Jesus Freak
Encyclopedia
Jesus Freak is the Grammy Winning double platinum fourth studio album
by Christian rock
and hip hop
band DC Talk, released on November 21, 1995 on ForeFront Records
.
After three albums of hip-hop oriented sound, the rock style of Jesus Freak was considered unexpected by fans and critics alike, but it helped to define DC Talk as serious artists and innovators and propelled them into the mainstream.
The album was released to both critical and commercial acclaim. The album reached number 16 on the Billboard 200
chart. Six of the album's seven singles became number-one hits across various Christian radio formats. In 1997, Jesus Freak won the Grammy for Best Rock Gospel Album
. "Jesus Freak" is on the Digital Praise
PC game Guitar Praise
.
, which was based primarily on hip-hop and pop oriented song writing, the trio decided to innovate and reinvent their style.
After three years, DC Talk returned with songs featuring a more alternative rock sound. Thus, the album's lead single, "Jesus Freak" was considered unexpected by fans and critics alike.
Michael Tait said, "I was totally into rock and roll at the time [...] I really wanted to make a rock record." The band decided to focus 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
."
, rock
, and grunge
, all combined with hip hop
.
The title track, "Jesus Freak," is also of historical importance. It is believed to be the first link between grunge and rapcore in CCM. The song was even played on some secular stations.
In addition, the album contains several cover songs, including "Day by Day," from the musical Godspell
, and a heavily overhauled version of "In the Light" originally by Charlie Peacock. Several 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
.
, hypocrisy
, atheism
- to the secular - such as seeking forgiveness
from a friend, racism
, facing intolerance, and acceptance
.
, selling over over 85,800 copies in its first week of release. This number was the highest debut for a Christian album at the time.
After the album, released through ForeFront Records
, proved to be extremely successful, the band signed an exclusive distribution deal with Virgin Records
. The label made it a priority to promote the album to mainstream music fans. Due to this promotional increase, "Between You and Me
" became a huge hit for the band, even managing to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
, a hard feat for a Christian rock band at the time.
In 2006, EMI
released a commemorative 10 anniversary version of the album entitled Jesus Freak: 10th Anniversary Special Edition. This special released contained a bonus disc of brand-new remixes, rarities, live tracks, and demos.
After the initial success of its release, Jesus Freak was RIAA-certified as Gold by its first month, for shipments exceeding 500,000 units.
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.
The album has gone on to sell over two million copies in the United States, achieving double platinum
certification by the RIAA
.
The album also spawned several hit singles. Six of the album's singles became number-one hits across various Christian radio formats. "Between You and Me
" was even a cross-over hit on secular radio, peaking at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
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. "In the Light" and "Jesus Freak" are both featured in Alive and Transported
. In addition, the songs are still regularly sung in tobyMac
, Kevin Max
, and Newsboys
concerts.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
and hip hop
Christian hip hop
Christian hip hop is hip hop music characterized by a Christian worldview, with the general purposes of evangelization , edifying members of the church and/or simply entertaining.-History:Since hip-hop started in the 1970s, various hip-hop artists have...
band DC Talk, released on November 21, 1995 on ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
.
After three albums of hip-hop oriented sound, the rock style of Jesus Freak was considered unexpected by fans and critics alike, but it helped to define DC Talk as serious artists and innovators and propelled them into the mainstream.
The album was released to both critical and commercial acclaim. The album reached number 16 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. Six of the album's seven singles became number-one hits across various Christian radio formats. In 1997, Jesus Freak won the Grammy for Best Rock Gospel Album
Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album was awarded from 1991 to 2011. From 1991 to 1993 it was awarded as Best Rock/Contemporary Gospel Album. In 2011 the category was known as Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album....
. "Jesus Freak" is on the Digital Praise
Digital Praise
Digital Praise is Christian-themed video and computer game developer. It won the Addy Awards for "Mixed Media Campaign" in 2008. It has produced Dance Praise, Guitar Praise, Adventures in Odyssey computer games, VeggieTales' Dance, Dance, Dance, and other video games....
PC game Guitar Praise
Guitar Praise
Guitar Praise is a Christian rhythm video game for PC. Published by Digital Praise, it uses contemporary Christian music with gameplay akin to that of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, although it is only compatible with its own wired and cordless USB guitar controllers. A second guitar can be...
.
Background
After three albums of hip-hop oriented sound, including DC Talk's Grammy-award winning third album, Free at LastFree at Last (dc Talk album)
Free at Last is the third studio album from DC Talk, which was released in 1992. Music videos were filmed for "Jesus Is Just Alright", "The Hardway" and "Luv Is A Verb"...
, which was based primarily on hip-hop and pop oriented song writing, the trio decided to innovate and reinvent their style.
After three years, DC Talk returned with songs featuring a more alternative rock sound. Thus, the album's lead single, "Jesus Freak" was considered unexpected by fans and critics alike.
Michael Tait said, "I was totally into rock and roll at the time [...] I really wanted to make a rock record." The band decided to focus 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
Generation Y
Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation , Generation Next, Net Generation, or Echo Boomers, describes the demographic cohort following Generation X. There are no precise dates for when the Millennial generation starts and ends, and commentators have used birth dates ranging somewhere...
."
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 popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, all combined with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
.
The title track, "Jesus Freak," is also of historical importance. It is believed to be the first link between grunge and rapcore in CCM. The song was even played on some secular stations.
In addition, the album contains several cover songs, including "Day by Day," from the musical Godspell
Godspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
, and a heavily overhauled version of "In the Light" originally by Charlie Peacock. Several spoken-word samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
are also heard; "Mind's Eye" features the words of Billy Graham and "What If I Stumble" contains a quote from Brennan Manning
Brennan Manning
Brennan Manning is an author, friar, priest, contemplative and speaker.Born and raised in Depression-era New York City, Manning finished high school, enlisted in the US Marine Corps, and fought in the Korean War. When Manning returned to the United States, he enrolled at Saint Francis University...
.
Lyrical themes
As with the genres, the themes of Jesus Freak are varied, ranging from the spiritual - such as accepting JesusSalvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
, hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
, atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
- to the secular - such as seeking forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
from a friend, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, facing intolerance, and acceptance
Acceptance
Acceptance is a person's agreement to experience a situation, to follow a process or condition without attempting to change it, protest, or exit....
.
Track listing
- "So Help Me God" – 4:39
- "Colored PeopleColored People (song)"Colored People" is a song written and recorded by Christian rock band DC Talk. The song was one of several radio singles released from the their 1995 studio album, Jesus Freak.-Music and lyrics:...
" – 4:26 - "Jesus FreakJesus Freak (song)"Jesus Freak" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released on August 1, 1995, it was the lead radio single from the group's self-titled fourth album. The song was written and produced by Toby McKeehan and Mark Heimermann...
" – 4:50 - "What If I Stumble?What If I Stumble?"What If I Stumble?" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released in 1996, it was the third radio single from the group's fourth album, Jesus Freak....
" – 5:06 - "Day By Day" – 4:30
- "Mrs. Morgan" – 0:57
- "Between You and MeBetween You and Me"Between You And Me" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk...
" – 4:59 - "Like It, Love It, Need It" – 5:23
- "Jesus Freak (Reprise)" – 1:17
- "In the Light" – 5:06
- "What Have We Become?" – 6:09
- "Mind's Eye" – 5:17
- "Alas, My Love" – 5:18
Release
Jesus Freak was released on November 21, 1995. It debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling over over 85,800 copies in its first week of release. This number was the highest debut for a Christian album at the time.
After the album, released through ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
, proved to be extremely successful, the band signed an exclusive distribution deal with Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. The label made it a priority to promote the album to mainstream music fans. Due to this promotional increase, "Between You and Me
Between You and Me
"Between You And Me" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk...
" became a huge hit for the band, even managing to chart on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, a hard feat for a Christian rock band at the time.
In 2006, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
released a commemorative 10 anniversary version of the album entitled Jesus Freak: 10th Anniversary Special Edition. This special released contained a bonus disc of brand-new remixes, rarities, live tracks, and demos.
Critical reception
Critical response to Jesus Freak was generally positive.After the initial success of its release, Jesus Freak was RIAA-certified as Gold by its first month, for shipments exceeding 500,000 units.
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.
The album has gone on to sell over two million copies in the United States, achieving double platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
certification by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
The album also spawned several hit singles. Six of the album's singles became number-one hits across various Christian radio formats. "Between You and Me
Between You and Me
"Between You And Me" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk...
" was even a cross-over hit on secular radio, peaking at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
On June 20, 2006, Gotee Records
Gotee Records
Gotee Records is a record label founded by dc Talk member Toby McKeehan , Todd Collins, and Joey Elwood...
released a ten-year anniversary tribute, Freaked!
Freaked!
Freaked! is a tribute album to the album Jesus Freak. It features artists from Gotee singing most of the songs on the original album. The last track from Jesus Freak is omitted, as it was a poem by Kevin Max.-Track listing:...
, featuring artists from record labels Gotee and Mono vs Stereo covering songs from the original album. "In the Light" and "Jesus Freak" are both featured in Alive and Transported
Alive and Transported
Alive and Transported is a live album by Christian hip hop artist tobyMac. It was released on May 27, 2008 and debuted at number 112 on the Billboard 200, and also placed at number 4 on Billboards Top Christian Albums chart. It is currently sold as a CD/DVD combo...
. In addition, the songs are still regularly sung in tobyMac
TobyMac
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
, Kevin Max
Kevin Max
Kevin Max Smith is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk...
, and Newsboys
Newsboys
Newsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...
concerts.
Chart positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard charts Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
16 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Just Between You and Me Between You and Me "Between You And Me" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk... " |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 29 |
Personnel
- Joe Baldridge – Engineer
- Brent Barcus – GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- George Cocchini – Guitar
- Todd Collins – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, bongosBongo drumBongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
, CongaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
, DrumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, Cabassa, Loops, Cowbell - Will Denton – Drums
- Mark Heimermann – BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, PianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, cymbalCymbalCymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s, Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, Moog SynthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, Producer - Dann HuffDann HuffDann Huff is an American musician, session musician, singer-songwriter and producer. For his work as a producer in the Country music genre he has won several awards including the Musician of the Year award in 2001 and 2004 at the Country Music Association Awards and the Producer of the Year award...
– Guitar - David Lyndon Huff – Drums
- Ronn Huff – Arranger, Conductor
- Terry MacMillan – Percussion
- Toby McKeehanToby McKeehanToby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
– Producer - Jerry McPherson – Guitar
- Shaun McWilliams – MandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, Drums - Brent Milligan – Bass
- John Mark PainterJohn Mark PainterJohn Mark Painter is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known for his role, with his wife, singer Fleming McWilliams, in the rock and roll duo, Fleming and John....
– Bass, Guitar, AccordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, Producer - Charlie PeacockCharlie PeacockCharlie Peacock is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, session musician and author. While growing up in California Peacock was inspired by John Coltrane and began playing the piano. After completing his education, Peacock formed a band and began a career as a professional...
– Vocals on In the LightIn the Light"In the Light" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti. Most of it was composed by bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones on his synthesizer... - Dave Perkins – Guitar
- Otto Price – Bass
- Chris RodriguezChris Rodriguez-Biography:Rodriguez was born on March 7, 1960, in Bronx New York, and moved to Nashville, becoming a veteran of the scene in the early 1990s. His debut album, Beggar's Paradise, was released by Sony in 1999, by which time he had collaborated on projects with country and CCM acts such as Amy Grant,...
– Guitar - Jimmie Lee Sloas – Bass
- Aaron SmithAaron Smith (musician)Aaron "The A-Train" Smith is a Nashville-based drummer and percussionist.At the age of 21, Aaron Smith played drums on The Temptations' megahit...
– Drums - Dennis Soley – Flute
- Jackie Street – Bass
- Mitch Myers – Guitar
- Oran Thornton – Guitar
- Sean Turner – Guitar
- Scott Williamson – Drums