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Saturday, April 18, 2009
FARRELL & FARRELL - SUPERPOWER/1989 / BIOGRAPHY / DISCOGRAPHY
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(11-TRACKS)
1-SUPERPOWER
2-IT'S GONNA TAKE LOVE
3-EYES ON YOU
4-HEART OF THE HOMELESS
5-FOLLOW YOU
6-GRAPHIC
7-TAKING IT HOME
8-ETERNITY IN THEIR HEARTS
9-FIND THE WAY TO LOVE
10-EVERYDAY OF YOUR LIFE
11-CROWNS
FARRELL & FARRELL-MANIFESTO-1986
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-LAUNCH WINDOW
2-CAPTAIN VIDEO
3-MANIFESTO
4-THE POSSIBLE DREAM
5-FAIR COMPANION
6-CORAZON(Loving Heart)
7-FIRT LOVE
8-HIDDEN AGENDA
9-HEARTS AND MINDS
10-PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD
FARRELL & FARRELL-JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS-1985
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-JUMP UP
2-PEOPLE IN A BOX
3-SPLIT SECOND
4-AMERICAN MAN
5-THE STING
6-HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE
7-HUNGRY EYES,THIRSTY HEARTS
8-SHAKEDOWN
9-THE MEEK & THE MIGHTY
10-I BELONG TO HIM
FARRELL & FARRELLL-CHOICES-1984
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-HOSANNA GLORIA
2-HE WILL ALWAYS MAKE A WAY
3-GET RIGHT OR GET LEFT
4-THROUGH YOUR EYES
5-RANSOME
6-HE REIGNS
7-THE GREATEST OF THESE
8-CHOOSE TO LOVE
9-GIVE ME THE WORDS
10-HE IS THERE
FARRELL & FARRELL-LET THE WHOLE WORLD/LIVE-1982
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-ALL YOU NEED
2-LET THE WHOLE WOLRD KNOW
3-AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS
4-BOUNDLESS LOVE
5-MAKE ME READY
6-NO NEED
7-HOMESICK SOLDIER
8-YOU KEEP ME HOLDING ON
9-JAILHOUSE ROCK
10-LET THE WHOLE WOLRD KNOW(Reprise)
FARRELL & FARRELL-MAKE ME READY-1981
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(12-TRACKS)
1-MAKE ME READY
2-STILL HERE
3-YOU'RE THE HEART OF ME
4-YOU KEEP ME HOLDING ON
5-OLD FRIENDS
6-SONATA
7-JUST IN TIME
8-TO KNOW WHAT I AM LOVED BY YOU
9-LEAD ME ON
10-ONLY LOVE
11-ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR ME
12-HE THAT OVERCOMES
FARRELL & FARRELL-PORTRAIT OF US ALL-1979
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(11-TRACKS)
1-I COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU
2-FALLEN
3-PUT MORE LOVE IN ME
4-CAN'T ASK ANYTHING MORE
5-BOUNDLESS LOVE
6-NO NEED
7-FIND IT IN THE WORLD
8-JAILHOUSE ROCK
9-ALL YOU NEED
10-SCARS
11-A PLACE IN HIS HEART FOR YOU
FARRELL & FARRELL-FARRELL & FARRELL-1978
THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-EARTHMAKER
2-GOOD SHEPHERD
3-LIFESAVER
4-I'D BE A FOOL
5-HIGH WIRE
6-FIG TREE
7-TRYING TO GET A HOLD
8-ADOPTION
9-HEAVEN SONG
10-HOMESICK SOLDIER
BIOGRAPHY:
The venerable CCM group Farrell & Farrell was fronted by husband and wife Bob and Jayne Farrell, who together emerged from the Houston, Texas music scene during the early 1970s. In 1974 Bob joined the group Dove, one of the first acts signed to the fledgling Myrrh label; at that time Jayne pursued a solo career, but when Bob left Dove in 1976 they began working together under the name Farrell & Farrell. Their self-titled debut LP, released in 1978, immediately topped the CHR charts on the strength of its sophisticated techno-pop sound -- Farrell & Farrell were among the first acts in either secular or spiritual music to employ a Fairlight synthesizer. In addition to subsequent LPs including 1979's Portrait of Us All and 1981's Make Me Ready, which launched the chart-topping "All You Need," Bob also became a highly successful songwriter, notching a series of CCM smashes for outside artists. After 1982's Let the Whole World Know--Live, Farrell & Farrell signed with the Star Song label for 1984's Choice: its 1985 follow-up Jump to Conclusions was among their most well-received efforts, notching a major hit with the media satire "People in a Box." After 1986's Manifesto, the prolific duo spent three years readying their next release, Superpower, then retired from performing. In the years to follow Bob turned exclusively to songwriting, authoring material for artists ranging from Amy Grant to Michael W. Smith to Sandi Patty; Jayne, meanwhile, recorded a solo LP, and also turned to composing as well.Farrell and Farrell were a husband and wife Contemporary Christian music act which had its beginnings in the early 1970s Jesus music era and went to become one of the first Christian new wave acts in the 1980s on such albums as 1984's "Choices" and 1985's "Jump to Conclusions".
Early history through NexPax Records era:
The core members of the act were high school sweethearts Bob Farrell and wife Jayne Farrell, who had sung in a local rock band with Bob prior to her conversion to Christianity at a crusade. It was through Jayne and a friend that Bob experienced his own conversion as he says: "Jayne and I became born again in the Spring of 1971, in Houston. Within a week of becoming a Christian I wrote my first song about my new Lord and new life. Within a couple of months, we began performing (quite innocently) in coffeehouses and backyard Bible studies. When we had to assume a name – we chose One Man Band."The band consisted of Bob playing acoustic guitar and three vocalists but gradually evolved into a full band with drums, keyboards/keybass and guitar. Along with the fuller instrumentation came a name change to Millennium and a recording in 1973 aided by friends Randy Bugg on bass and Sonny Lallerstedt on lead guitar, both members of Dove, the first Christian group to record on Myrrh Records. That same year, Jayne Farrell released a solo album simply titled "Jayne".Hot Hits Book.In 1976, the Farrells moved to Edmond, Oklahoma and became active as a duo again. In 1977, they gained a record contract with Gary S. Paxton's NewPax Records in 1978. Their first album "Farrell and Farrell" was notable for being one of the first Contemporary Christian music recordings to feature the Fairlight synthesizer as well as co-writing assistance from Pat Terry of the Pat Terry Group on the song "Can't Ask Anything More". They also netted a #2 Christian radio hit with the track "Earthmaker".The duo fully blossomed on their sophomore release as Eddie DeGarmo of DeGarmo and Key guested on keyboards for the album "Make Me Ready", which also featured early songwriting from future Contemporary Christian music star Michael W. Smith. The album would spawn #23 hit "Heavensong", #13 charter "Boundless Love" and top 5 smash "All You Need" (peaked at #2) A sold out July 24,1982 performance at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma's Civic Center Music Hall led to their live album "Let the Whole World Know-Live". Unlike their previous albums where studio musicians handled keyboards, Bob Farrell handled the OBX keyboard as well as acoustic guitar. The title track reached #25 in 1983 on Christian radio.
StarSong Records tenure:
The next album could be seen as the beginning of the "Golden Era" of the band as Electronic Keyboards Would Play a larger part in the group's more experimental sound. "Choices" utilized not only Electronic Keyboards but the use of Simmon Drums and other Electronic Percussion and unusual "instrumentation" like a 7-Up can. This time, Dana Key and Eddie Degarmo Both Guest on Guitar And Keyboard And Co-Write "Get Right or Get Left" (a #28 Christian radio hit). They also placed 2 top 10 hits with "Hosanna Gloria" (#10) and "Give me the Words" (#4).Hot Hits book) Jimi Jamison of the mainstream rock band Survivor did some session work on the album as part of the "Rock Choir" backing vocals. Billy Smiley and Mark Gersmehl of White Heart also contributed lyrics to songs for the disc. During a time period when mainstream musicians were making headlines with charity benefit singles like USA for Africa's "We are the world", Christian musicians likewise banded together as CAUSE (an acronym meaning Christian Artists United to Save the Earth)Bob took part in the recording of their 1984 single "Do Something Now". The success of tracks like "Get Right or Get Left" encouraged the duo to point their music in an even more electronic direction for 1985's "Jump to Conclusions". The disc included one of their most popular compositions, "People in a Box" (#4 on Christian radio, a diatribe against the consumerism and anti-Christian attitudes seen on television ads and programs, "American Man" (a #15 hit exhorting Americans to pray so that God "would heal our land of the free and brave") and "The Meek and the Mighty", a tune Bob wrote in response to the suffering of persecuted Christians in the Former Soviet Union. (The band would play in the former U.S.S.R. several times prior to their late 80s dissolution.) "Manifesto" continued in the same vein, with #13 Techno-Pop hit "Launch Window" and the #9 title track. It also featured a superstar CCM choir on Ballad "People All Over the World" including Billy Sprague, White Heart's Billy Smiley, Mark Gershmehl, and Rick Florian, Pete Carlson, Angie Lewis and Scott Wesley Brown. A second warning against choosing entertainment wisely appeared with "Captain Video."
Duo swansong to present:
The band was able to play in the nation that inspired "Meek and the Mighty" (from "Jump to Conclusions") in a 25 date swing through Russia in 1988. Ending a 3 year recording hiatus, Farrell and Farrell released their swansong, 1989's "Superpower", on Word Records. After nearly 20 years in the business, the strain of touring was taking too much toll on the group's marriage and they
decided to call it quits.In 1996 Bob produced the musical "Savior" which won a Dove Award for Best Musical. He netted another Dove in 1998 for Best Choral Collection for "Our Savior..Emmanuel", co-produced with Greg Nelson. Bob remains active in the Contemporary Christian music industry as a songwriter for such acts as Stacie Orrico,Jaci Velasquez,Wynonna Judd,and Eric Clapton. He also was a key player in the 2003 rock opera !Hero, being involved with creation of the music along with veteran Christian rocker Eddie DeGarmo, formerly of
DeGarmo and Key, as well as acting in the opera in the role of Governor Pilate. In 2005, The DVD Release of "!Hero" was nominated for a Dove Award for Best Long Form Video.(http://www.skylineviewdesign.com/farrell/home.htm)
LEGACY:
In First Bringing Electronics-Based Sounds to Christian Contemporary music, Farrell and Farrell helped pave the way not only for Similar Synth-Pop acts like 80s bands Crumbacher and Mad at the World and 90s act Painted Orange but the groundwork was laid for Christian based lyrics in genres which derive from Keyboard Heavy sounds such as industrial music and techno. As a songwriter, Bob Farrell has penned material for both Christian and mainstream artists including Bob Carlisle,DeGarmo and Key,Bryan Duncan,The Imperials,Pat Terry Group,Michael W. Smith,Diana Ross,John Berry,Eric Clapton,Laura
Branigan,Anne Murray, and Diana Ross.(http://www.holymetalrob.com/)