Albums – Page 2 – Real 80s CCM

Leviticus – Jag Skall Segra! – 1983

Leviticus formed in 1981 when cousins Kjell and Håkan Andersson grouped up with Bjorn Stigsson. I really can’t find much information on their early years but they ended up releasing the Swedish version of this album in 1983. The band headed back into the studio to record the English version a little later. While the Swedish version wasn’t released outside of Sweden the English version was picked up by Refuge records and released in the U.S. on their Shadow Records label. I believe the English of the version of the album used the original music tracks with just new vocals. Leviticus played the Greenbelt festival in England in 1984, and 1985 in support of this album. This album has a bit of a symphonic feel that disappeared in the bands later releases. The engineering on this album was not the best in my opinion as it appeared the producer/engineer were going for the “wall of sound” feel which never works well on a Metal album again in my opinion. At the time of this album I was a huge fan of Jerusalem so I’m thinking I would probably been a huge fan of these guys but this album was never released in Canada. Luckily however both Swedish and English versions of this album have had several re-releases over the years.

Tracklist
1 – Jag Skall Segra – 4:12
2 – Låt Mig Strida – 3:17
3 – Han Är Livet – 4:08
4 – Tvivel – 4:18
5 – Handling Mer Än Ord – 4:06
6 – Allt Är Lugnt – 5:28
7 – Dag För Dag – 5:57
8 – Sträva Framåt – 3:38
9 – Ps. 23 – 4:17

Credits
Artwork [Front Cover Art By] – Inge Vidare
Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Kjell Andersson
Guitar [All Guitars], Synthesizer, Pedalboard [Bass Pedal], Organ, Vocals – Björn Stigsson
Lead Vocals, Bass, Pedalboard [Bass Pedal], Synthesizer – Håkan Andersson
Photography By [Foto] – Lars Lindgren
Producer [Produced By], Mixed By – Leviticus
Recorded By – Bernard Löhr
Songwriter [All Songs By] – Björn Stigsson

Companies, etc.
Copyright © – Stanley & Andrew Music
Recorded At – Vivaldi Studios
Printed By – General Printing AB
Lacquer Cut At – Cutting Room
Pressed By – Audiodisc AB

John Fischer – The Cold Cathedral – 1969

This is John’s first album and I’ll admit I had no idea he went this far back. His Dark Horse album is a personal favorite and I thought he was a late 70’s/80’s artist. I had no idea he was actually a late 60’s artist. In fact this album came our before Larry Norman’s MGM release of Upon This Rock. John was born in Pasadena, California and attended Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. John had been writing and performing music while in College and somehow got noticed by Catholic music label F.E.L. Records. John started recording the album right after graduation and it was released in Oct 1969. The producer and musicians on this album were all from the Old Towne School of Folk Music in Chicago. The album is a perfect bridge from the 60’s style of music to the Jesus Music of the 70’s. The title track is a fantastic track and you should definitely listen to it if you enjoy music form this era. To sum up this album was a pleasant surprise for me and I found it a perfect representation of CCM music of the period.

Tracklist
1 – The Cold Cathedral – 2:55
2 – The Road Of Life – 3:05
3 – See The Lilies – 3:08
4 – Born To Die – 2:25
5 – Open Up! – 2:07
6 – Got To Shout About It – 2:30
7 – Allelula! – 2:50
8 – Death In The City – 2:52
9 – Look All Around You – 2:25
10 – Hard Feeling To Explain – 2:20
11 – No Vacancy – 2:43
12 – The Lord’s Prayer – 2:32

Credits
A&R – James E. Schaefer
Arranged By – Al Porth, Ray Tate
Design [Album] – Mark Burnett
Engineer – Al Handler
Illustration [Album] – George Lawlor
Liner Notes [Jacket Notes] – Robert Hughes Mitchell
Producer [Music Production] – Ray Tate
Written-By – John Fischer

Companies, etc.
Copyright © – F.E.L. Publications, LTD.
Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Hollywood
Recorded At – Audio Finishers, Incorporated

Lisa Bevill – My Freedom – 1992

I am willing to guess that almost all fans of 80’s CCM have heard Lisa. We may not have known her name until this introductory album but her vocals were all over the industry. I’m not going to even bother with a list but she sang backup for a lot of our favourite 80’s artists. For those of you who liked the Prism albums she made an appearance on Blue and Red. Anyway this album started out her solo career but yet I don’t find many people talking about this album. I see more discussion of her later albums but quite frankly I think this is a great album. With Brown Bannister pulling the purse strings and Chris Harris and Mark Heimermann producing it I knew this would be a great album. Now I readily admit this album isn’t exactly my style but I always enjoy a great album and this album falls in that category. It has a fun 90’s hip hop pop feel and also has a great music video for the single “Chaperone”. That video also features DC Talk’s Toby Mac and was nominated Video of the Year at the 1993 Dove Awards. Regarding the “single” it seems like originally the single was “Place In The Sun” but they decided to cut a video for “Chaperone”. Now singles aside the album did produce 2 top 10 songs on the CCM charts. “My Freedom” made it to #4 and “Alone In Love” made it to #9. The album also did very well on Christian radio and I read somewhere that both “My Freedom” and “Place in the Sun” made it to #1. Hopefully Jay Whitehurst will chime in and confirm that. Anyway give the album a listen if you missed it back in the day especially if hip hop dance stuff is what you like.

Tracklist
1 – Chaperone – 4:43
2 – It’s Gonna Worth It – 3:47
3 – Falling Off The Face Of The Earth – 4:32
4 – Love Oughta Be – 3:56
5 – My Freedom – 4:31
6 – Place In The Sun – 4:02
7 – Second Chance – 4:41
8 – Alone In Love – 4:28
9 – I Took A Tumble – 3:32
10 – Shirley (Keep It To Yourself) – 5:31

Credits
Lisa Bevill – Songwriter, Vocals
Carolyn Arends – Songwriter
Paula Carpenter – Songwriter
John Catchings – Strings
George Cocchini – Guitars
David Davidson – Strings
Mark Douthit – Sax
Julius Drummin – Songwriter, Drums
Chris Eaton – Vocals
Mark Hammond – Drums
Chris Harris – Producer, Songwriter, Vocals
Mike Haynes – Brass
Mark Heimermann – Producer, Songwriter, Keyboards, Drums, Vocals
Joe Hogue – Drums, Vocals
Wayne Kirkpatrick – Songwriter
Sam Levine – Sax
Gary Lunn – Bass, Drums
Chris McDonald – Brass
Toby McKeehan – Songwriter, Vocals
Jerry McPherson – Guitars
Tommy Sims – Songwriter, Keyboards, Bass, Drums
Pam Sixfin – Strings
Jackie Street – Bass
Kristen Wilkinson – Strings

Elim Hall – Let It Thrive – 1990

This is one of those odd situations when a band actually put out a demo after they had already released a successful album. Maybe the album wasn’t as successful as I think it was but anyway Reunion Records didn’t sign them for a follow up so the band got together and released a demo themselves. Personally I loved their album Things Break but I wasn’t aware of this album. Because of this I was pretty excited to hear it and I wasn’t disappointed. While it follows in the footsteps of their first album it definitely had an updated more 90’s sound. I don’t understand how this album didn’t get picked up by a label. It’s got excellent production and the band had already paid for the production so this was a freebie for some label. Anyway it wasn’t so many of you probably never heard but it’s a great listen with an updated 90’s feel that you should hear.

Tracklist
1 – Terry And The Pirates – 3:53
2 – Woman – 3:39
3 – A Silent Dove In A Distant Land – 4:53
4 – You And Me – 3:02
5 – Let It Thrive – 3:19
6 – Too Much Of A Good Thing – 4:38
7 – Found My Way Again – 4:56

Credits
Backing Vocals – Glenn Teeple, Steve Marsh
Bass – Rosser Teeple
Drums – Steve Marsh
Guitar – Glenn Teeple
Keyboards – Glenn Teeple
Lead Vocals – Rosser Teeple
Producer – Glenn Teeple

The Joy Strings – Well Seasoned – 1966

Continuing on my quest for the “first” here is another very early Christian rock album. I knew nothing of this album until a few months ago when it came across my desk and I’ll admit the cover didn’t make me rush to listen to it. You think I would know at this point that album covers mean nothing. This is without a doubt one of the best Christian rock albums I have ever heard. The band were led by keyboard player Joy Webb and got their start when they were featured on the BBC Tonight television show. The band mainly consisted of Salvation Army singers from the William Booth Memorial Training College, Denmark Hill in London. After appearing on TV they got a record deal and released a couple singles with great success. “It’s An Open Secret” made it to #32 and “A Starry Night” made it to #34 on the British charts. This is their first of 2 full length album and it’s a rather oddly structured album with Side A being all original tunes and Side B being Christmas carols. The album has 16 tracks which was great value for money at the time, something that would disappear until CD’s many years later. The album was picked up by Epic Records for U.S. release in 1967 but alas the album didn’t do as well in the U.S. If for no other reason you listen to this album you HAVE to listen to their rendition of “O Little Town Of Bethlehem” set to the music of The House of the Rising Sun. It is without a doubt one of the greatest moments of Christian music that no one ever heard.

Tracklist
1 – Keep Me In Your Love – 2:36
2 – He Is Near – 2:46
3 – No Time To Lose – 2:43
4 – Where Will It End – 2:24
5 – Long Lost Cause – 3:01
6 – Friend For You – 2:32
7 – There Will Be God – 3:00
8 – Love That’s All Around – 2:31
9 – We Three Kings Of Orient Are – 2:28
10 – Silent Night, Holy Night – 2:31
11 – The Little King Jesus – 2:42
12 – O Little Town Of Bethlehem – 3:31
13 – Away In A Manger – 2:27
14 – Mary’s Boy Child – 2:37
15 – Do You Hear What I Hear? – 3:23
16 – The Holly And The Ivy – 1:31

Credits
Joy Webb – guitar, keyboards, vocals
Peter Dalziel – guitar, bass, vocals
Bill Davidson – guitar
Wycliffe Noble – drums
Sylvia Gair – tambourine, vocals

Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – Epic Records
Manufactured By – CBS Inc.
Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Pitman

Keith Green – No Compromise – 1978

Possibly no album or album title personifies it’s creator quite like Keith Green’s, “No Compromise.” A trite slogan in the hands of many artists this phrase is the ultimate adjective qualifier for the man. As uncomfortable his words and music may have been for many, it was never a feeling that he was pointing a finger without also pointing it at himself. But this is a review of great albums, not great men or personalities. And given the latter, the album is simply fantastic! Like the predecessor, For Him Who Has Ears To hear, No Compromise combines Elton John type funky piano driven tunes and soaring and emotional ballads. Lyrically things are similar as well with a combination of rebuking and exhortive, prophetic declarations mixed with repentant and confessional compositions. There’s even another song about the Devil! It may be simply perception, but No Compromise seems more serious and “mellower” than many other albums from Green, especially in comparison to FHWHETH. Perhaps it just related to the fact that the most popular and memorable songs from the album are the ballads. Make My Life a Prayer, How Can They Live Without Jesus, Asleep in the Light, My Eyes Are Dry and To Obey Is Better than sacrifice all remain classics in the truest sense of the word. Asleep in the Light may go down as the most convicting song in CCM history with the line “Jesus raised from the dead…and you can’t even get out of bed!” Ouch! Two years before the release of No Compromise Tommy James (Shondells) would record “Don’t Wanna Fall Away From You” on a solo project. For years after its release the songs No Compromise contained would haunt, exhort and uplift millions.

Contributor David Lowman – https://legacyccmsgreatestalbums.wordpress.com

Tracklist
1 – Soften Your Heart – 2:48
2 – Make My Life A Prayer To You – 3:21
3 – Dear John Letter (To The Devil) – 3:20
4 – How Can They Live Without Jesus? – 3:03
5 – Asleep In The Light – 4:25
6 – My Eyes Are Dry – 1:57
7 – You! – 3:33
8 – I Don’t Wanna Fall Away From You – 3:07
9 – Stained Glass – 2:45
10 – To Obey Is Better Than Sacrifice – 3:17
11 – The Victor – 4:20
12 – Altar Call – 3:34

Credits
Acoustic Guitar – Al Perkins, Hadley Hockensmith, Jay Leach, Mike Deasy
Arranged By [Strings] – Lennart Sjöholm
Backing Vocals – Danniebelle Hall, James Felix, Keith Green, Matthew Ward
Choir – Annie Herring, Chris Beatty, Jamie Owens-Collins, Keith Green, Matthew Ward, Melody Green, Nelly Greisen, Steve Greisen, Tommy Funderburk
Congas – Lee Pastora
Electric Guitar – Hadley Hockensmith, Mike Deasy
Guitar – Hadley Hockensmith, Mike Deasy
Marimba – Mark Z. Stevens
Organ – Harlan Rogers
Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Harlan Rogers, Keith Green
Producer – Bill Maxwell, Keith Green
Recorded By – Peter Granet
Steel Guitar – Al Perkins
Tambourine – Bill Maxwell
Triangle – Lee Pastora

Companies, etc.
Copyright © – Sparrow Records, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Sparrow Records, Inc.
Recorded At – Sound Castle Recorders, Los Angeles
Recorded At – MCA Whitney Recording Studios
Mixed At – MCA Whitney Recording Studios
Mastered At – The Mastering Lab
Published By – Ears To Hear Music
Published By – April Music
Published By – Lexicon Music
Lacquer Cut At – The Mastering Lab

Gabriel – Gabriel – 1988

Strangely this is the second self titled album Gabriel published. The first one was their first album released on micro label Parable Records but this one was released on Home Sweet Home Records/Word. I still can’t find much out about these guys which is odd as they had 5 albums. So instead of talking about the band we will talk about the album. it has more of an early 80’s keyboard heavy pop sound though it might have been a little late for 1988. While it’s a little heavy on easy listening tracks the pop oriented tracks are really good and definitely get the toes tapping. Bottom line, I quite like this album and I could have found this is my collection back in the day.

Tracklist
1 – Send Me – 3:37
2 – Slippin’ Into Mediocrity – 3:19
3 – Out of the East – 4:19
4 – I Put My Hope – 3:58
5 – A Simple Prayer – 3:30
6 – Heartstrings – 2:45
7 – You Can’t Fool God – 3:00
8 – I Want To Be Your Light – 3:00
9 – That’s How It Is With Truth – 3:44
10 – That Day In Bethlehem – 3:52

Credits
Robin Lyle – keyboards, vocals
Jeff Walter – vocals, keyboard
Robert Noland – drums, vocals
Scott Compton – Coordinator, Marketing, Promotion
Chris Christian – Executive-Producer
Jake Pittman – Producer

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Home Sweet Home Records, Inc.
Copyright © – Home Sweet Home Records, Inc.
Manufactured By – Word, Inc.
Distributed By – Word, Inc.
Record Company – Word Records Limited
Record Company – Word (Uk) Ltd.
Mastered At – Future Disc

The Children Of Faith – The Children Of Faith – 1972

This is actually Terry Clark’s first album. He recorded this one with his brother Duane and sister Nancy. Both Nancy and Duane would appear on Terry’s future albums and Duane had an album in the late 90’s. So in the end I classify this as Terry’s first album as it was self released and appears to have been a bit of an experiment. All that said this is a great album, I understand it had no distribution but I wish it would had because I think it would have done well. Terry had just come back from Vietnam before recording this album and he says that he was suffering from PTSD but this album has a great upbeat feel and there was no indication of his troubles. If you’re a fan of Terry you need to listen to this one to see where it all started for him.

Tracklist
1 – That’s Him – 2:09
2 – Nobody Like The Lord – 3:40
3 – Merry Go Round – 2:50
4 – Psalms 92 – 3:51
5 – New Song – 3:08
6 – David’s Song – 3:52
7 – Continuing Help – 3:14
8 – Love Of A King – 4:19
9 – For The World – 3:37
10 – This Could Be The Day – 2:21

Credits
Duane Clark
Nancy Clark
Terry Clark

The 2nd Chapter Of Acts – With Footnotes – 1974

Hands down one of the most “important” releases in the history of CCM and one of the best Jesus Music albums ever recorded. Jesus Music grew up in a big with this release and forced the rest of the musicians within the genre to step up with quality songs, productions and performances. It also contains one of the greatest CCM songs ever recorded, and possibly the very best! After touring and performing with some of the best artists in the early Jesus Music scene like Barry McGuire, the three siblings were offered on recording contract of their own on Word’s rock label, Myrrh. Myrhh provided a decent enough budget to enlist the likes of Michael Omartian, David Kemper and a young Michael Been (The Call). Manyof the musicians would also become part of the ground tour band known as “a band called DAVID.” The album starts with what would later become a 2nd Chapter classic, Which Way the Wind Blows. Older sibling Annie Herring wrote much the groups music along with husband Buck, while the vocal duties were shared amongst the three. But for many it would be the lone boy, Matthew Ward, who would amaze the listeners with his unbelievable range. The Devil Lost Again features Matthew and would hint at what would come later for him as a solo artists. The more “rocking” of the three siblings, this song would have fit nicely on a Michael Omartian project and features some guitar work that pushed the envelope for the time. “Love, Peace, Joy” features the trademark tight harmonies that would earn the group their international recognition and would also later draw comparisons to ABBA, and eventually be ripped off by Silverwind. Nothing sounds quite as beautiful as siblings harmonizing and this rings true throughout the project. But the finest two and half minutes in Jesus Music history comes courtesy of the classic “Easter Song.” If ever a song deserved the recognition of the “classic” designation, it is this song. I can’t even imagine just how many times this song has been covered, sampled, sung, recorded or performed in its nearly 40 years of existence. I would venture to guess that only the Hallelujah Chorus has been sung at more Easter services. And it is also a wonderful song. Beautiful, inspirational and dynamic. This album was a game changer and a lasting testament to the legacy of one of the most important groups in CCM history.

Contributor David Lowman – https://legacyccmsgreatestalbums.wordpress.com

Tracklist
1 – Which Way The Wind Blows – 4:58
2 – Goin Home – 2:48
3 – With Jesus – 2:45
4 – The Devil’s Lost Again – 3:06
5 – Love, Peace, Joy – 2:33
6 – I Don’t Wanna Go Home – 2:28
7 – Easter Song – 2:20
8 – He Loves Me – 5:07
9 – Good News – 3:20
10 – I Fall In Love/Change – 4:22
11 – The Son Comes Over The Hill – 3:23

Credits
Bass – Joe Osborn, Mike Been
Drums – David Kemper, Jim Gordon, John Guerin, Michael Omartian
Guitar – Al McKay, Art Munson, Mike Deasy
Organ – Danny Timms, Michael Omartian
Piano – Anne Herring, Danny Timms, Michael Omartian, Tom Keene
Producer – Buck Herring
Strings, Arranged By – Michael Omartian
Synthesizer [Arp] – Michael Omartian
Written-By – Anne Herring, Buck Herring

Glass Harp – Glass Harp – 1970

The single greatest and most often repeated “urban legend” in CCM history involves a supposed encounter with Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Carson in which it is claimed that Jimi Hendrix claimed that Phil Keaggy was the greatest guitar player in the world. Or maybe it was Dick Cavett and Eric Clapton or perhaps Jimmy Page and… It’s important to note that the only reason the fabled legend has continued to exist (despite Keaggy’s constant denials) is because Phil Keaggy is one of the greatest guitar players in the world. In fact, the proliferation of such a myth can only seem plausible because o0f Keaggy’s sheer mastery of the instrument and his incredible creativity. Now it should be noted that even though the album in question was recorded in the famed Hendrix stomping grounds, Electric Lady Studios, the legendary guitar player passed away two weeks before Glass Harp began recording and Keaggy does not believe Hendrix ever heard Keaggy play. In spite of the legends questionable validity, it must not be discounted what amazing music Keaggy created as part of Glass Harp. One of the original “power trios” in rock music they are often labeled as a psychedelic or progressive rock band when in fact they are closer to a “jam band” popularized by The Grateful Dead, Cream, Blind Faith and most recently Phish. Noted for musical stylistic fusions and original improvisations, Glass harp would and should be considered one of the pioneers of the movement. Built around three very strong musicians, most notably Keaggy, the three albums created by Glass harp are astounding works of creativity, originality and musical mastery. The debut stands out for the more aggressive rock sounds and for leading off with what should be considered the “Stairway to Heaven” of Christian music, Can You See Me. Starting slow and building into two separate instrumental breaks lead by Keaggy’s sizzling and soaring guitar work. It can not be understated just how great this song is and how well it should be regarded by CCM music historians. The whole record is brilliant and moving. It was also very, very “Christian” in its content. There are bold declarations of faith and and Biblical themes despite the placement on a secular label. Oddly enough, this album is often overlooked when people refer to that which can be considered the first “Christian Rock” album. The band would record two more album and right about when many thought they were going to “break through” Keaggy left to concentrate on writing more distinctly Christian songs for the burgeoning Christian music industry. The band has reunited on a few occasions over the years, including one night immortalized in the song, Wish You Were There, from Keaggy’s Town to Town LP.

Contributor David Lowman – https://legacyccmsgreatestalbums.wordpress.com

Tracklist
1 – Can You See Me – 6:25
2 – Children’s Fantasy – 4:10
3 – Changes (In The Heart Of My Own True Love) – 6:00
4 – Village Queen – 4:00
5 – Black Horse – 2:50
6 – Southbound – 3:50
7 – Whatever Life Demands – 6:30
8 – Look In The Sky – 8:10
9 – Garden – 5:15
10 – On Our Own – 2:30
2005 CD Bonus track
11 – Voice of God Cry Out – 4:10

Credits
Arranged By [Strings] – Larry Fallon
Artwork [Album Design] – Ernie Cefalu
Bass, Vocals, Flute – Dan Pecchio*
Drums, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – John Sferra
Electric Guitar, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Phil Keaggy
Engineer – Ron Johnsen
Liner Notes – Robert Brandt
Photography By [Back Cover] – Billy Bass
Photography By [Glass Harp Photo Effects] – Bill Levy
Producer – Lewis Merenstein
Viola [Electric] – John Cale