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

666. GOSPEL KEYS - THE MERCY OF THE GOOD LORD, 1964. From the single, Peacock.
It was the recommendation of one of the world's leading gospel collectors that alerted me to this gem. He called it a "remarkable song" and indeed it is. With a melodic lilt and a simple yet memorable hook ("If it wasn't for the mercy of the good Lord/I wouldn't be here today") the rich tenor of the male lead manages to deliver a performance that is simultaneously sedate and reverential yet deeply soulful which the mixed group, led by Evelyn Keys, who join him for the songs climax of complex interplay add to the track's transcendent mood. Yep, a remarkable performance of a remarkable song.
Tony Cummings

667. ALARM - BLAZE OF GLORY, 1984. From the album 'Declaration', IRS.
The Welsh stadium rockers had a huge hit with "Sixty-Eight Guns" from 'Declaration' but this was the album's epicentre. Ringing acoustic guitars and a vocal from Mike Peters which is the epitome of passion. Over the relentless chorus of "going out in a blaze of glory" Peters vamps in a screech of conviction "I'm going out. . . I'm going down. . . with my hands held high."
Tony Cummings

Barry McGuire

668. BARRY MCGUIRE - EVE OF DESTRUCTION/DON'T BLAME GOD/II CHRONICLES, 1975. From the album 'Lighten Up', Myrrh.
In 1965 the gravelly-voiced McGuire scored a million selling hit with the quintessential protest song penned by P F Sloan, "Eve Of Destruction". Its dark apocalyptic depiction of atom bomb annihilation was one of the most memorable moments in '60s pop music. After McGuire's Christian conversion in 1971 the one-time pop star was signed to gospel label Word. He began his second Christian album 'Lighten Up' with an arresting medley - a less than two minute rendition of "Eve Of Destruction" that then tellingly segued into two of his own compositions. "Don't Blame God" is a fine song with its vivid images of a decaying culture coupled with a stern rebuke not to blame God for the sins of America. The Church doesn't come out unscathed. "We've got million dollar churches/But no one's on their knees/So many selfish people/Just doing what they please." The singing prophet hasn't finished though. "II Chronicles" reminds us that if God's people will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways God will forgive them of their sin and heal their land. Seldom has Scripture been utilised on an album with such power.
Tony Cummings

669. CORY ASBURY - ALWAYS FAITHFUL (PROPHETIC SONG), 2009. From the album 'Let Me See Your Eyes', Forerunner.
Considering how richly God has bestowed the gift of tongues on the worldwide Church it is surprising how few live worship albums have included music sung in a tongue. But that is what you get at the beginning of this haunting live recording, presumably recorded at Kansas City's International House Of Prayer. Over a simple yet haunting accompaniment, the atmosphere builds as the English words (the interpretation?) assure us of God's unrelenting faithfulness. A rare moment of deep, prophetic worship caught by the IHOP team.
Tony Cummings

670. DONNA SUMMER - I BELIEVE IN JESUS, 1980. From the album 'The Wanderer', Geffen.
Along with shock rock Alice Cooper's profession of Christian faith, it was Donna Summer's conversion that most bemused the Pharisees in the Church. Here was a singer who'd once enjoyed multi-million sales by simulating orgasm on record, now boldly declaring faith in Christ. Though produced by her disco mentors Moroder and Bellotte, 'The Wanderer' dropped the sexuality and instead sung about love, romance. . .and Jesus. "I Believe In Jesus" was composed by Donna herself and, despite being ignored by US Christian radio, won her a Grammy. The track was even applauded by Rolling Stone magazine in which Dave Marsh wrote "The song 'I Believe In Jesus' escapes being cloying only by the narrowest of margins - a chorus so perfectly sung that to deny it is practically inconceivable: 'I believe in Jesus/You know I know him oh so well/And I'm going to Heaven by and by/Cause I already been through Hell.'"
Tony Cummings

671. BLIND WILLIE JOHNSON - GOD DON'T NEVER CHANGE, 1929.
From the album 'The Soul Of A Man', Snapper Music.
Recorded in the late 1920s, this enthralling and uncharacteristically low key piece from Texan gospel bluesman Blind Willie Johnson is simply a joy to hear. Undoubtedly sung on street corners with a great deal more volume and ferocity in order for it to be actually heard, this particular recording is a remarkably tender piece that sees Johnson forsake his rasping bass growl as he thoughtfully worships his maker. In what is an incredible slice of poetic lyricism - typical of Johnson's writing and partly the reason why he was in a different league to his blues contemporaries - he recognises God's omnipotence ("God way up in the Heaven/God way down in Hell") as well as the joy that comes from knowing the Lord ("wants you to get up this morning/skip around like a lamb). Within the same breath, the very real threat of illness is reflected as Johnson references the devastating influenza pandemic of 1918 and 1919 with the reassurance that God is "in the doctor too." Musically, Johnson's bottleneck playing is spellbindingly intricate especially near the end and has resulted in reverent slide-festooned versions of the song by the likes of Kaiser/Mansfield and guitar maestro Kelly Joe Phelps. In the context of the tragic circumstances surrounding the bluesman's poverty-stricken death, the repeated assertion that "God don't never change" and that he "always will be God" takes on a whole new depth of meaning in what is one of gospel blues most poignant and breathtaking songs.
Lins Honeyman

672. MICHAEL ANDERSON - REVIVAL, 1996. From the album 'Love Is The Hard Part', Forefront.
The drums and bass groove which is part of this track is so monumentally funky that I couldn't resist sampling it for a charity album I produced some years ago. But the appeal of "Revival" doesn't stop there. An eclectic songwriting talent, Anderson is able to compose everything from hard rock (Holy Soldier's "Promise Man" Dove Award winner) to country and bluegrass songs. His own albums have been equally diverse, from the country-tinged 'Saints And Sinners' (1993) to his mainstream rock album 'White Trash Shakespeare' (2006). But it was the stunning 'Love Is The Hard Part' album with its mix of electronic pop and Memphis soul which best offset Anderson's gritty, world weary vocal tones. The lyrics are powerful too. "The keys to the Kingdom/Are right in your hand/You can move a mountain/Once you understand/It's revival for survival/If you seek, it's written you shall find/It's revival for survival." A brilliant track from a white trash Shakespeare.
Tony Cummings

Michael Anderson

673. MICHAEL ANDERSON - LOVE IS THE HARD PART, 1996. From the album 'Love Is The Hard Part', Forefront.
In this gem the gritty-voiced Michigan-born songsmith was clearly inspired both by 1 Corinthians 13 and John Lennon's "Love". Anderson's song poignantly reflects on the difficulty we all experience in fulfilling every Christian's prime directive. "Love is the hard part/It's the one light, in the dark/It's the arrow through your heart/Love is the hard part." Masterly stuff.
Tony Cummings

674. AUDACIOUS - OPEN HEAVEN, 2012. From the album 'Bring The Praise', Audacious.
Worship seldom comes more powerful than this. The song, written by three members of the vibrant !Audacious mega-church in Manchester - Mark Foster, Matt Hill and Joe Weaver and with a spine-tingling lead vocal by Jenni Dring - is truly memorable. Its strong melody completely transcends any feeling of stadium anthem familiarity and its chorus "We're standing under an open Heaven/Put my life in you hands/Put my faith in your plan/I'm living under an open Heaven" is genuinely uplifting.
Tony Cummings

675. SONNY TERRY & BROWNIE MCGHEE - DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE, 1965. From the album 'Lightnin', Sonny & Brownie', Society.
Whilst there have been many blues duos over the years, it could be argued that none have been as recognised and influential as the pairing of acoustic guitarist Brownie McGhee and harmonica virtuoso Sonny Terry. Having played together on and off from 1942 through to 1980, the pair's style to this day seems the most natural thing in the world and none more so than in their version of the old spiritual "Down By The Riverside" from a 1965 album which also featured bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins. In its three minutes and 16 seconds, the song remarkably manages to capture the very essence of the Terry/McGhee partnership with Brownie's trademark warm vocal style exuding the spiritual hope and positivity of being able to "study war no more" whilst Sonny vamps along intuitively to give his partner's rhythmic guitar picking more oomph. The innate understanding and respect between the two musicians is evidenced in Terry's first harmonica solo - introduced with a friendly "What about you, bud?" - in which he makes the humble harp talk in a way that few have done before or since. Throw into the mix Terry's breathtaking ability to instinctively readjust his timing within a split second of McGhee's guitar fluff during the solo and it becomes clear why the music of Sonny and Brownie lives on and why this particular track remains one of their very best.
Lins Honeyman

676. 4HIM - FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, 1994. From the album 'The Ride', Benson.
Formed in 1990 by four members of the recording/touring entity Truth, 4Him from Daphne, Alabama were in the '90s Christian music's most popular male vocal group though their Southern gospel tinge and tendency to heap on rather cheesy production values didn't win 4Him much of a fanbase in the UK. In 1994 they made their best album, 'The Ride', and this anthem was the standout. One critic suggested the track was "a sort of Michael Jackson 'Heal The World' anthem". A powerhouse production from Don Koch and with a full choir added drama to Mark Harris' soulful lead while the lyric was a dramatic reminder of the need for Christian resolve ("We won't bend and we won't break/We won't water down our faith/We won't compromise in a world of desperation/What has been we cannot change/But for tomorrow and today/We must be a light for future generations."
Tony Cummings

677. CHRIS FALSON - WAKE UP, 1992. From the album 'Chris Falson', Broken Again.
Australia's Chris Falson is a brilliant singer, songwriter and guitarist but remains one of the most underrated figures in the Christian music scene. Incorporating elements of acoustic rock, jazz and blues into a mix that reminded at least one critic of early Dire Straits, "Wake Up" is a bleak depiction of a world destroying itself and a call to the Church militant to do something about it. Still completely relevant 20 years on.
Tony Cummings

Jimmie Williams and Red Ellis

678. JIMMIE WILLIAMS & RED ELLIS & THE GOSPEL HARMONY BOYS - SOMEONE WILL LOVE ME IN HEAVEN, 1960. From the album 'Holy Cry From The Hills', Starday.
The eerily plaintive sound of country gospel is personified on this gem. Jimmie Williams played mandolin, Red Ellis guitar, and with their Gospel Harmony Boys adding banjo, fiddle and bass they made a sound that must have been heard around the Arkansas hills decades before they made this gem. The song is a contemplation on the believer's eternal destination co-written by Don Reno (the man who also gave us the classic "I'm Using My Bible For A Roadmap") while the harmonies are exquisite.
Tony Cummings

679. BURLAP TO CASHMERE - BASIC INSTRUCTIONS, 1998. From the album 'Anybody Out There?', Squint Entertainment.
Back in 1998, the Steve Taylor-discovered Burlap To Cashmere were something of a revelation for lovers of Christian music. Whilst not wholly original in their approach - check out the band's musical nods to the likes of Paul Simon and Cat Stevens - Burlap To Cashmere certainly bucked the worship music trend of the time with the release of their seminal 'Anybody Out There?' album which combined some delightful Greek-influenced Americana bolstered by some really great songwriting. One song in particular - the drivingly infectious "Basic Instructions" - is a case in point. Taking the famous John 3:16 Scripture as its starting point, the track is a musical feast of Spanish guitars, flamenco handclaps, thundering percussion and Mexican brass sections capped off by a passionate vocal performance from Steven Delopoulos that succeeds in planting the Bible's most famous verse in the mind of the listener in a way that is both accessible and instantly unforgettable.
Lins Honeyman