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

324. ASHLEY CLEVELAND - YOU GOTTA MOVE, 2009. From the album 'God Don't Never Change', Atlantic.
OK, so the author of this classic blues gospel song is lost in the blurred mists of time and the number has had enough cover versions to wonder whether it's possible for anybody to bring anything new to the table. And then there's Ashley Cleveland pulling every ounce of emotion out of the song with one of the great voices of Christian music. Gritty, soulful, this is a voice which has lived and she throws herself into this upbeat version of a classic. Behind her the band is led by husband Kenny Greenberg whose opening slide work sets the scene in uncompromising style and promises that this is going to be something special. The band throw themselves in full tilt and Greenberg's blistering guitar is the perfect match for Cleveland's compelling vocals. This is blues rock at its very best.
Mike Rimmer

325. VIOLENT FEMMES - JESUS WALKING ON THE WATER, 1984. From the album 'Hallowed Ground', Slash.
When Gordon Ganno (vocals, guitar), Brian Ritchie (bass) and Victor De Lorenzo (stand up drums) first emerged on the streets of Milwaukee in 1981 they had an idiosyncratic sound, part punk, part folk and part, dare I say it, skiffle which was utterly compelling. They vented angry fury in songs like "Gone Daddy Gone" (subsequently covered by Gnarls Barkley) which hit the spot with a mass audience and their debut album charted. But then came this stunning followup. As Mojo magazine rightly observed, "The hellfire and faith showcased on 'Hallowed Ground' was either renounced or rebuked, or in the case of the British press, misunderstood completely." Christian Ganno himself recalled ruefully, "When we toured 'Hallowed Ground' in the UK there were things written saying that we'd got away with mocking faith. There was no mockery, my dad's a Baptist minister. He was one of the few people who really liked the record; he liked songs like 'Jesus Walking On The Water' a lot." So do I. Its mix of hormonal intensity and feral folk is truly captivating.
Tony Cummings

326. VINEYARD UK - THE LORD IS GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE, 1998. From the album 'Come Now Is The Time', Vineyard Music.
The fresh intimacy and worshipful simplicity of very early Vineyard output in the mid 1980s appealed to worshippers all over the world, but after awhile the freshness faded, and for quite a number of years thereafter the perpetual flow of Vineyard recordings seemed to be marked by middle of the road mediocrity and sameness (an exception being 'Light The Fire Again' from 1994). Then in '98, all that changed. With the help of Canada's Brian Doerksen, then resident in the UK, a team of creative young songwriters and musicians came together to launch Vineyard UK's first recording - capturing a totally fresh and thoroughly relevant worship expression, from which various songs were picked up for congregational use all over the world. The passion and vibrancy of these sounds continued on subsequent recordings such as 'Hungry', 'Surrender' and 'Holy'. A standout track from the first release was Graham Ord's "The Lord Is Gracious And Compassionate", originally recorded by the Wesley Brothers and here given an impassioned reading by Wendy Whitehead. Powerful, raw worship, the words were taken virtually verbatim from the NIV translation of Psalm 145. As well as the striking vocal delivery, terrific saxophone, trumpet, guitar and organ work are wonderfully thrown into the mix.
Tom Lennie

327. GROUP 1 CREW - LOVE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING, 2007. From the album 'Group 1 Crew', Word.
With their blend of Latin, pop and hip-hop, Group 1 Crew emerged to garner comparisons with Black Eyed Peas. On this song the group managed to create a perfect pop song for radio. There's something wonderfully happy, upbeat and optimistic about the whole thing. From the catchy sung chorus to the stylish word play in the rapping to the overall breezy feel of the song, it always brings a smile to the face and with each passing year it becomes more evident that this Florida-based crew had delivered an urban gospel classic.
Mike Rimmer

328. CARMAN - ADDICTED TO JESUS, 1992. From the album 'Addicted To Jesus', Word.
Down the years Carman has used his consummate skills as a raconteur where laconic Italian-American street talk is mixed with New Testament visionary, to produce monologues which some find exhilarating, others find over-the-top. And it has to be admitted that his origins as a Vegas circuit balladeer mean that even his years of exposure to black church worship don't always make his music a comfortable listening experience. But on the 'Addicted To Jesus' album Carman reached his creative height and the title track with guests dc Talk in tow was, for the time, a revolutionary track of pumped up funky rap.
Tony Cummings

Swan Silvertones

329. SWAN SILVERTONES - THE LORD'S PRAYER, 1956. From the album 'Move Up', Charly.
Soul music expert Clive Richardson recently recounted in his book Really Sayin' Something: Memoirs Of A Soul Survivor how, in my pre-conversion days in the '60s, I got Clive listening to gospel music like the Swan Silvertones by telling him something like "these groups are as good as the Temptations, it's just they sing about God." Decades later it became clear my observation wasn't so far off. In Mojo magazine's Last Night A Record Changed My Life column the Temptations' Otis Williams said, "Being raised [in Texarkana, Texas] by my grandmother, there was a strong spiritual background, having to go to church and saying the Lord's Prayer, and to hear Claude Jeter's version of it was astounding to me - the way he used his voice, I mean, it was so unique, the way he expressed it. It had a profound effect on me. I would go down to their house as often as I could and ask them to play that record over and over. When I heard Claude Jeter sing, boy, it just sent cold chills down my spine. It was a whole combination of things, how they had arranged 'The Lord's Prayer', and then his magnificent voice, the way he interprets songs, period. He had a great range, he comes from his natural tenor into his falsetto, it was the greatest transition I had heard. The way the man could sing, he had a special anointment from God, and I don't think they got their just dues as one of the great gospel groups." Otis was spot on. Claude Jeter & The Swan Silvertones remain one of the greatest acts, soul, gospel, prop, in the history of music.
Tony Cummings

330. KEVIN PROSCH - SO COME, 1991. From the album 'Even So Come', Hosanna! Music.
American worship pioneer Kevin Prosch took the UK Christian music scene by storm at the start of the 1990s with the release of a couple of truly innovative alternative worship recordings ('Even So, Come' and 'Come To The Light'), the effects of which, accompanied by some groundbreaking appearances at British worship events and Bible Weeks, led to the unusual scenario that he was for a while far better known in the UK than his native States of America. Prosch's eclectic music style, which includes elements of soul, gospel, acoustic-driven rock and dashes of world music (often employing ethnic instruments such as the didgeridoo and conk shells), along with his husky, emotive vocals - reducing him to tearful ejections on particularly moving songs - and the prophetic edge with which his music is rendered - all combined to make some timeless worship music.
Tom Lennie

331. EDEN'S BRIDGE - KEEP ME SAILING, 2002. From the album 'Isle Of Tides', Jude Music.
Probably because of the "stack-'em-up, sell-'em-cheap" way in which EMI CMG marketed Eden's Bridge worship albums, the Yorkshire-based aggregation were never likely to get the critical praise handed out to other Celtic-orientated groups like Iona. Yet in their own way Eden's Bridge were exemplary exponents of Celtic folk-styled music and on the 'Isle Of Tides' album, their creative pinnacle, they showed themselves to be up there with the very best Celtic acts - Christian or pagan. On this haunting song Sarah Lacey's expressive voice glides across Richard's deft piano figure with a lyric that acknowledges the "Holder of the rudder/And the anchor of my heart."
Tony Cummings

Son House

332. SON HOUSE - JOHN THE REVELATOR, 1965. From the album 'Death Letter', Edsel.
It has long been my conviction that whatever the talents of Clapton, Mayall et al to go deep, deep into the blues you need to investigate the cathartic, intense music of African America's rural music originators. And few country blues practitioners took us more compellingly into the tortured visions of the human soul than Son House. But this stunning track, recorded a year after his rediscovery at 1964's Newport Folk Festival, showed that the grizzled Delta bluesman was much more than a practitioner of folk art for a white audience belatedly discovering the poetic power of deep blues. Son House, one time Baptist Church minister, was also a New Testament prophet boldly asking "Who's that coming?" and then answering his own question, "John The Revelator, he wrote the Book of The Seven Seals". With no accompaniment save for some handclaps, Son's eerie, rasping voice DEMANDS our attention.
Tony Cummings

333. DANIEL BEDINGFIELD - GOTTA GET THRU THIS, 2002. From the album 'Gotta Get Thru This', Polydor.
When the single for this dance music classic charted in 2001 it was the culmination of years of dues paying for the New Zealand-born, Brixton-based singer/songwriter. Danny's work with the family pop dance gospel group (latterly called The DNA Algorithm) had honed his vocal skills while the recording of this million selling dance club floor filler with nothing more than a home computer and a software package is the stuff of music biz legends. That compelling synth riff and Daniel's sinuous vocal - an open prayer to God to get him through the pain of a relationship gone wrong - made "Gotta Get Thru This" an irresistible garage celebration though, of course, natural eclectic Daniel was never to return to the sounds of dance music. Instead, the impossible-to-classify singer showed himself equally adept at pop balladry, gutsy rock and more. But this clubland gem is still a delight.
Tony Cummings

334. HILLS CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTRE - THE POWER OF YOUR LOVE, 1992. From the album 'The Power Of Your Love', Hillsong.
As every worshipper knows the Hillsong mega-church of Sydney, Australia, has for many years been the source of songs which have circled the globe. This haunting yet dramatic ballad was written by Hillsong Church's worship pastor Geoff Bullock and was the title track to their 1992 album which was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association. Later in life Geoff Bullock suffered some serious health issued but he will long be remembered for this stirring anthem.
Tony Cummings

335. DANYEW - CLOSE YOUR EYES, 2009. From the EP 'Danyew', Sparrow.
On Rimmerama I'd joked that the lyric about being connected would make this the perfect song to be sound tracked on an advert for a mobile phone company! Philip Danyew is the multi-instrumentalist whose powerful production skills and plaintive vocal performance made his debut EP a sumptuous affair. In an era when there's an awful lot of bland pop rock emanating from the Christian scene in the States, Danyew managed to boldly create a sound that was utterly fresh. The fact that the suits at Sparrow Records didn't release a full length Danyew project turned out to be frustrating for the artist and the listener!
Mike Rimmer

336. STRYPER - TO HELL WITH THE DEVIL, 1986. From the album 'To Hell With The Devil', Enigma.
Christian metal (or white metal as it was briefly called) had been around for quite a few years before the Sweet Brothers' multi-platinum raised the creative bar and showed that the genre could be so much more than recycled AC/DC riffs and stilted "come to Jesus" lyrics. With sharp edged songs and powerful production the tracks on 'To Hell With The Devil' were radio friendly pop metal yet retained their gutsy power. And in the title track the band had the ultimate Devil-put-down song. Matthew Sweet's high, shrieking vocal has never sounded so effective while it's the brilliant front sleeve painting of four angels casting Satan into the fire used for the mainstream shop version that every collector wants rather than the dull Christian bookshop safe version. A classic piece of Christian rock.
Tony Cummings

337. CAEDMON'S CALL - THERE YOU GO, 1999. From the album '40 Acres', Essential.
The huge success of Caedmon's Call since their formation in 1993 has been due to the integration of thoughtful lyrics combined with an intriguing marriage of folk, world and alternative rock music, all brought together into a compelling, relevant sound. Made up at various times of anything from five to eight members, Caedmon's Call relied largely on the songwriting talents of Aaron Tate and Derek Webb (the latter leaving the group to pursue a solo career between 2003 and '07). Opening song on '40 Acres', which release brought the group to a wider, even international recognition, employs jangling guitars, accordion, tight group harmony vocals and an infectious melody to achieve a thoroughly arresting sound. It contained some weighty lines; "For you so loved the unlovable/That you gave the ineffable/That who so believes the unbelievable/Will gain the unattainable".
Tom Lennie

338. FOY VANCE - GABRIEL AND THE VAGABOND, 2007. From the album 'Hope', Worda Mouth.
The Sunday Mail described this brilliant Irish songsmith as "steeped in soul, blues and funk and his voice calls to mind Otis Redding with a husky touch of Tom Waits" which isn't a bad shot at conveying the cathartic intensity of a GREAT voice. If that wasn't sufficient, Foy writes lyrics which go extremely deep. This is a narrative song about a tramp and his encounter with an other-worldly being who whispers "hope" into his ear. A song that once you've heard it you'll never forget.
Tony Cummings

339. STACIE ORRICO - TRUTH, 2002. From the album 'Say It Again', Forefront.
Astonishingly Stacie was only 15 when she recorded this dazzling album and 'Say It Again' with Stacie's expressive and passionate vocals and crisp inventive production from Tedd T, Michael Anthony Taylor and Mark Heimermann made it one of the best pop R&B albums of 2002 or any other year. This is my favourite cut, a lolloping piece of funk over which sassy young Stacie exhorts us to pursue the truth of the Gospel. Stacie's sudden departure from the music scene after disillusionment with the star-making mechanisms of the mainstream music industry mean that Christendom has lost one of its finest singers. Let's hope Stacie returns, at least to the CCM arena, one day.
Tony Cummings