Month: July 2025

Maria Muldaur – Gospel Nights – 1980

This is one of those albums that I wonder how it came about. Here’s the story as it is told today. Muldaur was invited to play a small concert at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in in Santa Monica, CA. She invited The Chambers Bros. to perform with her. For a band she told her friend T Bone Burnett to put something together so T Bone invited his fellow Alpha Band members Steven Soles and David Mansfield along with his friend Stephen Bruton. So now we have all the actors in place let’s move onto the album. I’ll be honest that I wasn’t expecting much from this album as I’m not the biggest Maria Muldaur fan. Boy was I wrong. This is a fantastic album. This is not some hippy dippy affair, this is an in your face soul, blues, rock, bluegrass album. Not all at the same time but they are all there. I guess I should have expected that with such a great line up of artists. I don’t have a top 500 albums list like David Lowman but this would be on mine and I’m surprised it missed David’s list. Anyway, if you missed this one back in the day please do yourself a favour and give it a listen today.

Tracklist
1 – Brothers And Sisters – 6:46
2 – My Jesus Is All – 3:44
3 – Trials, Troubles, Tribulations – 4:22
4 – Bright Morning Star – 3:24
5 – Daniel Prayed – 3:26
6 – Nobody’s Fault But Mine – 1:38
7 – Just Like An Eagle – 4:43
8 – Did You Remember – 3:17
9 – Traveling Shoes – 4:14
10 – People Get Ready – 4:01
11 – Said I Wasn’t Going To Tell No One – 5:55
12 – Guide Me, O Great Jehovah – 1:53

Credits
Art Direction – John Van Hamersveld
Bass – Leon Gaer
Drums – Ron Tutt
Electric Guitar – Stephen Bruton
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Steven Soles
Electric Guitar, Fiddle, Mandolin – David Mansfield
Liner Notes – T Bone Burnett
Photography By [Back] – Matt Kramer
Photography By [Cover] – Sally Shoaf
Piano – Danny Timms
Producer – Jon Monday, Maria Muldaur
Recorded By, Mixed By – Ron Marks
Vocals – Maria Muldaur, The Burns Sisters, The Chambers Brothers

Companies, etc.
Recorded At – McCabe’s Guitar Shop
Recorded At – Gingerbread Studios

Lou Hayles – Don’t Hide Away – 1977

Lou Hayles was a member of U.K. band Meet Jesus Music which is how I discovered her. I’ve found so many great albums by clicking on random names on Discogs. Anyway I can’t find any information on Hayles other than she was a member of Meet Jesus Music. As for the album it follows along with her previous bands work but maybe turned down a notch. I can’t really pick a favourite track because well this album just isn’t my style. There is nothing wrong with the album in fact for this style it really a good album so as I usually say, if Jesus Music is your thing this one might be one for you.

Tracklist
1 – Don’t Let Them Fool You – 4:12
2 – Father of the Fatherless – 3:10
3 – Sweet Lamb – 4:10
4 – Tapestry – 3:15
5 – Wedding Song – 1:55
6 – Come to Me – 3:45
7 – The Kingdom Song – 2:27
8 – Traveling Along – 3:15
9 – High Priest – 2:51
10 – Don’t Hide Away – 3:00

Credits
Lou Hayles – Vocals, Keyboard
Barry Morgan – Drums
Dave Markee – Bass
Kevin Peek – Guitar
Lizzie Mills – Oboe
Jon Miller – Producer
Rod Edwards – Producer
Roger Hand – Producer
Lennart Sjöholm – String arrangements
Dave Harris – Engineer

Joseph Lamm – Watching The Coming Storm – 1984

You may remember that I just very recently discovered Joseph Lamm. He was suggested to me in our Facebook group and I subsequently got my hands on his second album which I absolutely loved. This is his first album and again I am impressed. This album, as was his second album, is a self release but don’t think of self release as a bad thing. I’ll be honest many self funded albums leave me wanting for production quality but not here. This album was actually produced by Steve Millikan, who also played keyboards. Steve was a pretty accomplished producer and he did another great job on this album. The album s rock oriented and I think the vocals are the real standout as Lamm is a great vocalist. I really wish I had found this artist in the 80’s but a U.S. self release was never gonna find it’s way to rural Canada where I lived. Joseph continues to make great music today and you can catch up with him on his webpage

https://josephlamm.com

Tracklist
1 – Remembrance – 5:24
2 – Call His Name – 2:13
3 – High Plains Drifter – 5:15
4 – In Winter – 6:18
5 – Still Waiting – 3:53
6 – Same Old Cliché – 4:12
7 – Safe Lodging – 2:09
8 – I’m Not Alone – 3:24
9 – The Great I Am – 8:48

Credits
Arranged By – Lamm, Millikan
Artwork By [Sleeve Painting] – Robert Blass
Backing Vocals – Rod Robison
Backing Vocals, Keyboards – Steve Keller
Bass, Double Bass – Steve Dokken
Cello – Marjorie Hanna, Nancy Smith, Polina Umansky
Drums – Dane Clark
Engineer – Darrell Powell
Engineer [Additional Engineering] – James Green
Engineer [Additional Engineering], Mixed By – John Bolt
Flute, Saxophone – James Farrelly
Guitar – Geoffrey Walker (2), Rex Thomas, Sandy Williams
Painting [Courtesy Of] – Cleveland Museum of Art
Photography By, Executive-Producer – Janet Lamm
Producer, Backing Band, Keyboards, Percussion – Steve Millikan
Viola – Donna Clark
Violin – Corrine Imboden, David Collins, Dick Dennis, Jennifer Peck, Sherban Lupu
Vocals, Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion – Joseph Lamm

Companies, etc.
Copyright © – Dancing Angel’s Music
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Dancing Angel’s Music
Recorded At – The Barn
Recorded At – Pinebrook Recording Studio
Recorded At – OmniSound Studios
Mixed At – Pinebrook Recording Studio
Mixed At – The Barn

Rhythm & News – Dream Love + Pray – 1994

This is the 3rd and final album from Canadian band Rhythm & News. They actually temporarily moved to Detroit so they could work with legendary Gospel producer Fred Hammond for this album. I am a huge fan of their first 2 albums but that all ends here. This album was on Word records in some odd convoluted licensing agreement that I don’t understand. Their first 2 albums were on Canadian label Image VII and distributed by Word but this one had a different licensing structure. I am guessing this is where this album went wrong. The talent is still there as these guys can sing but the songwriting is not as good as their previous work and the production is, well it’s different. I don’t want to bash Fred Hammond as the man is a legend but I don’t think he was a good mix for this band. Anyway the album isn’t horrible it’s just not great. This also ended the band as after the album original members Doug and Kevin left the group. They were replaced by Todd Wickens and Spencer Welch who transitioned the band into a instrument oriented band. Personally when half the members of the band are replaced and the sound is changed is it even the same band? They continued touring into 1998 but that was the end of it for them and they quietly faded away. My voyage of listening to Rhythm & News fell in line with the release order of their albums and I could hear the highs and lows in those albums. In a way I didn’t need to read a history of the band, I could hear it.

Tracklist
1 – I Promise You – 4:03
2 – They Will Know – 4:38
3 – Give You All – 5:10
4 – Honeymoon Hunny – 4:16
5 – Dream – 5:22
6 – Ain’t Gonna Play – 4:04
7 – Tell Me Why – 4:46
8 – To The Rhythm – 4:38
9 – He Is – 3:50
10 – Give You All (Remix) – 5:13

Credits
Design [Sleeve Design], Art Direction – Nancy Yeasting
Engineer [Assistant Mix Engineer] – Todd Fairall
Engineer [Assistant Recording Engineer] – Kevin Wilson
Engineer [Mix Engineer] – Randy Poole
Mastered By – Steve Hall
Mastered By [Mastering Notes] – Dave Slagter
Photography By – Jane Weitzel
Producer, Arranged By – Fred Hammond
Production Manager [Production Administration] – Monica Coates
Recorded By – Raymond Hammond*
Stylist [Grooming] – Pippa (6)
Stylist [Styling] – Catherine Dunwoody

Companies, etc.
Copyright © – RAN Productions
Manufactured By – Nelson Word Canada
Distributed By – Nelson Word Canada
Pressed By – Disque Americ
Produced For – Face To Face Productions
Recorded At – Face To Face Studios
Mixed At – Studio A, Dearborn Heights, MI
Mastered At – Future Disc
Published By – R&N Boyz Publications

Reneé Garcia – A Different World – 1988

This is the second and last solo album from Garcia. It has a little less a Madonna feel that we had on the first album and is a little more mainstream to the female Christian albums of the period. I far prefer her first album though there is nothing wrong with this one. This would complete her solo career which I find kind of surprising because she was a very successful artist. This album had 4 top 10 (CCM Charts) hits. “Perfection”, “A Different World”, and “You Don’t Need It” all made it to #5 while “If I Have To” made it to #10. That aside I think the best track is “I Will Never Leave You” which is right in lone with female pop hits of the period. So how could there not be a follow up album? Anyway she did do one more album with her husband as Bliss Bliss which I haven’t heard yet but it is in the stack. Anyway if female pop artists your go to than this album is a must hear.

Tracklist
1 – A Different World – 3:39
2 – Rockin’ The House – 3:25
3 – Victim Of Circumstance – 3:48
4 – Don’t Throw It All Away – 4:41
5 – Perfection – 5:15
6 – Jerusalem – 4:32
7 – You Don’t Need It – 3:56
8 – Live On – 3:20
9 – If I Have To – 4:24
10 – I Will Never Leave You – 4:16

Credits
Backing Vocals [Additional] – Reneé Garcia
Bass – Steve Greetham
Bass [Additional] – Andy Pauquette
Cello – Mandy Stott
Design – Jackson Design
Drum Programming, Bass [Programming], Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Chris Eaton
Engineer [Additional] – Joe Baldridge
Guitar – Neil Costello, Richard Osbourne
Guitar [Additional], Backing Vocals [Additional] – Chris Rodriguez
Keyboards [Additiona], Engineer – Steve Pierre Boyce Buckley
Keyboards [Additional] – Reed Arvin
Mastered By – Hank Williams
Mixed By – Bill Whittington
Percussion [Additional] – Lang Bliss
Photography By – Mark Tucker
Producer – Chris Eaton
Saxophone – Martin Green

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Reunion Records
Copyright © – Reunion Records
Distributed By – Word Records Limited
Made By – Discovery Systems – 3HP0A00A

Various – They Come To America – 1986

Well this is an interesting compilation album. In 1986 the Immigration Reform and Control Act passed and Immigration was all the rage. I’m not going to comment on the Act or Immigration as a whole as I am betting 50% of you will disagree with me. This project was somehow involved with the “1886 – 1986 Liberty” program but I can’t really find out more than that though I am told this album was sold at the Statue of Liberty gift shop. Anyway they have assembled here a collection of patriotic tracks from a variety of artists many of whom weren’t even signed to the label and I’d love to hear how this one came together though A&M was involved in some way. The highlight of the album is the Sandi Patti version of the Star Spangled Banner though there’s a few good tracks on the album.

Tracklist
1 – Leonard Bernstein – Fanfare For The Common Man – 1:59
2 – Wintley Phipps – Thank You, America – 4:02
3 – Betty Buckley – Last Night I Dreamed – 4:11
4 – Bill Champlin – Liberty Light – 4:06
5 – Glen Campbell – Another Day In America – 4:04
6 – Marie Osmond – America Is – 4:06
7 – Sandi Patti – Star Spangled Banner – 5:42
8 – Mark Isham – On The Threshold Of Liberty – 4:02
9 – Kate Smith – God Bless America – 1:58
10 – Dobie Gray – It’s High Time – 4:04
11 – Will D. Campbell – Let America Be America Again – 2:36

Credits
Arranged By – Sheldon Curry
Mastered By – Benny Quinn
Producer – Sheldon Curry

Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – A&M Records, Inc.
Distributed By – A&M Records, Inc.
Mastered At – Masterfonics
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Word, Inc.
Copyright © – Word, Inc.

David Baroni – All For The Glory Of God – 1982

This is the second album from David. I think it’s a little more upbeat than his first album but this is still a pretty easy listening affair. It had one CCM charting single with “Move Up On The Mountain” making it to #34. Interestingly Dann Huff helped out with Guitar on the album and you can hear his work on a few tracks. I swear Dann Huff was on 10% of all Christian albums in the 80’s. Anyway this is a pretty good album and if you prefer your CCM on the easy listening side this one is for you.

Tracklist
1 – Follow Him – 3:37
2 – Joy’s Coming In The Morning – 3:59
3 – Keep The Flame Burning – 4:35
4 – Isn’t It Just Like Jesus – 3:15
5 – Look Up (Redemption Draweth High) – 3:30
6 – Pilgrim’s Song – 3:05
7 – Move Up On The Mountain – 3:48
8 – Willing – 4:22
9 – Find A Hurt And Heal It – 2:33
10 – All For The Glory Of God – 4:00

Credits
Bass Guitar – Craig Nelson
Drums – Mark Hammond, Tommy Wells
Engineer [Recording & Remix] – Jeff Balding
Engineer [Recording] – Jim Baird
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Dann Huff
Percussion – Lesa Cates*
Photography By – Jim Price
Producer – Bubba Smith
Synthesizer – Jerry Evans
Vocals, Piano, Electric Piano – David Baroni

Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Goldmine Recording Studios
Recorded At – Bullet Recording