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

355. COLLECTIVE SOUL - SHINE, 1993. From the album 'Hints, Allegations And Things Left Unsaid', Atlantic.
For years a seemingly still unresolved debate has raged among Christian rock enthusiasts as to whether this hitmaking team from Georgia were bona fide believers or simply a band like Coldplay who sometimes made use of Christian upbringing to bring an unfocussed "spirituality" into their music. Whatever the truth about the biblical authenticity of the faith of Collective Soul's Ed Roland no one can deny that he and his cohorts created music overflowing with classic rock energy. 'Hints, Allegations And Things Left Unsaid' was originally intended as no more than a demo showcasing Roland's songwriting skills. It ended up, of course, going triple Platinum propelled by the runaway hit single "Shine". As author Mark Allan Powell so colourfully observed, "The song 'Shine' was so eminently danceable that perhaps not many of the flannel clad gen Xers who flocked to hear the group perform it at Woodstock '94 realised that they were moshing to.a prayer. But there it is, 'Oh, Heaven, let your light shine down!' Generic, but spiritual all the same." Years later CCM band Pillar recorded a version of "Shine". But it wasn't in the same class as the joyful, cathartic original.
Tony Cummings

356. FLATT & SCRUGGS - MY DARLING'S LAST GOODBYE, 1955. From the album 'Don't Get Above Your Raisin'', Rounder.
The foundation stones of country music is, of course, bluegrass and "My Darling's Last Goodbye" is the very distillation of country economy, cramming deathbed marriage and the pledging of a Resurrection Day reunion into two verses and one refrain. With Lester Flatt's plaintive vocal and Earl Scruggs' superlative banjo Columbia Records were recording one of the finest acts ever to grace a recording studio and though some might find their dramatic narrative songs a tad too maudlin, others will recognise that these bluegrass pioneers were laying down the creative template that much Americana still depends on for its roots and authenticity.
Tony Cummings

357. RANDY STONEHILL - KING OF HEARTS, 1975. From the album 'Welcome To Paradise', Solid Rock.
This is surely one of the finest songs that the Jesus music pioneer ever wrote. Although Randy had famously become a Christian in Larry Norman's kitchen five years earlier, he'd let his faith slide until the mid-'70s when he was ready to throw everything into radical discipleship. At that time Norman encouraged Randy to write as many songs about his new found passion for God as he could and the 'Welcome To Paradise' album is a selection of songs aimed at both Christian and non-Christian listeners. "King Of Hearts" is a beautiful song of bittersweet yearning for something more in life, aimed at the not-yet-saved. The emptiness and isolation that results from being separated from God can be overcome if the listener can "reach out your hand to the King Of Hearts". The song sets the scene for the whole album and is built around some beautiful acoustic guitar playing from Stonehill while there's something about his plaintive vocals that draw the listener in. And, if that's not enough, there's the haunting closing repeated refrain "There's a rainbow somewhere, there's a rainbow somewhere" fading with the song. A timeless treat.
Mike Rimmer

The Ward Singers

358. THE WARD SINGERS - PACKIN' UP, 1957. From the various artists album 'Great Ladies Of Gospel', Savoy.
In the latter years Clara Ward & Her Ward Singers were a rather embarrassing spectacle, performing almost a parody of black church gospel in the Las Vegas nightspots. But long before Clara and her mother Gertrude had become mink-coated grotesques they and their stunning aggregation - which in the '50s featured the awesome vocal talents of Marion Williams and Frances Steadman - were turning out classic church pile-drivers which in their ecstatic joyful mood were the epitome of storefront church intensity while giving emerging church singers like Aretha Franklin plenty of clues on how to take audiences to the heights. This is the Wards' much covered classic and with frantic tempo and call-and-response freneticism retains all of its intensity 50 years on.
Tony Cummings

359. WRITZ - NIGHT NURSE, 1979. From the single "Night Nurse", Electric.
Writz were originally the popular student band Fish Co who in the early '70s released a couple of albums on a Christian label before, with the advent of punk becoming the launchpad from which Fish Co's main protagonists Steve Rowles and Steve Fairnie could pursue their desire to be artists rather than evangelists. When Writz headed into mainstream music they recruited former backing singer and wife of Fairnie, Bev Sage, as their lead singer. Other members included Jules Hardwick on guitar, Nick Battle on bass and drummer Arry Axell. This debut single was released in 1979 after the band had established themselves on the London new wave scene with a reputation for flamboyant live performances. Writz combined new wave and art rock to create something that was thoroughly contemporary and if the world was a fair place, "Night Nurse" would have been a massive hit. It starts with a siren and crashes into an attention-grabbing intro and a song that sympathises with underpaid hard working nurses. The track was produced by the famed Godley & Crème studio maestros and features some distinctive vocals from Sage and a tight, memorable groove. Sadly neither this nor Steve Fairnie's subsequent projects enjoyed the acclaim his talent deserved.
Mike Rimmer

360. 1000 GENERATIONS - FAIL US NOT, 2009. From the album 'Turn Off The Lesser Lights', Varietal.
Pop music greatness occurs when top quality voices get top quality songs to sing. And this is what happened here. 1000 Generations are a not particularly well known worship-orientated band from Indianapolis who previously had two independent albums out before releasing this on the Vineyard Music subsidiary, Varietal. "Fail Us Not" was written by the group's husband and wife Steven and Amanda Potaczek and is a stunning catalogue of some of the things that do not phase God ("Mistakes do not move, terror doesn't tame/Death doesn't doom you to life in the grave/Our suffering doesn't scare you/Our secrets don't surprise you at all"). With a chugging pop rock rhythm and a sublime vocal from Amanda this is, as far as I'm concerned at least, a stone CCM classic.
Tony Cummings

361. THE TALBOT BROS - TRAIL OF TEARS, 1974. From the album 'The Talbot Bros', Warner Bros.
When members of the successful mainstream band Mason Proffit, John Michael and Terry Talbot got converted during the Jesus movement revival, it was a natural that they should record together. John Michael of course became a Franciscan friar and recorded shoals of albums of Catholic meditative music while his brother cut country-tinged pop gospel albums. But it was their sojourn into the studio together that produced some of the brothers' best music and this beautiful and haunting acoustic piece that they recorded with ace engineer/producer Bill Haverson (Crosby, Still & Nash, Jackson Brown) is the standout. Some superlative accompanists like David Lindley, Lee Sklar and Russ Kunkel shine while the Talbots' haunting "ooh" harmonies are perfect. Best of all the song ("I feel the teardrops and walk the trail of tears") is as pristinely effective today as when it was first penned. Folk rock doesn't come any better.
Tony Cummings

362. MORNINGSTAR FTG KELANIE GLOECKLER - EMMANUEL, 2003. From the album 'Jesus Broken', EagleStar Productions.
Through its MorningStar School Of Ministry, the boundary-pushing MorningStar Church based in Charlotte, South Carolina has long sought to bring together, encourage and teach a young generation of worship leaders and musicians whose desire is to devote their talents and energies in full abandonment to the Lord of creation. Recorded live at the MorningStar Harvest Worship Conference in 2002, 'Jesus Broken' promotes the gifting of numerous students of the School. Produced by Suzy Wills, Don Potter and Paulette Wooten and comprising mainly energetic rock-based praise, the album contains a hidden gem of a song that has gone almost entirely unnoticed by the worship scene. "Emmanuel", sensitively sung by Kelanie Gloeckler, is a celebration of redemption in Christ, which begins tenderly, building up into a gloriously passionate explosion of uninhibited praise. Delightful.
Tom Lennie

Mike Peters

363. MIKE PETERS - THE MESSAGE, 1994. From the album 'Breathe', Crai.
Cover versions, particularly cover versions of classic pop hits, seldom work. But here the one time Alarm frontman not only transforms the seminal hit by Grandmaster Flash but gives it such a full frontal rock guitar assault that it brilliantly improves on the old school rap original. When Mike snarls "don't push me 'cause I'm close to the edge" it vividly expresses the feelings of urban alienation that ensnare millions while the accompaniment from Peters' short lived accompanists The Poets is crunchingly cathartic. An overlooked gem.
Tony Cummings

364. TIM MINER - FORGIVE ME, 1990. From the album 'A True Story', Frontline.
In 1990 Tim released 'A True Story' which mixed R&B with a dash of hip-hop on a pile of songs which showed off one of the most amazing soul voices with which a white boy has ever been blessed. "Forgive Me" is the key song from the album, a gorgeous ballad that pleads with God for forgiveness and restoration. With Tim's soaring vocals and a memorable melody line, this is a shimmering, soulful song that is always moving. On the strength of this and other songs, in 1996 Miner was signed up to mainstream giant Motown Records and on his debut for his new label, this number was included. It is a perfect example of a ministry song that touches the heart of things.
Mike Rimmer

365. U2 - PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE), 1984. From the album, 'The Unforgettable Fire', Island.
A bunch of Christians, singing about that most un-Christian of vices? Not really. There's more to this international hit than meets the eye, not least because for years everyone has thought that it was a tribute to Rev Martin Luther King, when the Civil Rights leader only features in the final verse. The words otherwise refer to Jesus: "One man washed on an empty beach/One man betrayed with a kiss". Characterised by The Edge's guitar figure and Larry's rock-solid drumbeat, the song is as instantly recognisable nowadays as Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer". A more-contemporary comparison would be the Kings' Of Leon's "Sex On Fire", with massive crossover appeal matching its heavy rotation playlisting. In the case of "Pride", many girls were impressed that in Bono was a male singer not afraid to voice the word "love" in such an unashamedly open and passionate way. They also began to realise that this "love" was nothing corny and that the "one man" alluded to wasn't a romantic figure of any sort. Little did they know that the group fretted over the length of the track until manager Paul McGuinness insisted that if people didn't like a single longer than the three-minute curfew imposed by punk rock, they'd have to lump it. They did - into the charts, across the world.
John Cheek

366. VINI CONTREAS - CHRIST CRUCIFIED, 2007. From the album 'Kingdom Of Conscience', Independent.
With Mexican horns that sound like they were plucked straight from Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire", this quirky little song catches the ear from the get go. This Californian independent artist put together a song that pitches together the most ridiculously catchy melody with a very deep message of knowing Christ intimately. In a sense, this has the naivety of early Jesus music because it rejoices simply in the truth of the message and yet dressed up in this imaginative arrangement complete with its many fake endings makes it really work.
Mike Rimmer

367. FOREVERAFTER - WHO YOU ARE, 1999. From the album 'Foreverafter', Word.
Before producer Dan Mukala was getting the big sales and accolades his talent deserved he was turning out hugely catchy songs and productions most of which didn't sell (like for instance his own band Mukala). But then sales, or the lack of them, has never been any guide to quality. Foreverafter were a shortlived Nashville aggregation fronted by husband and wife duo Jamey and Jennifer Lyons. Cross Rhythms gave some radio play to another track on their album debut, "Oasis", but it's this effervescent opener which stands up today, thanks to some masterly programming and break beats from Mukala and a delightful lead vocal from Jennifer. On the sleeve Jennifer wrote, "We set out to write a simple song and this is what we came up with." And a little gem it is with lyrics homing in on Matthew 16:6 and Isaiah 9:6. As uplifting a piece of pop you are likely to hear.
Tony Cummings

Jesus Culture

368. JESUS CULTURE - I EXALT THEE, 2008. From the album 'Your Love Never Fails', Jesus Culture.
"I Exalt Thee", penned by Peter Sanchez Jr in 1977, is one of those classic contemporary worship choruses that is known and loved by millions of believers worldwide, yet one that rarely finds itself on a worship recording. Eden's Bridge do a wistfully ethereal take on it on the first volume of their 'Celtic Worship' series, and Phil Driscoll once provided his own inimitable take. But surely the finest version to appear to date is Jesus Culture's on 2008's 'Your Love Never Fails'. This groundbreaking youth worship team from Bethel Church, Redding, California see as their mission, to help "ignite revival in the nations of the earth...compel the Body of Christ to radically abandon itself to a lifestyle of worship, motivated by a passion to see God receive the glory that is due his name..." and to "encounter his extravagant love and raw power". The beauty of "I Exalt Thee" is its lyrical and worshipful simplicity, truly vertical sentiments directed straight to the King of Heaven. Jesus Culture recognise this and lead a live audience in an expression of some of the most heartfelt worship you'll hear, allowing the adorational atmosphere to build up to an intensity that is absolutely gripping. Chris Quilala's lead vocals, along with Kim Walker-Smith's improvising tones, do true justice to this classic chorus.
Tom Lennie

369. AUSTIN COLEMAN with JOE WASHINGTON BROWN & GROUP - MY SOUL IS A WITNESS, 1934. From the various artists album 'Negro Religious Field Recordings 1934-1942', Document.
As any folk music buff will tell you, in the '30s and '40s John A Lomax set out on field trips sponsored by the Library Of Congress to record American vernacular music before it disappeared from rural culture. In doing so he was undertaking a huge service both for dedicated music historians and music fans in general. Lomax and his team got onto tape hundreds of timeless songs and performances. Alongside the musical giants Lomax discovered like Leadbelly and Muddy Waters there were dozens of equally fascinating musicians who, though never getting the least amount of recognition during their lifetimes left behind something vital and timeless. Such were Austin Coleman, Joe Washington Brown and Sampson Brown from Louisiana who not only recorded some of the first zydeco music (African American Cajun music) ever put onto tape, but also performed some of the most startling religious music ever. "My Soul Is A Witness" doesn't have much of a tune. What it does have though is thumping, Burundi-style drumming, a hypnotic vocal chorus and a rasping, roaring lead vocalist who sounds like he gargles gravel. In classic understatement the Document compilation sleevenote notes the music is "not too distant from their immediate African roots." Wild, primitive and exciting, this exhilarating raw recording seems to link two continents.
Tony Cummings