Where our intrepid editorial team take an askance look at the weird and wonderful world of music and media.

Jonathan Day

It would seem that Cross Rhythms' infamous, nay, legendary typesetting credentials are infectious. One of our reviewers, Andrew Long, also writes a regular music column for the 'Christian Bookstore Journal' trade paper. In a recent column he congratulated Ray Bevan on being nominated 'Best Rock Gospel Singer 1922' in the DMI Gospel awards. What makes this mistake even more embarrassing for Andrew is that his pastor is a certain . . . yes, you guessed it... Ray Bevan.

People listen when Cross Rhythms speaks! In CR 12 we said that it was quite extraordinary that nobody in the UK was distributing Ray Boltz albums despite the fact that Stateside he was a huge CCM artist. Since then, both Word and Kingsway have obtained rights to Boltz albums. Kingsway are distributing Thank You' while Word have released Seasons Change'.

Can you imagine how folk roots singer Jonathan Day must have felt when browsing through a Christian bookshop he espied a book titled 'Jonathan Day Meets Jesus'? Was this little gem published by Church House, a startling testimony book published without Day's knowledge? No, it turns out to be a work of fiction for seven to ten year olds featuring the exploits of a fictitious Jonathan Day. The real chap says he felt most peculiar when he first saw Church House's offering. "It felt like I'd stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone" he told Cross Rhythms.

Our venerable (journalese for fat and bald) editor once had a Twilight Zone experience at Greenbelt. In the Reception tent he espied old buddies Split Level, a band he'd once managed, and on going across to meet them was introduced to the band's new American born drummer Chuck Cummings. Chuck in turn introduced Tony to the pretty girl sitting next to him, who turns out to be Chuck's wife. Her name? You guessed it... Toni Cummings.

We hear rock gospel and praise man John Perry recently turned down a lucrative opportunity to give his Christian testimony in, of all places, The Sun. At first it had looked like a golden opportunity for a rare Christian witness in the tabloids. But then it became apparent that the conditions of a spread were that he dealt in gratuitous details with the drugs, sex and rock 'n' roll past. John wisely decided to pass on the sleaze merchants' offer.

Those much-loved American rad rockers the 77s have confused quite a few of their fans with their new album on Brainstorm International. It seems to be called The Seventy Sevens' and buffs have been quick to point out that that eponymous title was already used on an old Island album years back. The story behind the confusion is that the 77s had titled the album after one of the songs on the album but at the last moment, after the artwork had been prepared, the record company, fearing for the sensibilities of the Christian bookshop trade, got cold feet and blanked out the title on the sleeve design. What was to have been the title? 'Praying Naked'.

Nobody can say that Cross Rhythms is a magazine that doesn't move with the times. Since we started publication in May 1990 we have had no less than five editorial offices: High Street, Birmingham; Pool Street, Walsall; Delves Manse, Walsall; Curtin Drive, Wednesbury and now Union Street, Walsall. By the time you read this the editorial offices will be winging their way down the M5 to 'somewhere' in Devon. This means that our offices tend to last for an average of two and a half issues only. Let's pray that the next lasts longer!