Author: Ray Mansfield

One of the founding cowboys of Real 80s CCM. Been listening to this stuff since 1978.

Phil Spence – First Light – 1980

This excellent album released in 1980 is the only one we would get from Phil in the 80’s. Phil toured Australia promoting his album and actually warmed up for acts such as Randy Stonehill and Dan Peak. He also played several music festivals and combined church events. The album actually had some secular success in his local area where radio played “Company” and “Forgiven”. Phil’s song “The Infidel” also became a hit in Papua New Guinea. The album has a strong 70’s feel and would probably done well if it had a proper distribution deal. Phil continues to make music and has a total of 5 albums at the time of writing. You can find his music on his website www.philspence.com.

Tracklist
1 – The Infidel – 3:30
2 – Jet Set Lady – 2:30
3 – Coffee Coloured Girls – 3:00
4 – Living – 5:20
5 – I’m A U.F.O. – 3:40
6 – Forgiven – 3:40
7 – Steeplechase – 3:15
8 – Company – 2:30
9 – Wanna Be Like You – 3:20
10 – Once Again – 5:15

Credits
Artwork – Greg Wardle
Bass Guitar, Harmony Vocals – Gary Terrill
Bass Guitar, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Keyboards – Peter Wragg
Drums, Synthesizer [Drum], Percussion – Don Lebler
Flute – Doug MacDougall
Harmony Vocals – Jacky Nisbet
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Dan Mihailovic
Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Percussion – Phil Spence
Producer – Peter Wragg
Producer, Cover [Design] – Phil Spence
Written-By – Phil Spence

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Normal Music
Copyright © – Normal Music
Recorded At – Southwind Recording Studio
Mixed At – Southwind Recording Studio

Bloodgood – Detonation – 1987

The second release from Bloodgood continues the raw metal sound they had in their first album. This album is better produce and engineered but some fans preferred the edgier first album. But that said Detonation placed 8th in a poll by Heaven’s Metal fanzine of the top 100 Christian metal albums of all time. The band toured heavily for this album and as the world was dumb in 1987 the tour was heavily protested by the more conservative element of Christianity. The tour was quite successful and continued into Europe in 1988. Bloodgood is a mainstay in the Christian metal genre and most hold up this or their first album as their best work.

Tracklist
1 – Battle Of The Flesh – 2:45
2 – Vagrant People – 3:26
3 – Self-Destruction – 3:29
4 – Alone In Suicide – 4:04
5 – Heartbeat (Of The City) – 3:25
6 – Eat The Flesh – 4:25
7 – Holy Fire – 3:10
8 – Crucify – 3:05
9 – The Messiah – 4:25
10 – Live Wire – 2:37

Credits
Arranged By – Bloodgood
Art Direction, Layout – Ed McTaggart
Bass, Backing Vocals – Michael Bloodgood
Drums – Mark Welling
Engineer – Doug Doyle
Guitar, Backing Vocals – David Zaffiro
Illustration [Cover] – John Dickenson
Mastered By – John Matousek
Mixed By – David Zaffiro, Doug Doyle, Les Carlsen, Michael Bloodgood
Other [Litho Prep] – Graphic Masters, Santa Ana, CA
Other [Stage Clothes] – Brent Flemming
Photography By – Ken Baley, Lynn DeBon
Producer – David Zaffiro, Les Carlsen, Michael Bloodgood
Vocals – Les Carlsen

Companies, etc.
Published By – Broken Songs
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Frontline Records
Copyright © – Frontline Records
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Distributed By – The Master’s Collection
Distributed By – Kingsway Publications Ltd.
Recorded At – Rocshire Records
Recorded At – 3-D Studios, Costa Mesa CA.
Edited At – Digital Brothers
Mastered At – Motown Records

Recess – Recess – 1989

I can’t really find much info on the band which is surprising because they had 3 albums and a pretty good following. I do know they were from Olivet Nazarene University and actually started out using the name Gentle Reign. As near as I can tell the leader of the band was Tim McGuire who while not doing much work in the industry is well known and highly respected. As for the album it’s a pretty fun pop album that I would have really liked in the day. Vocals are strong and the production is great. I have a feeling many of you know this one so give it a listen again all these years later.

Tracklist
1 – Born Again (And I Love It) – 5:14
2 – Reckless – 5:15
3 – Time Out – 4:12
4 – Nothin’ I Wouldn’t Do – 4:17
5 – Search Me – 4:22
6 – Dead Ain’t Always Six Feet Under – 5:03
7 – Choices – 4:15
8 – Back Off – 3:20
9 – Don’t Keep It Inside – 4:02
10 – Are We Wastin’ Time – 5:14

Salmond & Mulder – Fun Raiser – 1983

This is the fourth and final album from the duo. Roy went on to do a couple solo albums and then of course a huge producer career. Mulder on the other hand slipped behind the scenes but I understand he did continue to do some writing. This was also the first album released on Roy’s short lived label River Records INC. This is by far my favourite album from these guys but we don’t have any sales numbers so we don’t know if listeners shared my view. This album contains what is their most famous tune though, “The Turkey Song”. It would be played at many Thanksgiving parties for years. This album was only released in Canada but I have read many U.S. comments about it so it must have got some distribution in the U.S.

Tracklist
1 – Breaking Away – 2:55
2 – You Make It Easy – 3:02
3 – And He Said… – 2:02
4 – The Turkey Song – 2:40
5 – Light Shines In – 2:58
6 – Strength To Be Weak – 4:16
7 – What Am I Worth? – 3:04
8 – Government Man – 2:37
9 – Stone Cold Heart – 3:38
10 – South Side Of Chicago – 7:03

Credits
Guitar, Vocals – Mike Mulder
Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals – Roy Salmond
Guitar, Piano, BG Vocals – Jim Woodyard
Bass – Don Biggar
Drums – Phil Robertson
BG Vocals – Gayle Salmond
BG Vocals – Faye Mulder
Bass – Steve Pugsley
Synth – Dave Pickell
Drums – Kat Hendrickse

Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – River Records INC
Distributed By – River Records INC
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Riverbed Publishing Co.
Copyright © – Riverbed Publishing Co.

Carman – God’s Not Finished With Me – 1980

Carmelo Domenic Licciardello known to us as Carman came to Christ around 20 years old. A life long musician he was pretty quick to get to work on an album. This is that first album. It was released on micro label Klesis Records and had almost no distribution so most people never had a chance to hear this one. Several tracks from this album would show up on future albums so people got a chance to hear them. This album set the tone for many albums to come. His almost theatric song structure is established here as his style. This is one you may have missed so I strongly suggest giving it a listen, it’s a great album.

Tracklist
1 – God’s Not Finished With Me – 2:30
2 – I Love Jesus – 3:15
3 – Some A Dat – 3:20
4 – I Don’t Believe It – 3:54
5 – Something Changed – 3:22
6 – God Don’t Care – 3:38
7 – I Still Can Rock N’ Roll – 3:15
8 – You’re The Only One – 3:30
9 – Simple Things – 3:31
10 – You Belong To Me – 3:54

Eternity Express – The Way Out – 1985

This was the final album from the band using the name Eternity Express. They definitely put together a new look for this album but the sound was still Eternity Express. This is essentially the same lineup that would form Illustrator and under that name they would complete the new look and sound. While this may be a more subdued album I still quite like it. For some reason even though Eternity Express is essentially a easy listening band I have always has a soft spot for their work. Back in the 80’s this is definitely not the style of music my friends and I were listening to but we always had time on the mixed tape of the day for an Eternity Express track. These guys were actually underappreciated in my opinion but with so many albums obviously the record companies saw their talent.

Tracklist
1 – Better This Time – 3:34
2 – How Long – 4:11
3 – Wait On The Lord – 4:10
4 – Re-Ignited – 3:36
5 – Feels Like I’ve Never Been Loved – 3:43
6 – All You Need – 3:57
7 – One On One – 4:23
8 – Open Up Your Heart – 4:14
9 – I Surrender – 3:47

Credits
Drums – Daryl Sutherland
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Vocals – Dan Gaub
Bass, Sax, Vocals – Mark Matthews
Vocals, Keyboards – Dawndee Gaub
Vocals, Keyboards – Nathan Gaub
Lacquer Cut By – Phil Austin
Photography – Peter Eisele

Companies, etc.
Distributed By – Marock, Inc.
Manufactured By – Marock, Inc.
Copyright © – Marock Records
Pressed By – PRC Recording Company, Richmond, IN
Published By – Stainless Music Co.
Lacquer Cut At – Trutone Mastering Labs

The Lifesavors – You And Me / The One – 1982

This is a relatively rare one off release from the band and is the first release from them after Michael Knott took over vocals from Mark Krischak. Side A You And Me is an excellent Rockabilly tune and you’ll be excused if you thought you’d stumbled on a Lifter’s track. Side B “The One” was later re-recorded with Brian Goins on vocals and released on Dream Life. This version is actually much better.

Tracklist
Side A – You And Me
Side B – The One

Credits
Michael Knott – Guitar, Vocals
Chris Wimber – Bass
Kevin Lee – Drums
Michael Stand – Lead Guitar on ‘You And Me’
Thom Roy – Producer, Engineer

Companies, etc.
Mastered At – Greg Lee Processing

Michael Knott – Screaming Brittle Siren – 1992

This is Knott’s first official solo album and what an album it is. Michael was one of the hardest working people in the industry. At the time of this album he was still a member of L.S. Underground, he was helping produce several projects, and he was running his own record label. I will be honest and say that I didn’t really know much about him until he passed away earlier this year. Upon his death I read up and learned about his important contribution to the industry. There is an excellent website dedicated to his work which I will link below. As for this album it has a great 90’s sound and feel. Some might think it’s a little dark in spots but I believe for the main part it’s an upbeat positive great album.

https://knottheads.com/

Tracklist
1 – Miles From Shame – 4:18
2 – Crash And Burn – 2:43
3 – Apocalypse Lips – 3:20
4 – Brittle Body – 5:06
5 – Blood On My Hands – 3:49
6 – Liar – 3:53
7 – Hang Me High – 3:18
8 – Draw The Line – 1:22
9 – Gold Silver Soup And Silk – 0:52
10 – I Am No Christ – 5:23
11 – What You Know Now – 4:40
12 – Barnacle – 2:39
13 – Shine A Light – 5:08
14 – G.S.S.S. – 5:10

Credits
Arranged By [Strings] – Michael Knott
Art Direction, Design – Greg Sylvester
Bass – Bob Wohler
Cello – Melisa Hasin
Drums [Pearl] – Chuck Cummings
Engineer – Chris Colbert, Dave Hackbarth, Phil O’Keefe
Guitar, Vocals – Michael Knott
Mixed By – Derri Daugherty
Musician [Additional], Backing Vocals – Debbie Devore
Musician [Additional], Guitar – Dave Koval
Musician [Additional], Noises [Feedback] – Chris Colbert
Photography By – Colleen Hammond
Producer – Michael Knott
Violin – Mirium Mayer
Written-By – Michael Knott

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Blonde Vinyl Records
Copyright © – Blonde Vinyl Records
Distributed By – Spectra Distribution
Published By – Ttonk Publishing
Glass Mastered At – Nimbus, Virginia

Joni – Spirit Wings – 1982

Joni (Joni Eareckson Tada) is a very interesting story. Unfortunately she became a quadriplegic at the age of 17 due to a diving incident. However she didn’t let this slow her down and was able to record several popular albums over the years mostly on Word records. This is her first and it’s pretty good though it’s not really my style. It’s pretty easy listening and has a bit of a jazz feel in places. She is a very good vocalist though and the album is a very relaxing album and there’s a few good tracks you could consider for Sunday service. Joni has dedicated her life to helping the disabled especially children and for that she has my deepest respect.

Tracklist
1 – Spirit Wings – 4:43
2 – Hosanna – 2:13
3 – The Only Thing I Want – 3:51
4 – Portrait Of Jesus – 2:27
5 – My Jesus As Thou Wilt – 3:07
6 – Run That Race – 2:38
7 – When Pretty Things Get Broken – 2:23
8 – Take My Life – 2:59
9 – Heaven – 3:32
10 – He Careth For You – 2:44

Credits
Arranged By – Bill Pursell, David Diggs
Cover [Cover Design] – Dennis Hill
Engineer, Mixed By [Mixdown] – Chris Banninger
Photography By – Harry Langdon
Producer, Conductor – Kurt Kaiser

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Word, Inc.
Copyright © – Word, Inc.
Recorded At – Davlen Sound Studios
Published By – Dayspring Music
Published By – Word Music
Printed By – Shorewood Packaging
Made By – Shorewood Packaging

The Technos – Songs For A Nervous World – 1988

The Technos actually started out as the Techno Twins in the secular market. They released their first album in 1982 with the single “Falling in love again” which did very well in the European market. The band is generally credited with being the origin of the term “techno” which is something to be proud of. It’s pretty cool when your band name becomes a international term for a style of music. Anyway, after a couple of fairly successful secular releases they put out this one and only Christian release. It is actually a little different in that the songs are social/political oriented and they touch on subjects that weren’t often touched on by Christian artists. I don’t know if this was a popular album or not but I really like it.

Tracklist
1 – Friends & Frontiers – 4:02
2 – Dare To Dance – 3:47
3 – Share Food Like The Bees – 3:29
4 – Beat The Wings – 3:37
5 – Mechanical Ballet – 4:23
6 – Half A Story – 3:39
7 – War: One Voice – 4:18
8 – Pioneer´s Song – 4:02
9 – Walk Into The Light – 4:27
10 – What You Believe – 3:33

Credits
Backing Vocals – Bev Sage, Carolyn Nieto, Cynthia Rizas, Martin Bass, Steve Fairnie
Drums – David Prater
Engineer – Doug Oberkirker
Engineer [Assistant] – Dan Rudin
Guitar – Ronnie Drayton
Keyboards, Arranged By – George Small
Photography By – David Rose
Producer – Joey Powers
Saxophone [Sax] – Sydell Carter

Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Grand Slam Studios
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Refuge Records
Copyright © – Refuge Records
Distributed By – Mainroads Music Inc