 |
Though the group disbanded after approximately three years together, we still got together upon occasion to do a reunion concert. Usually these were for Chuck Smith, Greg Laurie, or some other Southern California Calvary Chapel pastor, and usually consisted only of one or two dates. Each time that we got together we lamented the fact that none of our early albums had ever been re-released on CD. Many of the "Jesus Music" albums of the early '70s had been re-released, but not ours. We felt these songs to be important to many people and really wanted see them come out again for a new generation to hear. At that time, it seemed like this was not going to happen, so we often talked about going back into the studio and re-recording all the songs. The first plan was to record them again faithful to the originals, but of course enjoying the benefits of today's improved technology. We actually talked about this for a couple of years. Tommy Coomes had long worked for Maranatha Music, and had actually gotten an executive excited about the idea of recording these tunes again. We actually began discussions in regard to starting a project, when we heard through the grapevine that Freddie Piro had finally begun to release the old albums on CD. There was the suspicion that his hand had been forced by the rumor that we were going to once again record these tunes. Of course that could have just been coincidence, but it did make the idea of making the album as planned seem redundant. I remember calling Tommy and telling him that I was no longer interested in a Love Song project in light of this information. But Maranatha was still interested in doing something. Creating a whole new album of brand new songs was discussed, but quickly discarded as such an album would have required a commitment from the group members to become a group again. At least two of us were not ready for that, and that idea was discarded.
The last idea was the one that took. Why not go into the studio, hire some session players and create brand-new contemporary sounding tracks for these classic songs. Spin them off into the '90s so to speak. We then could put our classic vocals on top of these tracks, and create versions of these songs that could connect with a new generation. The idea was agreed-upon, but nothing happened for quite a while. One day I got a call from Tommy telling me that musicians were booked and that the tracks would be recorded the next day if I wanted to come. At that time I was only minimally interested in this project, and didn't have a lot of faith that it could be fresh and new. There was, of course, no way that I would not go to the studio, but I really didn't expect much to happen. What a surprise! The musicians were very committed to the material. We played the old versions in the studio on a boom box for them, and then, inspired by what they heard, they took the spirit of what we played into a whole new level of musical excellence. The tracks transcended anything we imagined. The rapport in the studio among the group was greater than we'd ever experienced of in the early days. This was 25 years later, and we had all grown-up quite a bit. There was a harmony and unity in the sessions that was a joy to experience. The tracks were completed in about three days at Schnee Studios in North Hollywood CA. We booked a small studio in the Hollywood Hills for the vocal overdubs, and we spent weeks making the vocals as beautiful as they could be. Tommy had hired Stan Endicott to produce the vocals, since none of us could be in the booth, but were needed out in the studio to sing the parts. Stan's input was incredible. We took the vocals into new places as well as the tracks, and the whole sound turned out far beyond our expectations.
Bill Schnee mixed the album in about a week. None of us would enter the studio until Bill had the mix close to finished. He would then take a break while we listened to the mix with fresh ears. We would make our observations and suggestions and Bill would then complete the mix. This was the first time that we ever used a computerized board, (as Love Song) which made the mixing easier and quicker.
One of the things that I was concerned about was that we might lose the spirit and charm of the original versions by tampering with them too much. In my opinion, this did not happen in the slightest. Instead I believe we contemporized the original tunes with a perfect blend of the old and the new. The songs turned out sounding fresh and new without sacrificing the spirit and feel of the originals. Even though, for whatever reason, this album did not sell that well, I believe it to be very special. It is a worthy addendum to a short but powerful body of work that impacted the lives of many people.
Chuck Girard - Jan 1998
Song Titles
"A Love Song"(Chuck Girard/Jesse Johnston) "Little Country Church" (Chuck Girard/Fred Field) "Let Us Be One" (Tom Coomes) "Little Pilgrim" (Chuck Girard) "Two Hands" (Chuck Butler/Tom Coomes) "Freedom" (Chuck Girard) "Take No Chances" (Chuck Girard/Fred Field)
"Feel the Love" (Chuck Girard)
"Changes" (Chuck Girard/Denny Correll)
"Front Seat, Back Seat" (Chuck Girard/Tom Coomes)
"Cossack Song" (Tom Coomes/Tom Stipe)
"And the Wind Was Low" (Chuck Girard)
"Welcome Back" (Chuck Girard)
"Jesus Puts the Song In Our Hearts" (Chuck Girard/Fred Field)
 |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |