Mike Rimmer spoke at length to CHUCK GIRARD about his music ministry since the disbandment of Love Song.
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The challenge was then to work out how to bring these musical and spiritual experiences into the realms of the concert setting. "In the beginning it was very scary," he admits, "because I got into some very intimate places with God through these personal experiences. In those days I didn't know the difference between what was really palatable for the public. It was like discovering the communion of making physical love with your wife. Well, what's appropriate in the bedroom is not appropriate in the living room in front of the kids. I hadn't made that distinction yet. So I did some pretty weird things with tongues and all that in public settings. Then pretty soon I learned how to pull it back and get it into a context where people could enjoy it and also perhaps respond to it. So that was the beginning of that whole era for me."
The Lamar Boschman book Rebirth Of Music helped Girard understand that there were now others exploring this new direction. "Little by little," he says, "I began to realise this wasn't something God was doing exclusively with me. Then I also began to get connected with other people, like Lamar Boschman and the worship symposium in Pasadena, and began to see there was this whole movement going on in worship. That was the beginning of something that now has resulted in Maranatha! Music, and now Hosanna, Hillsong and all that. All moving in the direction of what is being produced today, where we have all this freedom in worship and new ideas in the Church. Compared to when I first became a Christian. So it was all a whole pioneering thing again. Almost like when I was starting with the rock'n'roll in the Church. It was this whole brand new thing. I just hit on it by accident and the Lord drew me into it. So for me it was kind of cool because I didn't catch it from someone else, I caught it from the Lord."
Looking back, what does Girard think of his solo output? Which album best captures him? He responds, "It's impossible to designate one album as my best work. I believe in each album I'm working on at the time as if it's my best. You choose each song because you think it has something unique and special to offer. When you are done with an album, you have gone through a learning curve, and that maturity is hopefully applied to the next one. My albums are all quite different from each other. The first one, 'Chuck Girard' was my 'crossover' album, my jump from group to solo identity. It was purposely safe lyrically, and somewhat mellow musically. 'Glow In The Dark' had edgier lyrics and was a little more rocking. 'Written On The Wind' was my attempt to be more artsy. 'Take It Easy' (1979) was, again, kind of safe because you don't want to alienate your core audience by always changing up too much. And fun is good. 'The Stand' (1980) was my biggest flop, because the record company hated it and wouldn't properly promote it. It was my most controversial album as it dealt with subject matter unfriendly to the Christian safety zone: failure, compromise, backsliding, etc.
He continues, 'Name Above All Names' (1983) was my first album
specifically targeted to the Church. It was very prophetic and
spiritually edgy. 'Fire & Light' (1991) was a little more like my
'70s work and contained my first attempts at writing worship and
praise oriented material. 'Voice Of The Wind' was a blatant worship
album, not a praise album, recorded live and later embellished
musically. If I had to pick one I would pick 'Voice Of The Wind'.
Because it was recorded live it contains my best vocals and is very
anointed.
Having been involved in contemporary Christian
music before there was an industry marketing the music and radio
stations playing it, how does Girard view the current state of the
industry? He's in a unique place to offer insights since his daughter
Alisa was a member of the girl group ZOEgirl. "It is a bittersweet
thing," he reflects. "There is much about today's industry that lacks
the foundational innocence and purity of the first days, but on the
other hand, in some ways the influence is being felt in a much greater
way. Problem is, the influence isn't being used very well. So it's a
two-edged sword. I miss the commitment to ministry that we had in the
early days. And the zeal for soul-winning. In short, the very word you
use to designate it as an 'industry' is the most telling thing about
it. Even though there is an industry involved with books, music, etc,
you don't speak of a preacher being in the 'preaching industry'. To be
clear, I don't think the biggest problem is with the musicians, but
more with the business side of things. However, with the internet, the
paradigm for the delivery of music is rapidly changing, and there will
be a lot more room for young artists to be found who can't even get a
meeting with a record company right now. That is the most hopeful
thing to me today, that the industry as we know it could soon be
obsolete. Anyhow, I hold out hope that there will still be a real
revival among music people, and a return to some of the earlier
values."
When it comes to contemporary artists, there are a few that have caught Chuck's attention. "I am watching Mat Kearney," he confesses. "He is a great talent and I think there are great songs in him. Mutemath is a group I am watching, and though not really current, I think Phil Keaggy's album 'Inseparable' is the best album I've heard in many years. As a parent and a fan, I am also very interested in the evolution of my daughter Alisa's music. Time will tell, but there's so much more there than has been realised through ZOEgirl, and I'm interested to see where things will go from here."
Although based on the west coast for much of his life, Girard moved to
Nashville a couple of years ago and continues to work day by day at
his music. He tells me about his schedule, "Day by day only occurs
when I am home for more than a week. If I'm home for only a few days
in between travelling, my time is spent doing 'damage control', making
sure that bank accounts won't bounce, that house repairs are made,
that email is answered, orders are filled, etc. This usually takes
about three or four days. If I don't have to go out again right away,
I get a little down time to just veg, Bible time, or work on music."
Recently a DVD was filmed of Girard in concert in
Australia. It's a project which is still a work in progress. He
explains, "My friend who has been bringing me into Australia the past
few years, felt that my ministry needed to get out to a wider
audience. He came up with the theme of doing a 'Worship and Warfare'
concert, and to do a top quality DVD shoot. He put together a string
quartet, a great band and a group of singers and other musicians, and
we had a great night. Rehearsal was minimal for such a huge
undertaking, so there were a lot of miscues and other errors which
will have to be fixed in post-production. The audio session files are
being sent to me, and I will do the majority of the patching and
editing. We will have to do some post-production in Australia, but
hopefully, we will have it out sometime this year. This DVD isn't a
representation of my overall work, but a specific area. Spiritual
warfare and the triumph of God over the Devil partly through the
worship of God's people is the theme."
Chuck has been writing, recording and performing music for over 40 years now. How motivated does he feel these days to continue to do so? "Well, in my latter years here, I'm less motivated than I was 20 years ago," he says honestly, "but partly because the outlet for my music is somewhat diminished. It is not particularly inspiring to realise that you could write 200 songs and they may never see the light of day. I have about two albums' worth of current material. For me, as with young unknown artists, much of my hope for the future lies in the internet, iTunes, Napster, etc. I also find that I have less time to write as I'm travelling so much. I have never been a prolific writer, and go for periods of time when I don't write at all. Some call it 'writer's block', but I just think it's when God has nothing to say through me. When he does, the faucet turns on, and I'll churn out songs pretty quickly in that season."
As for future recordings, he's been planning a follow-up album to the 'Voice Of The Wind' recording for some time and holds his hands up to admit the delay has been too long. "I am way overdue on finishing it," he admits. "The live recordings were done about five years ago, and much of the post-production, adding instruments and voices, etc, has been delayed as we have been upgrading my recording situation, and moving to Nashville a couple of years ago. My music room is almost up to speed, and then I will be able to finish editing and mixing. After that, I have a bunch of songs long overdue for recording, which will go on my first studio album using live musicians since 1991's 'Fire & Light'. I have met a bunch of great musicians here in Nashville and am looking forward to getting a really new sound for me. After that, I don't know what the musical future holds. The DVD will also take a fair amount of time and effort, so my plate will be full for the next year or two.
The time of our chat is quickly coming to an end. We walk down to the hotel lobby together. All around us, the hotel is packed with the beautiful people of the Christian music industry, signed artists, record company personnel and wannabe artists all mix together as we head through the hotel's entrance out into the sunshine. There was a time when he was one of the most influential artists around but today he moves through the lobby without a flicker of recognition from the bright young things we pass. Girard's last words in our interview echo in my head as we shake hands and say goodbye.
"I would like to see the musicians that have 'stayed the course' and remained faithful to their call have a fresh voice into this generation. There is a lot of wisdom and insight that comes with the journey. This is not a call to rejuvenate a career, but give an ear to what the Spirit might say through those who have walked this road a long time. Only God can open that door and that is as it should be."
I pray it will happen for Girard. He's been through such a lot and yet his passion for God is undiminished. With years of listening to the voice of God and a commitment to ministry that continues to this day, his is a voice that needs to be heard in today's industry.
The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.
Love voice in the wind, touches me so deely, like to hear more ......ALMS