Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis

Author:Randy Travis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2019-03-27T04:00:00+00:00

20

BORN-AGAIN MUSIC

I remained an artist without a record label for a while. DreamWorks had closed, and I had not yet signed another recording deal. I was talking with Kyle Lehning one day, when Kyle suggested, “Why don’t we make a record and you own it. Then you can pitch it to any label.” Kyle had recently left Asylum and was ready to get back into producing music full time.

I liked his idea, so we went into the studio and began working. But we didn’t want to create my usual “country” album. Instead, we hoped to record country music with subtle Christian themes. I didn’t want to do the typical “country music artist sings the hymns” approach, although I always appreciate those kinds of albums. We weren’t really thinking in terms of gospel music, either, but merely music with a message that would cause people to consider a relationship with God. We were shooting for a real low-key musical presentation with the vocals way out in front so the lyrics would come through strong.

After several months we were nearly done with the album, which we had titled Inspirational Journey, and we planned to present it to Peter York at Sparrow Records. Peter had heard the music and had begun negotiations on a deal with us for the album.

Kyle was on the board of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the organization that awards Grammy Awards and works in the best interests of music artists. Barry Landis was also on the board. Barry was now working with Word Records, which at the time was owned by Warner Bros. Barry asked about my next album, and Kyle told him that I was getting ready to sign with Sparrow.

“Wait a minute!” Barry said. “You can’t do that! Please don’t do that.”

“Well, the paperwork is already done,” Kyle said, “and is on the desk.”

“Can I hear the album?” Barry asked.

“Sure, I guess so,” Kyle said.

When Barry heard the new music, he did something highly unusual. He went to Peter York at Sparrow and begged him to allow Word to release and distribute it. Peter York is such a great guy that he said, “Look, if that is what you want to do, go ahead with my blessing.” In one of the most rare and unselfish acts I’ve ever experienced in the music business, Peter allowed Barry to take the album.

Released in 2000, Inspirational Journey contained the typical blend of electrical and acoustic guitar sounds found on most of my other albums, expertly balanced by Kyle’s adept producing skills that kept the background music laid back and my vocals up front. The most significant change, however, came in the song lyrics. Songs such as “Dr. Jesus” and “The Carpenter,” a song on which Waylon Jennings and his wife, Jessi Colter, helped me out, expressed more overtly gospel messages than I had recorded previously.

One of the sensational songs on that album was simply titled, “Baptism,” written by Mickey Cates. I had previously sung it as a duet with Kenny Chesney on his album, Everywhere We Go.

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