One of the features of this blog is the Music Pages, where some music of the "Jesus Music" era is featured, a good deal of it to the delight of the artists. I can't take the credit for starting this; that must go to "Diakoneo" of the Ancient Star-Song, whose blog started in 2006 and …
Sonday
AMC KS-7634 6052N8 (1976) A collection of classic Catholic folk pieces, most of which were written (and performed) by the Dominican James Marichonda, who is a well-known composer and performer of liturgical music. The album itself is a little uneven; there are some songs which are very good and some which are more ordinary. Nevertheless …
Song of the Lamb: Through the Narrow Gate
Label Unknown 1979 Catholic albums of the 1970's came from a number of different sources: parish groups, seminary groups, the "Nun-Plus" albums, college based groups, and of course the covenant communities. This one comes from the last, but it's a departure from just about anything I've heard from a covenant community group. On the album …
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Achor and Friends: Hosanna to the Son of David
Dove 54 (1978) Achor, the North London group which put together these albums, got some friends together and did yet another one. The music is very much in the tradition of the previous albums: good, straightforward Christian folk with an emphasis on songs taken directly from the Scriptures. And the benefits of that (esp. with …
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The Southern Joy Quartet: The Lighthouse
Mark Five SJ-4272 Although I am not positive, I think this is their first album as Southern Joy, having been known before as the Cavaliers Quartet. From Greenville, SC, this album (probably from the early 1970's) is a solid Southern Gospel album, probably no worse (and in some cases better) than more widely known groups …
Southern Joy Quartet with the Joyful Three: In the Valley
Mark Five SJ-4809 A very traditional Southern Gospel album. Although undated, I think it's from the early 1970's. One thing you immediately pick up on is the change in content of the songs; it's hard to imagine even a classic like the title track making much of a dent these days with our obsessive ego-pumping. …
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The Strange Case of Bose Speakers
The death of audio pioneer Amar Bose brings back the memory of something that was a passion of mine during the 1970's--audio equipment. (The legacy of that passion may be seen in my digitisation technique for some of the albums on my music pages). It may seem strange now but the quest for analogue perfection …
Newbury Park
Newbury Park (Cream CR-9003) Most Christian albums in the 1970's eschewed secular labels and concert venues, nurturing the developing Christian sub-culture and being evangelistic in the process. This album and group were an exception, although their later work was more distinctively Christian. But if you like the 1960's with its "Sunshine music" (like the Mamas …
At Last, the Mystery of "A City Set Upon a Hill Cannot Be Hid" is Revealed
Back in 2011 I posted (or more accurately reposted) the unique "Jesus Music" album A City Set Upon a Hill Cannot Be Hid. At the time I characterised it as "the mystery album of 1970′s Christian music". That mystery is now at an end, thanks to Paul Griffo, who was a member of the group. …
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Les Reflets: Villanelle/Pour emmanuel, and Et Ils Suivirent Jésus
Les Reflets was one of the premier Christian folk groups out there during the Jesus Music era, period, as they demonstrated in De l'abondance du coeur, la bouche parle. Here are a couple of more albums (?). Villanelle/Pour emmanuel (J 410 502) Not really an album, but they "speed things up" by issuing a 45 …
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Positive Infinity 