CCM

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contents
December 2004
27
cover story
And the No. 1 Song in Christian
Music Is…
Actually, you’ll have to read The CCM
Top 100 Greatest Songs in
Christian Music to find that out, but
what we do reveal are some fun facts
about the list for any Christian music fan,
including the countdown’s five most
recent songs, who’s got the most
songwriting credits, number of times
Amy appears on the list, Relient K’s
debate over which tribute song to cover
and much, much more! B Y C H R I S W E L L
cover story
34
The Anatomy of a Breakout Band
The Relient K boys are always full of surprises—whether it’s what
they’ll name their next album (Mmhmm), the decision to write a book on
the female mind (Huh?) or a brand new label venture. DA V I D J E N I S O N
catches up with the band and gets a retrospective look at the past, plus
a look to the promising future for this pop/punk outfit.
features
52
Books: Charlie Peacock’s look at the music biz, holiday
releases and more.
56
Tour: Performances from Salvador, Lynda Randle, Charlie
Daniels’ Band and MercyMe
departments
04
From the Editor: What makes a song “great”?
JAY S W A R T Z E N D RU B E R talks with artists who contributed to the
09
The Insider: PFR’s return, Kirk Franklin’s latest venture
defining release of this holiday season, Rocketown Records’ Gloria.
Plus, find out the holiday vibe, track you’ll be humming, “fa la la” factor
and more about the rest of the newest batch of Christmas offerings!
20
The Reel: The Polar Express and The Life Aquatic
22
One to Watch: Day of Fire
in review
58
22 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About: Jaci Velasquez
45
60
A Look Back at 2004 with GMA President John Styll
62
CCM Hall of Fame: Amy Grant
40
Christmas Kind of Feeling
Music: Newsboys’ Devotion, plus the latest from Michael W. Smith,
Randy Travis and more.
CCM_12.04_Editorial.v7
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fromtheeditor
“When Does
a Song Honor
God?”
That’s a very important question—one I wish I’d
been asking when I was much younger. I mean,
really asking. Some of you may have already
sensed the connection between this question and
the inquiry that was posed on this page in last
month’s issue of CCM (“So Then, What Is a
Christian Artist?”).
When an artist of faith is wrestling with who
he or she is called to be, you can bet one thing he
or she is asking is, “When does a song honor
God?” For too long, I had a simple litmus test in
response. If a song was part of an album released
by a record label such as Sparrow, Word, Reunion
or Frontline, then, as far as I was concerned, it
was good to go. But if it was being produced for
CCM MAGAZINE
Your Christian Music Magazine Since 1978
volume 27 issue 5
For those whose lives are strengthened through faith-informed music,
CCM Magazine goes behind the scenes to celebrate the artistry of
Christian music.
CCM Magazine is a publication of Salem Publishing, a division of
Salem Communications.
•••• •••••••
CCM Magazine (With each of our Top 100 picks)
Publisher James R. Cumbee (“He Touched Me”)
Associate Publisher & Editor in Chief
Roberta Croteau (“When God Ran”)
Editor Jay Swartzendruber (“In the Light”)
Managing Editor Stephanie Ottosen (“Lead Me On”)
Contributing & Reviews Editor Christa Farris (“Hold Me Jesus”)
4 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
a mainstream label, then, well, good luck with
that.
Sad but true. Problem number one is, I was
letting other people (record label execs.) do my
thinking for me. As I became a true connoisseur
of Christian music, I soon discovered that
Christian record labels didn’t always deliver
songs that affirmed a Christian worldview.
Meanwhile, I started noticing that profound
artists of faith were also in the mainstream music
world. Who knew? I mean, I was one of those
kids who just assumed that my favorite Christian
artists, themselves, didn’t even listen to
mainstream music. As I eventually started
befriending those artists, I came to realize that
quite the opposite was true. These artists weren’t
as concerned about record labels as they were
with whether or not a song reflected goodness,
truth and beauty. I guess you could say they were
all about Philippians 4:8—”Finally, beloved,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is
any excellence and if there is anything worthy of
praise, think about these things” (NRSV).
True, honorable, just, pure, pleasing,
commendable and excellent—now that would
describe quite a song. Imagine if we in the
Christian community made Philippians 4:8 our
blueprint for artistic greatness. (Just for the
record, I get the distinct impression that Someone
else already has.)
I like to think that we at CCM had a similar
mindset when we had the audacity to think we
could assemble the most incredible Christian
music retrospective ever—a book and CD series
called The Top 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music.
What in the world? Were we for real? It was so
“over the top” it sounded like something a fan
would dream up. Exactly. First and foremost,
we’re fans.
To get started, we first had to define what we
meant by “greatest songs.” Did we mean “great” as
Art Director Lee Steffen (“To Hell With the Devil”)
Associate Art Director Ben De Rienzo (“Alive”)
Production Director Ross E. Cluver (“I Could Sing of Your Love Forever”)
Contributing Editors Andy Argyrakis ("Hold Me Jesus"), Joan Brasher,
Michael Card, Janet Chismar (“Flood”), Michael Ciani (“I Will Be Free”),
Kent Morris (“Awesome God”), Michael Nolan, Chris Well (“Alive”)
Contributors Louis R. Carlozo, Tony Chavez, Elisa Hammer, David
Jenison, Dan MacIntosh, David McCreary, Geoff Moore, Jessica
Robin, John Styll
Web Editor Christa Farris
Editorial Assistant Kelly O’Neil (“Secret Ambition”)
Editorial Intern Caroline Mitchell (“Redeemer”)
Circulation Director Buffy Booker (“Breath of Heaven”)
Customer Service Representatives Amy Cassell (“I Can Only Imagine”),
Leesa Smith (“Mary, Did You Know”)
Executive Director of Advertising L. Smitty Wheeler (“Big House”)
615/312-4235
Senior Director of Advertising DeDe Tarrant (“Shout to the Lord”)
805/987-5072
Account Executive Gregory Byerline (“Your Love Broke Thru”)
in terrifically written, produced and performed?
“Great” as in innovative? Or what about “great” as
in popular and influential? We soon realized all
those factors should be considered during our
decision-making process.
What about other, more objective guidelines?
Should we include faith-evident songs by
Christians who record solely in the mainstream?
After much debate (and I do mean much), we
eventually decided that this historic retrospective
should exclusively honor the 35-year history of
the contemporary Christian music movement.
Furthermore, for practical purposes, we decided
that to be considered for nomination, a song
should have originated with our songwriters/
artists and initially (or simultaneously) been
nationally distributed to the Christian market.
And, after ongoing debate, we came to the
consensus that it would be best for the general
purposes of this retrospective if eligibility
required that the songs clearly reflect a faithbased perspective on life. Thus, excellent
instrumentals and smash hits such as Amy Grant’s
“Baby, Baby” and Sixpence None the Richer’s
“Kiss Me” weren’t included.
After several weeks our editorial team and a
panel of industry pioneers and executives
narrowed a massive list of songs down to “only”
about 250. From there we counted on a much
larger cross-section of artists, producers and
industry executives and you—thousands of
randomly selected CCM readers—to cast votes
which honed us in on the final 100. And for your
help, we thank you.
This month, our staff picked his/her favorite
from The Top 100. Check below for the results.
Jay Swartzendruber
Jay@CCMcom.com
Account Executive Laurice Jackson (“Redeemer”)
Account Executive Phil Davis (“Hold Me Jesus”)
Marketing Coordinator Michael TenBrink (“Strength of My Life”)
Advertising Coordinator Carol Jones (“I Can Only Imagine”)
Sales/Marketing Associate Craig Felker (“Dare You to Move”)
Main Office 104 Woodmont Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205
615/386-3011 (ph) • 615/386-3380 (business fax) • 615/385-4112
(editorial fax) • 615/312-4266 (advertising fax)
Subscriptions/Customer Service CCM, 104 Woodmont, Ste 300, Nashville
37205, 800/333-9643 or subscriptions@salempublishing.com. Annual
subscription rates: United States, $19.95/one year, $35.95/ two years,
$53.95/three years; Canada, (U.S. funds) $27.95 per year; all other countries,
(U.S. funds) $33.95 (surface) or $67 (airmail). For address changes or other
inquiries, please include both old and new addresses and mailing label. Allow four
to six weeks for new subscriptions to begin.
Cover photo by David Johnson
MMHMM text by Greg Leppert
gregleppert.com
NASDAQ SYMBOL: SALM
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feedback
think more bands should do that!
—Jason Ezeard, Prince Edward Island,
Canada
I have to say, when I opened the
cover of my October issue, I almost
shrieked out loud with excitement
at the Underoath picture inside
[“Contents”]. I recently purchased
They’re Only Chasing Safety, and it
rocks! I loved the article; it was one
of the best I’ve read in your
magazine in a long time.
—Anna Elsey, Hooper, NE
FROM THE HARDCORE FANS…
I was so thrilled to see an article
on Underoath [“A Hardcore Day’s
Night”] in your October issue. I
really love this band, and it was a
pleasant surprise to see them
featured in your magazine. I also
enjoyed the article in your July
issue [“Hard Music 101”].
—Rebecca Esquite, NJ
I think it’s awesome that you guys
did an article about Underoath.
Underoath is one of my favorite
bands, and that article about them
made me like them even more. It’s
awesome how they are witnessing
to the world by playing at different
festivals and shows. I know many
people would condemn them for
playing at “Hellfest,” but,
personally, I think it is awesome.
Also, Underoath is awesome for not
hiding their faith. They are not
hiding the reason they are a band. I
SANDI’S FRIENDSHIP
COMPANY
We were just ecstatic when we saw
a two-page article [“Another Time,
Another Place”] on our favorite
artist of all time: Sandi Patty. A few
months ago you featured her in
your “CCM Hall of Fame”
[February], and we were so glad to
read that; but this time you really
put the icing on the cake, and for
that we will continue to renew our
subscription. After reading the
article and the review of her new
CD, we immediately went to our
local Christian book store and
purchased our copy of Hymns of
Faith, Songs of Inspiration.
reasonably priced and full of
wonderful praise and celebration!
—Deborah Gallagher, via e-mail
questions and that I wasn’t alone in
my quest for truth.
—Heather Janetzko,
Union Springs, NY
HE’S ONLY HUMAN CLAY.
The Scott Stapp interview
[“Insider”] in the October issue was
a gem. I’m a youth leader, and
I am using the article in all my
small groups this week. We are
reading the interview, and then I
prepared discussion questions.
The magazine is absolutely great. I
love all the changes. Keep up the
good work.
—Mark Wuggazer, via e-mail
—Robert and Terese Andres,
Fullerton, CA
I am delighted to read such a
positive story about Sandi Patty in
your magazine! She is an amazing
artist and an all-around crowd
pleaser. Her concerts are always
SWEET HOME ALABAMA
I was surprised when I read the
first sentence in the article, “A
Lasting Impression” [“Editor’s
Letter,” October]. The first surprise
was that Steven Curtis Chapman
had been in Roanoke, Alabama.
The second was that the city of
Roanoke was mentioned in a
national publication. Having lived in
Randolph County and graduated
from Woodland High School in
1982, I was quite proud to learn
that someone had “made it” from
the area. I don’t know you, and I
know you don’t know me; but I just
thought it was kind of neat how a
guy from a small town like Roanoke
could be editor of a cool magazine
like CCM.
—Mike Lovvorn, Oxford, AL
UNDEROATH
SCOTT STAPP
Thanks for the kind words, Mike. It was during
my two years in Roanoke that I came to love
Christian music. —The Editor
READING ON THE JOB
I was thrilled when I opened up this
October’s CCM and saw a large
picture of Scott Stapp’s face staring
back at me. I’ve struggled in my
spiritual walk through the past
couple years, and I’ve been blessed
through Stapp’s lyrics time and time
again. I really understood what it was
like to question God and to cry out to
Him. To find a man whose words
reflected my heart helped me to
realize I wasn’t the only one with
6 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
I’m a deejay at a Christian station
here in Monroe, and I can’t tell you
how great it is to pass along the
information I read about the artists
over the airwaves! I’m getting my
own subscription because I want to
read up and do my “homework.”
Thanks again for all of your hard
work, and know that you’re making
a difference!
—Jessica Jordan, 88.7 FM The Cross,
Monroe, LA
CCM_12.04_BackIssuesAd.final2
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TRUTH BE TOLD
What’s your favorite Christian music legend or supposedly tall tale? What about that nagging question
concerning your favorite artist that, apparently, no one’s been able to answer? That’s where we come
in. Check here each month as CCM Magazine distinguishes truth from fiction and e-mail your questions
to truthbetold@ccmcom.com.
50/50, meaning that if you wrote a No.
Dear CCM, (Part 2)
1 song for Avalon, half of the
If a song hits No. 1 on Christian radio, how much
performance royalties for that song
money does the artist make from that? And how
would go to your publisher and half
much money does the songwriter make from that
would go to you. If you wrote the song
No. 1? Thank you, —Curious in Colorado
with another songwriter, then the split
would be 25/25/25/25 with each writer receiving a quarter of the
Last month, we established that PROs pay performance royalties
royalties and each publisher receiving a quarter of the royalties.
for radio airplay to the songwriter, not the artist (unless the artist
But what about artists such as Avalon, you ask? Avalon members
wrote the song, of course) and that a No. 1 Christian AC hit for an
make money for each copy of their CD that is sold since they are the
ASCAP writer would pay at least $10,000.
artists. The exact amount of that royalty would be stipulated by the
Making that much money just for writing a song might sound
group’s record contract, but a typical Christian artist is likely to
incredible, but keep in mind that even the best writers may get just
receive anywhere from $0.50 to $1.50 per CD sold once their album’s
one or two No. 1 songs a year, if that, and also that it’s before taxes.
production and marketing costs are recouped (paid back).
Also, virtually all working songwriters are under contract with a
However, as the songwriter, you would also make money for each
publishing company, which “pitches” the writers’ songs to artists to
copy of that Avalon CD that is sold. The current standard amount a
try to get them to record that song and also handles all the
songwriter earns when a CD containing his/her song is sold is less
administrative duties for that song. A typical publishing contract is
than a dime—$0.085 per song. This means that if you wrote one
song on the CD and the CD sold 100,000 copies (rather low for
a popular artist like Avalon but above-average for most Christian
artists), you and your publisher would each make $4,250 in
royalties for that song—before taxes. That is in addition to the
airplay performance royalties, of course.
As you can see, figuring out the royalties process in the record
business isn’t such an easy task!
We’re sorry, but CCM and “Truth Be Told” cannot be held
responsible for any decisions made by our readers to move to
Nashville and pursue a career in songwriting. All readers must
wait tables at their own risk! For more information, you may want
to check out one of the many thorough textbook-style resources
about the music business available from your local bookstore or
Web sites such as Amazon.com.
We welcome your comments. Address your letter to Feedback, CCM
Magazine, 104 Woodmont Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN
37205; fax 615/385-4112, Attn: Feedback; or e-mail
feedback@ccmcom.com. Always include your full name, address and
phone number. Letter may be edited for length and clarity.
CCM Back Issues
COVER
ISSUE DATE
NEWSBOYS ...................................................................August 1998
POINT OF GRACE..........................................................September 1998
DC TALK ........................................................................October 1998
REBECCA ST. JAMES....................................................November 1998
KIRK FRANKLIN ...........................................................December 1998
BURLAP TO CASHMERE ..............................................January 1999
SUPERTONES ...............................................................February 1999
AVALON .........................................................................March 1999
CAEDMON’S CALL........................................................April 1999
ANOINTED.....................................................................May 1999
STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN.........................................July 1999
OUT OF EDEN ...............................................................August 1999
THIRD DAY ....................................................................September 1999
BEBO NORMAN/JILL PHILLIPS ...................................October 1999
AMY GRANT ..................................................................November 1999
MICHAEL W. SMITH .....................................................December 1999
JARS OF CLAY...............................................................January 2000
COVER
ISSUE DATE
COVER
NEWSBOYS ...................................................................February 2000
JENNIFER KNAPP.........................................................March 2000
JESUS CHRIST, TV STAR ..............................................April 2000
SIXPENCE/STEVE TAYLOR ...........................................May 2000
CRYSTAL LEWIS............................................................June 2000
FRED HAMMOND .........................................................July 2000
JACI VELASQUEZ ..........................................................September 2000
CHRIS RICE...................................................................November 2000
REBECCA ST. JAMES....................................................December 2000
REBECCA ST. JAMES....................................................December 2000
P.O.D. ...........................................................................January 2001
100 GREATEST CHRISTIAN ALBUMS..........................March 2001
DC TALK-KEVIN MAX....................................................May 2001
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issues today! Classic issues only $5.00 each.
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DC TALK-TOBY MCKEEHAN ..................................May 2001
DC TALK-MICHAEL TAIT ........................................May 2001
POINT OF GRACE ..................................................June 2001
CECE WINANS .......................................................July 2001
NICOLE C. MULLEN ..............................................August 2001
MICHAEL W. SMITH ..............................................September 2001
STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN..................................October 2001
THIRD DAY .............................................................November 2001
STACIE ORRICO .....................................................December 2001
JENNIFER KNAPP..................................................January 2002
PLUS ONE..............................................................February 2002
JARS OF CLAY........................................................March 2002
AMY GRANT...........................................................May 2002
KIRK FRANKLIN ....................................................June 2002
SALVADOR .............................................................July 2002
BEBO NORMAN.....................................................August 2002
SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER .............................September 2002
MERCY ME ............................................................October 2002
SUPERCHIC[K].......................................................November 2002
PLUS ONE/READERS AWARDS............................December 2002
THE ELMS..............................................................January 2003
STEVEN & MARYBETH CHAPMAN .......................February 2003
DELIRIOUS.............................................................March 2003
JACI VELASQUEZ...................................................April 2003
THIRD DAY .............................................................May 2003
25TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE .................................July 2003
STACIE ORRICO .....................................................August 2003
SHAUN GROVES ....................................................September 2003
MICHAEL W. SMITH ..............................................October 2003
PLUS ONE..............................................................November 2003
READER’S AWARDS..............................................January 2004
OUT OF EDEN........................................................February 2004
ROCK ISSUE (KUTLESS) .......................................March 2004
AVALON ..................................................................April 2004
MERCY ME ............................................................May 2004
THIRD DAY .............................................................June 2004
PILLAR ...................................................................July 2004
POINT OF GRACE ..................................................August 2004
TOBYMAC...............................................................September 2004
STEPHEN CURTIS CHAPMAN...............................October 2004
MICHAEL W. SMITH ..............................................November 2004
CCM_12.04_Insider.v13
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insider
A note from John
Cooper, Kirk
Franklin’s taking
over the world
and more.
by Christa Farris
They’re
BAAACK!
PFR may disappear from time to time, but Joel Hanson,
Patrick Andrew and Mark Nash are always up for a reunion.
Now find out about the group’s latest collaboration on The
Bookhouse Recordings.
I
t could be said that PFR is Christian music’s
best magic trick. The band disappears for a
while and reappears for the occasional
reunion concert or a new album like The Bookhouse
Recordings (Fuseic) that’s currently available
exclusively at Family Christian Stores. However,
unlike your typical magicians, PFR’s Joel Hanson,
Patrick Andrew and Mark Nash aren’t afraid to let you
in on its secrets to musical synergy.
According to Andrew, it’s actually simple: “I think
we just love to make music together. Who knows
what will come in the future, but I think we’ve learned
our lesson—not to say, ‘It won’t happen again,’ he
says. “There’s a chemistry where we’ve all learned
that, no matter who else we play with, it’s not going
to feel like it does with the three of us. I think we have
sort of an unspoken understanding that this is a
band whether we stop it or not.”
Although the band has six full-length records to its
credit—not exactly rookie status in the music biz—
PFR’s most recent collaboration on The Bookhouse
Recordings stretched the band in ways the guys
didn’t expect as they had to complete the project in
>>>
just a week’s time—a tough feat for guys Patrick says
“aren’t organized” and have a tendency to be, well,
silly on occasion.
But the short time frame was “what kind of
spurred us on,” Joel recalls. “We didn’t really have a
choice but to take the silliness with us into Mark’s
studio and make quick work of what needed to get
done. We intentionally went for a more simple,
honest record, knowing the time frame and made the
record focus a little more on the songs than on the
production bells and whistles. And I think that works
for us and the songs.”
Aside from stylistic re-makes of some of the
band’s best-loved songs, including “Great Lengths,”
“That Kind of Love,” “Wonder Why” and “Last
Breath,” which got the most drastic musical
makeover from aggressive rocker to more of a
stripped-down, reflective anthem, the band also
wrote three new songs for the disc, including “Prayer
For Beslan” that was born as a response to the tragic
September siege in a school of Beslan, Russia.
Says Joel, “What ended up happening in Beslan
was particularly hard for me to take. These guys took
over the school on the first day of classes for these
kids. They’re going to start this new year, and some
of them didn’t live for the first week. I just felt so
stirred up in my spirit that I felt compelled to speak
out my frustrations, anger and disbelief of wondering
what these parents must have thought. If they did
believe there was a God, could they now?”
“It was so emotionally powerful,” Patrick recalls.
“We had never written a song where we’re writing in
response to a world event. It’s this compassionate
song for those children and parents and an almost
indescribable, magical recording experience overall.”
There aren’t any more “magical” recording plans in
the works, there certainly will be more music on the
horizon. Joel is writing songs for his next solo project
and hopes to begin recording next year. Patrick
released a solo project, There and Then It’s Gone
earlier this year, and Nash has been producing
projects for several independent bands and recently
produced his wife’s, Leigh Nash (former Sixpence
None the Richer lead singer), cover of Cat Stevens’
“Father and Son,” which will appear on the upcoming
“Everwood” soundtrack.
Gospel Music Week 2005 Slated For April 9-15 in Nashville; GMA Music Awards Set For April 13 • Delayed!
ccmmagazine.com
december 04 ccm 9
>>>
CCM_12.04_Insider.v13
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C
insider
Extra, Extra!
Catch up with rockers East West at a movie
theater near you?
You already knew that Floodgate band East West knows how
to rock, but did you peg them as future thespians? OK, so
maybe being an extra in Adam Sandler’s new movie doesn’t
exactly make you a thespian; but band members J.J. Jenkins
and Bobby Vergura should get some pretty good face time as
extras in Sandler’s upcoming flick The Longest Yard. While
the movie doesn’t release until May 2005, the band is
keeping busy in the studio, working on its follow-up to Hope
in Anguish.
And the
SideShow
What Are You
Listening To?
U.K. worship leader, songwriter of praise standards,
including “Here I Am to Worship,” and newlywed (He
recently tied the knot in September.) Tim Hughes
reveals what’s been rocking his CD player lately.
Continues…
With a new EP and recent tour dates with Delirious, the
unconventional praise of the Rock ’n’ Roll Worship Circus lives on.
>>>
Matt Redman
Keane
Facedown
Hopes and Fears
The Streets
Maroon5
A Grand Doesn’t
Come for Free
Songs About Jane
Not actual cover
With his pointed-toe Beatles boots and avant garde fashion sense, Rock ’n’ Roll Worship
Circus frontman Gabriel Wilson’s look always seemed straight out of London, even though his
Washington state hometown definitely has more of an eclectic, hippie vibe.
But Wilson and his band recently got to call the United Kingdom “home” for a few weeks as
they hit the Euro touring circuit with U.K. worshipers Delirious. And, apparently, the bands hit
it off rather well from the joking tone of the comment from Delirous’ frontman Martin Smith.
“The Rock ‘n’ Roll Worship Circus are more than a band,” Smith says. “They are an amazing
bunch of guys who have a heart to see people impacted with the love of God. They also have
‘secular’ looking haircuts that really appeal to us and fits right in to the next ‘Delirious British’
tour. Whether you have a full beard or a ‘comb-over,’ you will love this band; and we are proud
to have them on the road.” Next up for the band are performances at Germany’s “Christmas
Rock Night” and Holland’s “Winter Wonder Rock Festival” this month.
With the help of Delirious’ Fierce Distribution, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Worship Circus’ new The
Listening EP will be released throughout Europe and other worldwide territories. For those
stateside, the EP is available exclusively through the band’s official Web site:
worshipcircus.com.
In A Recent E-news Blast, Superchic[k] Announced That Its Upcoming Beauty From Pain CD Won’t Hit Stores
10 ccm december 04 ccmmagazine.com
>>>
CCM_12.04_Insider.v13
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Page 11
>>
Songwriter’s Spotlight:
RELEVANCY
101
pop/rock
In an open letter to CCM readers, Skillet’s John Cooper explains his new
approach to songwriting as the band continues to make an impact in the
general market, having just concluded a tour with mainstream rockers Saliva.
I have normally kept my lyrics for Skillet on a pretty narrow margin. Our records have
consistently reached out to the same crowd and dealt with the same issues. On our latest,
Collide, we treaded some new ground, and I felt more relevant than ever as a result.
An example is “Open Wounds,” a song about an issue that we do not typically talk about in
Christendom, yet it’s a relevant issue that our society constantly deals with.
I was very hesitant when I began writing “Open Wounds” because it is, quite honestly, a very
dark song that is venting my hurt and pain from a terrible relationship with my father. I don't
think that Christian music should be about negativity. However, God kept leading me in this
direction that I was not sure I wanted to go. Typically in Christian music, the song would not
leave you with the thought that I hate my dad and that it was horrible living with him, but,
rather, that I had forgiven him and that God has healed our relationship.
The truth is, God has healed our relationship, and He has always been faithful! However,
God's faithfulness is not dependent on whether or not that reconciliation occurred. God spoke
to me about meeting young people where they are at, but we also want to lift people up from
that place. So where does the line get drawn? I have come to realize that sometimes
mainstream bands like Linkin Park or Staind are becoming more relevant than we are
because they are not afraid to sing exactly what everyone is thinking! I came to a decision to
write the bridge of the song that shows a glimmer of hope, which says, “Tell me why you broke
me down and betrayed my trust in you. I'm not giving up, not giving in, when will this war
end?” I did not want to end the song with an “everything is great now” line because that is not
reality to so many people—even Christians. In fact, I was a very serious follower of Christ during
all of my years hating my dad. I thought it would never get better and that God was testing me.
So far, this song has affected many people, and my prayer is that it will draw people into our
music and hear hope in other songs on our album.
>>
CCM_12.04_Insider.v13
11/2/04
3:52 PM
Page 12
C
insider
Cyberspeak:
What’s New at
CCMmagazine.com this Month!
Just like all those fun stocking stuffers that Santa’s
sure to leave if you’ve been nice rather than naughty
this past year, CCMmagazine.com has all kinds of extra
goodies for you to sample this month. And, unlike most
of the fattening treats you’ve been snacking on this
season, they’re all calorie-free!
2x the Rhymes
Christmas Music Extras: We’ve got the buzz on
even more yuletide releases that’ll get you into the
holiday spirit exclusively at CCMmagazine.com.
Artist Chats: This month look for rockers Skillet on
Dec. 7 and thinking man’s singer/songwriter Derek
Webb on Dec. 16.
Christmas eCards: Does your hand hurt from
writing out all those Christmas cards? Have you run out
of money for stamps from picking up all those gifts
for family and friends? We understand. So why not
try out our e-Cards at CCMmagazine.com that’ll
be delivered to your loved one’s Inbox. Check out
ccmmagazine.com/ecards for more details.
Before 2004’s a wrap, the street-savvy guys of Cross
Movement have two new hip-hop discs you won’t want
to miss.
Ask actor Stephen Baldwin who his favorite artists
are, and he’s sure to namedrop Cross Movement’s
right up at the top of his list. Now it looks like
Baldwin and his fellow Cross Movement fans will
have plenty to be happy about with two new
offerings in a store near you: the group’s fifth
album, Higher Definition, and the yuletide-themed
Gift Rap that also features a slew of Cross
Movement’s friends, including TRUTH, Flame, J.R.
and J-Silas for a re-telling of the Christmas story
that’s anything but the same ol’ same ol’.
Kirk Franklin—CEO?
Move over P.Diddy, Jay-Z and J.Lo as Kirk Franklin is now joining the multi-tasking mogul
ranks with a brand new label and a multi-faceted entertainment venture.
We already know he has an insane amount of energy.
Kirk Franklin’s live shows over the years have proven
that. As if recording and playing “Stomp” every night
weren’t enough to keep him occupied, Franklin’s adding
the title of entrepreneur to his extensive resumé as he’s
recently started Fo Yo Soul Entertainment, Inc.
With a mission of reaching young, urban audiences,
the enterprise includes a full-service youth outreach
program, production company, advertising agency
and new multi-tiered record label partnership with
Zomba/BMG that will allow Franklin to release his solo
projects and help other artists with production chores
on their respective projects.
“After 12 years in the industry, I’ve learned so much,”
Franklin says. “I want to take those lessons as well as
my experiences as a man who grew up with one foot in
>>>
the church and one foot in the streets and use that to
connect with a generation who’s not really listening to
gospel music anymore.”
The first project under the new label’s infrastructure
will be Franklin’s fifth album, slated for a summer 2005
release. In the meantime, Franklin is putting on his
“talent scout” hat and is looking to sign a new, ministryminded gospel artist. “We’re searching for a young
squad of talented people,” Franklin adds. “But being a
star can’t be their No. 1 priority. They’ve got to have a
connection to ministry. There’ll be a motto on the wall
when you walk into our offices: No stars. No celebrities.
Servants only.”
For more information on Franklin’s new company,
please visit ccmmagazine.com.
Until Early 2005 • Want to Get the Inside Track on The Choir’s Progress on Its Upcoming Record? Check
12 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
>>>
CCM_12.04_Insider.v13
11/2/04
3:52 PM
Page 13
>>
urban/pop
All I Want For Christmas Is…
Yes, Christmas really is just over a month away. And since all these artists already have their two front teeth and since we wouldn’t let
them ask for world peace (Doesn’t everyone want that?), here are the items that’ll make their Christmas lists in 2004.
Rebecca St. James: “I’d like some
4HIM’s Andy Chrisman: “I would
FFH’s Jennifer Deibler: I want
iPod accessories or maybe an
iTunes gift certificate. Some really
good books would be cool since I
love historical Christian fiction—or
some funky clothes and hats.”
like a Christmas gift early. I would
like no more hurricanes to come
through here in my hometown of
Orlando. We’ve had two already, and
I wouldn’t ask for anything else.
That’d be all. I wouldn’t mind having
some new golf clubs.”
the “What Not to Wear” people to
tell me what not to wear. I want a
stylist to buy me clothes for every
day. That would be my all-time
Christmas wish.
Avalon’s Greg Long: “I could tell
you what my wife [Janna Long]
asked for: a baby grand piano!”
3.
1.
>>
2.
4.
CCM_12.04_GetReal.v8
11/2/04
3:53 PM
Page 14
getreal
The Lights of Christmas
and 5 Questions with
Trevor McNevan
by Stephanie Ottosen
From Their Prison, Into Your Home:
A Christmas Story
C
5
Questions
with
TREVOR McNEVAN
Trevor McNevan and his Thousand Foot Krutch bandmates have
been steadily climbing the ranks for the past few years. The band’s
2003 release, Phenomenon (Tooth & Nail), garnered impressive
sales of more than 100,000 units and saw success in radio with
“Phenomenon” and mainstream breakout “Rawkfist.” But McNevan,
drummer Steve Augustine and bassist Joel Bruyere stay busy with
other interests as well. McNevan and Augustine formed FM Static, a
side band, and Reakt Clothing. Augustine also formed Stringnoise,
offering sound and lighting production to TFK and other bands.
1.
If you could trade responsibilities with someone for a day, who
would that person be, what would the job be, and why would you choose
to do it?
When Christmas rolls around, part of tradition, for many Americans, is
pulling out those colorful lights and stringing them in and outside the house.
But did you know that those little green-wired lights with the “Made in China”
tags are actually put together by prisoners in China… and often pastors
who’ve been imprisoned for their faith?
Recording artist/author/radio host Michael Card wasn’t aware of this
either—that is, until he got involved with WorldServe, an organization that
encourages and equips the persecuted church around the world. Card told
CCM he visited Cuba last year with WorldServe and was able to see firsthand
how the ministry aided persecuted churches and communities in need. “I
was amazed at what I saw. Christianity has been actively persecuted there
since the ’50s.”
Through WorldServe, Card found out about the “Lights of Christmas”
project, which offers prayer and financial support for the imprisoned pastors
and their families. “The pastors say, ‘Don’t pray for the persecution to stop.
Pray that we would have the grace to withstand it because the persecution
is what makes the church grow,’” Card explained. “It’s a whole new value
system than the one we know as Americans.”
Although WorldServe has permanent contacts in these various countries,
the ministry seeks to “resource the local people,” said Card. In fact,
WorldServe recently got word that a house church pastor (who Card met),
who had recently attended a meeting in Dallas for the ministry, was arrested
upon returning home. “Not many people—and, amazingly, not many Chinese
people in America—know about [this issue].
“The idea is not that we become anti-Chinese government,” Card
continued. “That’s not anyone’s posture. It’s that we come alongside the
Christians. And, I don’t know about you, but I never thought of supporting the
families of the people in prison.”
Card supports the efforts of WorldServe and the “Lights of Christmas”
project by talking about the ministry at his concerts, including on his current
tour dates (michaelcard.com).
So, remember these pastors this Christmas when you look upon the
twinkling lights in your tree. For more information, visit worldserveusa.org.
I would be on staff at a large movie theatre because movies are a quick
escape for me to relax and because I’m a tad bit of a workaholic.
2.
When was the first moment you realized you wanted to pursue
music for a living?
I was sitting on a picnic table in our backyard, writing my first rhyme to a pause
mix beat I made from “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy. I really enjoyed the
aspect of original material and writing my own stuff, and I think it just spiraled
from there.
3.
Describe your most unforgettable date.
I wrote about this date in the hidden song on our FM Static record (“Hey Now”).
It’s a “play by play” of my first date with my beautiful wife and the things I
remember the most. It involved a nice Thai dinner, a walk downtown and to the
water and ended up on my rooftop playing guitar.
4.
What are you obsessive compulsive about?
Keeping things tidy, neat and in order.
5.
What characteristic of God has surprised you the most these days?
His ability to turn the outcome of a tragedy into something He can use to
teach you or someone else something very valuable and have a positive effect.
>>>
out thechoir.net For the Latest • Is Starflyer59 The Busiest Band? Group Wraps Up Another Limited-Edition
14 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
>>>
CCM_12.04_FanFare.v6
11/2/04
3:54 PM
Page 16
fanfare
A newborn, birthdays
and more.
by Stephanie Ottosen
First Apple...
Now
Plumb
Plumb
recently announced on her Web site that
she and her manager/husband, Jeremy, are
expecting a baby in 2005. Stay tuned for news on
the arrival.
Camp’s
New Project
Jeremy Camp
April Dreams
Christian music’s “it” man
and his wife, Adrienne, welcomed their first
child on Sept. 25. Isabella Rose Camp
weighed in at 6 lbs, 1 oz and measured 18.5
inches long.
01.05
15
23
24
By Tony Chavez (Mourning September)
Birthdays
Byron Cage
Kristin Swinford (ZOEgirl)
Mandee Radford (Alathea)
Hezekiah Walker
27
30
31
Fred Hammond
Shaun Groves
Kim Hill
Chanelle Haynes
(Trin-i-tee 5:7)
Tell CCM
I grew up in a church that was very traditional.
They have many laws, so I left the church and
started to live on my own. But that lifestyle did
not fill the void in me. And when my girlfriend
ended our relationship, I fell in a deep hole. In
that hard time I listened to the album Jesus
Freak by dc talk, which I had gotten from a
friend. The music was and is great, but the lyrics
spoke to me. I translated every song into
German to understand the message better.
Every song was a big message of love from
Above for me, and the album’s lyrics led me
back to Christ. I committed my life to Christ and
tattooed the album name on my arm so that I’ll
never forget the time Jesus found me. Today I
am a church planter for Generation X—that’s
how God’s working in far away Germany through
U.S. music! —Markus Roll, Bonn, Germany
How have CCM Magazine, the artists and their stories changed your life? We'd love to know! Please e-mail us at tellccm@ccmcom.com
or write to 104 Woodmont Blvd, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205.
>>>
Tony Chavez is the frontman for the Floodgate Records band
Mourning September and has been seen this fall playing guitar
for Anberlin. Tony and his wife, Alisha, live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Six weeks before I was married, we were recording our album
in a studio in Florida; so I wasn’t home in Tulsa for a lot of the
details and busywork of the wedding. Being separated is never
easy, and so I wrote “April Dreams” to let Alisha know that I was
always thinking of her. She was the first thing on my mind in the
morning and the last thing on my mind at night, and I was
counting the days until we would spend our lives together.
Now, nine months later, that song is still as relevant to me as
it was when I wrote it. Since we’ve been married, we have spent
more time apart than we have together, so playing it is a way for
me to reconnect with that feeling. It may sound cheesy, but it’s
a little reminder every evening about how blessed I am to have
Alisha in my life.
It takes a special type of girl to be married to a musician—
someone who is independent, confident and grounded in her
faith… and has faith enough to let a guy, like me, be on the road
more than half the year.
And I have realized that I couldn’t do this job without her.
Alisha has been a huge encouragement to me, both spiritually
and mentally, always supporting what I do and sending cards
and notes to me on the road with Scriptures to help me keep
focused on our music, our ministry and our dreams. I can’t
imagine this life without her.
We just found out that we are going to have a baby in the
spring, which is thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. It’s
making me focus every day—making sure that I’m using all the
opportunities that God gives—so I can be the best husband and
father and artist that I can be. It’s also bringing on a whole new
world of lyrics, so I’ve been spending a lot of time in the van
writing songs (instead of playing my Gameboy!) about this
process of life. Our baby is due in April, so the song “April
Dreams” is now taking on a different meaning to me. It’s about
dreaming about not only marriage but our family.
For more information, visit eharmony.com.
EP, The Laurel; New Album in the Works For March 2005 Release • Do You Hear What I Hear?: Tracks From
16 ccm december 04 ccmmagazine.com
>>>
CCM_12.04_IndBeat.v5
11/2/04
3:55 PM
Page 18
K
industrybeat
A conversation
with Provident VP
Nina Williams
by Jay Swartzendruber
As the vice president of label operations, what are your job
responsibilities?
It is a new position we created out of a recognition that we have an amazing A&R
team and an amazing marketing team, but we didn’t necessarily have enough
systems in place to make sure those two teams were communicating with each
other at the level they should. Part of my role is to look at our systems, look at our
processes, look at our methods of communication and make sure they are as
efficient as they can be—to have our entire company operating as one unit rather
than two distinct units.
When you look back on your years with Essential Records, what are the
albums that were landmarks for you personally?
Everything about the first Jars of Clay record is special. There’s no way to recreate
that series of “firsts” that we had as a label and as a team. Third Day’s first gold
record—we worked tremendously hard for that particular achievement for them.
To have that happen and then the continued momentum that’s surrounded that
group has been really an exciting thing to be a part of—sharing their first Grammy
Award with them and their first platinum record, too. The “City on a Hill” brand is
another amazing experience. The first “City” record, in particular, because it was
new, and it was different. To watch artists lay agenda aside and come together for
communal worship like that on a project was so special. I still get teary every time
I hear “God of Wonders” in concert or a corporate worship setting in a church.
How about more recently—since your promotion to V.P. in the Provident
system?
Essentially Nina
Although Nina Williams is now the vice president of label operations
for Provident Label Group, she first started in the music industry
when she landed a position as both publicist and marketing assistant
with Brentwood Music after graduating from Florida State University
in 1993. As the Brentwood-Benson system (which later evolved into
Provident Music Group) launched the boutique rock label, Essential
Records, she gradually joined the new imprint’s tiny staff, and, before
Williams knew it, she was on the front lines for the explosive
introduction of mainstream breakouts Jars of Clay. Essential
eventually put her in charge of all marketing for Jars of Clay, Third
Day, Caedmon’s Call, FFH, Bebo Norman and others, including the
award-winning “City On a Hill” series. Williams has also contributed
to the efforts of Casting Crowns, Michael W. Smith, KJ-52, Joy
Williams, Day of Fire and Overflow, among others.
How did you become a fan of Christian music?
I grew up with a church music background—choir music, worship and singing
solos in church. I think I sang my first duet with my dad when I was about 3. I
eventually knew the music of Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and early stuff like
Truth and 4HIM and some of those more church-based kinds of groups. It’s
something that I loved but never really intended on making a career in.
>>>
Casting Crowns—it was the first record we worked on as a team within the new
Provident Label Group structure. To take this thing that wasn’t just Essential, it
wasn’t just Reunion, but this was really something that Provident Label Group did,
and for that to have gone on to be as successful as it has been is just
mindblowing. And right now, the record that Caedmon’s Call is doing is something
that our entire team is very personally invested in. The band traveled to India,
Ecuador and Brazil to work with Compassion International and then also the Dalit
Freedom Network. They are doing something so significant right now—not only
making great art and great music—but really trying to make a difference on an
issue [the intense persecution of 250 million-plus Dalits in India] that nobody
knows about. They’ve stumbled onto this information but rather than running
away from something like this, they have embraced a very difficult issue and
challenge and have taken such ownership in it. Just to kind of see what they are
trying to accomplish with this project and everything connected to it is—it’s very
personal.
Are there any words of wisdom you’ve received along the way that have
stuck with you?
A couple years ago I went to a book signing here in Nashville where Bill Flanagan,
who wrote U2: At the End of the World, was speaking along with Steve Earle and
a couple independent artists. A lot of the (rhetoric) was basically, “Down with the
record companies!” and “Down with corporate America!” And Bill Flanagan is this
journalist who is an independent spirit, yet he had been named a vice president
at VH1. Afterward I went up through the line to get my U2 book signed, and so I
asked him, “Mr. Flanagan, how do you wrestle that your spirit seems to be very
kindred with independent artists and the independent nature; but, yet, you’re in
this incredibly corporate extension of music?” And he looked at me, and he said,
“You stay in love with music. Just stay in love with music.” And that really just
floored me. It’s something that I’ve really tried to hang on to. You know, it is a
reality that businesses continue to grow—it is a good reality; you want your
businesses to continue to grow. But the core of it doesn’t have to change. And the
core of it is staying in love with music.
tobyMac, Bebo Norman Make it to Primetime TV Shows “Veronica Mars” and “Smallville,” Respectively •
18 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
>>>
CCM_12.04_TheReel.v12
H
11/2/04
3:56 PM
Page 20
reel
A Christmas movie and
artists talking about
their favorite DVDs
by Joan Brasher
Groundhog Day) and Anjelica Huston (Ever After). The Life Aquatic
features a dysfunctional group of oceanographers and documentary
filmmakers, led by Steve Zissou (Murray), who is determined to
capture and kill a shark that ate his friend, despite governmental
demands not to harm it. An odd cast of characters makes up Team
Zissou, including a young man who turns out to be his son (Wilson).
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth, Lord of the Rings), who plays a reporter,
and Jeff Goldblum (Independence Day, Jurassic Park), as one of
Zissou’s crewmen, also star. This movie’s style of humor may not be
for everyone; but, in my book, it’s definitely worth a look.
Favorite DVDs From
Your Favorite Artists:
Well, the Christmas season is upon us and with all the shopping, caroling and
mistletoe-hanging, who has time to go to the movies? Between all the
merriment and mayhem, why not sneak out for a couple hours of peace and
quiet in a dark movie theater?
The Polar Express, an animated film featuring the voice of Tom Hanks
(Forrest Gump, The Ladykillers), is based on Chris Van Allsburg’s story about a
boy who is given the opportunity to take a train ride to the North Pole to find out
if Santa Claus really exists. On his journey, he meets other children, each of
whom is missing something important in his/her life. An allegory of faith, love
and the true meaning of Christmas, The Polar Express was created using motion
capture, a process by which live actors’ performances are digitally
computerized, creating life-like, virtual characters. The special effects are
amazing as is the score, courtesy of über-composer Alan Silvestri, who,
incidentally, also wrote the score for Forrest Gump.
Now, I know it’s not a Christmas movie, but The Life Aquatic with Steve
Zissou opens on Christmas Day; and that’s why I must mention what promises
to be another wonderfully dry Wes Anderson/Owen Wilson (The Royal
Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket and Rushmore) collaboration. Known for quirky
comedies, The Life Aquatic looks to be another enjoyable—and offbeat—film
from this talented pair. The movie boasts a stellar cast, including Tenenbaum
alums Wilson (Meet the Parents, Zoolander), Bill Murray (Lost in Translation,
>>> Keeping
Gabe and Solo (a.k.a. “The Glitter Twins”), The Rock ’n’ Roll
Worship Circus:
“No matter how hard we try, we can’t get away from watching
Zoolander over and over again. We’ve learned much wisdom from
him. There’s a part of Derek Zoolander in all of us, I’m afraid. He is
the alpha and omega of every one of us who is dumb enough to
actually allow ourselves to be in limelight—insecure, stupid,
adventurous, fashionable and “really, really good-looking.”
Sara Groves:
“If you are a parent and you have to watch
cartoon DVDs over and over again, per the
request of a youngun’ in your house,
Monsters Inc. is a good one for repetition. It
has a great plot, the jokes are funny, and the
myriad of facial expressions that Mike
Wizowski can make with one eye is pretty
amazing.
Up With the Kimmeys: Hymns Record Will be the Next Project for Out of Eden • stop •
20 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
CCM_12.04_O2W.v8
11/2/04
3:58 PM
Page 22
onetowatch >>
B Y K E L LY O ’ N E I L
Day Fire
OF
Love in a Dangerous Time
record, and I was miserable. I would wake
up each morning and spend time with God
and, man, He would make me feel whole.
And this same day I would go into the
studio and try to record this music, and I
would just feel horrible again—you know,
this depression and anxiety. And God was
showing me that He wanted me to live my
life with Him. It was like He was leading
me out of that darkness; and, eventually, I
just got to a point to where I couldn’t go
back into the darkness anymore.
CCM: When you left Full Devil Jacket, what did
you see yourself doing?
JOSHUA: I had zero direction. I quit Full
Devil Jacket and went to go work at a
nursing home washing dishes. All I knew
was I needed more of God. I had no plans;
I didn’t even have a desire to get back into
the music industry—ever. But I did desire
to follow God, and I desired to be what
God created me to be. And I was asking
God, “Who am I? What do You want me to
do in life?” And God began to speak to me,
and He began to slowly show me where He
wanted me.
CCM: When you were touring with Creed, did you
and Scott Stapp (Creed’s former frontman) ever get
into any discussions about faith?
JOSHUA: You know, we never really talked
about God. At that time I didn’t really want
to hear it. Scott kind of stayed away from
everybody. I felt like he didn’t really want
to be involved in all the rock & roll stuff
that I was involved in. And I kind of
respected that.
CCM: Do you have any desire to see him now and
catch up?
JOSHUA: Of course! Honestly, when we
Joshua Brown is a living, breathing example that
God’s love can truly reach anybody. The former
frontman of Island/Def Jam hardcore outfit Full
Devil Jacket fulfilled his dream of playing music just
a few years ago in front of thousands of people,
sharing the stage with Nickelback, Fuel and Creed.
But along with fame came drug problems and
depression that eventually led Joshua into rehab for
heroin addiction. Then he met God. Joshua
eventually quit the band in the middle of recording
its sophomore album. Back home in Jackson, Tenn.,
the downtrodden singer befriended guitar player
22 ccm december 04 ccmmagazine.com
Gregg Hionis (pronounced “high-oh-nis”) at the
Family Worship Center; and the desire to write
songs returned—this time with a hope-filled
purpose. The duo became Day of Fire, landed a deal
with Essential Records and released its self-titled
debut in October. Day of Fire is currently touring
with Third Day and tobyMac.
CCM: What was it like to be a brand new Christian and still
be in Full Devil Jacket?
JOSHUA: It was one of the best and worst times of
my life. I was in L.A. and trying to record our second
toured with Creed I didn’t listen to the
music because I thought it might be
Christian music. But then when God was
pulling me out of that, I started listening to
Creed’s second record, Human Clay; and
God spoke to me through that record. I
think all those records were about Jesus and
man’s struggle to find himself in the world
and in God.
CCM: What was it like recording the Day of Fire
album in L.A. and working with mainstream
musicians again?
JOSHUA: We shared our testimonies with
them. And they liked the songs; they were
drawn to the music. And we prayed for all
those guys, and I believe each of them will
come to know God at some time.
CCM_12.04_Bible.v7
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3:38 PM
Page 24
livingthemessage
by Michael Card
“Impressive, isn’t it? She was forgiven
many, many sins, and so she is very, very
grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the
gratitude is minimal.
((LUKE
LUKE 7:47
7:47 AS
AS PARAPHRASED
PARAPHRASED IN
IN T
THE
HE M
MESSAGE
ESSAGE))
Do You See?
Luke loves to contrast religious men who don’t “get it” with simple women
who do. Early in his Gospel he contrasts Zachariah—the father of John
the Baptist and a priest ministering in the Temple who will not listen to
the angel Gabriel and is struck deaf and dumb for it—with simple Mary,
the mother of Jesus, who, in her innocent faith, believes the impossible
and costly message of Gabriel and is blessed for it. Here in chapter 7 is
yet another example. Simon the Pharisee is blind to the spiritual reality
of what is going on, while a nameless, “sinful woman” is able to see to the
very depths of what is most spiritual and real. So what is it that they
both see?
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to come to his home for a meal, so Jesus accepted the
invitation and sat down to eat. 37 A certain immoral woman heard he was there and
brought a beautiful jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his
feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept
kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who was the host saw what was happening and who the woman
was, he said to himself, “This proves that Jesus is no prophet. If God had really sent him,
he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”40 Then Jesus spoke
up and answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say
to you.”
“All right, Teacher,” Simon replied, “go ahead.”41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A
man loaned money to two people—five hundred pieces of silver to one and fifty pieces to
the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both,
canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
24 ccm december 04
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43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at
this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash
the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her
hair. 45 You didn’t give me a kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again
from the time I first came in. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head,
but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. 47 I tell you, her sins—and they are
many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven
little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who does this man think he is, going
around forgiving sins?”
50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
When Simon looks at the
woman, all he sees is one of
his theological categories: a
sinner. He sees a serious
violation of his rules, for the
Talmud said a woman could
only let down her hair in the
presence of her husband
(Tosefta Sotah 59). In fact,
the rabbis considered the
exposing of the hair as equal
“Simon the Pharisee is totally
blind to the spiritual reality of
what is going on, while a
nameless, ‘sinful woman’ is able
to see to the very depths of
what is most spiritual and real.”
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to the exposing of the bosom.
When he looks at Jesus, he tries to fit Him
into yet another category (a prophet); yet,
according to his definition, Jesus does not
neatly fit. Jesus will also reveal that Simon had
failed to see an opportunity to minister to Him
by providing water to wash His road-weary feet.
Like many of the religious people of his day
(and ours), Simon is functionally spiritually
blind (cp. Mt 23:16ff).
But what about the woman—what do her
eyes see? First, she has clearly seen her own sin.
Perhaps she had heard John the Baptist preach
about repentance, or maybe she had even heard
one of Jesus’ sermons. Whichever, she is clearly
repentant over the darkness she has seen in her
own life and knows Jesus is the only person in
whom she’ll find forgiveness and restoration.
She also sees Jesus’ feet and an opportunity to
worship Him by becoming, in effect, His slave.
Jesus and the others at the banquet are
reclining, Roman style, around a three-sided
table called a triclinium. That is why she can
stand “behind” Jesus and have access to His feet.
She wets them with her sorrow-filled tears,
wipes them with her hair in an amazing
demonstration of intimacy and pours thousands
of dollars worth of perfume on them. For the
clarity of her spiritual vision, Jesus forgives her
sins.
But the story does not end there. Does Jesus
simply dismiss Simon for his blindness? No,
then He would be guilty of the same offence as
Simon. Instead, Jesus tells a powerful little story:
“A man loaned money to two people—five hundred
pieces of silver to one and fifty pieces to the other. 42 But
neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them
both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him
more after that?”
Simon, who, after all, is no fool, gives the
correct answer and so is caught in the parable’s
trap. Thanks to Jesus’ story Simon has begun to
see. Then Luke is careful to give us the detail
that Jesus “turned to the woman and said to
Simon...” Our translation says, “Look at this
woman.” Another translation reads, “Do you see this
woman?” Whether it is a charge to “look” or a
question of seeing, I believe this little phrase
contains the meat of the story.
Before, Simon had failed to really see
anything at all—neither Jesus nor the woman.
He was blind to her act of repentance and love
and saw, instead, a serious sin. Jesus, who loves
stubborn Simon as much as the woman, longs
for him to really see her—not as a category, not
as a “sinner” but simply as a needy person who,
above all, needed to be loved and forgiven.
Apply Jesus’ question to
yourself.
How is your spiritual vision? When you look
around at others, what do you see? Or do you
really see anything at all, except your walking,
breathing labels (“cool,” “geek,” “poor,” “not
worth my time”)? Jesus’ challenge to Simon still
resonates with each of us. Do you really see
your friends, your parents, the needy, the
wealthy? If you struggle as much as I do with
this, perhaps we should start where the woman
started. Let’s ask God to give us the eyes to see
first: our own sin, then second: the feet of Jesus.
Only there, bowing before His feet, will our
vision become clear. If you look closely at them,
you’ll see they are wounded.
“And God was showing me that He
wanted me to live my life with Him. It
was like He was leading me out of that
darkness; and, eventually, I just got to
a point to where I couldn’t go back into
the darkness anymore.”
—Joshua Brown (Day of Fire)
(from “Ones to Watch”; see page 22)
Michael Card is an award-winning author, musician and radio broadcaster
who resides in Franklin, Tennessee. His latest effort, A Fragile Stone, deals with
the emotional life of the apostle Simon Peter. Visit MichaelCard.com for
more information.
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THE CCM
TOP 100
Debating. Arguing.
Cajoling. Wrestling.
As the CCM editorial team, the esteemed panel of industry judges and the fans
themselves pushed and prodded and pulled to get their favorite songs included as part
of the massive project that became The CCM Top 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music, they
resorted to everything short of fisticuffs (and barely avoided that).
Whittled down from a master list of more than 250 great songs, every song whose
champion fought to keep it on this list has done so only because it has meant something
deep and significant to tons of Christian music lovers. (continued on p.28)
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(continued from p.27)
And now, with this sweeping project—the first
of its kind, with a book and four double-disc CD
collections ranking the 100 best songs ever
recorded by contemporary Christian music
artists—we can all sit and share and remember.
The final list, of course, will spark much
discussion (as such lists are expected to). But you,
our beloved Christian music fans, should be
thrilled to see the whole gamut represented—
from early pioneers such as the Bill Gaither Trio
and Larry Norman and Andraé Crouch to
megastars like Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith
and Steven Curtis Chapman to relative
newcomers like Nicole C. Mullen, MercyMe
and P.O.D.
*
WARREN BARFIELD
28 ccm december 04
For anyone who ever stood in the rain to see
your favorite artist play the main stage at a
festival, this is for you. For anyone who ever
bought a comic book simply because it had
illegally featured the face of your favorite artist as
part of the cover art, this is for you. For anyone
who ever bought a Christian artist poster, t-shirt
or said, “I wish a panel of CCM editors, industry
insiders and fans would assemble a list of The
CCM Top 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music,” this
is for you.
As you turn the page for this teaser, we reveal
some behind-the-scenes secrets, including the
oldest song to appear on the list (Hint: It ain’t “I
Can Only Imagine.”), the artist with the most
ccmmagazine.com
songs (Her name rhymes with “Jamie Brant.”) and
how many songs are about the Second Coming.
(But we don’t tell you which ones—we had to
leave something for the book.)
In this special feature, we celebrate the list, we
celebrate the music, and, most importantly, we
celebrate the impact that all of contemporary
Christian music has made on our lives and our
walks of faith.
Let the fisticuffs begin.
For his contribution to The CCM Top 100 collection,
singer/songwriter Warren Barfield recorded a
tribute to a singer/songwriter of an earlier
generation, Keith Green, with the song, “Oh Lord,
You’re Beautiful.”
“I sang ‘Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful’ when I was a
kid in church,” Barfield says. “It’s the first song I
have recorded that I didn't write, but it is as much a
prayer of my heart as any words I have ever written.”
When Green first recorded the song, he had
recently launched a new phase of his music
ministry. A huge success in Christian music circles,
thanks to his two albums on Sparrow Records,
Green had asked Sparrow to let him out of his
contract so he could give his records away. He was
the label’s biggest-selling artist, but Sparrow was
gracious enough to let him go.
In 1980 he released So You Wanna Go Back to
Egypt, Green’s third record and the first offered by
his new indie label, Pretty Good Records, for
“whatever you can afford.” Reportedly, the checks
that came in ranged from $1 to $5,000.
For what was conceived as a “giveaway,” the
album nonetheless included many of Green’s
classic songs, from the whimsical rebuke of the title
track to the dramatic “Grace By Which I Stand” to
the sweet “I Want to be More Like Jesus.” And, of
course, “Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful,” has since
become a worship classic.
“I'm surprised by how many people don't know
this classic song,” Barfield says. “I'm glad I get to
share such a great, relevant song with a new
audience.”
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CCM TOP 100
APPEARING ON THE LIST
KRISTY STARLING
APPEARING MOST ON THE LIST:
Artist: Amy Grant
5
Songwriter: Michael W. Smith
7
Producer: Brown Bannister
11
Non-USA Country: Australia
3
Newcomer Kristy Starling puts in an appearance on
the second volume of the CD series The CCM Top 100
Greatest Songs in Christian Music, singing tribute to “Jesus Is
the Answer,” a worship anthem written by the legendary
Andraé Crouch.
Crouch, along with his backing group, The Disciples, was
one of the earliest pioneers in contemporary Christian music
to truly build bridges into the culture at large—a ministry
phenomenon we almost take for granted today. Long before it
became commonplace to see Christian artists on television,
Andraé Crouch and the Disciples were musical guests on such
shows as “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” (1971) and
“Saturday Night Live” (1980 and 1984).
The early albums gave glimpses of his genius, but the first
to really connect with record buyers was the 1973 classic Live
at Carnegie Hall, possibly because it was the first to capture
the fervor of the live performances. The standout on the
album, of course, was “Jesus Is the Answer,” an anthem that
today is heard in churches around the world.
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Page 30
*
For the CD collection The CCM Top 100
Greatest Songs in Christian Music, Vol. 1, the
members of duo Across the Sky pay tribute to
the Benny Hester classic “When God Ran.”
By the time Hester wrote the song in the
mid-’80s, he had already been through
something of a career rollercoaster. As a teen
in 1972, Hester was about to release his first
album when a warehouse fire destroyed every
copy and prevented the project from ever
being released. It was not until 1978 before
Hester—then a music teacher in Las Vegas—
released his self-titled Christian music debut
on Sparrow Records. By the time his third
album, Benny From Here, was released on
Word Records in 1985, he was on a roll.
“When God Ran” quickly rose to No. 1 on the
Christian CHR and AC radio charts.
But for Across the Sky member Justin
Unger, his fondness for the song is driven by a
personal memory, going back to a boyhood
fishing trip with his dad. “On the way there, he
wanted me to hear a song he had recently
discovered,” Unger recalls. “Halfway through
the song, which was ‘When God Ran,’ I looked
over at him; and he had tears in his eyes. That
caused me to listen more intently to the song.
It wasn’t Benny Hester’s unique voice or the
great melody that caught my attention; it was
the boldness of the message that really hit
home for me.”
ACROSS THE SKY
Relient K may have confirmed back in September that
they were looking forward to taking part in the “100
Greatest CD” series, but even as this issue of the
magazine went to press more than a month later, the
band was still hashing out which song they wanted to
cover. And when we say hashing out, let's just say that
there are three members in the band and three songs
were being kicked around as the potential winner.
According to Relient K's management, it looks like the
band will be recording one of The Top 100 Greatest
Songs originally performed by Stryper, Michael W.
Smith or Switchfoot. Got your curiosity up? Ours too!
5
RELIENT K
C
1. “He Touched Me,” Bill Gaither Trio (1964)
OLDEST SONGS ON THE CHART
2. “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” Larry Norman (1969)
4. “Because He Lives,” Bill Gaither Trio (1972)
30 ccm december 04
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3. “My Tribute (To God Be The Glory),” Andrae Crouch (1971)
5. “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music,” Larry Norman (1972)
DOS
11/2/04
ONLY ALBUMS
WITH 2 SONGS
IN THE TOP 100
CCM_12.04_top100.vfinal
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CCM TOP 100
BYTHENUMBERS
From
the
From
the
From
the
5
songs performed
by international
artists
metaphors:
3
songs with
titles not in
english
1. “He Reigns,” Newsboys (2003)
(best year ever)
1
tre
three
trois
tres
1982
Songs About
From
the
2
13
36 BOXING
39
10
Songs from
4 Christmas
10 Easter
60s
70s
80s
90s
00s
From
the
8
“Christ,” “God” or
“Lord” in title
Songs About
15
Songs with “Jesus,”
98
SONGS NOT
SUNG BY
MICHAEL
ENGLISH
Y FIVE
2. “Holy,” Nichole Nordeman (2002)
3. “Alive,” P.O.D. (2001)
*
THE CRABB FAMILY
For its contribution to The CCM Top 100 Greatest Songs in Christian
Music, The Crabb Family recorded a tribute version of Nicole C. Mullen’s
“Redeemer,” produced by the legendary Brown Bannister. “When we
were asked to be a part of The CCM Top 100 Greatest Songs recording,
I thought, ‘You have to be kidding,’” remembers eldest sibling Jason
Crabb. “We were nervous… but when you start singing the lyrics of the
song, they take over. The lyrics are so powerful and moving you can't
help but get caught up in the message.”
When Mullen originally wrote the song as it appears on her 2000
album Nicole C. Mullen, she was inspired by the story of Job. She had
wrestled with the complex story, hoping to pitch a song to Point of
Grace—but didn’t finish it in time for their deadlines.
“About a year later I went back to it,” Mullen says. “That’s when the
second verse and the bridge finally came. There were nights that I
would just sit there on my bed with my guitar and start singing, ‘I know
my Redeemer lives...’ I didn’t think of it as a song that everybody was
going to love. I just knew it was going to be special to me.”
“‘Redeemer’ is just one of those songs that connects you to God
instantly,” notes Kelly Crabb Bowling. “Nicole's original version will
always be unmatchable—but we were honored to be asked to re-record
it and just did it ‘Crabb Style.’”
MOST RECENT SONGS
4. “Show Me Your Glory,” Third Day (2001)
5. “I Can Only Imagine,” MercyMe (2001)
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4
12 9 8
17
5 Christmas
7 10 14 13
18
19 11 16
15
* Love It:
Yule
1 235
20
arched” musings.
A compendium of arguably useless and “rese
6
a
am
-R
-O
st
Li
M
C
C
N
O
TI
LU
SO
T
EN
Chris Well’s 5-PERC
Songs Found in The CCM Top
100 Greatest Songs
Of course, we are all here to celebrate the wonder that is The CCM Top 100
Greatest Songs in Christian Music. But it is also that time of year to get into
the spirit of Christmas. That in mind, we pulled together the four Christmas
songs that appear on The Top 100, added a bonus song that fits after we
explain it, and then it’s off to grandmother’s house we go. (Individual trip to
house of grandparent may vary.)
3.
“MARY,
DID YOU
KNOW?,”
Michael
English
1. “BREATH OF
HEAVEN (MARY’S
SONG),”
Amy Grant
Originally written by
Chris Eaton with a
more non-seasonal
approach, Amy Grant
adapted the song for
her 1992 album,
Home for Christmas
(Myrrh/A&M), to be
presented from the
point of view of Mary,
who gave birth to
Jesus all those years
ago. Also recorded by
Vince Gill and Donna Summer. Ironically, Eaton’s
original take on the song was not recorded until
1995 for Wonderful World (Sparrow).
2.
“WELCOME TO OUR
WORLD,” Chris Rice
Found on Chris Rice’s debut album,
Deep Enough to Dream (Rocketown),
“Welcome to Our World” is a sweet
lullaby for baby Jesus. Rice strikes a
delicate balance between welcoming
the tiny baby while also expressing
the world’s desperate need
for a Savior. Also recorded
by Wayne Kirkpatrick and
Michael W.
Smith.
This powerful
Christmas ode
by co-writers
Mark Lowry and
Buddy Greene,
found on
Michael
English’s 1992
solo debut,
Michael English (Warner Alliance), really pinpoints
the miracle of a tiny baby who would one day grow
up to save the world. In recent years, this has
become a much-recorded holiday treat, with
renditions by Kenny Rogers, Wynonna, Donny
Osmond, Clay Aiken and gobs of others. Gobs.
4.
“WE ARE THE REASON,”
David Meece
Sometimes during the Christmas season it gets so
easy to lose track of why Jesus came in the first
place. But on David Meece’s 1980 album, Are You
Ready? (Myrrh), the songwriter bridges the gap with
this gem, sharing the gift of Christmas, the sacrifice
of Easter and the hope of eternity. Also recorded
by Avalon.
5.
“EL
SHADDAI,”
Amy Grant
We admit it, this
classic—from
1982’s Age to Age
(Myrrh)—is kind of a
stretch. But, once you
get past all of lyricist
Michael Card’s deep
thoughts regarding God’s work
in the Old Testament, we get to this Christmas-ish
passage: “Through the years You’ve made it clear/
That the time of Christ was near/Though the
people couldn’t see/What messiah ought to be.”
32 ccm december 04
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#’s 6-96
100 THINGS YOU WON’T FIND
IN THE TOP 100 GREATEST
SONGS IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC
1. Any songs about soda cans
2. More than three mentions of the word “spleen”
3. The secret to Dick Clark’s
stunning youthfulness
4. An explanation of why Gary S.
Paxton’s classic anthem “You Ain’t
Smokin’ Them Cigarettes (Baby,
They’re Smokin’ You)” was not
unanimously chosen the single
greatest Christian
song in the history of
Christian songs
5. How to get free
prescriptions for
nicotine patches
6-96. Ninety-one lines of
dialogue from Fellowship of
the Ring sprinkled randomly
throughout the book
97. Secret codes for
PLAYSTATION®2
98. That song by Falco
about Mozart that did not
include any music from
Mozart whatsoever
99. The truth about the
secret agenda of squirrels
100. Any non-top, nongreat songs in Christian
music
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K
The Real
Special
34 ccm december 04
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C
(L-R): Matt Thiessen,
Matt Hoopes, Dave Douglas
These Middle America
punks remain well
grounded, while the
release of their new album
amidst red-hot CD sales,
the departure of a
founding member and a
major new record deal, is
causing more noise than a
truckload of bottle rockets.
By David Jenison
Photos by David Johnson
ccmmagazine.com
december 04 ccm 35
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espite having sold more than 365,000 copies of each of
their two previous albums, the guys in Relient K still
act like the down-to-earth kids they really are. These
Buckeye State natives display no attitude, pretentiousness or
self-destructive habits. But then again, a band can’t sell that
many records without tapping into at least one rock star
cliché. Laughs Relient K singer Matt Thiessen, “Well, we almost
got arrested the other day!”
D
36 ccm december 04
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Don’t worry, your favorite Motel 6 is still
standing. Relient K’s run-in with Johnny Law
didn’t entail trashing hotel rooms or reckless
driving; but, rather, it involved a pile of bottle
rockets and some local citizens who watched one
too many Ice Cube movies. After finishing up a
show in northern California, the band started
firing bottle rockets into the sky, and a sleepy
community awoke in fear that a gunfight was
ravaging its city streets.
“The cops got a bunch of phone calls about a
shootout,” continues Thiessen. “So next thing
you know, we’ve got four or five cop cars heading
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toward us. It was crazy because they just kept
coming. It was like, ‘How many cops does it take
to stop some bottle rockets?’”
Adds guitarist Matt Hoopes, “I was in the bus
playing video games at the time, and I knew I had
to get out there and see what they were doing. So
I ran out the door and as soon as I did, I saw the
cop cars swarming. It looked like a S.W.A.T.
team. I just turned around and got right back in
the bus. I thought, ‘This would probably be a
good thing not to get involved with.’”
Though shooting off bottle rockets is illegal,
the police found the misunderstanding so funny
that they let the band off the hook. Nevertheless,
Relient K–featuring Thiessen, Hoopes and
drummer Dave Douglas—are ready to set off
some more fireworks in retail record bins with its
new disc, Mmhmm (Gotee). “We wanted to make a
good rock record, something that has its own
character,” says Hoopes about the band’s fourth
disc. “Our new album has a lot more piano and
other instruments. We didn’t just turn the
distortion pedal on and chug through the songs.
It’s more diverse than that.”
Adds Thiessen, “We wanted to stretch a little
bit beyond what we’ve done in the past. We
wanted to make the album not sound like all of
our other records but not stray so much that we
stopped appealing to [our core fans].”
As on past albums, Relient K tackles
relationships on several songs, from the earnest
“The One I’m Waiting For” to the twisted “My
Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend.” Thiessen pokes fun at
Attention Deficit Disorder (including his own)
on “Maintain Consciousness,” and nods to the
recent election with a caustic political song that’s
aptly titled “The Only Thing Worse Than
Beating a Dead Horse Is Betting on One.”
Overall, Mmhmm retains Relient K’s humor
without being as silly, yet the band also expands
some of its deeper themes with songs like “I So
Hate Consequences.”
Discussing the track, Hoopes remarks, “Even
though the title is on the ‘cheese ball’ side of
things, the song talks about coming back to God
and realizing that He still accepts us when we
mess up. We often run away from the
consequences of our mistakes when the one thing
we need is God and the humble experience of
returning to Him.”
Adds Thiessen, “Lyrically, it’s still us being us;
but there’s not so much bubble gum. When we
started out, we listened to a lot of goofy bands;
but now I’m 24 and trying to grow up a little
bit. But hopefully we don’t grow up too much
because we’re still trying to have fun and not take
it so seriously.”
Without question, Mmhmm offers great promise
for this Canton-based punk band, especially
coming off the considerable success of 2002’s Two
Lefts Don’t Make a Right… But Three Do. With a
swelling fanbase, Relient K may see its new album
become a staple in the upper echelon of the
Billboard sales chart (After all, Two Lefts debuted at
No. 38.) and hopefully spark some mainstream
radio airplay. Likewise, should the album outsell
its predecessor, as each Relient K release has done
before, Mmhmm could bring the band its first gold
album. Yet for all this excitement, the band seems
cautious. While Two Lefts gave the guys a bigger
stage, it also brought more responsibility and
some difficult circumstances.
“It was a tough year for us, not as far as record
sales or any of that, but there were a couple
things we had to deal with,” says Thiessen. “You
know, it’s just being on the wrong kind of tours
and dealing with the whole general marketChristian market thing. I don’t ever want to say
anything negative about what other people are
doing because it’s really none of my business;
but, unfortunately, we just involved ourselves
with the wrong situations and had to learn from
those mistakes.”
The band won’t get specific, but it seems
Relient K finds itself dealing with identity issues.
While the band grew up in the Christian market
and still embraces those values, the guys hint at
things that might suggest reservations about
how Christian bands are sometimes marketed
or the awkwardness of being paired with bands
that have different callings. “One thing we’ve
learned is that there are things that look like
great opportunities; but, at the end of the day,
they don’t ‘gel’ with our vision for the band,”
explains Hoopes.
Adds Thiessen, “It’s tough because some of
these things would be very advantageous as far as
a marketing or business perspective. We’re always
weighing the pros and cons. ‘Well, this is pretty
beneficial to the band, but I’m definitely not
excited about it.’ We figured out that the more
excited you are about something, the better. If
you do too many things that you’re not excited
about just because it’s ‘smart’ business, the band’s
not going to last. You’re just going to get sick of
what you’re doing.”
As one might expect, this perspective has also
penetrated the band’s lyrical approach. Hoopes
notes that early on the band felt the need to tie
every song into a Christian message. For
example, Relient K covered the “Charles In
Charge” theme on its first album, and in a line
about hanging out with Charles, the band
changed it to hanging out with Charles and Jesus.
When the guys look back on that song, they feel
they weren’t actually encouraging anyone, but
instead they were actually making light of
something serious.
“We learned to make songs that are really
important be exactly that,” says the six-stringer,
“and for the silly songs, leave them as they
are and not try to make them into something
they aren’t.”
“If you are writing a song that’s funny,
obviously, I don’t want it to be of deep spiritual
consequence because that’s just weird,” Thiessen
adds.
If the band does have identity issues, it would
seem most apparent in the way it perceives its
place in the Christian market. Hoopes notes how
Christian music is the only genre classified by its
lyrical content and not by its musicality, and this
can often cause confusion when it comes to filing
Christian bands by in mainstream music stores.
Likewise, as the band matures and becomes more
popular, they progressively see a greater impact
being made from playing regular club shows.
“That seems to feel like maybe it’s more our
calling,” says Hoopes. “I think we’ve been trying
to figure out how to do that, how to get in front
of people who haven’t heard of us before.”
So where exactly does that put them in the
Christian marketplace? Asked if they are a
“Christian” band, Thiessen says, “We’re whatever
anyone wants to call us.” But then pushed if he
personally would call the band ‘Christian,’ he
responds, “You know, I don’t, really. I wouldn’t go
around saying that we’re a Christian rock band
because there are a lot of connotations that go
along with that. If I told someone who doesn’t
know about Christian rock music that we’re in a
Christian rock band, he’d think we’re up there
preaching; and we’re not like that.”
Still, the band isn’t fighting the Christian tag,
especially from people who understand the band
and how faith works in their lives. The singer
continues, “In talking about this, I don’t want to
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sound negative and come across as these
pompous kids. We’re not like that at all. We really
don’t care if you call us a Christian band or not.
Call us a Christian band; that’s fine. We’re just
trying to be careful.”
The band openly aspires to reach more
general-market fans and, with its sales record,
Relient K has had a lot of interest from major
labels. But in mid October, as this interview takes
place, Thiessen and Hoopes are very uncertain
how it will all play out.
“Being on a mainstream label is something that
we would want as an opportunity, but it’s not
something that we can’t live without,” says
Hoopes. “We would just like to be able to play
more with bands that aren’t just in the Christian
market and to play shows in front of people who
aren’t all Christians. It’s where we feel we have
the most impact.”
Thiessen goes on to explain that the band has
come so close to a mainstream deal on so many
occasions that the guys don’t even stress about it
anymore. He laughs, “We’ve probably been what
we thought was a week away from a [mainstream]
record deal five times this year. I don’t even tell
my parents anymore because so many things have
fallen through. It’s not discouraging, though. If it
were a case where our band wasn’t surviving, it
would be different, but we already have a great
record label in Gotee that’s really supportive.”
Ironically, even as these words are coming out
of Theissen’s mouth, Relient K is once again a
38 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
week away from a potential mainstream deal.
Only this time, Thiessen will have something to
tell his parents.
The life-changing day arrives on Friday,
Oct. 22 as Relient K signs a major recording
contract with Capitol Records, label home to
Radiohead, Coldplay, Paul McCartney and The
Vines, among others.
In the initial days following the announcement, Relient K shies away from talking with
members of the media, including CCM, about the
new arrangement. However, within a week
Thiessen posts the following statement on
Relient K’s online message board:
“We just wanted to let you know that in
addition to Gotee Records, our new record
Mmhmm will be released on Capitol Records as
well. This came as a surprise to us about three
weeks ago. We want you to know that our album
was already completed before Capitol showed
interest. Most of you may not care, but for those
of you that fear that a band may sell-out or
change when they hook up with a new label, put
your minds at ease. Regardless of what label is
distributing our music, we’re just ecstatic to put
out our new album and play the songs live.”
It should come as no surprise that, according to
the agreement with Capitol, the long-supportive
Gotee Records retains distribution rights in the
Christian market.
“I’m just excited for the band,” responds Joey
Elwood, Gotee’s co-founder and president.
“They’ve ‘over delivered’ on their contractual
promises to us from the first day we started our
relationship and have continued to be completely
stand-up guys in the process. I have every reason
to believe their character and talent will serve
them very well in the years to come. It’s not the
end of our relationship with the band; its just
kind of like a redefinition, which usually is a good
thing in matters like these—especially when the
band has contributed so much to our label.”
If you notice a hint of an almost fatherly pride
in Elwood’s words, then there’s a reason for that.
Gotee Records has provided significant support,
considering that Relient K wasn’t exactly an
overnight success story. Looking back, Thiessen,
Hoopes and former bassist Brian Pittman grew up
knowing each other since second grade. In late
1997, the trio started the band with a different
drummer and christened themselves Relient K
after Hoopes’ hunk-of-junk car, a rusted-out
Plymouth Reliant K. The rookie rockers soon did
their first show in a friend’s kitchen on New Year’s
Eve. Playing for about 15 people, the band filled
the room with amps and a drum kit but no
microphones, so the threesome sang at the top of
their lungs to be heard.
From early on, the guys were hungry to make
it, and who wouldn’t be with the jobs these guys
worked? At different times, Thiessen was a
Wendy’s night manager making six bucks an hour,
Douglas cleaned huge supermarket welcome
mats, Hoopes got fired from a record store for
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not alphabetizing correctly, and Pittman actually
worked at a pet store where he once saw
the ferrets get out of their cages, climb the walls
and drop into the guinea pigs’ cage. Says
Thiessen, “It was, apparently, a slaughter with
blood and fur everywhere.”
Fortunately for them, the band only needed a
month before they found someone to help with a
demo. Thiessen recalls, “Mark Townsend, who
produced every one of our records, is a good
friend from our hometown. [Hoopes] had a crush
on his daughter pretty much since second grade,
so we’d go over there all the time when we were
in high school. [Hoopes would eventually marry
Townsend’s daughter Danielle.] We finally
convinced Mark to record our demo for about
200 bucks. He was also playing in dc talk, so he
gave the demo to Toby McKeehan, who is, of
course, a partner in Gotee Records.”
The man who discovered Relient K smiles as
he recalls that first $200 recording session. “Right
before dc talk did Supernatural, my family was
living in Canton, Ohio,” says Townsend. “My
middle daughter, Ashley, came up to me and said,
‘Dad, we’ve got this band of guys that hang out
with us—they’re a punk band. Could you cut
them a break on a demo?’ It’s my daughter; I
mean, what am I gonna say? Someone told me
later that they’d been a band just a month before
I met them—a month!
“So in come these guys with just cruddysounding amps, guitars that sound like junk—just
cheap guitars that play totally out of tune—and
the drummer had like these big, thick drumheads
that sounded like he was smacking cardboard. It
was horrible.
“I just set ‘em all up in my little house studio,”
Townsend continues, “and we quickly knocked
off 15 or 16 tunes, just boom, boom like a Beatles
first record. The music was like Green Day, MxPx
or whatever—just not executed real well. We
waited to cut vocals until the evening. And they
had this blond kid, this lead singer who basically
goes up there and sings everything with a fake
British accent. It was kind of funny. But when he
was singing, my ears pricked up just a little
bit because I was listening to some of the lyrics,
and I thought, “You know, these guys are rough;
but there’s something clever going on here. The
next day I mixed it all in one day, which I would
never do in the real world. It was really just
‘garage band.’
“The next thing I know, these guys have
pressed a thousand copies of this thing and are
selling it at their shows,” he says, still amusingly
amazed. “Toby McKeehan knew I’d been
producing some indie things, and awhile later he
asked to hear what I’d been working on. So I
played him a few things, and he asked if I had
anything else. I said, ‘Well, I’ll play you this punk
thing I did.’ And what caught Toby was some of
the humor in the songs.”
McKeehan signed the band to a development
deal and in the year or so that followed, Relient
K recorded three more demos with Townsend.
Gotee had an imprint, SMLXL Records, on which
the band’s debut disc was schedule to release. As
fate would have it, the Gotee staff liked Relient
K’s self-titled debut so much that they officially
signed the band directly to Gotee.
At this point, Steve Cushman had taken over
on drums and played on the debut disc, but
he would quit a year later as the band prepared
to record its follow-up, The Anatomy of the
Tongue in Cheek. That’s when the band finally
recruited Douglas.
“Our first drummer was friends with Dave, and
we all hung out in college,” recalls Thiessen. “By
the time Steven quit, we had known Dave for
years; so we actually stole him from another
friend’s band. Regrettably, he had to learn all the
new stuff in just two weeks because that’s when
we were going in to record our second album.”
Breakneck practices aside, Anatomy, ultimately,
proved to be an early breakthrough album for the
band. They partly attribute this to listening to
“Everything we do
affects a lot of people
because they see what
we’re doing; but after
this whole band’s over,
it’s really about how we
feel about what we did.”
—Matt Thiessen
better music, specifically bands like the Get Up
Kids and Jimmy Eat World. They also claim Ben
Folds as big inspiration for the piano songs and
NOFX for the humor.
Though Anatomy sold big numbers, no one
really expected the level of success that Two Lefts
would experience (now approaching 400,000
copies sold) upon its release in early 2003. The
band blew up at Christian radio, elevated its
touring profile and became one of Gotee Records’
marquee bands. Despite all this, founding bassist
Brian Pittman left the band this past August.
Initial indications from Relient K were that the
departure may be temporary.
Pittman played on most of the new album, but
for the 10 or so shows since, the group has
had a friend fill in on bass. Asked about his
absence during our interview in October, neither
Thiessen nor Hoopes provide any details except
to say that the current situation is amicable
and until there is more clarity, both the band
and Pittman will refrain from discussing it with
the media.
Apparently, there’s been more clarity in recent
days. Remember Thiessen’s message board
statement about Relient K’s deal with Capitol?
Interestingly, it came almost as a sort of side note,
tagged on the end of a much lengthier
announcement about Pittman’s departure, which
read in part:
“After almost seven years of being in Relient K,
our cherished and lifelong friend, Brian Pittman
has decided to move on to other things… Brian
decided to leave the band in June, so we’ve had
plenty of time to let the initial shock die down.
“He thought long and hard about his decision,
and he came to the conclusion that he would like
to do other things than play bass for the band.
We respect him for it.
“We’d be lying to say that we’re not all
completely bummed that Brian won’t be a part of
Relient K anymore. And though we know things
won’t be the same without him, it must be said
that we have always valued our friendships with
him more than our onstage relationship.
“Anyway, all of us still hang out, and it’s like
nothing is different at all. I feel like that’s how
you know that you’ve made a friend that will be
there for the rest of your days. We want to thank
Brian for all the years he gave the band. You’re the
best, buddy.”
At present, Relient K is essentially a threepiece until they decide on a permanent
replacement. Still, through all these highs and
lows, the members of Relient K keep their downto-earth attitudes because they feel grateful for
the amazing opportunities afforded to them.
“We’re just regular dudes who shouldn’t really be
in a band but somehow are,” laughs Hoopes back
in October. “I think it helps us relate. When
people talk to us, they realize we aren’t any
different than anyone else. We didn’t do some
crazy thing to put us where we are right now. It’s
just something that happened to us, something
with which God has blessed us.”
While their humility is still in tact, their recent
life lessons will steer their future for years to
come. Thiessen concludes, “Everything we do
affects a lot of people because they see what we’re
doing; but after this whole band’s over, it’s really
about how we feel about what we did. A lot of
decisions get made on, not on money or
popularity, but on how I feel about it in my heart.
That was a huge lesson. When we started out, it
was about trying anything to get fans. Now
what’s most important for this band is being
happy with everything we do.” ccm
See page 46 for our review of Relient K’s new album and
page 52 for the scoop on the band’s new book.
ccmmagazine.com
december 04 ccm 39
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o gain revealing insight into one of 2004’s most
ambitious projects—Gloria—all you need to do
is take a listen to Christine Denté’s new song,
“Christmas Kind of Feeling.” Initially you may
find yourself so taken with its delightfully
catchy and jovial presentation that you ponder what it takes
to become a classic such as “Winter Wonderland” or “Jingle
Bells.” (After all, “Jingle Bells” was originally written to
celebrate Thanksgiving Day.) But as soon as you engage in
listening to the lyrics, you realize there’s something far more
profound going on here than sleigh bells ringing or someone
dashing through the snow.
“I wanted ‘Christmas Kind of Feeling’ to be light-hearted
and to have depth to it,” Denté says of the track she co-wrote
and performs on Rocketown Records’ newly-released
compilation. “And so, in the midst of the ‘cookies baking’ and the
‘children making angel wings,’ there’s a feeling that ‘the world has felt
its worth.’ This is the Christmas kind of feeling.”
The world has felt its worth? So much for a happy-go-lucky
Christmas carol. With that potent lyric, Denté reveals the
creative drive behind the album.
Last winter the project’s producers, Charlie Peacock
(Switchfoot, Sara Groves) and Scott Denté (Christine Denté,
Out of the Grey), gathered with some of Christian music’s
most renowned singer/songwriters at Peacock’s Art House.
Together they set out to fashion a Christmas album that
would nurture a spirit of community, serve the church in its
thematic profundity and, of course, own you musically.
On the spirit-of-community front, consider this: In
addition to the Dentés and Peacock, Gloria features the
collaborative songwriting skills of Michael W. Smith, Jars of
Clay’s Steve Mason, Cindy Morgan, Wayne Kirkpatrick,
Chris Rice, the women of Alathea and Taylor Sorensen.
Furthermore, Amy Grant, Shaun Groves, Ginny Owens,
Watermark’s Christy Nockels and George Rowe join most of
those artists in sharing lead vocal duties. With such a turnout,
one might be left to wonder whether the Art House is also a
bed and breakfast. (It’s not.)
Now about that Christmas kind of feeling—you know, the
one where the world feels its worth? According to the
producers the “idea of Advent” inspired the collective
songwriting process for Gloria. As a result the album is built on
the foundation of anticipation that connects with the very
heart of Christmas—the expectation of Christ’s birth 2000
years ago, and, ultimately, His return.
“The concept (for the album) is unique,” explains Shaun
Groves, who, along with his Rocketown labelmate George
Rowe, performs “O Come All Ye Faithful,” one of only three
traditional covers featured on Gloria. “We tried to make a
record about the season of waiting for the birth of Christ
instead of just the birth itself. The Jews waited for hundreds
of years for the prophecies about the Christ to come to pass.
We tried to focus as much on that anticipation—the darkness
before the Light of the World came—as we did on the birth
of the Messiah.”
Cherishing the Advent—the celebration period, which
begins, for Western churches, the fourth Sunday prior to
Christmas and is highlighted by prayer, fasting and
repentance—is an early church concept that’s not only
foreign to most evangelical Christians but also many mainline
Protestants. Is that why it’s taken the Christian music
community 35 years to make this album?
“I think that we in the evangelical church have sometimes
cast out the baby with the bathwater and lost some of the
great traditions, the great church calendar that would put the
year into pieces—as remembrances of Christ’s coming,” says
T
40 ccm december 04
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Christine Denté
Amy Grant
Charlie Peacock
Ginny Owens
Michael W. Smith
Shaun Groves
CCM_12.04_XMas.v17
Christy Nockels
11/2/04
4:25 PM
Page 41
Cindy Morgan
George Rowe
How
Much is
the World
Worth?
By Jay Swartzendruber
Illustration by Jimmy Abegg
Christine. “And I think this record being based around Advent
is a great, maybe, reintroduction for some American
Christians—a reminder that there are some traditions that are
set there as pillars to guide us and to leave markers along the
way for future generations.
“As a mom, I know that passing on knowledge of Jesus
Christ and true faith to (my children) doesn’t happen with
words and with essays and assignments; it happens in the day
to day.” she continues. “It also happens in attitudes and how
we respond to situations. So, if I want to show my children
that I love Jesus and I trust Him in all things, well, I’d better
act like it in the hardest of times. In the same way, in the
Advent season, if I’m saying that Christmas is a special time
and that we truly believe that Christ came as a child, and if I
treat it just like a one-time done thing but don’t really give
them the tools to remember, to learn, to grow from it year
after year...” she pauses briefly before adding, “because human
beings are so forgetful. I think Advent is a great way to remind
my children and to pass on to them the facts, not just the
religion. I want them to truly know.”
Ginny Owens—who duets with Peacock on the album’s
kickoff, “Sing Gloria,” and then flies solo for the bluegrassinfused closer, “Go, Tell It On the Mountain”—cites American
culture’s influence on the church. “I think waiting and longing
are so important, and I think that the church probably doesn’t
embrace those ideas as much as it used to; and I think it’s
partly because our society doesn’t wait or long for much of
anything anymore. That’s kind of reflected also in the church’s
behavior—just in the sense that Christmas is much more
about having a Christmas program and how much shopping
we have to do, and then we might set aside a couple hours on
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to wait and long.”
Getting personal, Shaun Groves divulges, “I know that I
haven’t associated that longing with Christmas in the past. I
forgot about the 400 years of waiting that the Jews did—years
without a new prophecy from God. That must have been a
dark time to live. I can’t imagine the kind of doubt that may
have set in for some and the kind of mocking the Jews must
have heard: ‘How long are you going to wait for this
“Messiah” of yours? You’ve been fooled. It’s all a lie.’ And I’m
not sure we associate anything that is unpleasant with our
faith anymore. We’ve rewritten so much of the story of God’s
relationship with man in an effort to make it more attractive
and positive. But the story of His birth begins with darkness
and doubt and silence from God. Only against that backdrop
can Christmas morning appear as bright, hopeful and saving
as it really is.”
Bright, hopeful and saving—three realities of Christmas
that Gloria clearly conveys in all its authenticity. Musically and
lyrically joyful in spirit, the moody album uplifts—
unabashedly celebrates—while leading us to anticipate the
astounding birth and then ultimate sacrifice. The birth and
sacrifice that would show the world how much it’s worth.
Isn’t that something—Someone—worth waiting for?
“I have this great picture in my head of a table with all the
place settings,” says Christine, as she offers the mental image
behind “Prepare a Place,” the song she co-wrote with Michael
W. Smith and performs with him on Gloria. “And everyone has
a place, except there’s this one place setting that’s empty. It’s
waiting. It’s a special place. And, to me, that’s how we prepare
our hearts.” ccm
The “Gloria—Rocketown Christmas Tour,” featuring Ginny Owens,
Shaun Groves, Watermark, Cindy Morgan, George Rowe, Taylor
Sorensen and Alathea, may be coming to a town near you. Beginning
Dec. 3 in Lakeland, Fla., the tour will run throughout the month of
December. For more information visit GloriaChristmas.com.
Taylor Sorensen
Wayne Kirkpatrick
Alathea
ccmmagazine.com
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CCM'S FIVE-MINUTE
GUIDE TO NEW
CHRISTMAS MUSIC
ERIN
O’DONNELL:
Christmas Time
Is Here
Ratio of
originals
to covers
2:8
Cozy up to a fire,
drinking hot
cocoa and
munching on
cookies.
“Hark the Herald Angels
Sing”: Can’t beat the
jazzy groove and
thumping, upright bass.
7:6
Have friends over for a
merry holiday gathering.
“Have Yourself a Merry
Little Christmas”: A
swinging song for your
head—and your feet.
7:3
Decorate the tree.
“Christmas Is Here”:
Funk-infused and just
downright fun!
Inpop
DENVER & THE
MILE HIGH
ORCHESTRA:
Listen While You...
Track You’ll Be
Humming Long
After the CD Stops
Timeless Christmas
Reel Loud
THE KATINAS
Family Christmas
Gotee
ANDREW
PETERSON
Behold the Lamb of
God: The True Tall
Tale of the Coming
of Christ Fervent Records
GEORGE HUFF
Christmas EP
Take a
road trip to
Grandma’s
.
9:5
0:5
Think about the real
meaning of Christmas.
4:8
Contemplate what to
get your pesky Aunt
Matilda. You’ll still be
in a good mood while
you’re worrying.
“Go Tell It On the
Mountain”: This live
version will, as George
says, get you “ready to
have church!”
Word
VARIOUS
All Star Gospel Hits
Christmas
Word
KIM HILL
Real Christmas
Spirit-Led
42 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
2:8
“Deliver Us”: You can’t
forget the haunting
music and lyrics.
Shirley Caesar’s “Do You
Hear What I Hear?”
Don’t even try to get it
out of your head… you
won’t want to.
Sip egg nog and write out
your Christmas cards.
The can’t-get-it-out-ofyour-head
“glooooooooooooria”
from the chorus of
“Angels We Have Heard
On High.”
CCM_12.04_XMas.v17
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Page 43
Awards
The Peanuts Award for including “Christmas Time
Is Here” from A Charlie Brown Christmas: The
Original Soundtrack Recording from the CBS
Special
Vibe
Think upbeat jazz with just
a splash of Latin salsa
(“Angels We Have Heard
on High”) and a nod to
Alison Krauss (“It Came
Upon a Midnight Clear”).
The full big band
experience on the majority
but veering off style-wise
every now and then
A little R&B, a little
funk, a little traditional,
a little rock and a lot of
five-part harmony
Best Holiday History
Lesson for giving the
Christmas story from
Genesis to the Gospels
An electric guitar, bass
and drums might find their
way into some songs, but
it’s definitely of the folk
music persuasion.
“Fa la la la la” Factor
3.5 candy canes—Maybe it lulls just a tad but
the fun, creative musical spin is just right.
4 candy canes—These guys really hit a homerun
with the classics.
4 candy canes—Creative arrangements, unique
instrumentation and perfectly blended voices
5 candy canes—Can’t compare this creative and
well-made project with another…in years.
Just what George
does best: soul.
3 candy canes—Not overly original arrangements,
but it shows off George’s smooth voice.
The “You Couldn’t Make This Good of a Christmas Compilation on Your
iPod if Your Life Depended on It” award for a great blend of soulful
classic and contemporary tunes for that perfect holiday ambience.
Full of soulful
stylings on holiday
classics old and new.
4 candy canes—The first track says it all:
“Hallelujah!”
Laidback and acoustic,
Hill’s distinctive alto
voice shines through.
3.5 candy canes—It’s not flashy, but that’s what
makes Real Christmas warm and welcoming.
By Christa Farris and Stephanie Ottosen
ccmmagazine.com
december 04 ccm 43
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4:47 PM
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inreview
music
Worship Again
The Newsboys serve up a second helping of well-produced worship on Devotion.
NEWSBOYS
Devotion
Sparrow
Same song, second verse
The job of a music critic can be downright
baffling: Trying to rate and evaluate
something as subjective as art (much less
artful worship) is often a hit-or-miss affair.
Case in point: When Newsboys released its
File under:
Grade: Bfirst worship project, Adoration, just shy of
Worship
For fans of... straight-forward, modern
two years ago, it was vilified by some critics,
worship anthems.
including CCM’s own reviewer of choice. Yet,
it clearly connected with more than the band’s large fanbase, as it became the
fastest-selling Newsboys album to date, attaining gold certification for sales of
more than half a million copies in less than a year. And need we mention the
No. 1 smash hit and new modern worship fave “He Reigns”? Devotion looks to
follow in Adoration’s successful footsteps. And, as the saying goes, “If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it.”
If you liked Adoration, you’ll find plenty to like about Devotion as well, as it is,
in almost every way, a continuation of that album. The project is again driven
primarily by the multi-tasking Steve Taylor and Newsboys’ own Peter Furler. This
time, though, Furler flies solo on the production chores, while Taylor’s
contributions are limited to songwriting and serving from a distance as
executive producer. There are seven original tunes and three covers on
Devotion—one less and one more, respectively, than on Adoration. Taylor had a
hand in writing all but two of Adoration’s originals; this time, he has a hand in
writing all of them.
Musically, there are huge hooks, repetitive and bombastic choruses, soulful
background vocalists, polished production and Furler’s pleasing and engaging
vocals. Stuart Garrard of Delirious makes a guest appearance, as does John
Ellis of Tree63. And though Devotion skips the two live tracks that Adoration
offered, it does feature a duet with tourmate Rebecca St. James on Matt
Redman’s oft-recorded “Blessed Be Your Name.”
Lyrically, the project is somewhat scattered. For every winner (Tim Hughes’
“When The Tears Fall”), there’s a curveball such as “I Love Your Ways,” with the
curious lyric “I love to feel the runner’s high of Your ways/Ah, the high of Your
ways” or the line in “Landslide of Love” that comes out of nowhere to say “Since
we don’t believe in Santa Claus/Maybe we’d best stay awake.”
For every solid “Name Above All Names,” there is a monotonous “Presence,”
which concludes with “It’s my desire/Lord, it’s my desire/Lord, You’re my desire/I
want to feel Your presence/I want to feel Your presence/I want to feel Your
presence/I want to feel Your presence, Jesus.”
Oddly, by far the most interesting song here is “The Orphan,” though its lyric
is so abstract (“I try to settle but I just pass through/A rain dog, a gypsy, a
wandering Jew”) that it seems out of place on a worship album.
Some music critics will, no doubt, repeat the mistake they made with
Adoration and critique Devotion by the standards set with 2002’s Thrive and the
Newsboys’ earlier rock offerings. To do so is to misunderstand the genre of
modern worship. With Devotion Newsboys did not set out to create a musically
sophisticated rock album featuring scene-stealing instrumentation, intricate
chord progressions and unexpected time-changes. Rather, the band intended to
record a musically immediate CD so highly accessible it would easily prompt
collective worship. And that’s exactly what they did.
ELISA HAMMER
ccmmagazine.com
december 04 ccm 45
CCM_12.04_Music.final2
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commercial rock sensibilities
merged with a more
subdued, stripped-down feel
on the quieter material—a
combination that tastefully
charts the next winning
course in this band’s career.
CHRISTA FARRIS
File under:
Grade: B
Pop/Adult contemporary
For fans of... Smitty’s non-worship side
with plenty of piano.
MICHAEL W.
SMITH
Healing Rain
Reunion
A soothing storm five years
in the making
RELIENT K
File under:
Grade: A
Rock
For fans of... well-produced rock with
solid take-away value.
RELIENT K
Mmhmm
Capitol/Gotee
Another “right turn”
While the title itself is quite
thought-provoking in its
sheer ambiguity, it’s not all
that surprising considering
it’s Relient K who came up
with it. Since the band’s
self-titled bow in 2000,
these Ohio rockers have
consistently eschewed
convention. With quirky
song titles, the clever
integration of pop culture
references and relatable
stories to fuel its catchy
46 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
anthems on the trials and
tribulations of young adult
life, apparently there are
quite a few believers out
there—almost 400,000 just
from the band’s previous
release alone, Two Lefts
Don’t Make a Right… But
Three Do.
Now on Mmhmm it’s
almost like that first
transitional moment when
your grandma pinches your
cheeks at a family reunion
and declares, “My, you’re all
grown up!” From start to
finish on Mmhmm’s 14
tracks, fans are introduced
to a more (gasp!) mature
Relient K.
Now that’s not to say the
album isn’t any fun because
there’s plenty of that to be
had as well on tracks such as
“High of 75,” “My Girl’s Ex
Boyfriend” and “This Week
the Trend.” But what’s
instantly noticeable about the
lyrics of songs like “The One
I’m Waiting For,” “Which to
Bury, Us or the Hatchet” and
“Be My Escape” is a
burgeoning worldview that’s
more than just the usual
commentary on girls, rejecting
complacency and seeking
God as our ultimate hope.
Matt Thiessen (the band’s
frontman and primary songwriter) digs deeper, and it
shows—especially on the
infectiously crafted “I So
Hate Consequences” and
the confessional, acoustic
guitar-based closer “When
I Go Down.”
Musically speaking, a
maturing sound is also
surprisingly evident with the
integration of piano-based
flourishes and a little violin
and cello sprinkled
throughout, along with great
variation in guitar timbres to
keep the songs from
sounding too similar. Quality
production, courtesy of longtime mentor/collaborator
Mark Lee Townsend (Evan
Anthem, The O.C.
Supertones), certainly
doesn’t hurt the final
outcome, either, as the
record has a great blend of
For those keeping Michael
W. Smith’s discography close
at hand, they’ll notice a
mysterious absence since
1999’s This Is Your Time.
Though there’s been plenty
of projects, including the
entirely instrumental
Freedom, two Worship
volumes, plus The Second
Decade hits compilation, a
slick Smitty radio record was
nowhere to be found. So
after a half decade, what
exactly has he come up
with? Well, there sure are
plenty of striking piano parts,
a handful of explosive
rockers and many delicate
pieces that revolve around
love, daily life and eternal
hopefulness.
When it comes to the
overall vibe, Smith maintains
many of his classic elements
while also branching into
fresh turf, courtesy of
collaborators like Martin
Smith (Delirious) and Dan
Hill (the ’70s AM superstar
known for “Sometimes When
We Touch”). “Here I Am” is
one of the project’s key
moments, pitting Michael
with Martin and resulting in a
maze of progressive pianos
over momentous crescendos
(akin to Coldplay). Teaming
with Hill is another touchdown on the easygoing
“Human Spark,” which was
conceived in the aftermath
of Sept. 11 as an assuaging
anthem of restoration.
On strictly a musical note,
“Fly to the Moon” is the most
aggressive and assertive,
melding kicked-up keyboard
and electric organ tones over
gravelly guitars and
delightfully scruffy vocals. “I
Am Love” can also be
grouped in the elaborate
category, blending tensionfilled flourishes with
psychedelic nuances, falling
in line with the Beatlesflavored fan favorite “Live
the Life.” Lyrically, the title
cut seems to jump out with
the most immediacy,
gradually gaining in speed
and substance to eventually
lead into a mantra-like choir
that chants the lines “I’m not
afraid.” For any down-and-out
believer seeking
rejuvenation, the track is set
to become a personal
theme, while it could just as
easily be considered for
congregational purposes.
But Healing Rain also has
a handful of
disappointments. Even with
the true-to-form rendition of
a cover of Simon and
Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over
Troubled Water” (complete
with a glorious orchestra), it
might have been best
utilized as a B-side in favor
of another entirely original
composition. Another
noticeable distraction is the
recurring ’80s production,
which appears intentional
and seems odd, considering
the array of more edgy
contributors that include
Matt Bronleewe (Natalie
Imbruglia, Kimberly Locke)
and Charlie Peacock’s son,
Sam Ashworth (Taylor
Sorensen, Switchfoot). It’s
that tendency that places
Smith alongside pop peers
like Richard Marx or George
Michael, who also haven’t
necessarily matched their
CCM_12.04_Music.final2
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Page 48
devotion
newsboys
peak output as of late but
continue to create likeable
material.
ANDY ARGYRAKIS
the new worship album,
now available
features the hits:
“presence (my heart’s desire)”
“strong tower”
“Name above all names”
“blessed be Your name”
File under:
Grade: B+
Rock
For fans of... a new breed of spirituallycharged rockers.
DAY OF FIRE
Day of Fire
Essential
Here’s some “new rock” to
get fired up about.
One doesn’t need the team
from TV’s “What Not to
Wear” to know that if the
jacket no longer fits, stop
wearing it. Such was the
case for rock frontman
Joshua Brown, a passionate
vocalist who earned
mainstream acclaim with his
Island/Def Jam band Full
Devil Jacket. Before breaking
up in 2000, Full Devil Jacket
dropped two major label
albums and toured with
Creed, Nickelback and Fuel.
In pursuing the rock dream,
Brown’s lifestyle began
swirling downward toward
new lows, including a drug
overdose. Brown then came
to faith, put the “Devil”
behind him and spent the
next two years focusing on
his spiritual growth.
Of course, a born
songwriter can’t stay quiet
forever; so, after a healthy
hiatus, Brown started Day of
Fire with guitarist Gregg
Hionis in their Jackson,
Tenn., hometown.
Bringing mainstream
know-how to the Christian
market, Day of Fire’s selftitled album features
accessible rock songs such
as “Through the Fire,” “Time”
and “Jacob’s Dream”—all
with medium tempos, gritty
vocals and a respectably
polished heaviness. While
these songs will anchor the
devout rock fans, Day of Fire
exudes the most personality
when the guys up the energy
for “I Am the Door” and
“Reap and Sow,” incorporate
strings for “Rain Song” and
juice their acoustic guitars
DEREK WEBB
on “Cornerstone.” Yet, for all
the album’s solid
performances, one wishes
the band avoided the utterly
predictable, such as
sampling a ticking clock in
“Time” and a thunder roll in
“Rain Song.” But, then again,
commercial rock does need
its clichés.
As a whole, however, these
firebrand rockers breathe
new life into Christian rock
while offering the telling
testimony of why Brown shed
his “full devil jacket.” Now
if only the band could
convince all those ’80s
holdouts to ditch their
“Members Only” jackets!
DAVID JENISON
File under:
Grade: A-Folk/Pop-Rock
For fans of... stripped-down acoustic
stylings with a maverick message.
DEREK WEBB
I See Things Upside
Down
INO
Pop music takes a thoughtprovoking turn.
Never one to mince words or
fashion a spiritual, “feel
good” project,
singer/songwriter Derek
Webb brings his A-game to
the arena on I See Things
Upside Down. Delivering his
most compelling set to date,
the Caedmon’s Call alumnus
follows up recent live
recording The House Show
with his second studio
release.
Passionate vocals, cut-tothe-quick lyrics and rich yet
stripped-down rhythms
buttress one of this year’s
most inventive solo records.
And while I See Things
Upside Down is not a
Visit newsboys.com for the latest
news and tour information.
©2004 EMI CMG Label Group.
CCM_12.04_Music.final2
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Page 49
heavenward. To its credit,
this outfit has its heart in the
right place because many of
these 10 tracks—all
produced and co-written by
NewSong’s Scotty Wilbanks—
flow warmly with emotional
encouragement. But,
ultimately, it’s a valuable gift
hidden by predictable,
generic wrapping paper.
A few times, however,
Overflow manages to break
out of its shiny pop cage.
Such an escape is
exemplified by Pellerin’s
almost grunge-influenced
vocals on the verses of
“What’s Missing.” Then on
“My Days Are Better,” there is
a tangible sense that the
group is itching restlessly to
bust out into a full-on and
unbridled urban gospel
stomp. But Overflow,
seemingly, doesn’t have the
confidence yet to follow its
natural instincts.
One can only imagine how
good this album might have
been if some of its excess
studio gloss had been
removed prior to release
because Overflow’s
songwriting is consistently
first rate. For example,
“Come Home” is especially
altar call-ready, and “Just for
Me,” enhanced by its lovely
slide guitar part, draws
positive comparisons to
Delirious.
Featuring
Las Vegas’
#1 Gospel
Soloists
From
Your Favorite
Shows
OVERFLOW
Upside Down is not a concept
album per se, it frequently
reveals an artist whose take
on Christian values is
forthright and convicting.
Fittingly, Webb indicts
himself and others for
misguided attitudes and
actions. On the song “TShirts,” he delivers this
pointed discourse: “They’ll
know us by the t-shirts that
we wear/they’ll know us by
the way we point and stare…
they’ll know us by our picket
lines and signs/they’ll know
us by the pride we hide
behind.” Admonition
continues on “Ballad in Plain
Red,” where Webb rails
against bumper-sticker brand
Christianity (“…just keep
selling truth in candy bars/on
billboards and backs of
cars/truth without context, my
favorite of all crimes.”)
Though his words seem
razor-sharp and are
ostensibly directed at the
greater evangelical
community, somehow Webb
does not come across as
preachy or “holier than
thou.” Maybe it’s because, in
addition to targeting himself,
Webb’s message is
embedded in a calm
soundscape that floats from
ethereal to smooth jazz to
rootsy folk-rock—all without
sounding incongruent. In the
end, the listener comes away
feeling spiritually culpable
yet sonically satisfied.
DAVID MCCREARY
File under:
Grade: C
Pop/rock
For fans of... accessible songs with a
decidely Southern flavor.
OVERFLOW
S
Anthony Edwards
ongwriter, producer, arranger, and musician Anthony
Edwards is considered by many as one of the foremost
praise and worship Gospel songwriters of our day.
Church denominations all over the world love his songs
because of the beautiful orchestrations, melodies, and words
that are so easy to sing and enter into worship. This anointed
project of various renowned artists who have opened and
recorded with gospel greats such as Daryl Coley, Vanessa
Bell Armstrong, Yolanda Adams, Gladys Knight,
and Tommy Walker of Integrity Records
will move and energize you
Listen online,
like no other.
A Better Place
FREE music lead sheets
available on website
Essential
order & receive
CD before it’s
in stores at
borntopraise.com
Not a bad place to visit
Although its debut release, A
Better Place, is soaked in
pop-rock exuberance, far too
much of Overflow’s music is
also overly familiar. For
instance, the song “Better
Place” by this South Carolina
five-piece brings to mind a
slightly harder rocking Steven
Curtis Chapman as vocalist
Tom Pellerin directs his
lyrical attentions
Makes a great
Christmas gift!
Introductory
Offer
$
Coming to stores
Jan. 2005
.99
8
Regular $13.99
w w w. b o r n t o p r a i s e . c o m
Booking: borntopraise777@aol.com
CCM_12.04_Music.final2
11/2/04
3:47 PM
Page 50
But when it’s all said and
done, it takes just a little too
much imagination to truly
appreciate what Overflow
has done here.
DAN MACINTOSH
File under:
Grade: B
Praise & Worship
For fans of... energetic, corporate
worship.
PLANETSHAKERS
My King
Word
Progressive worship for the
praise-inclined
If you need a quick
summary of what
Planetshakers (the
conference and group) is,
just think Passion movement
and apply it to Australia. The
group’s latest disc, My King,
is a dynamic live recording
including both a CD and
DVD. The visual portion looks
more like an extended music
video than a live concert
taping. The worship team is
dressed stylish yet casual,
the band incorporates
everything from a DJ to a
horn section, and the video
screens almost outnumber
the vocalists.
Everything about
Planetshakers is meant to
grab and hold the attention
of the average kid—with a
sound they can relate to and
words that speak to them.
Tracks that stand out are
“Open Up the Gates,” “All I
Want Is You” and “My King,”
which boast lyrics simple
enough to learn on the first
or second listen.
One minor hiccup is that
the album mix has the main
vocalists so prominent that
the recording barely sounds
“live” in certain sections. Yet,
given the difficulty of
50 ccm december 04 ccmmagazine.com
capturing the energy and
excitement of actually being
there, My King is a valiant
effort sure to be treasured by
young worshipers both
stateside and “down under.”
JESSICA ROBIN
File under:
Grade: B+
Pop
For fans of... social commentary set to
irresistible pop beats.
RANDY TRAVIS
Passin’ Thru
Word/Curb/Warner Bros.
Thoughtful storytelling
crossed with a countrytinged moral
As Bob Seger is to
Midwestern rock, so Randy
Travis is to Southern country:
a play-it-straight master of
mid-tempo storytelling whose
leanings toward genre hokum
are oft redeemed by
earnestness. Both men, it
can be argued, make music
that sounds ready-made for
commercial soundtracks
(Listen for the imagery of
pickup trucks and mama’s
boys on this disc.). Still,
Travis’ latest wins points for
its hickory-smoked textures
that smolder rather than
burn—especially Travis’ fine,
drawling voice, which sounds
equally comfortable in the
baritone and tenor ranges.
Though Travis hardly points
fingers, he isn’t beyond a
gentle sermon or two. On
“Pick Up the Oars and Row,”
Travis sings a word of
nudging encouragement to a
lovelorn lass over a backdrop
of fiddle, acoustic guitar and
high-hat: “Bitterness don’t
look good on you, and self-pity
just ain’t your style.” Playing
for higher emotional stakes,
Travis talks through the
verses of “Angels,” a song
that salutes the sacrifice of
mothers for their sons. Men,
listen to this song with an
open mind. This reviewer
defies you not to pick up the
phone and call mom
immediately afterward.
On the more rocking side,
Travis cuts loose musically
though not quite vocally on
the short sprint “My Poor Old
Heart.” Seeing how much
supple power Travis boasts
as a singer, it would be nice
to hear him rise to the energy
level of the electric guitars,
drums and violins ripping
alongside. Yet, if this tune
sounds forced, the rest fits
the man and his manner. At
his strongest, Travis plays
country in an immovable,
self-styled way. Or, as Mr.
Seger might say, like a rock.
LOUIS R. CARLOZO
JUMP5
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Page 51
Artist’s Choice
Geoff Moore reviews Peder Eide’s Christmas:
Come On In.
I have had the privilege of
knowing Peder Eide for
many years. He has
fostered one of the great
indepen-dent careers in
Christian music. And now,
he serves up an enjoyable
Christmas album.
Peder does a great job
of blending his personal
musical style with classic
Christmas songs without
getting in the way of what
made you love them in the
first place. I really like his
choice to include fun,
“secular” Christmas songs
along with sacred carols.
This mix gives the album a
full Christmas feeling. You
get
everything
from
“Rockin
Around
the
Christmas
Tree”
and
“White Christmas” to
“What Child Is This” and
“Angels We Have Heard
On High.”
Peder’s original song
contributions, such as
“Come On In” and “Love
Has Come” are worthy to
become new Christmas
favorites. If for no other
reason, Christmas: Come
On In should be added to
your collection just for
Peder’s version of “In
the Bleak Midwinter”—a
remark-able song that
captures the wonder, joy
and slight melancholy that
many of us feel during the
holiday season.
THE “silk and suede” VOICE that everyone is talking about...
SEE
CHARITY VON
SCOTT
KRIPPAYNE
WITH
Geoff Moore
AND
Whether you play it loud
as you drive around doing
your Christmas shopping
or softly as the eggnog is
being passed around at
your Christmas party,
Christmas: Come On In is
the perfect CD to get you
into the holiday spirit. I am
sure this album will have a
special place in the Eide’s
home this year as they
welcome their own special
Christmas gift, Makenzie
NaRee Sylvia Eide, who
they just adopted from
Korea.
It is remarkable and
inspiring to see such great
music flow out of the
independent artist community.
Peder’s
album,
Christmas: Come On In is a
gift to us all.
Visit PederEide.com
order your own copy.
to
newreleases
DEC. 7
Christ Tabernacle Choir
We Have Overcome
DEC. 14
Echoing Green
The Winter of Our Discontent
DEC. 28
Vineyard Voices
(Andy Park)
In the Secret
(Vital/Daywind)
POINT OF GRACE
ON THE
"I CHOOSE YOU" TOUR IN '05
Feb 3 Woodbridge VA
Feb 4 Cleveland OH
Feb 5 Whitestown IN
Feb 17 Bentonville AR
Feb 19 Ozark AL
Mar 3 Grand Rapids MI
Mar 5 Lodi NJ
Mar 9 Arden NC
Mar 10 Jacksonville FL
Mar 12 Winter Haven FL
Apr 14 Temple TX
Apr 15 Rockwall TX
Apr 16 Katy TX
Apr 17 Humble TX
Apr 19 Kearney NE
Apr 20 Alexandria MN
Apr 21 Fargo ND
Apr 22 Racine WI
Apr 23 Troy MI
(BEC)
*All dates subject to change
(Vineyard)
www.ichooseyou.com
www.charityvon.com
Booking: www.thebreenagency.com
FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER
Available on the street
and the web everywhere
51
ccmmagazine.com
december 04 ccm
CCM_12.04_Books.final
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4:59 PM
Page 52
inreview
by Janet Chismar
books
2
1
1
In one of the most thoughtprovoking books I’ve read since
writing for “Book Talk,” Charlie
Peacock reflects on the past while
looking ahead to the future with At
the Crossroads: Inside the Past,
Present and Future of
Contemporary Christian Music
(Waterbrook). With more than 20
years as a performer, producer and
writer, Peacock is well qualified to
comment on both the problems and
promise of the industry. This is his
second version of the book—why?
Peacock points to “six more years of
perspective and hopefully wisdom”
as he revisits the topic.
A consistent theme throughout
the book is what it truly means to be
a follower of Jesus. But how should
that play out in contemporary
Christian music? He thoughtfully and
passionately wrestles with this issue
and offers sound biblical advice.
Peacock theorizes that many of
today’s issues stem from wellintentioned but mistaken
assumptions held by industry
founders. Yet, there is hope, Peacock
says, if the industry will embrace a
Kingdom perspective and truly
reflect on motive and purpose.
2
Relationships are also fodder for
reflection, no? I know my friends
and I have spent hours
contemplating the highs and lows
of love. Apparently, this is not just a
female hobby. Matt Thiessen, Matt
Hoopes, Brian Pittman and Dave
Douglas, otherwise known as
Relient K, translate these musings
onto paper in The Complex
Infrastructure Known As The
Female Mind According To Relient
K with Mark Nicholas (Transit).
Addressed primarily to a female
audience, the book gives a nod to
guys who long to understand the
“girl types” in their lives. Fear not:
The Relient K boys show
remarkable insight as they, in
hilarious detail, describe the
Drama Queen, The Air Head and
The Mathlete, among others.
But this is not a “diss” session.
The point of The Complex
Infrastructure is to encourage girls
to understand and accept
themselves—and others.
The guys sprinkle personal
stories and biblical advice in
between the laughs to help teens
mature into women of God in their
relationships with each other, in
addition to assorted boy types.
3
Charlie Peacock
52 ccm december 04
ccmmagazine.com
Speaking of great relationships,
author Sigmund Brouwer is also
known as the hubby of the lovely
and talented Cindy Morgan. But
3
with more than 2.5 million books
sold, Brouwer is most often
recognized for writing powerful
fiction. Case in point: Brouwer’s
latest offering, The Last Disciple
(Tyndale House), serves up an
intriguing, alternative perspective
on end-times theology. Co-authored
with the Bible Answer Man, Hank
Hanegraaff, The Last Disciple
explores whether many of the
prophecies of Revelation have
already been fulfilled. I appreciated
this opposing view of end-times
theology—a stark contrast to the
“Left Behind” series. With a
gripping plot, this fast-paced novel
transports readers to first-century
Jerusalem as the turbulence Christ
prophesied about begins to mount.
4
For another glance at the past
(or is it the future?), look no further
than Ted Dekker’s new thriller,
White (Westbow). Hero Thomas
Hunter lives in a world where a
lethal virus threatens to destroy
humanity. But when he goes to
sleep, he wakes in a place where
he fights for peace and religious
freedom. Poor Thomas has a tough
time distinguishing past from
present and dreams from reality.
It’s a fascinating concept and very
well executed. The book isn’t just
for fans of the thriller genre; White
packs plenty of spiritual themes
and romance into this breathless
read. And be sure to check out the
first two books in this trilogy: Black
and Red. Without giving too much
away, the conclusion of this actionpacked trilogy will leave you longing
for the glorious return of Christ.
4
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot
Like Christmas
Trying to get in the mood for the
holidays? Look no further than
these charming books from the
Warner Faith family:
He Started the Whole World
Singing: A Treasury of Gaither
Christmas Songs, Reflections,
and Holiday Traditions
by Gloria Gaither
The stories behind Gloria Gaither’s
Christmas lyrics are quite
interesting, but the Gaither family
recipes grabbed my attention—and
stomach. For an inspirational lift,
her personal prayers focus on the
most important aspect of this
season: the dear Lord Jesus and His
visit on earth.
Sarah’s Song by Karen Kingsbury.
I was moved to tears by this tender
story of love between generations. Be
sure to visit karenkingsbury.com to
learn about Red Gloves projects—a
cool way to spread love through the
community to people most in need.
CCM_12.04_Gear.v5
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Page 54
inreview
by Kent Morris
gear
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
This month, CCM covers a little of this and a little of that—something for every musician,
engineer and techie out there.
SENNHEISER SKM5000/KMS105
Every now and then, you have to look at the best equipment just to see what is possible. The combination
of Neumann’s KMS-105 condenser mic element with parent company Sennheiser’s top-shelf
SKM5000 series wireless transmitter and receiver is
arguably the best handheld wireless mic on the market.
From Israel Houghton to Michael W. Smith, this
combo is seen on the biggest stages in
contemporary
Christian
music.
Naturally, it is expensive; but it gives
the user an unparalleled ability to
belt out songs without the normal
limitations of wireless, such as
compressed dynamic range,
dropouts and compounding
artifacts. It is one of only a
select few wireless mics that can
legitimately claim to be sonically
equal to its wired counterpart.
$5800
sennheiser.com
AUDIO TECHNICA
MBT FANTOM FOGGER
Holiday parties get a little more interesting when fog juice is utilized. MBT’s
economical entry model does the job better than discount store units and will still
work next year after the bargain-basement units are in the recycle bin. Twenty-five
hundred cubic feet per minute translates into a room full of the mystery smoke,
and the handy remote means fewer trips behind the curtain. For a little money,
the Fantom Fogger adds a lot of fun.
$69
mbtlighting.com
YAMAHA RBX170
There’s a reason this is Yamaha’s best-selling bass guitar. It carries a limited
lifetime warranty that backs up solid construction in the neck/body joint, the
fretboard and the pickups. However, Yamaha’s inclusion of both Precision (P) and
Jazz (J) pickups in such an affordable instrument may be the cause of the
RBX170’s popularity. The PJ configuration can cover all
pop bass tones with ease with the fluid neck
delivering the dexterity needed for funk and
jazz. Available in an excellent color
palette and sporting clean lines, the
RBX170 is the bottom line that rocks.
$279
yamaha.com
54 ccm december 04
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DR PACK
Welcome to packaging—AT style. While mics used to come
with just a stand clip, now these innovative packages
include a tripod stand and a 20-foot cable as well. Designed
as a vocal mic, the DRVX1 heart of the kit feels right in the
hand and sounds right to the ear. Its smooth response and
low-handling noise mean the mic will never be noticed—that’s
a good thing. Audio Technica is a premier mic maker with a
hard-earned reputation for value. The DR Pack extends that
reputation and raises the bar for value in a vocal mic.
$149
audiotechnica.com
AMERICAN DJ SCAN 250 DMX
Intelligent lights are named as such because they follow
detailed instructions from an operator. With “intelligents,” light can be directed
to any stage area at will with control over color, shape and intensity. The DJ
Scan 250 is an affordable way to enjoy moving lights with enough
power (250 watts) to deliver the goods without breaking the
bank. Moving mirror instruments can be difficult to program, but
the DJ Scan 250’s menu is straightforward; and it will work with any
number of lighting controllers. With four channels of control and 10 gobos
(patterned images), it is useful in band as well as worship environments.
Finally, its sleek-silvered finish is a welcome departure from the ubiquitous
black typically found in the lighting world.
$279
americandj.com
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t
standingroomonly
your guide to concerts
by Andy Argyrakis
ON MUSIC AND BILLY GRAHAM
BILLY GRAHAM CRUSADE
L-R: Nic Gonzales (Salvador), Bart Millard
(MercyMe), Charlie Daniels
ARROWHEAD STADIUM
KANSAS CITY, MO—OCT. 7-8, 2004
In the evangelism world, Billy Graham is a luminary and
innovator, who, despite declining health in recent years,
continues to set the bar for crusades and outreach
missions across international territories. Having honed
his preaching craft over several decades of service, the
respected legend remains relevant, adapting to
technical trends and referencing the leading names in
music of all styles needed to reel in seekers. His most
recent round of dates has been no exception, which, in
a visit to the Kansas City Chiefs’ home turf, included
Latin rockers Salvador, gospel great Lynda Randle,
fiddle master Charlie Daniels (and his self-titled band),
plus one of this generation’s most inspirational
crossover acts—MercyMe.
This hearty spread of ethnic and cultural
backgrounds onstage began with the robust salsa
hustle of Salvador, a group that’s gone from leading
worship in Austin, Texas, to becoming red-hot hitmakers. The brass-backed group, filled with percolating
percussion, came to the stadium celebrating the brand
new release So Natural, a collection of tracks meant to
bridge the body of Christ while discouraging prejudice.
That approach blended well with Graham’s ideology;
and once members unwrapped their conga chugs and
horns, every demographic invaded the aisles with
ecstatic dancing. “Let’s all lift up our voices and hands
to the Lord as one,” lead singer Nic Gonzales
proclaimed prior to a scintillating take on “God People.”
“We’re catching a bit of heaven on earth tonight in this
very place!”
For those who needed additional reinforcement of
that fact, soulful diva Lynda Randle truly turned the
stadium into a church with her enthusiastic and earnest
vocal delivery. This recurring Gaither guest is currently
basking in the glow of an album titled A Tribute to
Mahalia Jackson, a woman who she emulated on a
virtuoso version of “His Eye Is On the Sparrow.” Toward
the tail-end of that track, Randle was unexpectedly
joined by the familiar croon of her sibling Michael Tait,
who gripped her hand to toast the crowd in praise.
Though not immediately associated with Christian
circles, country/classic rock mainstay Charlie Daniels
Band demonstrated its unabashed faith with several
stomping hymns, much like Johnny Cash at past
Graham crusades. As a singer, Daniels has an unusually
distinct cowboy croon and as a musician (who switches
between the guitar and fiddle), he can be compared
with few. The CDB treatment of “Just a Little Talk With
Jesus” was presented with a repentant appeal, “Heart
of My Heart” trucked with tropical twang, and “I’ll Fly
Away” turned into an all-out Holy Spirit hoedown. The
only Daniels disappointment was the exclusion of “The
Devil Went Down to Georgia,” which may not have fit the
movement’s mold but still served as a chart-topping
point of reference to inquisitive non-believers.
But no matter what side of the fence attendees fell
on, just about all were able to quote each verse and
chorus of MercyMe’s “I Can Only Imagine.” At one break
near the bridge, the response was so overwhelming that
frontman Bart Millard thrust his head toward the sky
and cast the microphone toward the crowd. The band
continued its performance, playing current cuts
“Undone” and “Here With Me” and supporting
Graham’s poignant sincerity with polished solidity.
Music has always been a mainstay in Billy
Graham’s crusade model, and that’s because it’s
considered a common language among all creeds.
In fact, the Billy Graham crusades have been
pioneering in welcoming modern Christian music
at evangelical events; and while it certainly made
waves, it also attracted many who might never
have come to a crusade.
“I think music is important in any aspect of life,”
Salvador’s drummer Robert Acuna told CCM while
at the event. “It’s a very emotional, very moving
tool that God can use in a powerful way.”
“The [music] selections need to share the Word
with those who may come to something like
this for the first time,” added frontman Nic
Gonzales. “When we’re preparing the set list,
we’re anticipating the harvest. And there’s no
bigger privilege as a band to participate even
partly in that.”
HERE AND THERE:
PAX 217
Are you within a day’s drive? Here are
a few concert dates you won’t want to miss!
11/5 GRITS with PAX 217 at
Brownsburg Christian in Brownsburg, IN
11/7 Avalon with Mark Schultz at
All photos by Andy Argyrakis
Christiana High School in Newark, DE
11/19 Third Day with tobyMac
“Third Day Live Wire Tour” at
The Family Arena in St. Charles, MO
For the latest concert listings, check out CCMmagazine.com’s
searchable tour database to find out when your favorite artists
will play in a city near you.
L-R: Nathan Cochran (MercyMe), Siblings Lynda Randle and Michael Tait, Salvador horn section
56 ccm december 04
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THINGS YOU PROBABLY
DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT:
JACI VELASQUEZ
BY MICHAEL NOLAN
16. VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
A budding music mogul with her own label, A’postrophe, she advises new artists
“to get used to working hard and not to forget that we are all really servants
(That’s real easy to forget sometimes.). But if they can keep a servant’s heart, it
will make their work more fulfilling.”
15. COMING SOON
Jaci’s next album, recorded primarily in London, finds her traveling some new
musical roads. “It is more edgy and a little more ‘rocky.’ So far everyone I have
played it for seems to like it!”
14. HOPE THEY HAD A BIG TENT.
To celebrate their first anniversary, Jaci and Darren went camping in Monteagle,
a glorious getaway in higher altitudes between Nashville and Chattanooga,
Tennessee. William (the Great Dane) accompanied them.
13. MARRIAGE COUNSELING
Having passed that first-year milestone, what wisdom would she pass along to
couples just starting their lives together? “Be patient and considerate with one
another. It takes time to adjust to having someone in your life everyday for the
rest of your life. Have fun and talk, talk, talk.”
12. “THIS IS A STOVE. THIS IS A…”
As you might expect, Jaci’s spent more time with backstage caterers than in her
own kitchen. Now, however, she’s trying to become a bit of a Betty Crocker.
“Having a mom who is known for being an amazing cook is great because I get
all kinds of tips from her. I’m actually enjoying learning to cook.”
11. AND YOU THOUGHT GETTING THROUGH AIRPORTS
WAS TOUGH…
Unlike most of us, Jaci’s been invited to the White House. What’s that experience
like? “Security like no other. Very organized. Everyone is very professional and
very kind.”
10. NON-CABINET MEETING
When Jaci met President George W. Bush, she didn’t discuss international
diplomacy, the economy or even music. “We talked about the Houston Rockets,”
she recalls, although she confesses to be an uncommitted fan of football and
hockey as well as baseball.
Since turning heads at age 15 with her Myrrh debut, A Heavenly
Place, Jaci has made her mark in Christian and Latin music. Along the
way, she’s become a radio favorite, had her name mispronounced by
many famous people who were just getting to know what a singing
sensation jaci is and also launched an acting career.
Up next is an early spring release for a new album called Beauty
Has Grace (Word). Until then, here’s the stuff that probably won’t
make the liner notes.
22. HAIR-RAISING
If you compare Jaci’s hairstyle today with a few years ago, you’ll see a stark
contrast. Was that haircut a nail-biter? “Yes, it was very unsettling!” confirms Jaci.
“I kept looking over at my mom for confirmation.”
9. HEARD BUT NOT SEEN
Jaci lent her voice to Los Tres Reyes Magos, an all-Spanish animated movie
retelling the story of the Three Wise Men.
8. HEARD BUT NOT SEEN, THE SEQUEL
She’s also a vocal contributor to “The Word Becomes Flesh,” the first-ever audio
New Testament read entirely by women. She’s in the good company of such
ladies as Amy Grant, Natalie Grant, Darlene Zschech, Babbie Mason and Gloria
Gaither.
7. LOOKING AHEAD
In her personal life, her goal is to have children some day. And in her work? “God
has really blessed me with so much already.”
21. SIMPLE IS BEST.
6. HELP-MATES
You don’t have to fire up some bananas foster or serve a five-layer chocolate cake
when you have Jaci over for dinner. Her favorite dessert is berries and cream.
Jaci and Darren share responsibilities around the house, but Jaci does most of
the grocery shopping. And speaking of shopping…
20. PRESTO UNPACK-O
5. SHOP TALK
OK, so they’re not exactly magic words; but Jaci would love to find a better way to
accomplish one of her least favorite tasks—unpacking her suitcase. And, as you
can imagine, that’s something she does a lot.
“Sometimes I like to shop with a friend or my mom,” Jaci reportes. “When I need
to do some serious shopping, I like to sometimes go alone so that I can
concentrate.”
19. DOG TRICKS
4. SOMETHING OLD IS SOMETHING NEW.
Jaci and husband Darren have three dogs. Their newest arrival is a Great Dane
named William who likes to lead Louie (the Yorkie) around by holding the leash in
his mouth. “It makes me laugh every time,” confesses Jaci. Dallas (the Maltese)
had no comment for this story.
These days Jaci is inclined toward vintage clothes, although we haven’t spotted
her shopping at Goodwill or any Salvation Army thrift stores.
18. WE THOUGHT HE’D BE A GOOD GUY.
Jaci reports liking “all the old movies. Like really, really old.” Examples? She
mentioned Heidi, starring Shirley Temple (1937), as well as Pretty in Pink (1986).
We doubt that Molly Ringwald or Anthony Michael Hall would like to be included
in the “really, really old” category.
Jaci has sung on “The Wayne Brady Show,” starring the former “Who’s Line Is It
Anyway?” cut-up. What’s he like? “He is such a nice person. He made me feel very
welcomed. I had met him before on ‘Hollywood Squares,’ and he was equally
nice.”
17. EMOTIONAL HOMECOMING
In March 2003, Jaci sang at Fort Campbell, Ky., during a ceremony to welcome
home troops from Iraq. Understandably, it was an extremely emotional
experience. “To look at those people I was singing for and know that some of
them might not return and then to look over at the section where the widows were
sitting… it was heartbreaking, to say the least.”
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3. AGE IS JUST IN THE MIND.
2. NEEDLE DROPS
Jaci reports, “I like to work in my garden, play with my dogs, and right now I am
trying to learn how to knit.”
1. LESSONS LEARNED
She affirms “that no matter what we go through—good or bad, “We need our
family, and we especially need God. I learned that I need to slow down a bit; it’s
OK if I’m not working 24-7. God will still love me.”
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A Look Back at 2004
As 2004 comes to an end, we’ve asked CCM’s former founder/publisher
(and current Gospel Music Association president) John Styll to give us a
retrospective look at the highs and lows of the past year.
Deflating the Bubble
Now that 2004 is drawing to a close, it seems like a good time to take a look
at what happened in Christian music during a year that could be summed
up with this headline: “2004 May Be the Year Christian Music Had a
Greater Impact on Culture Than Ever Before.”
Many, including yours truly, have observed over the years that Christian
music has seemed to exist inside its own “bubble,” a sub-culture isolated
from the popular, mainstream culture it perennially hoped to have an
impact on. Although the bubble has not exactly burst, last year it began to
deflate, letting our music loose for more of the world to hear.
The pioneers of contemporary Christian music could only imagine the
past couple years—from MercyMe’s miraculous mainstream pop hit to
Smokie Norful’s urban radio invasion to Stacie Orrico being virtually “stuck”
on MTV’s “TRL” to Switchfoot’s daring to move into contemporary hit
radio (and platinum sales). At one point this past April, Christian marketsupported artists claimed an unprecented six hits during the same week on
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the Billboard and Radio & Records airplay charts. Christian music was
increasingly seen and heard on big and small screens this year. Whether it
was Bebo Norman or Hawk Nelson on “Smallville,” tobyMac on “Veronica
Mars” or Superchic[k] in JC Penney ads and “Joan of Arcadia,” we can see
clearly now that Christian music is getting noticed.
This year was also notable for the heightened activism of Christian artists
for the world’s poor and suffering. Many artists have meaningfully
supported U2’s Bono and his organization DATA to bring awareness of the
terrible AIDS pandemic in Africa. In fact, the support of Christian artists
was so impressive to Bono that he appeared, via telecast, on the GMA
Music Awards and offered grateful shout-outs to Michael W. Smith,
tobyMac, Third Day, Margaret Becker, Charlie Peacock and Jars of Clay.
Steven Curtis Chapman and his family rescued and adopted a third Chinese
baby and raised awareness for adoption issues. Caedmon’s Call has been
actively campaigning on behalf of the “untouchables” in India, and Natalie
Grant and others are bringing awareness of the human trafficking that is
taking place in the Sudan and other areas.
On a less joyful note, the Christian music industry has faced declining
record sales due, in part, to the widespread theft through illegal
downloading and CD burning as well as competition from other
entertainment choices such as video games and DVDs. In the first few years
of the new millennium, Christian music companies had seemingly been
immune to music piracy, while the overall music industry was suffering
great losses. But, our industry is now taking the hit, and one of the most
difficult results has been lost jobs at Christian music labels. A study by the
GMA and the Barna Group this past spring revealed that the average
Christian teen is no different when it comes to stealing music. In fact, only
one in 10 Christian teens believes illegal downloading is a moral issue! And
of this moral minority, more than half had recently participated in at least
one of several forms of music piracy in the months prior to the study.
Following this study, the GMA launched a campaign called “Millions of
Wrongs Don’t Make it Right,” designed to educate the Christian audience
about the moral, ethical and legal implications of music piracy. And now
the U.S. Department of Justice has gotten involved, calling intellectual
property theft “a threat to the nation’s economy.” Fortunately, legitimate
digital music-buying sources proliferated in 2004—from a reborn Napster
to your local Starbucks or Wal-Mart—and many of these outlets have
discovered the “prophets” in Christian music. Even Christian retail stores
like Lifeway are offering music downloads for sale.
In spite of the difficulty of lost sales, there was reason to be hopeful for
the future, as 2004 saw the emergence of new luminaries in Christian music.
In fact, a “changing of the guard” was evident at the GMA Music Awards,
as Stacie Orrico and Jeremy Camp were voted “Female” and “Male Vocalist
of the Year,” respectively, and relative newcomer MercyMe was named
“Artist of the Year” and “Group of the Year.” With no disrespect intended,
perennial favorites such as Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith
went home Dove-less, indicating that Christian music had embraced this
newest flock of artists. But no new artist fared better than Casting Crowns,
a group led by a Georgia-based youth leader, Mark Hall. Its debut album,
the first release from Beach Street Records, is nearing platinum status,
making it 2004’s No. 2 best-selling release (after No. 1 Switchfoot’s The
Beautiful Letdown), and Christian music’s fastest-selling debut ever.
Contemporary Christian music has always been about telling an old
story in a new way. With new artists making new forays into television,
radio and movies with great new music based on a Christian worldview,
2004 has indeed been a landmark year. Maybe next year the “bubble” will
finally burst.
For more information about GMA Membership and voting in the Dove Awards, visit
gospelmusic.org.
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CLASSIFIEDS
RECORDS/TAPES/CDs
RUGGED CROSS MUSIC
P.O. Box 42146, Charleston, SC 29423-2146,
www.RuggedCrossMusic.com,
sales@RuggedCrossMusic.com, CDs, LPs,
Cassettes, Videos and more
MUSIC VIDEO EXPERTS!
TV/radio production, training, editing, TV/radio
station placement and Public Relations. Call
214/316-1040 or visit our Web site at
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POSITIVE POP SONG CONTEST
Great prizes, feedback and opportunities!
Qualified music industry judges will hear your
song. www.positivepopsongcontest.com
ATTENTION ARTISTS!
Interested in the International Music Markets?
We have distribution in Europe & Asia.
www.irlmusic.com 949/766-7979
SEMINAR
Subscription/Customer Service Information: Write CCM, 104
Woodmont Blvd. Ste 300, Nashville, TN 37205 or call 800/527-5226.
In the U.S., $19.95/one year, $35.95/two years, $53.95/three years;
Canada, (U.S. funds) $27.95 per year; all other countries, (U.S. funds)
$33.95 (surface) or $67 (airmail). For address changes or other
inquiries, please include both old and new addresses and mailing
label. Allow four to six weeks for new subscriptions to begin.
CCM [ISSN 1524–7848] is published monthly by Salem Publishing.
Copyright: CCM © 2004 by Salem Publishing, 104 Woodmont Blvd.,
Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205. Contents may not be reproduced in
any manner, either whole or in part, without prior written permission
of the publisher. Editorial: The editor cannot assume responsibility for
unsolicited manuscripts and will return only those accompanied by a
stamped, self–addressed envelope. Writers’ guidelines available
upon request. Advertising: Neither the advertisers nor the contents of
advertisements appearing in this publication are necessarily
endorsed by Salem Publishing. We cannot accept liability for any
products, services, etc., offered in advertisements, but please contact
us if you experience any difficulties with advertisers. Periodicals
postage paid at Nashville, TN and additional offices. Postmaster:
Send address changes to 104 Woodmont Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville,
TN 37205. Printed in the U.S.A.
HOW TO PLACE CLASSIFIEDS
To place a classified ad, send a check (payable to CCM
Communications) or a credit card number and expiration date, along
with your ad copy by the 15th of the month—two months in advance of
the issue in which you want the ad. (For example, by Dec. 15 for the
February issue.)
Cost: $3.00 a word with a minimum of $50 per month.
Display ads run as follows: $175 (B/W), $225 (2 color) and $295
(4 color). Marketplace ads run as follows: $275 (B/W), $325 (2 color)
and $395 (4 color). CMYK colors only.
Send ad copy for classified listings and/or an electronic digital file
on CD for display/marketplace ads with your check or credit card
number with expiration date to: Classified Ads, CCM Magazine,
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include a daytime phone number.
Please contact classifieds@salempublishing.com for further
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MUSIC MINISTRY DEVELOPMENT
SEMINAR - FEBRUARY 21 - APRIL 14,
2005. (last week at GMA week Nashville) For musicians who are serious
about God, Music and Ministry. Focus Songwriting, publishing, digital recording, music
business, band arranging, ministry development,
missions. Info and application:
www.MusiciansForMissions.com 505/471-5872
—YWAM Santa Fe
PRINTING SERVICES
YOUR SONGS PROFESSIONALLY PRINTED
from manuscript or cassette. Free brochure on
fees and copyright security. Not a publisher.
Willaco Music, P.O. Box 2501, Calumet City, IL
60409-2501. E-mail: willaco2@ameritech.net
ccmmagazine.com
december 04 ccm 61
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halloffame
Amy Grant
f there were an official title of “Queen of
Christian Music,” it would indisputably
belong to Amy Grant. After 27 years of
making music, Grant has sold more than 24 million
albums (To put that in perspective, that is five million
more than two of her former opening acts, Michael W.
Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman—combined.), and
she remains the only Christian artist to date to become
a true superstar in mainstream pop culture, finding
widespread success as a songwriter, recording artist,
performer and even as an actress.
Though Grant began her career with a series of
unabashedly Christian albums that built her a fiercely
loyal following while virtually monopolizing the
Christian charts (Her first major hit was “Father’s Eyes,”
penned by former husband Gary Chapman.), she
became the first artist on a faith-based label to ever
score a Top 40 hit, thanks to “Find A Way” from 1985’s
unguarded, an album that quickly catapulted her into the
mainstream media spotlight. At a time when most
Christian artists were playing churches in largely rural
and suburban communities, Grant found herself playing
sold-out shows at venues as prestigious as Radio City
Music Hall in New York and The Forum in Los Angeles.
More “firsts” quickly followed, including extensive
coverage in the notoriously liberal Rolling Stone, a cover
story in The Saturday Evening Post, regular appearances on
I
62 ccm december 04
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morning and late-night talk shows and even an
invitation to perform for Prince Charles and the late
Princess Diana in London at the Prince’s Trust Concert.
Shortly after a duet with former Chicago lead singer
Peter Cetera became the No. 1 pop hit (“The Next
Time I Fall”) in the land, Grant largely disappeared from
public life for two years.
When she reemerged in 1988, she had been able to
channel the pain from marital struggles into Lead Me On,
an absolutely stunning album still widely regarded not
only as her finest work but as, perhaps, the finest
contemporary Christian album ever released.
Three years later, the “crossover” release of Heart in
Motion, a perky, full-fledged pop album, made the
preceding 14 years of Grant’s career seem miniscule.
The album exploded at mainstream radio with five Top
20 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including the
No. 1 smash “Baby Baby.” Grant found herself in an
exhausting whirlwind of pop culture success
(performances on “Oprah,” tours across Europe, duets
with everyone from rocker Melissa Etheridge to folkster
Art Garfunkel to actor Kevin Costner, a high-profile
endorsement deal with Target) and controversy
(accusations from many Christians that she was “too
sexy” and had “sold out,” sensationalized stories in
national tabloids such as The National Enquirer and Star).
1994’s House of Love was a somewhat vapid follow-up
to Heart’s overwhelming success. Indeed, Grant later
described feeling, in that time period, as if she had been
painted out of the picture of her own life. Those
feelings were seemingly captured in the critically
lauded but almost unsettlingly honest 1997 release
Behind the Eyes. In 2002, Grant made a shift and returned
to her church roots with the release of Legacy…Hymns &
Faith, produced by her husband, Vince Gill, and Grant’s
longtime producer, Brown Bannister. Grant and Gill
also continue Grant’s annual tradition of a symphony
Christmas tour.
Today, Grant’s star continues to burn brightly. At 44,
the lifelong Nashville resident is still juggling family
and career. This fall she released Greatest Hits: 1986-2004,
and she is at work on a second hymns project. She
continues to be known for her exceptionally kind and
generous spirit, which, through the years, has led her to
be active on behalf of such non-profits as Habitat for
Humanity, the American Heart Association, the Sarah
Cannon Cancer Research Center, St. Jude’s Children’s
Hospital, Compassion International, the Nashville
Symphony and Nashville’s Crisis Pregnancy Center.
ESSENTIAL AMY GRANT
Age to Age (Myrrh, 1982)
A Christmas Album (Myrrh, 1983)
unguarded (Myrrh 1985)
Lead Me On* (Myrrh/A&M 1988)
Heart in Motion (Myrrh/A&M, 1991)
Behind the Eyes (Myrrh/A&M, 1997)
*No. 1 in CCM’s The 100 Greatest
Albums in Christian Music (2001)
SOME OF AMY GRANT’S
MOST WELL-KNOWN SONGS
“Angels”
“Baby Baby”
“Breath of Heaven
(Mary’s Song)”
“El Shaddai”
“Emmanuel”
“Every Heartbeat”
“I Have Decided”
“Lead Me On”
“I Will Remember
You”
“My Father’s Eyes”
“Sing Your Praise
to the Lord”
“That’s What Love
Is For”
“Thy Word”
AWARDS, ACCOLADES &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• One quintuple-platinum album, one
triple-platinum album, one doubleplatinum album, plus six additional
platinum and three gold albums
• First Christian artist to have a gold
and a platinum album
• Five Grammy Awards
• 20 Dove Awards, including 4x “Artist
of the Year”
• Gospel Music “Hall of Fame” inductee
(2003)
• Pax Christi Award from St. John’s
University (1994)
• MTV Video Music Award nomination
• Two performances on Grammy Awards
• Two network TV Christmas specials
• Lifetime TV special
• Starred in “A Song from the Heart”
CBS-TV movie
• Nashvillian of the Year (2001)
MICHAEL CIANI
CCM COVERS
June 1979, April 1982, March 1984, August 1986, September 1988, March 1991, December 1992,
May 1994 (w/Gary Chapman), June 1995 (My Utmost for His Highest), September 1997, November 1999,
June 1999 (Streams), May 2002, July 2003
For a complete list of past Hall of Fame inductees, visit CCMmagazine.com.