Month: March 2025

Billy And Sarah Gaines – Billy & Sarah Gaines – 1986

Billy and Sarah Gaines met and began singing together in 1974. They married in 1977 and played churches and coffeehouses across Virginia. From 1977 to 1980 they also sang in a group called Living Sacrifice and got an appearance on The 700 Club in 1978. In 1985 they moved to Nashville where Billy took a job as a Security Job until he got a contract for his songwriting. Shortly after Benson records offered them a recording contract and this album was recorded and released. Though they were better known for the R&B style Benson decided they were better suited for a more easy listening sound that would sell more broadly. Luckily they would return to that R&B sound in a couple albums but Benson was right about this sound at this point as the album was hugely successful. It had 4 CCM charting singles with one of them making in into the top 10. As for the album it is a little too easy listening for me but I know quality when I hear it and this is some quality music.

Tracklist
1 – He’s Risen In Me – 3:23
2 – You Are Faithful – 3:50
3 – I Am Convinced – 2:45
4 – The Part That No One Sees – 4:29
5 – In His Eyes – 3:40
6 – Turned My Mourning Into Dancing – 2:30
7 – No Greater Love – 3:34
8 – Glory To God In The Highest – 3:09
9 – Come Drink At My Table – 4:39
10 – Then The World Will Know – 3:55

Credits
Billy Gaines – Vocals
Sarah Gaines – Vocals
Jon Goin – Guitars
Mark Hammond – Drums
Marty McCall – Background Vocals
Greg Nelson – Producer

Al Denson – Al Denson – 1989

This is Al’s third or fourth album. The history is a little unclear as his previous albums were all self released so there aren’t well known. This album however is what most people think of as his first album as it was the first one on a label and with proper distribution. Al was one of those people that played music his whole life wit his first public performance at age 5 where he played “Bridge Over Troubled Water” on piano. At age of 18 Al played piano for Bob Hope’s USO tour as well as Kenny Rogers. That’s some pretty good history right there. In 1981 he released a 7″ single with 2 tracks that I am completely unable to find but it appeared to be secular judging from the song titles. He provided music at Southern Baptist Youth Conventions conferences and obviously became a hit with the youth movement and in this time as I said he release 2 or 3 albums. He then signed with Benson records which brings us to this album. I would say it’s a softrock album but there’s a couple tracks that pop his sound pretty good. The album had 3 CCM charting singles with “Peace Be Still” doing the best at #12 but it was his next album that really took off. I’m looking forward to hearing that one next.

Tracklist
1 – Reckless Heart – 3:15
2 – Love Is Taking Hold – 4:57
3 – Heaven Knows My Name – 3:34
4 – Right Where You Are – 5:08
5 – On The Upbeat – 3:45
6 – Strong Love – 3:29
7 – It Takes The Strong To Surrender – 4:08
8 – Warm Place In A Cold World – 4:29
9 – Faces And Names – 3:56
10 – Peace Be Still – 4:03

Credits
Backing Vocals – Chris Harris, Don Nalle, Ed Nalle, Gary Janney, Guy Penrod, Mark Heimermann, Mike Eldred, Michele Wagner, Rob Neal
Bass – Jackie Street, Lee Jones
Design – Joel Anderson
Drums, Percussion – Mark Hammond
Engineer – David Murphy, John Yandell, Keith Compton, Ronnie Brookshire
Guitar – Mark Baldwin, Tim Norris
Keyboards – Phil Naish
Producer, Executive-Producer – Dan Cleary
Trumpet, Soloist – George Tidwell

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – The Benson Company, Inc.
Copyright © – The Benson Company, Inc.
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Distributed By – Mitchell Family Books, Inc.
Recorded At – Great Circle Sound
Recorded At – The Doghouse
Recorded At – Omni B
Recorded At – Hummingbird Studio, Nashville, TN
Recorded At – 21st Street Recording
Mixed At – Johnny dB’s Basement
Mastered At – Mastermix

Darrell Mansfield Band – The Vision – 1983

This was Darrell’s 5th album (his first was with Gentle Faith). Most people believe “Revelation” was his breakthrough album but I would argue this one is. This one established his blues rock sound that many people we’re hungering for in the mid 80’s. The album also contains a new version of his Gentle Faith song “Jerusalem”. This is a song that Darrell is very proud of and has reworked several times over the years and there’s even a music video for it out there. I guess the big hit of the album would have been “Radio” which Darrell played religiously at his live shows through the 80’s and 90’s. Personally I am not the biggest fan of the production of this album and I’ve changed it up slightly to a bit of a fuller sound. This is one album that we spent hours listening to back in 1983 and it’s one we love to this day.

Tracklist
1 – Lay Down This World – 1:07
2 – No More Blues – 3:40
3 – Hard Times – 3:26
4 – The Vision – 5:05
5 – Radio – 3:52
6 – Walk Across Heaven – 4:14
7 – Empty Hearts – 4:05
8 – Can’t Do Nothin’ Without Jesus Love – 3:55
9 – Jerusalem – 3:42
10 – Have You Been Listenin’ – 1:25

Credits
Art Direction – Alex MacDougall
Backing Vocals – Anthony Dean, Jeff Nicholson, Rosemary Butler, Tom Howard, Virgil Beckham
Bass – Abraham Laboriel, Charlie Souza, Jeff Nicholson, John Patitucci
Design [Album Design] – Gary DeLacy, Rick Griffin
Drums – Bill Lordan, Billy Maxwell, Paul Angers
Engineer – Brook Johnson, Chris Taylor, Linda Schaffer, Willie Harlan
Guitar – Anthony Dean, Dennis Carothers, Don Gerber, Eric Turner, Hadley Hockensmith, Jerry Swallow, Steve Kara, Virgil Beckham
Keyboards – Dave Garland, Harlan Rogers, Tom Howard
Lead Vocals, Harmonica [Harp] – Darrell Mansfield
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Percussion – Alex Acu a
Photography By – Linda Baily, Scott Lockwood, Valerie Sutter
Producer – Darrell Mansfield, Tommy Coomes, Virgil Beckham

Companies, etc.
Distributed By – Word, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – A&S Records
Copyright (c) – A&S Records
Recorded At – Rocshire Studios,I.A.M. Studios, Irvine, Whitefield Studios
Mixed At – Rocshire Studios,I.A.M. Studios, Irvine
Mastered At – A&M Studios

4HIM – Face The Nation – 1991

4HIM followed up on their wildly successful first album with this wildly successful second album. It pretty well follows the same recipe as their first album but with a little more sizzle. The album had 4 CCM charting singles with 3 of the 4 making it into the top 10. “A Man You Would Write About” mad it up to #2 and was followed by “Over The Horizon” which only made it to #12. The next two singles “Why?” and “He Never Changes” made it to #1 and $4. 4HIM was probably Benson’s biggest selling artist and they did a great job of promoting them. So if you liked their first album your likely going to love this one too.

Tracklist
1 – He Never Changes – 4:28
2 – Puzzles – 4:40
3 – Why? – 4:54
4 – When The Walls Come Down – 4:20
5 – Chisel Meets The Stone – 4:49
6 – Face The Nation – 4:35
7 – Over The Horizon – 4:01
8 – A Man You Would Write About – 4:53
9 – When I Get Home – 3:56
10 – Every Reason To Believe – 3:35
11 – Take Me To The Place – 4:41
12 – When I Get Home (Reprise) – 2:29

Credits
Art Direction – Connie Harrington
Backing Vocals [Additional] – Billy Simon
Bass [Upright] – Craig Nelson
Contractor – Kristin Wilkinson
Design – Red’s Catfish
Drum Programming, Programmed By [Bass] – Gary Lunn
Drums – Kenny Malone, Mark Hammond, Gary Lunn
Edited By – Bret Teegarden
Engineer – Bret Teegarden, Rick Will, Ronnie Brookshire, Steve Pinkston,
Executive-Producer – Andy Ivey
Guitar – Dennis Dearing, Jerry McPherson, Tom Hemby
Keyboards – Don Koch, Mark Heimermann
Mandolin – Tom Hemby
Mastered By – Hank Williams
Mixed By – Andy Ivey, Bret Teegarden
Orchestra – Bob Mason, Carl Gorodetzky, Craig Nelson, David Angell, David Davidson, Dennis Molchan, Jim Grosjean, John Catchings, Kristin Wilkinson, Laura Molyneaux, Lee Larrison, Mary Kathryn Vanosdale, Pamela Sixfin, Ted Madsen
Orchestrated By – Russell Mauldin
Photography By – Russ Harrington
Piano – Reed Arvin
Producer – Chris Harris, Don Koch, Reed Arvin
Programmed By [Synclavier] – Reed Arvin
Recorded By – Lynn Fuston
Vocals [Additional] – Chris Harris, Mark Heimermann

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Benson Music Group, Inc.
Copyright © – Benson Music Group, Inc.
Distributed By – Benson Music Group
Pressed By – DADC – DIDX-009882
Recorded At – Quad Studios
Recorded At – OmniSound Studios
Recorded At – Hummingbird Studio, Nashville, TN
Recorded At – Casa De Pepe Music
Mixed At – Duckworth Studio
Edited At – Duckworth Studio
Mastered At – Mastermix