music – Page 5 – Broken Believers

CCM Classic Post on the Talbot Brothers

Ballet Magnificat dances to the Talbot Brothers. The songs here are “Paint My Life” and “The Empty Canvas.”

John Michael Talbot and Terry were musicans playing with a 60s hard rock band “Mason Profitt.” They played together for 4-5 years and then went their different ways doing Christian ministry through their music.

John Michael became quite prolific, with a dozen or albums. He converted to Catholicism, and over time founded, “The Little Portion” hermitage. He also tours in small venues quite regularly.

The BB CCM Index can be seen/heard at https://brokenbelievers.com/classic-christian-music-index/. It’s kind of a music museum for the Christian, with the old bands of the 70s and 80s.

For more on the Talbot Brothers: http://jrocklegends.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/the-talbot-brothers-reborn/

CCM Classic Focus on Bob Ayala

Blinded in his youth, Bob Ayala began performing in 1969 at The Salt Company, a Christian coffeehouse in Los Angeles, CA. He released his first album in 1976 and was also voted Best New Artist that year by CCM readers. He later became involved with Keith and Melody Green‘s Last Days Ministries and released an album on their record label in 1985. In December 1999 he released two independent albums and he continues to perform concerts.

Bob Ayala has been a Performer/songwriter and a member of ASCAP for 3 decades. Blinded from his youth, He didn’t let this slow him down and began his CCM performer/songwriter career in the 1970s. By 1980 he recorded 3 albums with Myrrh Records, a division of Word. In the mid 1980s he released his fourth recording project on Sparrow records.

Bob was a staff writer with Hosanna! Integrity music for 3 years. They recorded about 20 of Bob’s songs. After the contract ended, a mutual decision was made to not renew as most of what he was writing and wanted to write was not in the worship genre, which was their main emphasis at the time. Despite having been a performer since he was 14, his passion was songwriting, more than performing. Bob’s strong suit has always been as a lyricist.

Recently, he has set his sights on plying his talents to writing main stream country music, and finds himself coming full circle, as much of his early music had definite country influences.

“Pour Through Me”

Since he is one of my definite favorites, I can’t help myself. This cassette was called “Rescued.” I listened to it, over and over, until the tape wore out. This was way back in 1986, when I was doing high-visibility evangelism with a dozen other believers, out of a ratty old Victorian in the Mission District of San Francisco. His music helped come through this challenging time of my life.

“Its My Dream”

Both of these are songs from YouTube. But this is a sad song. It gets shared because of the excellence of music and lyrics (I love the gentle sax.) I am really excited to share them, as Bob Ayala was a profound influence in my life.

Please go to the BB Classic Christian Music Index and see what else is listed. We have dozens of great CCM artists from the 70s and 80s. I know you’ll be blessed. https://brokenbelievers.com/classic-christian-music-index/

CCM Spotlight on Bob Bennett

“Lord, of the Past”

Bob Bennett makes superb music, which simply brings us into a wonderful place. This song in particular, ignites something inside, and brings us to a side of the cross, that somehow we’ve not yet seen. I really hope you will make room to listen to this, and maybe, just listen to all his songs. You will find him to be concrete.

Enjoy this song, and then, maybe, play it again. Let the lyrics seep deep within. After-all, your heart needs to hear this voice.

From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bennett_(singer-songwriter)

Bob Bennett was born on March 21, 1955 in Downey, California. He picked up his first guitar at age nine and formed a rock ‘n’ roll band in high school. In the late seventies he converted to Christianity and his songwriting began to reflect his newfound faith.^[1]

His career was launched with the release of his 1979 folk-style debut recording First Things First. Three years later came Matters of the Heart, a recording Contemporary Christian Music Magazine voted 1982’s “Album of the Year”, ranking it among the top 20 contemporary Christian albums of all time. Soon after the release of his next recording, Non-Fiction, he served as opening act on Amy Grant‘s “Unguarded tour.” Lord of the Past: A Compilation followed, which peaked at 30th position on Billboard magazine’s Top Contemporary Christian chart in 1990.^[2] The album’s title song reached number one on the Christian radio charts in early 1990. This was followed by Bennett’s second number one song: “Yours Alone”.

Later in 1990 Bob joined Michael Card on his The Way of Wisdom tour, performing in front of sold-out audiences across the country. Bob credits his tour with Michael Card as being the only reason he had a career in 1990 and 1991.

Songs from Bright Avenue was released in 1991, a collection of songs he wrote while struggling with the dissolution of his marriage. Bob’s most recent CD is Christmastide, released in 2009. Bob plays a Kevin Ryan guitar.

CCM Classic Spotlight on 2nd Chapter of Acts

Live at an outdoor concert, “Mansion Builder“

The 2nd Chapter of Acts was a Jesus Music and early Contemporary Christian Music group composed of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward. They began performing in 1973 and enjoyed their period of greatest success during the 1970s. The group disbanded in 1988. (From, Wikipedia)

About 2nd Chapter Of Acts

Source: http://www.2ndchapterofacts.com/AboutUs.html

The 2nd Chapter of Acts began as a result of the trio singing at home together as Annie played the piano. Following the death of their parents in 1970, Nelly (14 yrs) and Matthew (12 yrs), still minors, moved in with their older sister, Annie, and her husband, recording engineer Buck Herring. Annie was a self taught singer and songwriter, who wrote and played her songs around the family piano. Her brother and sister would often join in as she played, and eventually, they developed extremely tight and intricate harmonies.

They started singing for local coffee houses and small gatherings, and gained the notice of Pat Boone, who arranged a contract to record and release two singles with MGM, “Jesus Is” (1972) and “I’m So Happy” (1973), which both charted secular in California radio. The fledgling trio also came to the attention of 1960s folk singer Barry McGuire (New Christy Minstrels), who had recently become a Christian and was preparing to record his first Christian music album, produced by Buck Herring. The siblings provided background vocals for Seeds and McGuire’s 1974 follow-up Lighten Up.

The trio released their debut album With Footnotes in 1974. This album featured “Easter Song”, which would become a signature piece for the group and has been recorded by many other artists since. This was followed with In the Volume of the Book in 1975, the year that also saw the release of a double live album with Barry McGuire, To the Bride, which included “a band called David”, who supported 2nd Chapter of Acts on tour.