-6). P. O. Box 456 Paradise, PA 17562 (717) 397-7217.
THE SACRIFICE MAGAZINE: c/o Scott Hileman, Rte. 1 Box 596,
Jonesboro, IL 62952 (bi-monthly $11.00 U.S.).
