Pat Terry - Humanity Gangsters (1982)

Pat Terry's first solo effort after the Pat Terry Group's last album. This is my personal favorite of his solo ventures. The songs are still classic Pat Terry Group type stuff, but some of the songs have a slightly harder edge. I also like Bill Batstone on Bass, and of course, Mark Heard, who is doing a little of this and that as well being the producer and engineer. I transfered this from cassette tape years ago and just burned the mp3 files from that CD.

Credits:

• Bill Batstone: Bass
• Bill Cobb: Engineer
• Bernie Grundman: Mastered
• Mark Heard: Producer, Engineer, Mixed, Electric Guitar, Bass, Handclaps, Background Vocals
• Alex MacDougall: Percussion, Congas
• John Mehler: Drums
• Carl Pickhardt: Piano, Hammond B-3
• Strat Brothers: Background Vocals
• Chris Taylor: Engineer
• Pat Terry: Producer, Arranger, Mixed, Songwriter, Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Piano, Prophet 5 Synthesizer, Harmonica, Vocals

Track Listing:

1. The Right Place
2. Too Many Voices
3. Sounds So Simple
4. Don't Take It So Hard
5. Steal Away
6. Open the Door
7. Can't Be Satisfied
8. I'll Come Back to You
9. Nothing I Say

Download Links: Enjoy the Music!, or here.

Pat Terry Group - Final Vinyl (1980)

One of my favorite Jesus Music era groups. Pat Terry is a great songwriter and many of his songs have been covered by other musicians. The group has a middle of the road CCM sound with a touch of Souther rock feel. This is the final recording by the group before Pat Terry went solo and produced a few subsequent albums.

Credits:

• Randy Bugg: Engineer, Mixed, Bass, Narration
• Bob Farrell: Songwriter
• Al Holley: Background Vocals
• Sonny Lallerstedt: Engineer, Mixed, Songwriter, Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Marimba, Drums, Percussion, Vocals
• Tony Shannon: Acoustic and Electric Keyboards
• Pat Terry: Songwriter, Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals

Track List:

1. One More Try
2. All I Can Be
3. Faith Has Eyes
4. Everyday Man
5. Seen It Now
6. Bring Me to the Balance
7. I Got to Go Down
8. IRIS
9. So Many Reasons
10. The Heart of His Will

Download Link: Enjoy the Music!, or here.

Children of the Day - Never Felt so Free (1977)

This is the 5th and next to last recordings by Children of the Day. Stylistically they go all over the place, sounding at times a little like 2nd Chapter of Acts or a little like Love Song and they even sound a bit like Chicago on a couple of tunes. All original material in a soft rock vein, most of the songs written by Peter Jacobs, with a couple by Wendy Fremin or Marsha Stevens. Several of the backup musicians will be familiar to long-time Jesus music fans (see the credits below.)

Credits:

• Vocals: Peter Jacobs, Wendy Fremin, Marsha Stevens, Russ Stevens
• Drums: John Mehler
• Guitars: Jim Stipech, Wendy Fremin and Bob Ayala
• Keyboards and Vibes: Peter Jacobs
• Bass: Russ Stevens
• Soprano Sax: Craig Olson
• Percussion: Marsha Stevens
• Congas: Al MacDougal
• Produced by Peter Jacobs and Marsha Stevens
• Arranged and Orchestrated by Peter Jacobs

Track List:

1. Let Me Take You
2. Sing Me A Song
3. Letting Go
4. Givin' To Jesus
5. I'm In Love
6. Born Again
7. God Has Become (Everything I Need)
8. I'd Do Anything
9. Reflection
10. Victory Song

Download Link: Enjoy the Music!

Children of the Day - With All Our Love (1977)

 

Children of the Day was a Contemporary Christian music group that recorded and toured from 1971 to 1979. After becoming a born-again Christian, 16 year-old Marsha Carter was instrumental to leading her sister Wendy and friend Peter Jacobs to Christianity. Utilizing Carter's talents as a songwriter, the three formed a Jesus music group they called Children of the Day. With the addition of friend, singer and upright bass player Russ Stevens to the group, the band became a quartet and released their first album. Following the release of the album, Marsha Carter and Russ Stevens married.

Released in 1971 on the Maranatha! Music label, the group's first album was titled Come to the Waters. In order to finance the project, the group borrowed $900 from Calvary Chapel pastor Chuck Smith in order to produce the album that included what would become the group's best known song penned by Marsha Stevens, "For Those Tears I Died". The well-received album was followed two years later by With All Our Love (1973). Two more albums by the group were produced on the Maranatha! Music label, Where Else Could I Go (1975), and Christmas Album (1975). The group later signed with Light Records, releasing, Never Felt So Free (1977) and Butterfly(1979). It was after the release of Butterfly that the group disbanded. Source: Wikipedia.

This recording is the re-released version of the album on Light Records, LS-5714.

 

Track List:

1. Under the Shadow (of My Wings)
2. If You'll Take My Hand
3. You're a Gift
4. Russ's Song
5. Two Lives, One Moment
6. Be Ye Still
7. Where Went the Days
8. Just Pretending
9. The Crucifixion
10. Can I Show You

 Download Link: Enjoy the Music!

James Sundquist (and Noel Paul Stookey) - Freedom Flight (1977)

This is a real rarity that I picked up at Goodwill many years ago. At the time I wasn't able to track any information down about it, but because Noel Paul Stookey is an integral part of the recording, it finally started showing up on his discographies. I digitized this several years ago and then somehow the CD became unplayable, so I re-digitized it today.

As far as I know this is the only recording of Christian folk music recorded by Sundquist. Since then he seems to have focused on classical guitar and new age type playing. Released on Lion & Lamb Records, it was produced by Noel Paul Stookey, who also provided a few vocals and other odds and ends. Those familiar with the Jesus Music era will also recognize a few other names on the list below. Tom Howard is the most notable of these, but there is also Wendell Burton, who released a few CCM albums in the 70s and Jon Linn, who played electric guitar on a number of Larry Norman albums.

Most of the songs are originals, but there is one Randy Stonehill cover, King of Hearts. The first song is also co-arranged by Stookey. This is a nice gem from the Jesus Music era which deserves a listen.

 Credits:

• James Sundquist: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, 12 Strings Guitar, Classical Guitar, Fender Telecaster, Piano, Synthesizer
• Noel Paul Stookey: Producer, Additional Lead Vocal on tracks 1 & 5, Maracas, Airship
• Tom Howard: Piano, Synthesizer, Harpsichord, Strings & Horn Arrangement
• Emil Gigliardi: Drums, Cowbells
• Peter Johnson: Drums
• Herbie Melton: Bass
• Jay Truax: Bass
• Charlie West: Acoustic Guitar
• Phil Ayling: Oboe, Recorder
• Bruce Powell: Flute
• Glen Grab: Cello
• Dave Siebels: Oboe, Cello, Flute, Recorder Arrangement
• Kathy Smith: Back-up Vocals
• Wendell Burton: Back-up Vocals
• Rhythm Dukes: Back-up Vocals, Vocal Arrangement
• Billy Swain: Tuba
• Ralph Benton: Trombone
• Miriam Cutler: Clarinet
• Jon Linn: Electric Guitar

 Track List:

1. Even Though The Devil Hate Me - Romans 8:35, 37,38 adpt. & arr. by Noel Stookey & James Sundquist
2. To Be Happy - by Julie Long & James Sundquist
3. King Of Hearts - by Rndy Stonehill
4. What Do Ah Need? - by James Sundquist
5. Gospel Ship - Trad. adpt. & arr. by James Sundquist
6. Loving Tree - by James Sundquist
7. First Love - by James Sundquist
8. Mountain Lady - by James Sundquist
9. Twelve Gates (Rev.21) - Trad. adpt. & arr. by James Sundquist & Tom Petersen
10. Golden Harp - by James Sundquist

 Download Link: Enjoy the Music!

Tom Howard - View from the Bridge (1977)

Just discovered in the news that Tom Howard, one of my favorite Christian artists from the Jesus Music Era died of a heart attack on Friday (January 29, 2010). He was one of Larry Norman's early discoveries who went on to complete several albums over the years. He is a keyboardist of considerable skill is also often creditied with nurturing the Christian New Age sound.

 

The featured album is his first, which was produced by Larry Norman on Solid Rock Records. In my opinion, this is Tom Howard's best recording and is bona fide Christian Rock of the highest caliber. This is a classic of the Jesus Music era and if you haven't listended to it, you need to do so now. The recording was digitized from my own vinyl copy of the album.

Track List: 

1. Intro
2. Come On In
3. Mansion on the Sand
4. To Learn By Living
5. We All Mean Very Well
6. One More Reason
7. She Likes to Look at Pictures
8. Blessed Are the Children
9. Marriage of Our Souls
10. All Through the Day

Credits:

• Jonathan David Brown: Engineer
• Jim Coile: Saxophone, Flute
• Tom Howard: Songwriter, Orchestrator and Conductor, Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Piano, Vocals
• Jim Johnson: Bass
• Peter Johnson: Drums, Percussion, Harmony Vocals
• Wayne Johnson: Electric Guitar, Harmony Vocals
• Max McCoy: Auxiliary Keyboards, Flugelhorn
• Larry Norman: Producer, Arranger, Acoustic Guitar, Harmony Vocals
• Randy Stonehill: Acoustic Guitar, Harmony Vocals
• Vance Tenort: Congas, Cabasa

Sources: Christian Music Archive, Ray Fowler.org

 

Download Link: Enjoy the Music!

 

Other Recordings by Tom Howard:

• Breathe Piano Tom Howard
• Scenes From The Life of Christ
• Palette : A Colours Sampler
• Beyond the Barriers
• Solo Piano
• In the Quiet Place
• The Harvest / Tom Howard / LP
• Bamboo in Winter (The Original Soundtrack From the Film)
• Hymns of Jesus
• The Hidden Passage