Tag: Larry Howard

As I tried to read up on Larry online I was a bit surprised how little I could find about his Christian years. His bio’s are focused on his time with Grinderswitch but he had a very successful CCM career also. Oh well anyway this is Larry’s second solo album and it’s even better than his first album that was great in itself. Larry turns up the big band sound for this blues oriented album. The band he put together for the album are mostly little known artists with the exception of keyboard player Kenny Smith who had a relatively successful solo career. Anyway if you love the blues you will love this album as it’s one of the best CCM blues albums ever.

Tracklist
1 – Nobody But You – 2:45
2 – Carry Your Brother – 3:54
3 – It’s Only You – 4:43
4 – Shout! – 3:19
5 – Connecting Roads – 3:18
6 – Prisoner Of The Lord – 3:08
7 – Fire – 4:15
8 – (Tell It) Goodbye – 3:55
9 – Don’t Turn Away – 3:25
10 – A Road Leading Home – 5:44

Credits
Arranged By [Background Vocal Arrangements] – Donnie Harper
Arranged By [Horn Arrangements] – Larry Brubaker
Backing Vocals – Carlet Williams, Elnora Williams, Karen Williams
Bass Guitar – Slim Powell
Design [Album Graphics] – Michael Pierce
Drums – Clarence V. Roddie
Engineer [Assistant] – Daniel Rudin
Mastered By – Benny Quinn
Percussion – Emedin Riveria
Photography By – Ashlin Brelin
Piano, Organ, Synthesizer – Kenny Smith
Producer – Gary F. Montgomery
Producer, Vocals, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Larry Howard
Recorded By, Mixed By, Producer – Tad Bush
Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Brown
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Bill Harris
Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Rob Debellis

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Refuge Records
Copyright © – Refuge Records
Recorded At – Grand Slam Studios
Mixed At – Downstage Studio
Mastered At – Masterfonics
Distributed By – Spectra Distribution

Larry was a member of Grinderswitch through the 70’s and early 80s. They were a southern rock band and toured with all the big names of the style and time. Larry left the band in the mid 80’s and started his solo career. This is his first solo album. Larry brought a sound to CCM music that was needed in the period. Yes their were some blues bands but not of this caliber. Quite frankly this album is as good as anything in the secular market at the time. Playing harmonica on the album is Buddy Greene who is probably second only to Darrell Mansfield as a harmonica player. The rest of the band is a who’s who of some of the best studio musicians in the CCM genre of the time. I am really surprised at how good they were at the blues as none of them had actually recorded in that style that I can find any way. This album does a rather odd track though. The intro end exit track “Sanctified Blues” is exactly the same song but with the stereo tracks reversed. Have to admit that’s a first.

Tracklist
1 – Sanctified Blues – 1:30
2 – Lost Ship – 3:21
3 – Love Ain’t What You Say – 2:56
4 – Cool Rain – 3:34
5 – I Gave Jesus My Blues – 4:20
6 – Shuffle On Home – 2:49
7 – One Night – 3:31
8 – Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven – 3:38
9 – Friend In Jesus – 4:34
10 – Sanctified Blues – 1:30

Credits
Art Direction – Michael Pierce
Artwork [Handwriting] – Michael Pierce
Backing Vocals – Ava Aldridge, D. Bergen White, Cindy Richardson, Dorothy Moore, Lisa Silver, Wendy Suits
Bass – David Hood, Ed Cain, Michael Joyce, Michael Rhodes
Design Concept [Album Cover Concept] – Gary F. Montgomery, Michael Pierce
Drums – Eddie Bayers, James Stroud, Roger Hawkins, Willie Smith
Engineer – Pat McMakin, Paul Hornsby, Steve Melton
Executive-Producer – Gary F. Montgomery
Guitar – Larry Byrom, Steve Gibson
Harmonica – Buddy Greene
Horns – Charles Rose, Don Sheffield, Harvey Thompson, Jim Horn
Keyboards – Kenny Smith, Mitch Humphries, Randy McCormick
Lead Guitar – Jimmy Nalls, Larry Byrom, Larry Howard
Lead Vocals – Larry Howard
Piano – Randy McCormick
Producer – Bucky Jones, Gary F. Montgomery, Larry Howard, Pat McMakin
Rhythm Guitar – Jimmy Nalls, Larry Byrom, Larry Howard
Saxophone – Elbert Durham, Jim Horn, Ronnie Eades
Slide Guitar – Jimmy Nalls
Synthesizer – Randy McCormick
Vocals – Bob Bailey, John Whittaker, Larry Howard, Robin Johnson

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Refuge Records
Copyright © – Refuge Records
Distributed By – Refuge Music Group
Recorded At – Muscle Shoals Sound Studios
Recorded At – The Sound Shop
Recorded At – Muscadine Studio
Produced For – New Street Productions

This is the 3rd solo album from Larry Howard. This album was between labels (Refuge & Forefront) so it’s a one record deal with Spark Music. Strangely this album was only released in Europe. I’m a little confused at this as Larry was well liked and popular in North America, but with record companies you never really understand what’s going on. Anyway here it is yet another great blues album from Larry. Blues was not well represented in CCM in the 80’s though in the 90’s Kaiser and Mansfield brought it to the forefront. Yes I understand there was lots of Christian blues songs but full fledged CCM Blues artists were a very thin crowd. This album has a more classic blues sound with overtures of Big Band. In places it has a musical Blues Brothers feel but the vocals are all Larry. This one didn’t make it to North America so if you haven’t heard it you should, it is a great album.

Tracklist
1 – Why I Sing The Blues – 2:46
2 – A New Heart – 5:16
3 – One Day At A Time – 3:46
4 – I Need To Know For Sure – 4:15
5 – Livin Example – 3:08
6 – Trouble No More – 2:10
7 – Into The Light – 5:03
8 – Overcomer – 4:09
9 – Holy Ground – 3:38
10 – Guess Who – 3:15
11 – Find Out For Yourself – 4:15
12 – Jesus Is Here – 4:34

Credits
Arranged By [Horn Arrangements] – Tony Dorsey
Backing Vocals – Barbara Ice, Charles Jones, Karen Barlow, Kim Welch, Sherri Nunmmally
Bass Guitar – Slim Powell
Design – Gransch Bakker Design
Design Concept [Cover Concept], Artwork [Graphic Art] – Andy Anderson
Drums – Clarence Roddie*, Rick Burnett, Willie Smith
Piano [Acoustic Piano], Organ [B-3 Organ], Synthesizer, Producer, Recorded By, Remix [Re-Mix] – Paul Hornsby
Synthesizer – Kenny Smith, Steve Sawyer
Tenor Saxophone – David Klee
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Elbert Durham
Trombone – Kelly Graves
Trumpet – Jerry Mullins
Vocals, Backing Vocals, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Sitar, Producer, Remix [Re-Mix] – Larry Howard

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Spark Music
Copyright (c) – Spark Music
Distributed By – GMI Records
Recorded At – Muscadine Studio