Good News Album DiscographyIn 1970, Piro had met with several local musicians, and encouraged them to record an album. Chuck Girard, formerly of the Castells and Hondells, and a pop music veteran of surf-and-car songs, had been in Southern California seemingly all his life. By the early 1970s, surf and car songs were long gone from the charts, and Girard had teamed with musicians Tommy Coomes, Jay Truax, and Fred Field to try to regain some of the fame and fortune. All four were converted to Christianity through attending some of the meetings and studies held in Southern California, where the "hippie" culture was prominent. The group began playing at some of the meetings associated with Calvary Chapel, and became known to many as a group that played Christian songs in a pop music style. This was unique at the time.
After some months, the four called themselves Love Song, and defined what was soon to be called Jesus Music, and later Contemporary Christian Music. After playing for several of the smaller group meetings at Calvary Chapel, they agreed to play for the whole congregation. Calvary Chapel was itself on the verge of founding Maranatha Music, a record label which still flourishes today. By this time, they had added John Mehler to the group, making it a fivesome.
On Maranatha's web page, John Fischer described the scene of the group's first leading of congregational praise and worship this way:
"A half a dozen staff members of a church are crammed into this little room no bigger than a walk-in closet, along with five members of a rock group who call themselves 'Love Song.' The group is to audition for a Sunday evening service. A few of the thousand-plus people who will come that night are already starting to trickle into the the auditorium downstairs. 'Could you guys just do a quick song for us right now?' asks the pastor in charge. 'You come with high recommendations, but we've never heard you before. Would you mind?' 'No, not at all,' says the one with the guitar. With difficulty, he manages, in the press of bodies, to get his guitar horizontal and begins strumming a soft, steady rhythm. Immediately five long-haired heads turn upward and with eyes closed, their voices blend in harmonic symmetry as the haunting strains of 'Welcome Back' wash over the unsuspecting staff members from head to toe.... When they finish, a hush falls on the room. Unknown to them, these staff members have just heard, in close quarters, what was about to become the signature song of a musical and spiritual revolution. I know this because I was in that room. I was training under one of the pastors at the time--the very one who broke the spell with the understatement of a decade: 'O.K.... you'll do.'"
Love song played locally and toured for months. Some time in 1971, the group went back to Freddie Piro
to see if he was still interested in them recording an album. Piro was still enthusiastic, and as a recently
"born again" Christian himself, quit his job at National General and set up his own music label, Good
News, "to present the gospel of Jesus Christ in its purest form, uncompromising in content and
contemporary in style." Field and Mehler left the group in 1971 to move to Northern California and found
a group called Noah. Piro introduced the remaining members to a lead guitarist named Bob Wall, who
joined the group. Chuck played guitar and keyboards, Tommy played guitars, and Jay played bass.
Piro brought them to the famous Gold Star Records in Los Angeles, to record on the same equipment (and with Stan Ross, the same engineer) that had recorded so many popular hits over the years by the Beach Boys, Phil Spector's groups, etc. For the album, they used drummer John Raines; John Mehler returned a few months later and rejoined the group.
The first album was a huge success. It was distributed by United Artists Records. CCM Magazine named Love Song's 1972 debut as the No. 7 all-time best contemporary Christian recording. Love Song appeared in Explo '72, Campus Crusade for Christ's gathering in Dallas, Texas, that summer, and played for an audience of 100,000. They continued to tour and bring their gospel message across the country and even around the world. For the next four years before their eventual breakup, Love Song recorded songs with uncompromising Christian lyrics. Personnel changes happened several times, and Phil Keaggy, well known Christian guitar virtuoso, joined as lead guitarist for a short time.
GNR-8108 - Take It Easy - Chuck Girard [1979] Also issued as a picture disc. Take A
Hand/Love Is Alive/Little People/Full Immersion Ocean Water Baptism By The Sea/Without Your
Love//Our Lives Are In Your Hands/His Word Is Still His Promise/Song For A Christian Wedding/Wings
Of Mercy/All I Want
