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

Atomic Opera

908. ATOMIC OPERA - MALEDICTION, 2000. From the album 'Gospel Cola', Metal Blade.
When the 'Gospel Cola' album was released Christian Music magazine began their review with the observation "this ain't your daddy's heavy metal." How very true. The band made a splash in the general market and by the time they recorded the subversive art rock blended with metal 'Gospel Cola' they had their classic lineup in place featuring, amongst others, singer/songsmith Frank Hart and Jesus music pioneer Kemper Crabb. Not many metal bands display a strong penchant for vocal harmony and even fewer would be prepared to feature dulcimer, bouzouki and even an ocarina alongside the ferocious guitars. "Malediction" is an anti-abortion song which begins with acoustic medieval sounds before ensuring listeners are, as one critic described, "overwhelmed by a tidal wave of electric guitars." Powerful.
Tony Cummings

909. ROBERT DEEBLE - HEART LIKE FEATHERS, 2012. From the album 'Heart Like Feathers', Independent.
Robert is a consummate crafter of songs whose laid back, laconic style is perfectly suited to the beautifully judged minimalist accompaniments he leans to. The singer/songwriter, originally from Long Beach, California but now living in Seattle, has never hit the big acclaim, big bucks belt but he has delivered some fine songs down the years. And it's this, with its enigmatic lines ("Caged birds singing like a prophetess/Artful and tragic behind the wire lines/Of all our complex points of logic") which will stay with all those prepared to ponder them.
Tony Cummings

910. CHAOS CURB COLLABORATION - EVERYWHERE, 2014. From the album 'Everywhere', Independent.
Just about any two chord wonder can write a worship song, and just about any half competent worship band can pastiche the latest anthems they've heard at Soul Survivor. But writing and recording a song, let alone an album, that goes much deeper both creatively and theologically than "Jesus is King and we praise you" style of conveyor belt praise is much more difficult. Bournemouth-based singer, songwriter and producer Dave Griffiths pulled around him a loose knit team of musicians when his old band Bosh broke up and with a worship focus has set out to break out of the stereotypical shackles of some modern worship. On the 'Everywhere' album Chaos Curb explore everything from techno to Yes-sounding prog yet never allowing the album to become eclecticism for its own sake. And it's in the album's title track, a slowly building musical prayer, where we find the project's epicentre as the lyric expresses our desire that everything we do and everywhere we go be an experience of the living God.
Tony Cummings

911. DARLENE ZSCHECH/HILLS CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTRE - SHOUT TO THE LORD, 1984. From the album 'People Just Like Us', Hillsong Music.
I was in Perth, Australia, when I first heard Darlene sing, before she joined Hills Christian Life Centre, indeed before she recorded worship music, and recognised that here was a singer with a magnificent, rich, vibrant voice. But it took this song for me to recognise that this lady wrote a song of such memorability that, if the Lord didn't return first, would be in the Church's songbooks (or their electronic equivalent) in a hundred years' time. Classic is a much overused word. But the words and music of the Australian singer, songwriter and worship leader's "Shout To The Lord" fully deserves such a label. Written during a time when Darlene was struggling with financial worries and the stresses of raising a young family, her Hillsong classic expresses our adoration of the King of kings every bit as timelessly as Wesley, Cosby and Newton.
Tony Cummings

912. NF - TURN THE MUSIC UP, 2015. From the album 'Mansion', Capitol CMG.
When it was released in 2015 Cross Rhythms' programme controller and its chief executive both named this hip-hop gem as one of the tracks of the year. And indeed it is. NF, otherwise known as Nate Feurstein from Gladwin, Michigan, is not your average gospel rapper delivering flows about God and his Kingdom. He's a witty, provocative and commendably honest purveyor of pure emotion and his debut full length album brought forth comments like "amazing" and "masterpiece" from American reviewers (though one did, rather bizarrely, suggest "he imitates Eminem a lot"). He doesn't, though the way NF emphasizes certain words to make them jump out from the beat and his obvious anger on some tracks make the two rappers' delivery not dissimilar. The undisputed banger on 'Mansion' is "Turn The Music Up". As one critic wrote, "It's fist-pumpingly solid."
Tony Cummings

Wayne Drain

913. WAYNE DRAIN - BE THOU MY VISION, 1994. From the various artist album 'Worship Together Live 2: Sweet Rain', Kingsway Music.
Down the years, since modern worship became the stylistic choice for more and more churches around the world, there have been countless recordings released where soloists and bands have endeavoured to update/contemporise classic hymnody. A few have been creatively or commercially successful although many a rock band has found that the insertion of power chords to Wesley or Watts doesn't often make them convincing vehicles for congregational worship. So when in 1994 Kingsway Music's record producer Les Moir and veteran Arkansas-based pastor, prophet and worship singer/songwriter Wayne Drain began their "wouldn't it be great if we could take this great old hymn and ." dreaming they were by no means the first to try it. But in their case it worked wonderfully. "Be Thou My Vision" was written sometime between the sixth and eighth centuries and sometimes attributed to Irish poet Saint Dallan, the English translation of the old Irish were provided by Mary Byrne in 1905 and additional verses were written by Eleanor Hull in 1912. To update this hymnbook favourite Wayne/Les brought in a Christian turntablist, a top rate rock guitarist and Nick Haigh, a champion Irish fiddle player who also played the bodhran. Then in a hotel room in Bognor Regis they recorded this fusion of ancient and modern, switching the hymn from 3/4 to 4/4 time. Drain's recording would in the following years become hugely influential. In fact today "Be Thou My Vision" sounds like a template for the blend of Irish folk and modern rhythms that Rend Collective were to explore so successfully years later.
Tony Cummings

914. MARK HEARD - EYE OF THE STORM, 1983. From the album 'Eye Of The Storm', Home Sweet Home.
When the late, great singer/songwriter Mark Heard released his 'Eye Of The Storm' album it carried a disclaimer in its liner notes assuring his growing legion of fans that the album was only "a special one-time release of acoustic guitar oriented material." This unplugged-before-it-was-cool release ironically contained some of his best ever songs and particular special was the lilting title track with the assurance "Out of the eye of the storm/The friends of God suffer no permanent harm."
Tony Cummings

915. AMANDA COOK/BETHEL MUSIC - YOU MAKE ME BRAVE, 2014. From the album 'You Make Me Brave', Bethel Music.
Cross Rhythms had been enthusiastic about the talents of Canadian singer/songwriter Amanda Falk since 2007 when Cross Rhythms Radio played her "Beautiful" song which encouraged young girls to find their inner beauty. But then we kind of lost track of this songsmith so it was a surprise when, with a new name, she turned up on Bethel Music's women's ministry album 'You Make Me Brave'. Clearly Amanda's decision to relocate to one of America's epicentres of revival, Redding, California, was of huge benefit to the worshipping Church, and not just female worshippers. Her "You Make Me Brave" is a powerful reminder that we need Holy Spirit courage to effectively live the life of the Christian. Larry Sparks, a well-known author and broadcaster, wrote, "I am convinced that Bethel Music's 'You Make Me Brave' is a landmark worship album. The songs powerfully and prophetically speak of the season that God is ushering the Church into. He is stripping off timidity. Impossibility is quickly becoming an abnormality to followers of Jesus Christ." Amanda's empowering anthem perfectly captures this new era in church history.
Tony Cummings

916. HIGHWAY QCs - I'LL TRUST HIS WORD, 1957. From the various artists album 'Get Your Soul Right', Fantastic Voyage.
I still occasionally feel a twinge of sadness when I listen to the sublime recordings of the Highway QCs made for Vee-Jay Records in the 1950s. For despite the effect of this uplifting timeless music I can't shake off the knowledge that the lead singer Johnnie Taylor who wrote this hypnotic tribute to the trustiness of Scripture was two decades later a black soul music sex symbol recording albums like 'Eargasm'. But leaving behind the effects showbiz money, fame and fan adulation had on Johnnie, and indeed another one time member of the Highway QCs, Sam Cooke, one is left with timeless music from the Chicago quartet that soul gospel authority Clive Richardson described as "an ear-catching acappella performance." Indeed it was.
Tony Cummings

917. DAVID RUIS - SAINT PATRICK'S BREASTPLATE, 2000. From the album 'Powerscourt 2000 Live Worship From The Heart Of Ireland', ICC.
The worship music singer/songwriter born in Canada rose to international prominence through his recordings with Vineyard Music in the '90s. But it's this which is, in my view, the worship leader's finest moment on CD. David was recorded live at the Powerscourt event in Northern Ireland. He took Saint Patrick's Breastplate, an incantation originally with old Irish lyrics attributed to Saint Patrick during his ministry in Ireland in the fifth century. Over a stirring keyboard melody David recites the heart-stirring confession of faith. The Irish believers at Powerscourt were no doubt stirred by Ruis' powerful recitation as indeed are radio listeners today when the track gets played on Cross Rhythms' Verticality programme. The stanza at the opening and closing is breathtaking: "I arise today/Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity/Through belief in the Threeness/Through confession of the oneness/Of the Creator of creation."
Tony Cummings

Sego Brothers & Naomi

918. SEGO BROTHERS & NAOMI - HE'S MORE THAN JUST A SWEAR WORD, 1976. From the album 'Our Best Gospel Songs', Runa.
This family group originally from Macon, Georgia, were one of the BIG names in Southern gospel of the '60s and '70s. Around the time Sego Brothers & Naomi entered the US country charts with "Sorry I Never Knew You" (which purportedly sold one million copies), the Beatles were breaking through in the US charts. A friend and country music authority brought this particular track to my attention. "He's More Than Just A Swear Word" shows off both of the Segos' great strengths - Naomi Sego's great country voice and husband James Sego's clever lyrics which often went further than the standard "we're on our way to glory land" preoccupations of most Southern gospel compositions. Production wise, country music and Southern gospel have moved on a long, long way since ". Swear Word" was released. But the track still retains its down-home charm while reminding us of the folly of those who take the Lord's name in vain.
Tony Cummings

919. NOEL RICHARDS - CHAMPION, 1994. From the album 'Warrior', Kingsway Music.
Any one at the 45,000 people privileged to attend the Champion Of The World event at Wembley Stadium in 1996 will attest to the fact that God was taking the worship music of the British Church to the next level. This song, by one of the stalwarts the first wave of '8 UK worship, Noel Richards, went on to be sung in countless British churches. It's an anthemic gem. Neil Costello's scorching guitar work, Les Moir's pumping bass and Terl Bryant's powerhouse drumming all add bite to Noel's hoarsely declamatory vocals. "Champion" remains an indelible snapshot of the Church arising from its slumber to give adoring acknowledgement to the King of kings and is a salient reminder that pop rock idols, for all their queening, preening talent are still of little significance compared with the Champion of rock music, the champion of football stadiums and indeed the champion of every atom of existence.
Tony Cummings

920. JESUS CULTURE - LET IT ECHO, 2016. From the album 'Let It Echo', Jesus Culture.
It's still relatively early days but it's already clear that the change of location from Redding to Sacramento has not in any way diminished the power and authority of this team of worship Revivalists. This song, written by Chris Quilala, Sarah Reeves and Jacob Sooter, is one of several on the 'Let It Echo' album already impacting churches in many nations. With Chris Quilala's expressive vocal and the powerhouse arrangement recorded live during worship times in Jesus Culture's Sacramento church the song articulates the prayer of thousands of hearts being renewed ("We're standing on horizons/Earth collides with Heaven/You are longing for your children/To cry out for more/We cry out for more." Indeed we do.
Tony Cummings

921. KRIS ALLEN - LIVE LIKE WE'RE DYING, 2009. From the album 'Kris Allen', 19.
Kris Allen is a singer/songwriter from Arkansas who in 2008 shot to fame through winning the TV talent search American Idol. His debut record label album became a hit, largely thanks to this wonderfully catchy single, co-written by its producers Andrew Frampton and Steve Kipner. It went on to be nominated in the Billboard Music Awards as the Top Christian Song. It is indeed an uplifting piece of radio-friendly pop reminding us that we need to take each day as it comes to find the blessing in it.
Tony Cummings