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

680. ELDER WILLIAM SMITH - HIS VOICE, 2009. From the single, Psalms.
The idea of taking old school acappella gospel singing and adding a dance music rhythm for clubland has been around for awhile now and this exciting track is a good example of old time religion meeting new technology. I've no idea of the identity of the original source recording which New Zealand deejay and record collector Kris Holmes used, or even if the man who rasps and roars an extemporised sermonette egged on with "amens" and "yes Lords" from some righteous brothers is indeed called William Smith. What I do know is that his semi-sung explosion of biblical exhortation is brought to life by a drum track plucked from the unlikely source of "Sweet Pea", once a hit for '60s popster Tommy Roe. Apparently only 200 copies of the original Psalms single of this electrifying funk floor-filler were ever pressed and today you'll have to cough up £80 plus to get one, if indeed you can.
Tony Cummings

681. EDIN-ADAHL - REVIVAL, 1991. From the album 'Revival', Alarma.
It was two sets of multi-talented brothers who were the mainstay of this excellent pop band, who moved from radio friendly rock, to catchy pop, to funky R&B with the confidence that few of their CCM rivals could attain. They enjoyed an American Christian radio hit in 1990 and two more in 1991 but by that time they'd clicked in their homeland as Sweden's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. Needless to say they weren't as successful as Abba, but it did put them before the mainstream public and this eminently catchy title track of their 'Revival' album rose to number three on Sweden's mainstream chart (nestling between Madonna and Michael Jackson).
Tony Cummings

682. RILEY BAUGUS - LONG STEEL RAIL, 2006. From the album 'Long Steel Rail', Sugar Hill.
Riley is an old-time guitarist, singer, banjo player, fiddler and instrument builder best known for his haunting singing on the soundtrack of the movie Cold Mountain. The sleevenote of the 'Long Steel Rail' album declares "you can feel the rhythms of rural America pushing through this disc - the clack of an engine on a long steel rail, the rhythmic step of a team before the plough, the hammer striking steel as it cuts through a mountain. Riley's music comes from the country, in this case Wulkerton, North Carolina, as surely as he himself does." All I can add is that to experience Riley's fluid, rhythmic banjo and plaintive vocal on this traditional song is to experience roots music at its very best.
Tony Cummings

Pivitplex

683. PIVITPLEX - YOU KNOW, 2003. From the album 'Under Museum Quality Glass', BEC Recordings.
What the Cross Rhythms reviewer correctly noted when this album was released in 2003 is that there are "300 Christian rock bands who sound similar to this." What he failed to pick up on though is that this Montana-based foursome had in "You Know" a near perfect piece of pop rock, a jangly guitar mid-tempo song penned by the band's singer Scott Brownson and guitarist Eddie Frank with a warm chorus "You feel that you know and you say that you feel/I know in my heart that there is something more real." A delightful summer sound.
Tony Cummings

684. N-DAZE - PURIFIER, 1993. From the album 'Kicking The Hell Out Of Music', Independent.
What remains so intriguing about popular music, of most varieties at least, is that it is sometimes possible for artists to defy all the odds and without record companies, expensive studios or big name producers, record something that is truly brilliant and which connects where countless thousands of more expensively recorded tracks don't. N-Daze were a bunch of London-based urban music evangelists who in the early '90s recorded in their home studio some dance, R&B and hip-hop which reflected their in-your-face declarations of Jesus' Lordship. This is their classic, amazingly only ever released on cassette, which even though styles of rap have changed considerably, still continues to impress. Its seeming total consciousness-sounding rap from emcee Paul Sevier produces a mesmerising flow which highlights darkest sin and holy purity. There is also a sampled preacher occasionally exhorting "let it go deep." Such is the passion of Mr Sevier's performance that deep it truly goes.
Tony Cummings

685. SALLIE MARTIN SINGERS - THAT'S WHAT HE'S DONE FOR ME, 1961. From the album 'Precious Lord', Charly.
Anthony Heilbutt's essential study of African American gospel perfectly defines the impactful voice of Sallie Martin. "Her voice is all wrong, rough, gnarled, wide-ranging and shaky in all its registers from bass to second tenor." Yet Professor Heilbutt added, "Sallie's authority derives from the bad voice, the palpable sense that she's got nothing going for her but energy and will." As history shows us Sallie's willpower was enough to make her famous throughout America's black churches and, through The Martin & Morris Publishing Company she formed in 1940 with songwriter/organist Kenneth Morris, pretty wealthy as well. The original Sallie Martin Singers disbanded in 1952 but in 1960 the gospel matriarch, having returned permanently to Chicago, reformed her Singers. This track, from one of the two albums recorded for Vee-Jay Records, showed Sallie in all her blustery, bluesy power.
Tony Cummings

686. LIBERATION SUITE - HEAL THE BROKEN HEARTED, 1980. From the album 'Stride For Stride', Chapel Lane.
As any student of Jesus music will tell you Lib Suite were a band who relocated from the Texas hills to Britain and had in their midst one of the finest guitarists of the era, Barry Bynum. After their wildly eclectic debut album recorded for Word (UK) five years earlier 'Stride For Stride' settled more into the art rock style of bands like Kansas, interspersed with some Chicago-like horn-driven funk rock. "Heal The Broken Hearted" is a lovely piano-underpinned ballad calling on believers to heed Jesus' example and become instruments of healing.
Tony Cummings

687. SHOWBREAD - YOU'RE LIKE A TAXI, 2010. From the album 'Who Can Know It', Tooth & Nail.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, "You're Like A Taxi" is the song I want played at my funeral. Check out the lyrics, "When I die, whatever you might say don't say I'm gone/Gone is not the word for someone who finally found his way back home." Words that raise the spirit every time I hear them. The band from Guyton, Georgia, have taken their followers on a head-spinning musical journey. Starting out as an emo-sounding unit, they went for a more straight up rock vibe, onto an industrial double album, then moved to rock and roll and most recently a more progressive rock sound. But this 2010 cut remains my favourite.
Greg Sammons

Lisa Bevill

688. LISA BEVILL - SUNSHINE AND JOY, 1994. From the album 'All Because Of You', Sparrow.
For a season Lisa Bevill was a CCM hitmaker as well as a much used Nashville session singer. Certainly her flexible voice was able to cover a wide range of vocal approaches from Paula Abdul and Madonna through to towering insp ballads. But it was this hip-hop flavoured cut which was, as far as Cross Rhythms radio were concerned, her best. The lyric quotes Philippians 4 and contrasts the comfort of knowing the living God with the empty meaninglessness of "having the blues". Not exactly theologically profound but still a great example of catchy, urban-tinged pop.
Tony Cummings

689. JOHN DAVIS - JESUS GONNA BUILD ME A HOME, 2005. From the album 'John Davis', Rambler.
Singer/songwriter Davis tasted the US big time with the rock band Superdrag before being dramatically rescued from substance abuse by a merciful God. When the 'John Davis' album was released Cross Rhythms observed that "albums as eclectic as this seldom hit in the States - programme controllers and marketing men prefer projects which stick firmly in one musical furrow." Sadly, the observation proved correct but eight years on, the CD still sounds wonderful. When interviewed by CR Davis spoke about "Jesus Gonna. . .", "That's just straight-out gospel music. It's a little bit tie-dyed. It has sort of a 'Music From Big Pink' meets 'Hey Jude' kind of feel. But to me, it's straight-out gospel music."
Tony Cummings

690. DISSIDENT PROPHET - BE SERIOUS, 2012. From the album 'Weapons Of Mass Deception', Independent.
The Midlands band, led by singer/songwriter Andy Jennings, cut the classic rock ballad "Unconditional Love" in 1995. Few observers would have guessed that 17 years later they'd be back and not only that but deliver another gem, though it's one light years away from the moody elegance of "Unconditional Love" but in its own way every bit as memorable. "Be Serious" features a Lou Reed-style vocal, presumably from Andy, some extremely witty lyrics and, most-unlikely-to-work, plenty of whistling. Having already selected a Newsboys track which features whistling for SORAS I can only assume that my tastes for tuneful puckered lips are undergoing radical change.
Tony Cummings

691. JOE HINTON - LADDER OF PRAYER, 1958. From the various artists album 'Gospel Celebrities & Celestial Lights', Fantastic Voyage.
Joe, one time member of the fine Spirit Of Memphis Quartet, recorded two classic tracks in his brief solo career, his R&B hit rendition of the country song "Funny How Time Slips Away" and this gospel gem. Aside from being a classic piece of doo wop that comes complete with a gorgeous lilting horn section and obligatory '50s era backing vocals, it is the sheer passion in Hinton's high tenor vocal delivery that steals the show as he drives home the fact that he "came back from the depths of despair" having gone "as low as a human could go" before "making the long climb up the ladder of prayer." From the outset, Hinton's voice is strong and assured as he promotes the fact that praying to God is the answer but things really take off after the first bridge thanks to a series of incredible falsetto runs that simply have to be heard to be believed. In short, this is an uplifting, faith-affirming slice of sheer genius that just so happens to have one of the most stunning vocal performances of all time tucked away in its blink-and-miss-it two and half minutes.
Lins Honeyman

692. TREE63 - ALL HANDS, 2003. From the album 'The Life And Times Of Absolute Truth, Inpop.
It was one of those sad music industry ironies that 'The Life And Times Of Absolute Truth', which received major Cross Rhythms radio play and about which its reviewer suggested was "an early contender for album of the year" proved to be the South African band's least successful album. It seemed the great American public wanted worship music only from John Ellis and his cohorts and though the band reluctantly acquiesced with their inferior cover of Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name", it was this album with its state-of-the-art production and riveting songs which remains Tree63's greatest creative achievement. "All Hands" has, as Mike Rimmer once described, "gutsy guitar and a punch-the-air chorus."
Tony Cummings

Al Green

693. AL GREEN - ALL N ALL, 1977. From the album 'The Belle Album', Hi.
After his life-changing encounter with God, the million-selling soul star made the jaw-dropping celebration of divine love, 'The Belle Album'. Even Rolling Stone magazine, often disinclined to praise music which reflects agape love, praised its sublime moments. Wrote Greil Marcus, "'All n All' is the number that not even a reprobate could deny; it carries a sense of liberation and purpose deep enough to make the sinner envy the saved. . . 'All n All' makes me giddy. Green floats with the music, picking up momentum - but so subtly you don't notice that the song is increasing in force until he breaks the tune open with high, perfectly timed wails so surprising and unfettered he sounds as if he's hitting a note he's been reaching for all his life. I was stunned hearing this: I half expected Green to start speaking in tongues, but, in a way, he already was."
Tony Cummings