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

Tim Hughes

498. TIM HUGHES - HERE I AM TO WORSHIP, 2000. From the album 'Here I Am To Worship', Kingsway.
This song is to Hughes as "Heart Of Worship" is to Redman - that early worship ballad with which their names are most easily associated, both of which are oft-times sung in churches, conventions and youth gatherings all over the world. "Here I Am To Worship" was ranked number one on the Christian Copyright Licensing Intl (CCLI) for two years in a row and is still on their Top 25 list at the time of writing. The song was a heart-felt response to Tim's reading of Philippians 2, which passage speaks of Christ's humility in willingly leaving his heavenly throne, coming to earth as a man, and sacrificing himself on the cross - for our needy sakes. A sense of personal surrender to God's almighty plan underlies the lyrics, and it's in this sense that the song - with gorgeously flowing melody - works so wonderfully as a song of worship and adoration. Truly both God-exalting and heart-warming.
Tom Lennie

499. AYIESHA WOODS - HAPPY, 2006. From the album 'Introducing Ayiesha Woods', Gotee.
I have to confess that I spend a great deal of time searching out songs that would sound great on the radio. There's something about a perfectly crafted snappy pop song that gets me excited and this was one of the best of 2006. The fact that it comes from Ayiesha Woods' genre-defying album is even better since when released to radio in America, DJs had no idea Ayiesha was black! Pop songs don't come more finely honed than this! The slick production, ironic lyrics ("no hit single") and enormous chorus should be brought out at songwriters' conventions to teach others the art form.
Mike Rimmer

500. AUDIO ADRENALINE - BIG HOUSE, 1993. From the album 'Don't Censor Me', Forefront.
The Encyclopedia Of Contemporary Christian Music called "Big House" "the most amiable Christian pop song of the decade." With its child-like vibe it was catchy, ecumenical and either tongue-in-cheek knowing or excruciatingly cheesy, depending on how cool you considered yourself to be. AA were a band who could really rock out but here Mark Stuart and co keep it all bright and bouncy as they sing about their Heavenly Dad's house which has "lots and lots of room", a big, big table with "lots and lots of food" and a voluminous yard "where we can play football." A depiction of Heaven tailor-made for teenage America.
Tony Cummings

501. DEITRICK HADDON - GO WITH ME, 2008. From the album 'Revealed', Verity.
Deitrick's rampant eclecticism where the singer/songwriter takes a stab at everything from old school call-and-response church-wreckers to strident rock anthems makes him a difficult artist to pigeonhole. But when he slips into a heavy funk groove like this gem, he is a talent impossible to ignore, his sinuous wheezing voice a perfect topping to a groove funky enough to give Parliament a run for their money plus a bit of 'Thriller'-era Jackson. Dancefloor delicious.
Tony Cummings

502. ANDREW PETERSON - FOOL WITH A FANCY GUITAR, 2010. From the album 'Counting Stars', Centricity.
Peterson is without question one of the finest lyricists in the whole of popular music and it's pleasing to note that he is at last getting recognition in the US. Over a deftly mellow track, Andrew sings with passion and warmth his unforgettable stanzas, "I swore on the Bible not to tell a lie/But I've lied and lied/And I crossed my heart and I hoped to die/And I've died and died/ But if it's true that you gathered my sin in your hand/And you cast it as far as the east is from the west/If it's true that you put on the flesh of a man/And you walked in my shoes through the shadow of death/If it's true that you dwell in the halls of my heart/Then I'm not just a fool with a fancy guitar/No, I am a prince and a priest in the Kingdom of God."
Tony Cummings

Rev J M Gates

503. REV J M GATES - YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN, 1926. From the album 'Rev J M Gates Vol 1 April To September 1926: Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order', Document.
Atlanta's Rev J M Gates was an early recording star whose sermons, when released on a flood of 78s in the '20s and '30s were best sellers. On this track he uses his rasping voice to sing an old spiritual accompanied by a female group, presumably from his church. It's marvellously effecting stuff and has fans in surprising places, My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields once telling Mojo magazine why he included it on his personal mixtape alongside tracks by The Byrds, The Who and The Beatles. He said, "It's very unexpected. It's difficult to explain it. It's kind of. . .stretched out." The original 78 released on Victor Records skilfully recreated a church business meeting for the reception of new members. Wonder if the puzzled Mr Shields will ever become such a member.
Tony Cummings

504. THE 29TH CHAPTER - THIS LITTLE GANGSTA, 2006. From the album 'Underdogz', OTR.
Let's get real about this, the faux gangsta culture that is part of hip-hop is more than pathetic especially when the impressionable start trying to live out their musical fantasies in real life. Gun crime is a growing problem that Christian hip-hoppers have started to address in their music. In 2006 The 29th Chapter's tackled the issue and cleverly took an ironic humorous approach with their rap to stop people in their tracks and make them think about things. It's a clever move and the song's jerky groove and perky rhymes hit home harder than some of the more serious attempts at making a statement.
Mike Rimmer

505. ROSS KING - TRUTH UNENDING, 2001. From the album 'To Make God Famous', Independent.
Ross King is an unassuming worship songwriter from Texas, best known for his association with Breakaway Ministries, an interdenominational college group that released a couple of noteworthy live worship discs in the late '90s. Though hardly a household name, King has his own formidable solo repertoire and is popular at worship events both for his upbeat praise anthems (such as "Great Is Your Love") as well as for gentler songs of worship. "Truth Unending" falls firmly in the latter category - a gorgeously unpretentious song of testimony where the worshipper lays bare his soul and pleads with God to "Show me all the idols I bow down to/I desire to live in truth no matter what the cost". Acoustic in format, the track ably reveals King's strengths as a songwriter, vocalist and guitar-player.
Tom Lennie

506. RALPH VAN MANEN - MARY DID YOU KNOW, 1996. From the album 'Angels On The Way', Ecovata.
The unlikely combination of a Southern gospel singer and sometimes comedian (Mark Lowry) and a much recorded session harmonica player and country singer (Buddy Greene) wrote which is possibly the most recorded Christmas song of the last couple of decades. And of all the numerous versions which have poured out down the years it's this one from a singer who became a Christian music big timer in his Netherlands homeland but never managed to break out internationally. Nevertheless Ralph's vocal, not dissimilar to Cliff, and a deftly arranged track bring out all the poignancy of a song with that memorable lyric asking Mary if she had any understanding that she was carrying the maker of the universe in her womb.
Tony Cummings

507. FIREFALLDOWN - COMMISSIONED, 2009. From the single, Sonic Juan.
I do hope this Filipino band of hard rockers go on to bigger things and release an album to follow on from this scorching single. It can be no easy thing to be such bold, in-your-face Gospel communicators trawling around the darker recesses of British clubland and Firefalldown deserve the plaudits both for their spiritual focus and for making such an exciting, gutsy noise on their debut single. Jon Blaylock has a wonderfully gravelly voice, the song has a strong hook and the hit-everything-in-sight drumming from Andrew Hodgson is the nearest thing I've heard to that technique since I grooved to Animal on The Muppets. The commercial end of hard music. In a perfect world this would have charted.
Tony Cummings

Third Day

508. THIRD DAY - I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU, 1999. From the album 'Time', Essential.
Not every fan of Third Day's swaggering Southern rock enjoys their softer acoustic approach but I found this opener to the Grammy-nominated album a wonderful, heart stirring gem. Mac Powell's bluesy voice oozes conviction, the group harmonies are smoothly effective and the down home, stripped down vibe of the song never ceases to do its work.
Tom Lennie

509. JOHNNY CASH - DADDY SANG BASS, 1968. From the single, Columbia.
"Daddy Sang Bass" was Cash's 36th entry into the US pop charts. But it was much more than that. The song was written by Carl Perkins, the "Blue Suede Shoes" rockabilly who as Cash's opening act was wrecked on alcohol abuse until, through the witness of the Man In Black, became a Christian and was delivered from alcoholism. Feeling inspired, Perkins wrote "Daddy Sang Bass" which was a perfectly judged narrative of older, simpler times when a family sing song would ease their troubles. "Daddy sang bass, Mama sang tenor/Me and little brother would join right in there/Singing seems to help a troubled soul/One of these days and it won't be long/I'll rejoin them in song/I'm gonna join the family circle at the Throne/No, the circle won't be broken/By and by, Lord, by and by." Country gospel has seldom been so emotive.
Tony Cummings

510. PANTANO-SALSBURY - I'M JUST A RECORD, 1977. From the album 'Hit The Switch', Solid Rock.
As it turned out, John Pantano and Ron Salsbury - the main talents behind the wonderfully named Jesus music pioneers the JC Power Outlet - weren't given much of a helping hand when they signed with Larry Norman's Solid Rock Records. For a start their sole album had a strangely smoothed out production with way too many ballads. Secondly, 'Hit The Switch' received minimal promotion. But the album did contain this gem, a rollicking piece of Norman-esque boogie with Larry Norman, Tom Howard and Randy Stonehill all helping out on backing vocals.
Tony Cummings

511. JULIE MILLER - BROKEN THINGS, 1991. From the album 'He Walks Through Walls', Myrrh.
Few voices convey bruised humanity as powerfully as Julie's and here that stunning country voice, deftly accompanied by husband Buddy on guitar and bass, John Schreiner on piano and Melisa Hanson on cello, has never sounded so vulnerable as she sings her song of brokenness and healing. "So beyond repair, nothing I could do/I tried to fix it myself but it was only worse when I got through/Then you walked right into my darkness/And you speak so sweet/And you hold me like a child/'Til my frozen tears fall at your feet." Achingly beautiful and a timeless classic.
Tony Cummings