Tag: 1984

Amy Grant – Straight Ahead – 1984

For a church-goin’ teenager in the 80s, Amy Grant’s albums were almost required listening. Along with musicians like Michael W Smith and David Meece, she helped fill out the actual ‘pop’ corner of CCM.

Amy’s music had a broad appeal. Parents liked the positive lyrics sung by a friendly, wholesome girl-next-door; youth choir directors liked both the lyrics and the quality of the music. And teens, I think, appreciated that her music sounded different than any easy listening Christian music they’d heard before. Here was a Christian pop singer with just enough of an edge to make a sheltered teen feel a tiny bit rebellious. (Okay. Maybe that was just me.)

On to the album itself. For the most part, the songs of Straight Ahead have aged well. There are some recognizably 80s synth settings and electric guitar stylings, and the fade-to-black endings stuck out a little, but nothing sounded as dated as I thought it might. And whatever you think of the style, the production values are fantastic. This is a well-engineered recording of a tight band. Amy’s vocals are always good, with clarity of enunciation and sound, and lyric-appropriate colour and shading.

Track Listing:
1 – Where Do You Hide Your Heart 3:56
2 – Jehovah 5:56
3 – Angels Watching Over Me 4:10
4 – Straight Ahead 3:47
5 – Thy Word 3:21
6 – It’s Not A Song 3:27
7 – Open Arms 3:23
8 – Doubly Good To You 3:13
9 – Tomorrow 3:23
10 – The Now And The Not Yet 3:37

Credits:
Arranged By [Strings] – Alan Moore (3)
Art Direction – Dennis Hill (6)
Engineer – Jack Joseph Puig
Engineer [Additional] – Daniel Garcia*, Gene Eichelberger, Jim Baird*, Jerry Mahler, Kevin Burns, Steve Ford
Executive-Producer – Dan Harrell, Gary Chapman, Michael Blanton
Photography By [Amy’s photos] – Aaron Rapoport
Photography By [Traffic light] – Michael Borum*
Producer – Brown Bannister

Justus – Don’t Turn Away – 1984

This was the first of two albums from Justus. Justice were brothers Rod and Kevin Pahl and Donny Hackett.

Other than that I know very little about the band. The album was on Tunesmith records and to the best of my knowledge only released in Canada.

The album is a new wave rock mix and is very good. The band was tight and the production quality is quite high which is surprising as Tunesmith was not really known for having high quality production.

Note: although I always had thought that “Justus” was just a play on the words “Just Us” there’s more to it. It’s a reference to a person named “Jesus Justus” who the Apostle Paul gives a shoutout to in the greeting section of his letter to the Colossians.

Track Listing:
1 – Face The Music – 4:00
2 – Never Let You Down – 3:52
3 – What Are We Doing Here – 2:53
4 – Quarter To Two – 3:15
5 – Just Keep Running – 4:25
6 – Don’t Turn Away – 3:17
7 – Won’t Let Go – 2:30
8 – Surrender – 4:15
9 – Take Me Home – 3:45
10 – Suicidal Teens – 3:05

Credits:
Songwriter, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals – Rod Pahl
Songwriter, Drums, Keyboards, Vocals – Kevin Pahl
Songwriter, Bass, Keyboards, Lead Vocals – Donny Hackett
Co-producer – Brian Campbell
Engineer – Brian Campbell
Mixed By – Brian Campbell
Producer – Pahl Hackett
Album Photography – Joshua Berson

Scepter / The Keep – (self titled) – 1984

In 1984 The Keep (then Scepter) recorded this demo to sell at their concerts.

The concerts were very well received and from what I’ve heard the cassette sold well. Most of the tracks appear on their album but there are a couple previously unheard tracks.

The tracks that also appear on the album have slightly different arrangements here. I have done everything I can to improve the quality but bear in mind this is from a cassette recorded in 1984.

Track Listing:
1 – Eye In The Sky
2 – Presence
3 – Nero
4 – Hang On
5 – Physical Evidence
6 – Forgiven Again
7 – Star

Credits:
Joseph Madden – Lead Guitar, Rythym Guitar, Vocals,
Wendell Koop – Vocals, Rythym Guitar,
Gilbert Vielfaure – Drums
Darrell Reimer – Bass Guitar
Engineer – Jon Stevens, Chris McPherson
Produced by Jon Stevens, Chris McPherson, Sceptor

DeGarmo & Key – Communication – 1984

This 1984 release from DeGarmo & Key featured more of what we expected from them.

Strong guitar tracks with keyboard support are the sound they followed. This album, while good, did not particularly stand out from the others and is considered a “fill in” album by some.

Personally I think it was a good stand alone album. Strangely the album offered a cover of Are You Ready by Pacific Gas & Electric which actually works pretty good.

Point of trivia is that the album cover changed slightly between first and subsequent pressings with the lettering of the band name switching from white to black.

Track Listing:
1 – Are You Ready – 3:17
2 – Rejoice – 3:31
3 – It’s A Shame – 3:24
4 – Alleluia, Christ Is Coming – 2:43
5 – Everyday’s A Celebration – 2:42
6 – Blessed Messiah – 3:46
7 – Perfect Reflection – 3:45
8 – He Has Risen – 2:48
9 – Six, Six, Six – 3:49
10 – Man Of His Word – 3:46
11 – Dear Friend – 1:40

Credits:
Bass, Vocals – Tommy Cathey
Drums, Vocals – Greg Morrow
Producer, Guitar, Lead Vocals – Dana Key
Producer, Keyboards, Vocals – Eddie DeGarmo
Vocals [Kid] – Breckon DeGarmo, Brian Tarrell, Shannon DeGarmo
Written-By – E. Allen* (tracks: 1), D. Key* (tracks: 2 to 11), D. Robbins* (tracks: 8), E. DeGarmo* (tracks: 2 to 11), M. Hill* (tracks: 1)

Urgent – No Secrets – 1984

This appears to be the only thing ever released from Urgent. It has a normal mid 80’s Rock/Pop sound with vocal flavours of Scandal.

While only 5 tracks long the album/ep has a nice feel and structure to it. I’m actually kind of surprised that a record label didn’t pick them up and do a full album. I know what was out at the time and this definitely ranked above some of the stuff I heard.

Track Listing:
1 – Not Ashamed Of Love
2 – No Secrets
3 – Hands From Heaven
4 – Don’t Run
5 – Counting The Days

Credits:
Producer – Russ Kirkland
David C. Brown – Drums
Kerwin Hickey – Guitar
Kristy Hickley – Vocals
Dennis Roberts – Bass
Glenn Winslow – Keys

Kerry Livgren AD – Time Line – 1984

This was the 2nd album from Kerry Livgren after he and Dave Hope left Kansas.

While Kansas headed into obscurity Kerry Livgren’s Christian music career was just starting to take off. While most of the band members had connections to Kansas the album really doesn’t have much of a Kansas sound.

It has almost a funkier sound and features a brass section. Livgren wanted to have the band perform under the name AD, but the record label insisted he attach his name to the album making for a rather odd name for the band.

Track Listing:
1 – Time Line 4:04
2 – Tonight 4:53
3 – Make Or Break It 3:49
4 – Take Us To The Water 4:28
5 – Beyond The Pale 3:33
6 – New Age Blues 3:54
7 – Slow Motion Suicide 4:46
8 – High On A Hill 3:52
9 – Life Undercover 3:27
10 – Welcome To The War 4:11

Credits:
Art Direction – Ken Marcellino
and, Bass Guitar – Dave Hope
Band, Drums, Percussion – Dennis Holt
Band, Guitar [Guitars], Keyboards, Programmed By [DMX Prog.], Bass – Kerry Livgren
Band, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion – Michael Gleason
Band, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Woodwind [Woodwinds], Harmonica – Warren Ham
Concept By [Front Concept] – Ken Marcellino, Kerry Livgren, Mark Ferjulian, Rick Griffin
Engineer [Assisted By] – Davy Moire (tracks: 10), Michael Gleason
Executive-Producer – Budd Carr, Ken Marcellino, Mark Ferjulian
Illustration [Front Cover], Design [Logo] – Rick Griffin
Management – Ken Marcellino, Mark Ferjulian
Mastered By – Glen Meadows
Photography By [Back Cover] – Mark Tucker
Producer [Produced By], Engineer [Engineered By] – Kerry Livgren

CIA – (self titled) EP – 1984

In 1984 on a sampler from record label MRC (Ministry Resource Center) there was a track from a band called CIA. For almost all of us this was our entire exposure to the band as we never saw an album from them.

However, there actually was a demo/EP release from them and this is it. It is very rare and was actually only released on cassette. They were a new wave band that fit well in the MRC family that included Altar Boys and Undercover.

They really should have had more success, but the music industry is a strange world where sometimes we don’t get to hear the best.

Track Listing:
1 – Your Eyes
2 – Reaching Out
3 – I Don’t Choose the World
4 – I Want to Dance
5 – Don’t Turn Away
6 – In God We Trust

Credits:
Lead vocals – Rob Hall
Bass guitar – Bob Wohler
Lead guitar – Larry Worley
Drums – James Mohline
Synthesizer – Hans Van Tatenhoue

MRC Sampler – What’s Shakin – 1984

This album was a sampler from the record label “Ministry Resource Center”.

It features some known bands but there are a few bands on the album which never released an album. There are also some songs that were previously unreleased. All in all a must have album.

Track Listing:
1 – Undercover – One Of These Days – 2:24
2 – The Proclaimers – Rejoice – 2:10
3 – Stephen Crumbächer – It Don’t Matter – 4:00
4 – Youth Choir – It’s So Wonderful – 1:56
5 – Altar Boys – Go For It – 2:14
6 – The Lifters – Listen Children – 2:15
7 – The Omega Band – Idols – 2:43
8 – Sharon McCall – From The Grave – 3:50
9 – Malcolm And The Mirrors – Apathy – 4:00
10 – CIA – Your Choice – 2:30
11 – Stephen Crumbächer – It Don’t Matter (Reprise) – 1:02

The Imitators – (self titled) EP – 1984

This 4 song EP 12 inch release was the first release from The Imitators.

They were a short lived New Wave band that had a full length album after this but that was it. It is very well produced and sounds like the typical sound at the time.

I would compare it to Psychedelic Furs with slightly stronger vocals.

Track Listing:
1 – When The Deal Goes Down – 3:30
2 – I Want To Walk In The Light – 5:04
3 – Paradoxical Faith – 5:37
4 – Human Sacrifice – 5:19

Credits:
Bass – Robert Villegas
Drums – Richard Cabrera (2)
Engineer – Gordon Driver
Guitar – Barry Edge, David Price (12)
Keyboards – Philip Mason (2)
Mastered By – Steve Hall
Mixed By – Gordon Driver
Producer – Gordon Driver, The Imitators
Vocals – Barry Edge, David Price (12), Philip Mason (2)

Charlie Peacock – Lie Down In The Grass – 1984

This is Charlie Peacock’s introductory album. Up until this he was best known as being a producer, having produced the Seventy Sevens amongst others.

This album is strongly new wave with very strong synth influence. It is highly produced which I guess is to be expected when a producer produces their own album.

As an aside, in my opinion this album has one of the worst album covers in the 80’s.

Tracklist
1 – Lie Down In The Grass – 3:29
2 – Watching Eternity – 2:58
3 – It’s Gone, It’s Over – 3:47
4 – Human Condition – 3:00
5 – Lost In Translation – 3:47
6 – One, Two, Three (That’s Okay) – 3:45
7 – Whole Lot Different (Whole Lot The Same) – 3:32
8 – Till You Caught My Eye – 3:30
9 – Turned On An Attitude – 2:57
10 – Who Is Not Afraid? – 3:00

Credits
Artwork By – Jim Abegg
Bass – Eric Heilman, Erik Kleven
Bass, Tom Tom, Vocals – Steve Griffith
Design – Jim Abegg
Engineer – Daryl Zachman
Executive Producer – Mary Neely
Guitar – Jim Abegg
Guitar, Vocals – Mike Roe
Mastered By – John Golden
Mixed By – Larry Hirsch
Other [Executive Coodinator] – Jan Eric Volz
Percussion [Additional] – Jim Caselli
Percussion [Ethnic & Orchestral] – Bongo Bob Smith
Photography – Kent Lacin
Producer – Charlie Peacock
Saxophone – Michael Butera
Trumpet – Larry Lunetta
Vocals, Keyboards, Drums – Charlie Peacock
Written By – Charlie Peacock