The latest part of the ongoing series chronicling, in no particular order, the greatest 1001 recordings made by Christian artists

182. SONGS OF THE VINEYARD - LIGHT THE FIRE AGAIN, 1994. From the album 'Touching The Father's Heart: Light The Fire Again', Vineyard International.
It was a particularly pressured time in May last year and I was struggling. The problem with working all the hours God gives you is that as your fatigue increases so your sensitivity to the things of God often decreases. The pressure was telling and I took sick of listening to albums, particularly the seemingly never-ending flood of albums pitched at the praise and worship market. So when I heard the Cross Rhythms Experience on Plymouth Sound one Sunday announce the Vineyard musicians I wasn't exactly thrilled. But as I listened to "Light The Fire Again", first registering the socking drum patterns and the gruffly expressive vocal of Vineyard reliable Danny Daniels, the lyrics suddenly shot like an arrow straight to my heart. A simple prayer asking God to re-ignite the flame of our passion for Him, was answered even before this rambling piece of live worship ended. Vineyard despite a disappointing tendency to often stay in the middle of the musical road, still retain that powerful Spirit anointing.
Tony Cummings

183. RESURRECTION BAND - GOLDEN ROAD, 1978. From the album 'Awaiting Your Reply', Star Song.
When I wrote my Resurrection Band/Rez feature, I overlooked this gem. It took buddy James Lewis to awaken me to the delights of "Golden Road". An "overlooked classic" he called it and he is right. A song that uses the most unlikely of instruments a hammered dulcimer, to lay down the riff with Glenn Kaiser singing with gritty intensity a telling lyric on the folly in taking the twisted track of the rock 'n' roll life.
Tony Cummings

184. 4HIM - THE BASICS OF LIFE, 1992. From the album 'The Basics Of Life', Benson.
A vocal harmony group that in recent years have been elevated to Christian radio stars in the States while remaining all but unknown in the UK, 4Him have made a series of seriously classy albums but this track remains their classic. A dramatic ballad which thanks to some credible restraint in the arrangement, manages to be dramatic yet stay the right side of corn while the lyric speaks about the desperate need for the nation to return to the values and teachings of the Bible. Released in Britain when a certain politician was still exhorting the nation of the need to get back to basics, "The Basics Of Life" had the uncanny ability to speak truth rather than rhetoric.
Tony Cummings

185. BLIND JOE TAGGART - THE STORM IS PASSING OVER, 1927. From the album 'Blind Joe Taggart Vol 1 1926-1928', Document.
Blind Joe Taggart was the first of the guitar evangelists to record and in Chicago in June 1927 he cut this fine track. Using the same hoarse, shouting delivery later to be associated with Blind Gary David, it's an unforgettable piece of gospel blues. Eeery in its declamatory intensity "The Storm Is Passing Over" still moves me.
Tony Cummings

186. JACOB'S TROUBLE - WAY OF |THE CROSS, 1993. From the album 'Jacob's Trouble', Frontline.
It took this compilation to convince me that Jacob's Trouble were up there with the best rock gospel bands and this gem, still played occasionally on the Cross Rhythms radio programme, is their finest moment. The way that hook rings out, "It was no accident...it was the way of the cross" across the interlocking guitars and keyboards is still an unforgettable moment.
Tony Cummings
187. THE CHOIR - SAD FACE, 1988. From the album 'Chase The Kangaroo', Myrrh.
A rare lyrical theme on a CCM album dealing with the pain experienced within the Christian life. A grating "gospel" piece (is this genuine or Derri doing a cod-falsetto?) expounding the heresy that Christians have no problems is followed by Derri singing, "That's not right!" Guitars shimmer in a wall of ambient sound.
Tony Cummings

188. WALK ON WATER - SOMEONE, 1990. From the album 'Walk On Water', Record Station.
A Swedish band whose album (their only one?) surprisingly got release both in the States and the UK though did nothing for them in the fame stakes. With a keyboard-driven sound, kind of halfway between Duran Duran and Cutting Crew, WOW sported an excellent vocalist and above average lyrics. On this lightly funky track Tot observes, "You see shadows/Tell me you hear voices/They are screaming/Shouting out the choices/And the blinds to the room in your heart are drawn down." Memorable techno-rock.
Tony Cummings

189. ERIC CHAMPION - TOUCH, 1994. From the album 'Vertical Reality', Myrrh.
Eric Champion's Stevie Wonderish blue-eyed soul singing has long been a favourite of mine but on this deliciously soulful ballad, with that spine-tingling intro from a soulful female singer (Cindy Walker?) and a lolloping rhythm which takes us to the full gospel choir chorus, this is as good as R&B gospel arranging gets.
Tony Cummings

190. WES KING - GETTING USED TO THE DARKNESS, 1990. From the album 'The Ultimate, Underlying, No Denying Motivation', Reunion.
Wes has a honey-sweet voice which when he's fired up takes on a husky growl, while his accompaniments are an acoustic-driven groove. What makes this track so moving is the lyrics: "You reached for the lamp/But you thought about the speed of light/So you lay back down/Cause you really don't want to fight." A fine singer/songwriter on an insightful song.
Tony Cummings

As published in CR26, 1st April 1995
191. BLUE JAY SINGERS - I'M BOUND FOR CANAAN LAND, 1947. From the various artists album 'All Of My Appointed Time', Stash.
In 1932 this Atlanta jubilee quartet recorded a Thomas Dorsey song and really started modern gospel. Eight years later they recorded this, one of the finest gospel cuts ever. Featuring the goose-pimple inducing voice of Silas Steele, the first of the "hard" quartet leads, and a vocalist capable of duplicating the power and authority of any preacher, "Canaan Land" improvises in soulful inventiveness, repeating first one word, then another, and bringing the simple song to a shattering cathartic climax.
Tony Cummings

Perry And The Poor Boys

192. PERRY AND THE POOR BOYS - RANSOME, 1992. From the album 'No Fear In Love', independent.
A haunting, in-your-face call to repentance from the brilliant pop rockers which uses an old-time country rhythm and melody to punch home memorable lyrics, "That for every laugh you laughed/There's been a dozen more times you cried/And the prison you're in is made of bricks of sin/And you never know you're inside." Mike Roe's production is exemplary.
Tony Cummings

193. DELIA GARTRELL - SEE WHAT YOU DONE DONE, 1973. From the single, Demin-Kalo.
This made a little noise in R&B circles a couple of decades back though not enough for Delia slipped almost instantly back into obscurity. She left behind this deep soul classic that is as much gospel as secular. The song is addressed to the US government, "Can't you see what you done done/To my only son/While he was fighting in your war?" In a series of searing images the song tells of the anguish of a mother seeing her son return from the Vietnam War "a stone junkie". The song was written and originally recorded (in a less graphic form) by James Shaw, an R&B gospel man who, as Hannibal, recorded an album Truth' which was eventually to be significant in my conversion. His production here is magnificent. It starts with sonorous keyboards and a Duane Alman style rock guitar before Delia swoops and moans in quintessential soul singer style. A masterpiece.
Tony Cummings

194. WHITE HEART - LET YOUR KINGDOM COME, 1989. From the album 'Freedom', Sparrow.
A classic piece of AOR which starts subdued and haunting, before drums, keyboards and a screaming belching guitar lift it to high octane level. Excellent lyrics, GREAT guitar, and an anthemic climax which will test the woofers and tweeters of your stereo.
195. SONGS OF THE KINGDOM - FAITHFUL ONE, 1992. From the album 'Songs Of The Kingdom: Asian Songs Of Worship', Kingsway.
Before the classic 'Asia Worships', Britain's Asian Christians tried with the 'Songs Of The Kingdom' album which was far too safe and lacking in genuine Asian musical direction to stand out. But the album does contain a truly wonderful version of this classic worship ballad penned by Brian Doerkson which for me is even better than the Songs Of The Vineyard original. A worship gem.
Tony Cummings

196. TONY VINCENT - LOVE FALLING DOWN, 1993. From the EP 'Love Falling Down', Lampeetone.
Since its independent release in the States in 1993 this tech-pop gem has been a favourite on Cross Rhythms radio and attracted many reviews Stateside predicting this young chap would soon be snapped up by a big CCM label. But so far it seems he hasn't which is a great shame as this is as good and rhythmic as the techno pop genre gets, a wonderful groove propelled by the deftest of programming, a rhythm guitar of wicked intensity and an adenoidal vocal which sounds astonishingly British.
Tony Cummings

197. WILLIAM REXROAT'S CEDAR SINGERS - WHAT KIND OF SHOES YOU GWINE TO WEAR, 1929. From the various artists album 'Old Ship Sailing For The Promised Land: White Gospel Music 1928-1938', Musical Traditions.
Back in the 1920s the 'holiness' sects of America's rural south produced the rawest, most uninhibited religious music of their (and possibly any other) era. Impromptu pick-up sanctified groups like this gloriously named one also showed that there was far less of a stylistic division between the church music of African-American and hillbilly (rural white) congregations than we'd imagined. What turns this glorious, eccentrically sung ramble into a folk art classic is the glorious syncopation kicked up by the differing vocal parts. Pre-war white gospel has been long neglected. This artless gem demonstrates the music deserves serious study.
Tony Cummings