Month: September 2024

Messenger – Bringin’ The Message – 1978

If you’re looking for some Funky Jazz this is the album for you. This was the second and last album from Messenger. I checked and none of the members of the band seem to have done anything more except for Rick Riso who had 2 albums in the 80’s and one in the 90’s. He also had a whole bunch of albums with his wife. Other than that I couldn’t really find out much about this band. Like I say the album has a Jazz infused Funk feel and is actually really well done. Pity this band didn’t keep on as they did know what they were doing.

Tracklist
1 – Bringin’ The Message – 2:57
2 – Our Love Will Grow – 4:40
3 – Livin’ In Love – 2:44
4 – Pressin’ On – 3:47
5 – Song In The Night – 3:51
6 – Changin’ Me – 4:16
7 – All You Need – 3:20
8 – I Still Love You – 5:08
9 – Now Is The Time – 3:16
10 – Home To You – 4:25

Credits
Acoustic Bass – Dave Marotta
Arranged By – Messenger
Arranged By [Strings] – Clark Gassman
Arranged By [Vocals] – Si Simonson
Artwork, Design – Thel
Backing Vocals – Rebecca Sue Sherburn
Drums – Mike Feller
Electric Bass – Dave Marotta
Executive-Producer – Bill Cole
Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Jerry Hey
Keyboards – Si Simonson
Lacquer Cut By [KP in runouts] – KP
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Guitar – Rick Riso
Percussion – Fred Petry, Mike Feller
Producer – Rick Riso, Si Simonson
Saxophone – Kim Hutchcroft
Strings – L.A. Superstrings, Sidney Sharp
Tenor Saxophone – Larry Williams
Trombone – Bill Reichenbach
Vibraphone – Larry Troxel (tracks: B5)

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Published By – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Recorded At – Martinsound
Recorded At – United Western Studios
Mastered At – Capitol Mastering

The David Coate Group – State Of The Heart – 1985

I’ve had this album sitting around for awhile (5 years) and not listened to it. For some reason I had visions of this being an easy listening album. Yes it does lean easy listening but there are some great tracks on this album. “Walking in the Light” is a great little rock & roll track that deserves a second listen. Also “Wait Just a Minute” is definitely a radio ready 80’s pop tune. This was the second self released album for David and now I’m looking forward to the first one. This album would be his last 80’s album but he went on to record 8 more albums over the years including as recently as 2023.

1 – Star of the East – 4:28
2 – The Battle – 4:20
3 – Standing Together – 3:24
4 – Don’t Lose Heart – 3:14
5 – Walking in the Light – 4:19
6 – Wait Just a Minute – 5:36
7 – I Believe – 2:54
8 – Wanderer – 4:43
9 – Breaking Away – 5:48

Desert Water Band – Come Closer – 1980

I can not find anything about this band nor can I find that any of the members did any other recorded work. So given that lets just talk about the album. This is a Jesus music album but not like most of them This one has a far more rock sound. There are hints of The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd all through the album and quite frankly this is one of the best Jesus music albums I have stumbled on. It was actually on a real label, Mag Records, but this is the only one from them that they released. It was 1980 however and Jesus music was on it’s way out for a more 80’s pop sound. Too bad we didn’t get more from these guys and I feel they could have probably progressed like SCB into an excellent 80’s band.

Tracklist
1 – King Of My Dreams – 2:54
2 – Come Closer – 4:05
3 – Because I Love You – 3:06
4 – Delight – 2:40
5 – An Appeal – 3:19
6 – No Apologies – 3:33
7 – I Still Believe – 2:28
8 – Find Your Way – 3:58
9 – He’s Coming – 2:41
10 – It’s Yours Not Mine – 1:33

Credits
Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Lonnie Klepper
Drums, Strings, Keyboards, Vocals – Wayne Hagar
Lead Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals – Dennis Baker

Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – Recording Services Of W.N.C. – RSR-1114

Sleepy Ray & The Mighty Blood – Where The Highway Turns – 1996

This is Raymond McDonald’s second album and this one got picked up by Crystal Lewis and her husband Brian Ray’s record label Metro One. On his first album he dabbled with a Stevie Ray Vaughan sound but this album he really embraced it. Now I’m not saying the whole album is SRV sounding in fact it’s not but the best tracks have an SRV vibe. That is except for the best track “It’s Only Tuesday” which has a blues sound all it’s own. Unfortunately this is the last album we would get from Ray but the good news is that he still posts of himself on YouTube as the Sr. Pastor at The Vineyard Church of Conroe. He picks up the guitar and leads the congregation in some fantastic rock licks now and then. This is well within my top 50 CCM albums.

Tracklist
1 – Underneath Your Mighty Blood – 3:45
2 – My Answer – 4:06
3 – It’s A Loving Thang – 4:16
4 – You All Along – 4:33
5 – Cadillacs To Heaven – 3:16
6 – You’ve Gone Bitter – 2:51
7 – Where The Highway Turns – 6:40
8 – In The Way Up Down The Road – 4:36
9 – Swing #9 – 3:06
10 – It’s Only Tuesday – 2:44
11 – God Is So Good – 7:23

Credits
A&R – Tim Taber
Acoustic Guitar – Chris Lizotte
Art Direction – Sheri Neville
Bass Guitar – Bobby McDonald
Drums, Percussion – Kevin Jarvis
Engineer – Ken Woodward
Engineer [Additional] – Leo Song
Engineer [Assistant] – Marianne Kleine
Executive-Producer – Chris Wimber
Lead Vocals, Guitar – Raymond McDonald
Mastered By – Robert Vosgien
Mixed By – Michael Dumas
Producer [Additional], Organ [B-3], Piano – Ralph Jordan
Producer [Assistant] – Bobby McDonald, Kevin Jarvis
Producer, Art Direction – Raymond McDonald

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Vineyard Music Group
Copyright © – Vineyard Music Group
Distributed By – Diamante Music Group

Billy Crockett – In These Days Live – 1997

In 1997 Billy self released this live album of all his best songs. It was recorded Live between October 16th to 24th at University Baptist Church Ft Worth, Wilshire Baptist Church Dallas, Riverbend Church Austin, Custer Road United Methodist Church Plano, and on August 24th 1996 at First Baptist Church Duncanville. The album has 18 tracks which is a really good value for a self released album. Producer Billy Crockett says on the liner notes that the album was kept “raw and real”. Personally I think it’s very well recorded, engineered and produced but I know what he meant in that the album is just basic instruments and is relatively acoustic. So if you like Billy this is a definite must listen.

Tracklist
1 – How Good You Are – 4:10
2 – Walkin’ Home – 4:06
3 – The Bottom of Life – 3:34
4 – Couch Potato – 4:17
5 – The Wake Up Song – 2:47
6 – Song and Dance – 4:01
7 – 41 Lawnmowers – 5:02
8 – All Together – 5:16
9 – Storybook Dreams – 4:23
10 – The Crockosaurus – 1:28
11 – Bogart’s Independence – 3:17
12 – Elena – 6:46
13 – The Time is Now – 4:16
14 – Portrait of Love – 4:39
15 – Love Carrier – 3:57
16 – Best of Friends – 5:06
17 – Thankful Boys and Girls – 4:20
18 – A Father’s Love – 2:39

Credits
Accordion, Vocals – Jim Rommel
Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals – Billy Crockett
Mastered By – Sam Loy
Mixed By – Gordon Garrison
Producer – Billy Crockett
Recorded By – Gordon Garrison
Vocals – Milton Brasher

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Walking Angel Records
Copyright © – Walking Angel Records
Distributed By – Walking Angel