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

819. THE SOUL-SEEKERS - WHERE COULD I GO?, 1965. From the single, Evangelical Recordings.
Tony Tribe is a name which will be recognised by followers of the British reggae scene. In 1969 he recorded the original reggae version of "Red Red Wine". But four years earlier he was still using his real name Tony Mossop and was in a band of British Jamaicans The Soul-Seekers who were part of the gospel beat group scene which in the US came to be called Jesus music. The Soul-Seekers played light beat music with more than a little country music influence but despite elementary production, a tuneful melody and the warmth of Mossop's vocal make this collector's item single a charming memento of an earlier, more innocent era of music.
Tony Cummings

820. BRANDON HAMPTON & SEAN FEUCHT - LET WORSHIP BE YOUR WEAPON, 2012. From the various artists album 'Incense Rise: Burn 24-7', Burn 24-7'.
Sean Feucht is, as far as Cross Rhythms is concerned, one of the most effective musical prophets working in modern worship and this track, produced by Feucht, was captured (with the inspired by the Spirit nature of prophetic worship I think "captured" is more appropriate than "composed") at Burn 24-7 meetings either in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania or Vienna, Virginia. Over an elegant piano figure Hampton and Feucht sing about the ability of worship to do battle against the powers and strongholds. As the couplet is repeated again and again and the drums enter in the effect is mesmerising and when Feucht exhorts and preaches at the song's climax one is left stunned by its sheer, Christ-centred intensity.
Tony Cummings

821. HOUSE OF HEROES - IN THE VALLEY OF THE DYING SUN, 2008. From the album 'The End Is Not The End', Gotee.
It took almost two years of delays before the alternative rock band from Columbus, Ohio, were finally able to release their breakthrough album 'The End Is Not The End' in 2009. It was certainly worth the wait and attracted a pile of positive reviews. One writer called it "a masterpiece" and another journo suggested that "'The End Is Not The End' is a concept album that has stories of love, endangerment, death, politics, desperation, loneliness, depression, bombs, heartache and poverty." "In The Valley Of The Dying Sun" features piercing guitar work and massed vocals on a song that portrays Jacob wrestling with God in an epic musical soundscape. The lyrics can lend themselves to numerous interpretations but within the context of the alum some of them appear to speak of modern warfare. "I'm thinking of you when I kill a good man/To keep myself from being killed by him." A breathtaking musical statement.
Tony Cummings

822. DOTTIE RAMBO - I'M GONNA LEAVE HERE SHOUTIN', 2008. From the album 'Stand By The River', Spring Hill.
This song first appeared on the album 'An Evening With The Singing Rambos' back in 1967 but it was this version, re-recorded by the veteran singer, songwriter and Southern gospel matriarch which brought out the whole knee-slapping, Pentecostal joy of the song. The new version has almost a rockabilly vibe which with its husky, low register vocal, bluesy harmonica and punchy acoustic-driven rhythm all belie the fact that Dottie was 69 when she recorded this. Sadly, five years later Dottie died in a car crash but no doubt she was shouting her praises to God as she ascended to Heaven.
Tony Cummings

Billy Preston

823. BILLY PRESTON - THAT'S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT, 1969. From the album 'That's The Way God Planned it', Apple.
In his 49-year career in music singer, songwriter and keyboard virtuoso Billy achieved much and as any Beatles anorak will tell you was the only musician getting a label credit on a Beatles single (for his work on "Get Back"). Spiritually though, things were difficult. A confused sexuality created problems for the hugely talented one-time child prodigy who down the decades moved in and out of gospel and mainstream music several times. Billy's spell with the Beatles produced possibly his best work and this song, a UK hit single, was his best recording. Produced by George Harrison and with such luminaries as Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Doris Troy all adding their talents "That's The Way God Planned It" is a rollicking pop gospel hybrid which still sounds good today.
Tony Cummings

824. DON FRANCISCO - STEEPLE SONG, 1979. From the album 'Got To Tell Somebody', NewPax.
Don may not be one of Christian music's great singers, a number of his melodies are perilously close to one another and his country-tinged arrangements haven't always stood the test of time. But in one area Don remains a towering giant. As one of Christendom's great lyricists the veteran has surely penned no greater set of words than "Steeple Song" and in our age of mega-church hype and OTT tele evangelists they still ring, 40 years on, with the power of the prophet. Each verse makes its telling points, the third being particularly powerful: "I don't care if you pray for miracles/I don't care if you speak with tongues/I don't care if you said you love me/In every song you've sung/It doesn't matter that your sacrifice/Is loud enough to raise the dead/The thing I need to ask you is/Have you done the things I said?" For a split second the question hangs there, before the chorus brings more challenging questions. "Do you love your wife?/For her and for your children/Are you laying down your life?/What about the others?/Are you living as a servant to/Your sisters and your brothers?/Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone?/Do the widow and the orphan cry alone?"
Tony Cummings

825. ANTHONY BUTLER & HIS SINGERS - JUDGEMENT'S COMING, 1955. From the album 'Mighty Day: 25 Gospel Greats', Document.
With a jaunty strummed guitar and some soulful chanting from his Singers who slow things down for a couple of passages, it's Anthony's staccato delivery on the verses which will keep modern listeners reaching for repeat play. A little like some of the quick fire deliveries of the mighty Golden Gate Quartet tracks, Anthony's mesmerising chanting is a delight and the rhythmic delivery of those verses is another clue of the origins of rap music.
Tony Cummings

826. PETE MEAR - PRESSING ON, 2004. From the album 'Pressing On', Independent.
Pete is a worship leader from Huntingdon Community Church in Cambridgeshire who has neither sought nor obtained any kind of fame. In 2004 Pete went into the dB Studios in Lincoln and recorded his sole album, most copies of which he gave away to friends and family. It deserved to be heard much further afield and this title track, a searing blues rock rendition of the Dylan song first heard on the great man's 'Saved' album, is as powerful declaration to keep on going "to the higher calling of the Lord" as you're likely to hear.
Tony Cummings

827. FAIRFIELD FOUR - PACKING EVERY BURDEN, 1951. From the various artists album 'Le Gospel 1939-1952', Body & Soul.
The decades-long history of the Fairfield Four reached a pinnacle in December 1951 when the Nashville acappella harmonisers recorded this stunning track for Dot Records. With a gasping, gurglingly soulful lead vocal from Sam Mc Crary, a bass voice from George McCurn so deep it rattles the bass bins and a slow and bluesy song declaring that we need more faith and grace to deal with the burdens that surround us, this is a sonorous, soulful delight.
Tony Cummings

Chris Tomlin

828. CHRIS TOMLIN - HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD: WORLD EDITION, 2012. From the album 'Chris Tomlin: The Essential Collection', Sixsteps.
It takes a good while before we can, with any confidence, proclaim that a modern worship song currently circulating around our churches has the quality to go into long time circulation along with the Wesleys and Newtons. But surely this is the destiny for this congregational classic penned by Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves and Ed Cash. Its artful blend of memorable melody, the simplest of choruses and the most poetic of verses ("He wraps himself in light/And darkness tries to hide/And trembles at his voice") ensured it made an immediate impression when it appeared on Tomlin's 2004 album 'Arriving' album. But it was the version released on 'Chris Tomlin: The Essential Collection' which reflected its international impact with, as well as English, the Texas-born singer/songwriter performing the song in Hindi, Indonesian, Russian, Spanish, Mandarin, Portuguese, Zulu and Afrikaans.
Tony Cummings

829. HARVEST FLIGHT - TRUTH, 1971. From the album 'One Way', Destiny.
A great cut from an early Jesus music album from three Californian long-hairs which in recent years has come to be much sought after by collectors because of its impressive display of styles from abrasive hard rock to dreamy folk psych. "Truth" is a bluesy edgy rocker that offers blistering fuzz and wah wah guitar from singer/guitarist Evan Williams which along with some tasty Hammond organ from Kerry Chester makes "Truth" an early rock gem.
Tony Cummings

830. SCOTT CUNNINGHAM BAND - FOREVER GRATEFUL, 2012. From the album 'Come Away', Independent.
With so many thousands of independent releases vying for consumer attention on the Internet Highway it's hardly surprising that the Church has rather overlooked the fine 'Come Away' set from California's Scott Cunningham Band. The band is fronted by a Calvary Chapel teacher in worship ministry who has had one or two of his songs recorded by well known figures like Jeremy Camp while Scott's daughter Madison Cunningham has one of the most haunting and emotive voices since Leigh Nash first emerged with Sixpence all those years back. The band arrangements on their debut album are epic, synth-infused soundscapes and on "Forever Grateful" Madison's voce, with some telling harmonies from her sister, brings a sublime sense of worshipful adoration that few worship albums achieve.
Tony Cummings

831. SCOTT STAPP - JESUS WAS A ROCK STAR, 2013. From the album 'Proof Of Life', Wind-up.
Creed were never the critic's favourites and in the late 1990s and early 2000s despite the pop rockers releasing three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which was later certified Diamond, rock music writers were soon lining up to pour scorn on the band. The barbs continued with Scott's solo output and with the gritty-voiced singer/songwriter embracing the Christian faith, there is today little likelihood that the hipster critics will let up anytime soon. Scott has never bothered about the alternative rock clique and his solo albums, 2005's 'The Great Divide' and 2013's 'Proof Of Life', showcase music of maximum pop rock appeal even without the help of his Creed bandmates. In "Jesus Was A Rock Star" over a rock track tighter than a dancer's leotard, Scott knowingly makes a revolutionary suggestion to the countless millions of youth culture hedonists, "He was your party that you've been looking for/Maybe, just maybe, Jesus was a rock star."
Tony Cummings

832. REV GARY DAVIS - I HEARD THE ANGELS SINGING, 1972. From the album 'Talk On The Corner', Vantage Music.
The late, great Reverend Gary Davis was, of course, a seminal figure in introducing blues and gospel music to white audiences in the '60s while his dazzling guitar technique inspired a generation of folksters and rock musicians to play like the one-time street musician. The good reverend was perhaps best known for more upbeat numbers such as "You Gotta Move" and "The Great Change In Me", but this recording, from later on in Davis' career, showcases the man's ability to turn out a poignant and reflective work of art. With just a 12 string guitar for accompaniment, Davis picks out a mesmerizing yet simple minor key riff that sits behind a brooding and melancholic telling of encounters with an angel, Satan and then the Holy Spirit. As if acting out a one man call and response and assuring himself that he is surrounded by protective angels no matter what, Davis repeats the title of the song after each line to make this a meditative piece that covers big themes such as redemption, anointing, the lies of the Devil and spiritual warfare with all the world weariness of an aging man who means every word contained in this truly affecting song.
Lins Honeyman