Showing posts with label Christian contemporary music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian contemporary music. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013
1970's Christian contemporary music
Bryan Duncan - lead singer
SWEET COMFORT BAND
BRYAN DUNCAN
SWEET COMFORT BAND
Sweet Comfort Band was one of the most original and
influential Christian rock bands of the 70’s and 80’s.
From their home base in Riverside, the four man group
was formed during the Southern California Jesus Movement.
As musical missionaries, they toured extensively until 1984.
Their style defies easy description, since Sweet Comfort Band compositions are known for an eclectic mixture of rock,
funk, soul, and jazz. Rather than limit their appeal, this
musical diversity has won them legions of loyal fans.
SCB produced six groundbreaking records that were renowned
for high quality artwork, and excellent musical content. This is a
band that made its name with undeniable musicianship. The band’s
impact reaches far beyond the decade they spent together. The accomplishments of the former members help to highlight this.
Lead singer and keyboardist Bryan Duncan continued to employ his signature voice over an impressive solo career, releasing 22
projects in the last 30 years. He has had 17 #1 singles to date,
selling over 1 million records. His extensive list of accolades includes multiple Gospel Music Association Dove awards, six nominations
for vocalist of the year in Contemporary Christian Music, Inspirational
Album of the Year, and a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
Bryan has stayed in close touch with his broad fan base by working the social media. Well- known for his autobiographical lyrics, he has
applied his amazing talent for crafting words into the authorship of three recent Bryan Duncan books.
Guitarist / vocalist Randy Thomas went on to form the Christian rock
band ALLIES, serving as producer and recording engineer on 6
records that garnered 6 #1 singles. Randy’s Radio Ranch Recording
studio hosted countless country and Christian acts from 1990
through 2007. With ALLIES lead singer Bob Carlisle, Thomas
enjoyed a long stream of “outside” cuts with country artists such as Dolly Parton and Hank Williams, Jr. Randy toured the world with Shania
Twain during her rise to fame with “The Woman in Me” project.
The crowning success of the Carlisle / Thomas collaboration is
the multi-platinum Grammy award winning crossover phenomenon
“Butterfly Kisses.”
Drummer / vocalist Rick Thomson turned to record production beginning with the “Voices” project for Myrrh records in 1987. He formed a construction company in Riverside, California, and owns the
state of the art recording complex known as Shelter Sound Studios.
This has allowed Rick to stay remain connected to the southern
California music business and songwriting scene. Rick has also continued a successful music production and songwriting career, most recently
co-writing “Christmas Without You” (with El Debarge) and #1
Billboard RnB hit “Beautiful UR” by Deborah Cox.
Kevin Thomson was revered as the unorthodox “Ox” of Christian
bassists. Those who saw SCB back in the day will never forget
Kevin performing his improvisational show-stopping bass solos.
Given the chance, he would also speak to audiences about Jesus.
Behind the scenes he was a Samson-like figure, loading heavy
equipment, road managing and driving the band truck to the next gig.
With the four original members, Sweet Comfort briefly reunited
in the summer of 2001, to play a few select Christian festivals for
fortunate fans that had not seen the band for 17 years! Fans
who came to hear live renditions of their favorite radio hits would
later claim that the concert performances exceeded their
expectations. The band still had it. But this brief reunion proved
to be the last glimpse of ‘Sweet C’ with Kevin on bass. Five years later Kevin suffered a serious spinal injury that left him paralyzed.
In 2009 Sweet Comfort Band reformed. New songs were being
created at Rick’s Shelter Sound Studios in Riverside California.
There was new energy and a sense of rebirth. Then Kevin Thomson,
worn down from his years of being paralyzed, passed away on May 30, 2010. One of Kevin’s last wishes was that his sons perform with SCB.
On June 16th 2010, Sweet Comfort Band played in memory of Kevin
at Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California. Bryan, Rick, Randy and keyboardist Rob Rinderer were joined by Joshua Thomson on guitar
and Elijah Thomson on bass.
Stunned by the loss of Kevin, the three surviving members of Sweet Comfort took comfort from the promise of eternal life that Jesus
offers to those who trust in Him. They knew that their reunion needed
to be on a level of excellence that would honor Kevin’s life. Returning
to writing and creating new music, some songs from the early sessions began to be jettisoned in favor of even more material as the band
continued to write and record.
By the summer of 2012, the band felt they were creating something
beyond even the best music of their heyday. The project, spanning
four years, was taking on the feel of an epic accomplishment.
The band is confident that there is much yet to say.
The early Sweet Comfort Band songs are now part of the soundtrack
of the early Jesus Movement. But along with these classics songs
will be exciting new material that expresses the matured faith of
these seasoned professionals. The principal performing members
will be Bryan Duncan, Randy Thomas, and Rick Thomson. Joining
them in honor of his dad, will be Elijah Thomson on bass. Eli was a
small boy when the band toured. Now he heads up many of the
production chores, inspiring the band to create a new sound that compliments their classic songs.
“Kevin used to push this band, sometimes to the limit!” says Randy.
“Now we’ve had to reorganize and restructure. We want our reunion
to be something Kevin will be proud of. We sure miss him. There are
some very cool moments on this record when recording where Eli sounds exactly like his dad!”
With such a long record of solo credits, Bryan has shown he can excel again as the front-man of a band effort: “I’m pretty amazed at how the band dynamic forces me reach for things I didn’t think I could do. These guys keep raising the bar, and now I have to sing over it!” Rick has become the band’s driving force for artistic achievement. “I keep telling everybody- this has got to be great. And it is- it’s the best record we’ve ever done.”
Friday, June 14, 2013
Hand To The Plow ablum - great songs!
Born in Kansas City, Paul grew up in a diversified environment. "My grandfather, the son of a German immigrant and a wild west pioneer, taught me the value of hard labor and the joy of building with my hands. My grandmother, a hearing-aid dependent, literature teacher, gave me a love for words and a spirit of compassion. My father, a trial attorney and tireless sports companion, showed me wisdom, knowledge, mercy, justice, and healthy competitiveness. Last, but not least, my mother, an interior designer and constant cheerleader, pointed me to the canvas with its limitless colors and depth of field.
Speaking of fields, while growing up, Paul's father had front row season ticket seats behind the visitor's dugout at the Kansas City A's baseball stadium, as well as midfield seats to the Kansas City Chiefs at Municipal Stadium. Watching big-league talent up close, especially Mickey Mantle and the Yankees, made it easier to dream stadium-sized dreams.
"Ironically, in that same stadium, I sat nearly that close to the Beatles when they came to town. A few months earlier, I had witnessed the Fab-four on the Ed Sullivan Show. They were so vibrant and joyful. I thought to myself, "I want to be happy.........so, that's what I want to do. I purchased a Black Oyster Pearl Ludwig drum set like Ringo's and started a band with a couple of friends called the Kommotions."
Unfortunately, commotion was the path of his mid-teens. The whirlpool of drugs and social rebellion nearly drowned him. Mercifully, in April of 1970, after his freshman year of college was cut short due to student unrest, Paul moved from Kansas to a primitive log cabin at 9,800 feet on the Continental Divide, in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
There, his life took a miraculous turn from commotion to devotion as he witnessed something far greater than what he had seen in those stadiums. " I was an 18 year-old hippie, strong and independent, yet riddled with fear and hopelessness. Like so many disgruntled youth during the era of Vietnam and social unrest, I tried to find solace in God. An anemic denominational church experience, Transcendental Meditation, the Bghavad Gita, the Tibetan Book Of The Dead, grass, hash, opium, speed and countless LSD trips left me empty.
One day, at the Post Office, I received a box of books from my grandmother about Jesus Christ. I chose one and read it from cover to cover in one day. At the end of the book I prayed a prayer to follow Jesus as his disciple. The next morning brought more than another pristine Rocky Mountain High. I remember waking up and sitting on my porch. Something had drastically changed. I felt deeply loved, so new, so clean, so forgiven and unspeakably peaceful. I was also overwhelmed with thankfulness. Concurrently, songs began to pour
out of me like the water in the river next to my cabin."
out of me like the water in the river next to my cabin."
Paul felt an immediate call on his life to sing a new song to the ends of the earth. With the stage as a pulpit, he sang his newly penned songs at the Narrow Gate Coffeehouse, a place he and his friends established to reach out to hippies shortly after his move to Denver in 1971. His local following thrust him into the now historical, "Jesus Movement", which in turn, led to national and international performances.
Paul is recognized as one of the founding fathers of the Jesus Movement and the Contemporary Christian Music industry. During his 13 year association with Word Records in the 1970's and 1980's, Paul's songwriting, record producing and avant-garde artistry placed him in the forefront along with artists like Phil Keaggy, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Love Song, Larry Norman, Andre Crouch, Honeytree, Keith Green, Randy Stonehill, Barry McGuire, and many others.
Not resting on his laurels, Paul's life after CCM noteriety didn't slide into cruise control. Paul has continued his allegiance to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even though he has completed 17 solo recording projects, written over 400 songs, produced records for several artists, served as worship leader/pastor, as well as being an author and published photographer, Paul's voyage presses on. He has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles on several continents, still fueled by the joy of the Lord.
"Over the years, I've performed at churches so small that my family nearly outnumbered the congregation. In contrast, I've also performed at large festivals internationally. For three years I had the joy of serving on a Maranatha Worship Team that provided the music for the Promise Keepers Stadium Events, including the monumental, Stand In The Gap, Washington D.C. Event.
Needless to say, it was quite a thrill to sing to a crowd of over 1 million people. That being said, I am mindful that first and foremost, I stand before an audience of One. I seek to pattern my calling to the model that He demonstrated. He spoke to large gatherings, yet, He always sought out the individual person one on one.
I hunger to be led by the Holy Spirit. I feel blessed beyond words to have seen and experienced all that I have. I'm humbled that Jesus is still calling me to serve Him. Without a doubt, God uses broken vessels."
After more than three decades of this minstrel's voyage, Paul has no intentions of dropping his anchor."I intend to keep my hand to the plow spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. By His grace, I honor the past, embrace the present, and possess a living hope for the future.
I want to finish strong in whatever path He chooses for me. Hardship to joy, the jewels are collected along the way, not, as some perceive, at the final destination. Once there, we will cast our jeweled crowns at the feet of Jesus. Before His throne, I will long to see His face and hear His loving voice say, "Well done thy good and faithful servant."
"I believe God created us to glorify Him. If I can display His love and mercy, in spite of my weaknesses, then what greater cause could one hope to live for." Paul's hopes and goals are found in II Cor. 4:1-7
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Keith Gordon Green (October 21, 1953 – July 28, 1982)
Keith Green was an intense and radical man of God. He was taken from this Earth at a relatively young age. His legacy lives on through his music and his sermons. This video is about his life.
He had Jewish heritage in his family.
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Keith was born in New York near Brooklyn. His mom had been a singer with the Big Bands, his dad a schoolteacher. Before he was two his mom said Keith had perfect pitch as he sang his baby songs. A year later his family moved to CA and settled into the newly developed orchards of the San Fernando Valley, just a short drive to Hollywood, which would play a significant role in Keith's future.
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