Jesus Freak (album)
Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox album
Jesus Freak is the fourth studio album by the American Christian rap and rock trio DC Talk, released on November 21, 1995, on ForeFront Records.<ref name="billboard2">Template:Cite news</ref> The style was a marked departure from the group's previous releases, incorporating a heavier rock sound and elements of grunge that was popular at the time.
The album was released to both critical and commercial success. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and six of the album's seven singles reached number one across various Christian radio formats. It won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.
Jesus Freak is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential albums in the history of contemporary Christian music (CCM).<ref>http://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/featured-stories/dc-talk-jesus-freak-turns-twenty/. CCM Magazine</ref>
Background
After three albums of hip-hop-oriented sound, including DC Talk's Grammy award-winning third album, Free at Last, which was based primarily on hip-hop and pop-oriented songwriting, the trio decided to innovate and reinvent their style.
After three years, DC Talk returned with songs featuring a more alternative rock sound. Thus, fans and critics considered the album's lead single, "Jesus Freak", unexpected.<ref name="taff6">Taff, pg. 6</ref><ref name="taff8"/>
Michael Tait said, "I was totally into rock and roll at the time [...] I really wanted to make a rock record."<ref name="taff8">Taff, pg. 8</ref> The band focused on more rock-oriented music, with touches of rap and pop interwoven into the mix. Tait later explained, "We wanted to write songs that would hopefully touch a generation."<ref name="taff9">Taff, pg. 9</ref>
Recording and production
Compared to DC Talk's other albums, Jesus Freak was, stylistically, an experiment. The album was a fusion of various musical genres, including pop,<ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="Jesus">Template:Cite web</ref> rock,<ref name="allmusic"/> and grunge,<ref name="cmt special edition"/> all combined with hip-hop.<ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="Jesus"/>
The title track, "Jesus Freak," is also of historical importance. It is believed to be the first link between grunge and rapcore in CCM.<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music"/> The song was even played on some secular stations.<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music">McNeil, pg. 99</ref>
In addition, the album contains two cover songs: "Day by Day," from the musical Godspell, and a heavily overhauled version of "In the Light" originally by Charlie Peacock.<ref name="jfh"/> Two spoken-word samples are also heard; "Mind's Eye" features the words of Billy Graham and "What If I Stumble" contains a quote from Brennan Manning.<ref name="jfh"/>
Lyrical themes
As with the genres, the themes of Jesus Freak are varied,<ref name="allmusic"/> ranging from the spiritual–such as accepting Jesus, hypocrisy,<ref name="jfh"/> atheism–to the social, such as seeking forgiveness from a friend,<ref name="jfh"/> racism,<ref name="jfh"/> facing intolerance,<ref name="billboard3">Template:Cite news</ref> and acceptance.<ref name="jfh"/>
Release
Jesus Freak was released on November 21, 1995. It debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200, selling over 85,800 copies in its first week of release.<ref name="billboard charts">Template:Cite web</ref> This number was the highest debut for a Christian album at the time.<ref name="highbeam">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
After the album, released through ForeFront Records, proved to be extremely successful, the band signed an exclusive distribution deal with Virgin Records.<ref name="billboard2"/> The label made it a priority to promote the album to mainstream music fans.<ref name="billboard2"/> Due to this promotional increase, "Between You and Me" became a hit for the band, managing to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Reception
Template:Music ratings After the initial success of its release, Jesus Freak was RIAA-certified as Gold by its first month, for shipments exceeding 500,000 units.<ref name="cmt special edition" /><ref name="riaa">Template:Cite web</ref> The album has gone on to sell over two million copies in the United States,<ref name="cmt special edition">Template:Cite web</ref> achieving double platinum certification by the RIAA.<ref name="riaa" /> Critical response to Jesus Freak was generally positive, and many of the album's singles were met with positive reception. For instance, "Jesus Freak" was the first non-AC song to win the Dove Award for Song of the Year.<ref name="Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music" /> The album also spawned several hit singles. Six of the album's singles became number-one hits across various Christian radio formats.<ref name="cmt special edition" /> "Between You and Me" was even a cross-over hit on secular radio, peaking at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.<ref name="billboard" />
Legacy
The album is considered one of the greatest and most influential Christian albums of all time and is viewed as a landmark of the 1990s alternative rock scene.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
It is one of the biggest-selling Christian albums of all time and has been certified double platinum in the United States and gold in Canada.
On June 20, 2006, Gotee Records released a ten-year anniversary tribute, Freaked!, featuring artists from record labels Gotee and Mono vs Stereo covering songs from the original album.<ref name="Jesus2">Template:Cite web</ref> "In the Light" and "Jesus Freak" are both featured in Alive and Transported. In addition, the songs are still regularly sung in tobyMac and Newsboys concerts.
In 2006, EMI released a commemorative 10th-anniversary version of the album, Jesus Freak: 10th Anniversary Special Edition. This special edition contained a bonus disc of brand-new remixes, rarities, live tracks, and demos.<ref name="cmt special edition" /> A single-disc remaster was released in 2013.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
For the 20th anniversary of the album in November 2015, SMLXLVinyl.com released a double lp 180-gram vinyl of the album. It was its first pressing on the format.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Track listing
Template:Track listing Template:Track listing
Chart positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 16<ref name="billboard charts"/> |
| U.S. Top Christian Albums | 1 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Jesus Freak" | CCM Christian CHR | 23 |
| CCM Christian Rock | 1 | ||
| U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 10 | ||
| "Mind's Eye" | CCM Christian CHR | 1 | |
| Just Between You and Me" | CCM Christian CHR | 1 | |
| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary | 1 | ||
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 29<ref name="billboard">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 | 15 | ||
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 24 | ||
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 Tracks | 11 | ||
| 1996 | "Like It, Love It, Need It" | CCM Christian Rock | 1 |
| "In the Light" | CCM Christian CHR | 1 | |
| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary | 3 | ||
| "What If I Stumble?" | CCM Christian CHR | 1 | |
| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary | 3 | ||
| 1997 | "So Help Me God" | CCM Christian Rock | 3 |
| "Colored People" | CCM Christian CHR | 1 | |
| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary | 3 | ||
| "Day by Day" | CCM Christian Rock | 3 | |
| "What Have We Become?" | CCM Christian CHR | 1 | |
| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary | 32 |
Personnel
DC Talk
- TobyMac – raps, lead and backing vocals
- Kevin Max – lead and backing vocals, poem (13)
- Michael Tait – lead and backing vocals, additional BGV arrangements (1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12)
Musicians
- Mark Heimermann – programming (1-3, 5, 7, 11, 13), Hammond B3 organ (1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 12), upright bass (3), additional vocal arrangements (4), Wurlitzer electric piano (5), pads (7, 12), Moog synthesizer (8), finger cymbals (8), acoustic piano (10), broom (12), keyboards (13)
- Dann Huff – programming (1), guitars (1, 3, 5, 7, 13)
- George Cocchini – guitars (2, 13)
- Chris Rodriguez – guitars (2, 4, 10)
- Oran Thornton – guitars (3, 5, 8)
- Sean Turner – guitars (3)
- Jerry McPherson – mandolin (4), guitars (11, 12)
- Brent Barcus – guitars (5), bridge arrangements (10)
- Dave Perkins – guitars (11)
- Jackie Street – bass (1, 2, 12)
- Otto Price – bass (2, 5, 7, 10), bridge arrangements (10), wah bass (11)
- John Mark Painter – bass (3, 4, 11), accordion (4), guitars (4)
- Brent Milligan – bass (8)
- Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (13)
- Scott Williamson – drums (1, 11), drum fills (7), hi-hat (7)
- Aaron Smith – drums (2, 10)
- David Huff – drums (3, 5, 12)
- Shaun McWilliams – drums (4)
- Will Denton – drums (8), bridge arrangements (10)
- Todd Collins – bongos (1, 12), loops (1, 12), programming (3, 5, 7, 11, 12), drums (3), cowbell (3), percussion (4), congas (5, 7), tambourine (5), cabasa (7), vocals (9), brush snare (11), Akai MPC60 (13)
- Terry McMillan – percussion (2, 10, 13)
- Greg Herrington – loops (10)
- Denis Solee – flute (11)
- Ronn Huff – string arrangements and conductor (2, 10)
- Jason Halbert – bridge arrangements (10)
- Brennan Manning – ragamuffin intro (4)
- Charlie Peacock – guest vocals (10)
- Billy Graham – spoken word (12)
Production
- Dan R.Brock – executive producer
- Eddie DeGarmo – executive producer
- Toby McKeehan – producer, collage photos
- Mark Heimermann – producer (1-3, 5-13)
- John Mark Painter – producer (4)
- Joe Baldridge – engineer, mixing, collage photos
- Lynn Fuston – string recording
- Russ Long – additional engineer
- Todd Robbins – additional engineer
- Dave Dillbeck – assistant engineer
- Dan Fritzsell – assistant engineer (1-3, 5-13)
- Patrick Murphy – assistant engineer (1-3, 5-13)
- Ed Sharpe – assistant engineer (1-3, 5-13)
- Penn Singleton – assistant engineer (1-3, 5-13)
- Shane D. Wilson – assistant engineer (1-3, 5-13)
- Chuck Linder – mix assistant
- Ronnie Thomas – editing at MasterMix (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Ken Love – mastering at MasterMix (Nashville, Tennessee)
- Nate Yetton – A&R
- Kevin Max Smith – art direction
- Paul Venaas – design, layout
- John Falls – individual band photos
- Norman Jean Roy – back cover photography
Music videos
References
- McNeil, W. K. Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Routledge, 2005. Template:ISBN
- Taff, Tori. 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music. Integrity, 2006. Template:ISBN