Not only did they change the name from “Lifesavors” to “Lifesavers” on this one, but the band took a sudden turn with this album, sounding a lot more like Flock of Seagulls than like a Cali-punk band.
Smooth production, serious looking photography, and a clean sound make this a pop album. Subsequent releases from Lifesavers all share this mature style but some of them manage to bring the edge back rather than the adult contemporary sound of 80s oldies.
Throughout, they manage to keep thoughtful lyrics and passionate delivery.
The band’s energy comes through again on songs like “Choose To Be True,” a truly catch tune. The classic “Turn Turn Turn” also makes an appearance on this album. It seems to be more an homage to Ecclesiastes than to Pete Seger or The Byrds though.
Tracklist
1 – She’s On Fire – 3:39
2 – I Pray You Pray – 3:34
3 – I Can’t Wait – 3:42
4 – Choose To Be True – 2:28
5 – Highway To Zion – 3:02
6 – Dreamin – 4:20
7 – Love Boy Love Girl – 3:13
8 – Turn, Turn, Turn – 3:39
9 – We Live For The Sun – 3:44
10 – Free Her – 3:18
11 – See Me Fall – 4:48
Companies, etc.
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Frontline Records
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Frontline Records
Copyright (c) – Broken Songs
Credits
Acoustic Guitar – Michael Knott
Art Direction – Ed McTaggart
Backing Vocals – Kenny Samuels
Bass Guitar – Brian Doidge
Drums – Kevin Lee
Electric Guitar – Doug Doyle, Michael Knott
Engineer – Doug Doyle
Keyboards – Doug Doyle, Michael Knott
Layout – Ed McTaggart
Liner Notes – Craig A.J. Keyzers
Percussion – Kevin Lee, Michael Knott
Photography By – Brian Ray
Producer – Doug Doyle
Saxophone – Allen Palmer
Vocals – Michael Knott
Written-By – Bill Robinson (tracks: 2), Chris Lizotte (tracks: 2), Jim Akin (tracks: 2), Michael Gerard Knott (tracks: 1 to 6, 7, 9 to 11), Pete Seger (tracks: 2)
Oh goodness, this one of the top albums of its time. I love this album, she really was on fire…
Lifesavors played frequently at Calvary Costa Mesa with Randy Zeigler preaching, that’s where I heard of them first. I was shocked how good they were in concert and the albums were just as good. I emailed Calvary Costa Mesa asking if they kept video tapes of their concert series in 1982 and offered my video editor skills to convert them over to mp4 for free but they never got back to me. I would have give the mp4 files freely to Real 80s CCM and Calvary Costa Mesa and cleaned them up but they weren’t interested enough to even respond to my email. I’ll bet that the Saturday Night Concert Series at Calvary Costa Mesa is in a series of boxes stored off site and although they are sitting on a gold mine they won’t do anything about it.
Michael Knott (the man pictured on the front of the Album) died in March 2024 in Orange County, CA. He was one of the pioneers of Christian Rock with his Lifesavers band that helped create Undercover, 4-4-1, The Lifters, and many many more. At a time when Amy Grant and Sandi Patti where becoming more popular Michael Knott had already put a number of very popular albums on the shelves, some of them weren’t even the Lifesavers, one of them was called Labor of Love and it was really good, so good he wouldn’t even say who the band members were although it was obvious. The Lifesavers, Undercover, 4-4-1, Altar Boys, and a few others were “harvest” bands. Hundreds and thousands of kids would show up and Randy Zeigler from Calvary Costa Mesa would harvest salvation where someone else planted the seeds and it was because of the lyrics in the songs by these very popular bands. There are many seed planting bands but few harvesting bands. The people that came to these concerts expected to make a decision for Christ by the end of the night. And there were a lot.
There is a movie called US Kids to be completed and released by the end of 2024. It’s addressed in this interview with Bill Walden from Undercover https://youtu.be/GiK48x67ARU?si=6j7rJDABmb8Hw2s2 Michael Knott lives on!