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

964. FIRST CALL - THE FUTURE, 1986. From the album 'Undivided', DaySpring.
The group First Call started off as the "first call" for Nashville record producers who wanted classy backing vocals on their records. Then a bold producer recorded them in their own right singing acapella Christmas songs. The album was a smash and First Call - consisting of Marty McCall, Bonnie Keen and Mel Tunney - were clocking up a big string of CCM hits in a wide variety of styles. In 1986 they recorded a brilliant song written by Becky and Geoff Thurman, "The Future", and with a funky production from Keith Thomas it still sounds great today with its telling lyrics, "I may not know what the future holds/But I know who holds the future/I may listen to a thousand tongues/But I only hear one whisper."
Tony Cummings

965. FIVE SOUL STIRRERS OF HOUSTON - EVERY NEW DAY, 1939. From the various artists album 'Black Vocal Groups Vol 4', Document.
As all students of gospel music history will tell you, in the '50s the Soul Stirrers had in Sam Cooke one of the greatest lead singers ever. But the history of the Soul Stirrers goes back to pre-war years and when they recorded as the Five Soul Stirrers Of Houston they were already making memorable music, as this track demonstrates.
Tony Cummings

966. MARTYN LAYZELL - LOST IN WONDER, 2003. From the album 'Lost In Wonder', Survivor.
Before he became a vicar, Martyn Layzell was a worship leader who often led worship at Britain's hugely popular Soul Survivor event. In 2003 he recorded a studio album and this haunting worship song became a much sung item around Britain's churches. Martyn recounted how he came to write the song: "I decided. . .to flick through my lyrics book to see if I could get any inspiration. I find keeping a lyrics book is a great way to combat writer's block. Basically just write down anything that you find striking or inspiring. A line from a film, a dream, a song, whatever. . . Even if it seems unimportant, you never know when it might come in handy. After a few seconds I stumbled across this line, which I had written down some months before: 'You chose the cross with every breath, the perfect life, the perfect death'. To be honest, I can't even remember how that line came to me. I think it was in a worship time whilst I was in the congregation, but it didn't seem particularly fresh - just something in my mind that struck me as interesting so I wrote it down.

"As I started reading over that line and thinking on it, I just started singing it out on my guitar. I didn't really have a great revelation for the melody. I guess it just flowed out as I played it over and over. The chords I happened to be playing at the time seemed to fit with what I was singing. It also seemed a nice idea to repeat the line 'You chose the cross', which obviously began to determine what sort of song it was going to be, but also triggered my thoughts to Max Lucado's book called He Chose The Nails. Sometimes, that's the way it works. A line or a phrase leads you further to other sources of inspiration and so on. This was a helpful resource to stimulate ideas and a fresh outlook on an old theme. The second part of the first verse was also inspired by a line that I had written down from an old hymn: 'For us you wore a crown of thorns/A crown of life for us securing'. I really liked the double use of the word crown and the imagery of his crown of thorns being symbolic of the crown of life that his death and resurrection would purchase for us."
Tony Cummings

967. STAVESACRE - YOU KNOW HOW IT IS, 1999. From the album 'Speakeasy', Tooth & Nail.
Stavesacre were a band from Orange County, California, and flew the flag for Christian alternative rock for several years and had in lead vocalist Mark Salomon one of the most thought-provoking lyricists on the US scene. Their album 'Speakeasy' has been called by at least one critic "a masterpiece." "You Know How It Is" begins with a surging blast of guitars, moves into a chugging rhythm and then Salomon's eerily haunting vocal which seems to probe the insularity of many churchgoers. "We just want to know what's just outside/These walls are cold from flames that give off only light." Powerful stuff.
Tony Cummings

Chris Tomlin

968. CHRIS TOMLIN - GOOD GOOD FATHER, 2015. From the album 'Never Lose Sight', Sixstepsrecords.
Every year or so a worship song emerges from the tens of thousands currently being composed to impact the world Church and become an international best seller. The song "Good Good Father" was written by three members of an Atlanta-based worship collective called Housefires but it took a single of the song by Chris Tomlin to propel the song to international popularity.
Tony Cummings

969. MARC JAMES - FATHER (SOUND OF RUSHING WATER), 2016. From the album 'Promise', Independent
Marc James has worked tirelessly on the British scene for many years. His work with the mainstream hard rock trio Verra Cruz has brought him critical acclaim while his recordings with Vineyard UK have shown him to be one of the most powerful voices in modern worship. "Father (Sound Of Rushing Water)" is possibly the singer/guitarist's finest recording.
Tony Cummings

970. DIXIE HUMMINGBIRDS - IN THE MORNING, 1962. From the album 'In The Morning', Peacock.
In his book The Gospel Sound, Anthony Heilbut describes the recording "In The Morning" by the great quartet the Dixie Hummingbirds with lead singer Ira Tucker perfectly. Heilbut wrote, "'In The Morning' begins where most records end, in mid-climax with Tucker squalling at peak power. Twice he doubles up and syncopates the words 'morningmorning, morningmorning, morningin the morning,' achieving rhythmic effects from the consonant interplay. After a shouting ending, 'In the morning when the dark clouds roll a-' Tucker relaxes into a gentle, low '-way,' at peace with the spirit and himself."
Tony Cummings

971. RANCE ALLEN GROUP - THERE'S GONNA BE A SHOWDOWN, 1972. From the album 'Truth Is Where It's At', Gospel Truth.
The family vocal and instrumental team from Monroe, Michigan, The Rance Allen Group had in Rance Allen one of the most phenomenal singers of the whole gospel world. When they signed to Gospel Truth Records, a subsidiary of legendary Memphis label Stax Records, they took a catchy song "There's Gonna Be A Showdown" which had been a big R&B hit for Archie Bell & The Drells and gospelizing the lyrics turned it into an exhilarating gospel anthem.
Tony Cummings

972. MARANATHA! SINGERS - LORD, I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH, 1989. From the album 'Praise 12', Maranatha! Music.
American songwriter Rick Founds wrote the song "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High" after reading Scriptures on his computer and thinking about the "cycle of redemption" comparing it with the water cycle. So were birthed the lyrics "You came from Heaven to earth to show the way/From the earth to the cross my debt to pay/From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky/Lord I lift your name on high." Since it was written this worship classic has been recorded in all kinds of styles - gospel, dance, reggae, even punk rock. But I'll go back to the original recording, by the Maranatha! Singers.
Tony Cummings

Pilgrim Travelers

973. PILGRIM TRAVELERS - JESUS MET THE WOMAN AT THE WELL, 1957. From the Alabama Singers' album 'Spirituals: Negro Spiritual Music', Joker.
In 1957 the Pilgrim Travelers left Speciality Records, who had had some success with them, and signed with Andex Records. The group brought in a new lead singer, Lou Rawls, who was years later to have mainstream success, first guesting on Sam Cooke records and then becoming a jazz and soul star. The Pilgrims' recordings for Andex were long neglected though an album of them did turn up on an Italian release, mysteriously credited The Alabama Singers, and recently Mojo magazine put their song "Jesus Met The Woman At The Well" on a sampler tribute to rock star Nick Cave.
Tony Cummings

974. REND COLLECTIVE - MY LIGHTHOUSE, 2014. From the album 'The Art Of Celebration', Integrity Music.
Hymnwriters and gospel song composers have for a long time been using the metaphor of the lighthouse as a picture of God's saving light shining through our darkness. In 2014 those Northern Irish folk rockers Rend Collective delivered a new anthem for singing and dancing our gratitude to God, the Light of the World.
Tony Cummings

975. RAVIZEE SINGERS - I AM THINKING OF A CITY (LANKA LANKA), 1937. From the various artists album 'Black Vocal Groups Vol 7 1927-1941, Document.
Ever heard of the Ravizee Singers? No, neither had I until I discovered this ancient recording they made back in the 1930s. What this gospel group's "I Am Thinking Of A City (Lanka Lanka)" clearly shows is that all those doowop music hits of the '50s and '60s ("Rama Lama Ding Dong", "Barbara Ann", "Blue Moon", etc) owe their origins to acappella jubilee groups who invented nonsensical phrases, like "Lanka Lanka", to chant their songs of faith. This is a delightful slice of acappella jubilee singing demonstrating that, as with other forms of music, doowop began in the church.
Tony Cummings

976. SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS - THE PRESSURE, 1991. From the album 'The Evolution Of Gospel', Perspective.
It took dance and R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to take a gospel choir from Minneapolis, Sounds Of Blackness, and with plenty of propulsive dance rhythm, give them a hitmaking, Grammy-winning sound. With a super powered vocal from Ann Nesby on a song written by Jam, Lewis and choir leader Gary Hines, "The Pressure" became a big hit in clubland with its lyrics "When I need relief, I pray to help me fight the pressure."
Tony Cummings