Solid Rock Records is a
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the pr ...
started by
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman (April 8, 1947 – February 24, 2008) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 album ...
. It was established in 1975 to distribute his work after he had been released by
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...
. Solid Rock had a distribution deal with
Word Records until 1980.
The label's roster also included
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, bu ...
,
Tom Howard,
Mark Heard
John Mark Heard III (December 16, 1951 – August 16, 1992) was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia.
Heard released sixteen albums, and produced or performed with many artists, including: Sam P ...
,
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. The band currently con ...
, Pantano & Salsbury (formerly known as the J.C. Power Outlet), and
Salvation Air Force
Salvation Air Force is known as Canada's first Christian rock band. It was formed in 1972 by Donnie Gossett and later joined by his brother, Michael Leon Gossett. The band toured across Western Canada and the Western United States and recorded fou ...
. Norman worked with David Edwards, who released his debut album on
Myrrh Records
__NOTOC__
Myrrh Records (also known as Myrrh Worship) was an American Christian music record label.
According to ''Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music'', the label was instrumental in developing a popular following for contemporary Christian ...
in 1980, as well as
Steve Scott. Scott recorded one album, ''Moving Pictures'', produced by Norman and Heard, that was unreleased.
History
Origins
Strongly influenced by Christian philosopher
Francis Schaeffer
Francis August Schaeffer (January 30, 1912 – May 15, 1984) was an American evangelical theologian, philosopher, and Presbyterian pastor. He co-founded the L'Abri community in Switzerland with his wife Edith Schaeffer, , a prolific autho ...
,
[Michael S. Hamilton, "The Dissatisfaction of Francis Schaeffer, Part 2", ''Christianity Today'' (March 3, 1997), http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1997/march3/7t322b.html] and his community at
L'Abri
L'Abri is an evangelical Christian organisation which was founded on June 5, 1955 by Francis Schaeffer and his wife Edith in Huémoz-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. They opened their alpine home as a ministry to curious travelers and as a forum to discu ...
in Switzerland, which Norman had visited with his wife Pamela on his honeymoon in 1972, and "possibly inspired by the
Apple imprint of
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
", in 1974 Norman founded Solid Rock Records to produce records for Christian artists who, like himself, had "no commercial value." Norman intended Solid Rock to be "a "musical L'Abri",
and "more than business though, it was community." "Solid Rock became an important moment in the history of Christian rock music since it was the first truly artist-driven label". According to Norman, the purpose of Solid Rock was "to help other artists who didn't want to be consumed by the business of making vinyl pancakes but who wanted to make something 'non-commercial' to the world". Solid Rock "was a community of shared ideas and discussion. Artists would work on each other's projects and even tour together. It seems to have been a place where they were trying to create art that would cross over. Larry Norman in particular had a desire to not simply create Christian music but music that was from a
Christian worldview that would stand up in the mainstream and that people could accept and be challenged by".
[Mike Rimmer, "Tom Howard: From Jesus Music Pioneer to Behind-the-Scenes Virtuoso", ''Cross Rhythms'' (November 28, 2008), http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Tom_Howard_From_Jesus_music_pioneer_to_behindthescenes_virtuoso/34447/p1/] According to Solid Rock alumnus Tom Howard: "We ate together, laughed together, cried together, travelled together. It wasn't like a cult or anything; I mean we'd go off to our own families and our own pockets of friendships but there was definitely a sense of gathering among that small handful of artists".
[Tom Howard, in Mike Rimmer, "Tom Howard: From Jesus Music Pioneer to Behind-the-Scenes Virtuoso", ''Cross Rhythms'' (November 28, 2008), http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Tom_Howard_From_Jesus_music_pioneer_to_behindthescenes_virtuoso/34447/p1/]
In addition to his own recordings, Larry Norman produced music for several artists on his Solid Rock label:
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, bu ...
,
Mark Heard
John Mark Heard III (December 16, 1951 – August 16, 1992) was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia.
Heard released sixteen albums, and produced or performed with many artists, including: Sam P ...
,
Tom Howard,
Pantano/Salsbury, and Salvation Air Force.
Norman also produced artists who were signed to other labels, such as
Malcolm and Alwyn
Malcolm and Alwyn were a popular British gospel beat music group in the 1970s. They played rock music influenced by Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan and The Beatles with lyrics reflecting their conversion to Christianity. The duo was composed of ...
, Bobby Emmons and the Crosstones, and Lyrix. While Norman received production credits for two songs on
Sheila Walsh's first album ''
Future Eyes
''Future Eyes'' is the title of the first solo album by the Scottish singer Sheila Walsh. Recorded in Spring 1981 at Chapel Lane Studios near Hereford, engineered and produced by Paul Cobbold. It was released in the UK in 1981 on Chapel Lane Reco ...
'', he remixed the songs that were already recorded. In 1977 Norman signed James Sundquist to Solid Rock, which produced some of the songs on Sundquist's ''Freedom Flight'', an album that blended
ragtime
Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...
and ballads, that was later released by Pat Boone's Lamb & Lion label. About 1978 Norman produced an album, ''Moving Pictures'', for British poet and musician
Steve Scott that was never released.
Daniel Amos (1978–1980)
In December 1978 Norman signed Christian rock band
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. The band currently con ...
to Street Level Productions and also to his Street Level Artists Agency. Daniel Amos had almost completed ''
Horrendous Disc'', their third album, co-produced by
Mike D. Stone, when under contract to
Maranatha! Music
Maranatha! Music is a Christian music record label which was founded as a nonprofit ministry of Calvary Chapel in 1971. The label is distributed by Capitol Christian Music Group, a division of Universal Music.
Background
In the early 1970s Cal ...
. When Maranatha! released them, as it was changing direction to children's and praise music, ''Horrendous Disc'' still needed to be mixed. Norman asked the band to replace two songs, had the album mixed and took new photos of the band for the album's cover to replace those he deemed too controversial for the Christian market, and in September 1979, Norman released a test pressing. In mid-May 1980 Norman released Daniel Amos from their management contract with Street Level Productions, resulting in an estrangement in their relationship. Just before the finalization of his divorce from Pamela, in August 1980, Norman performed at the Kamperland
Youth for Christ
Youth For Christ (YFC) is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people, whose main purpose is evangelism among teenagers. It began informally in New York City in 1940, when Jack Wyrtzen held evangelical Protestant rallies for teenagers ...
Music festival (now the
Flevo Totaal Festival) in
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
the Netherlands with
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. The band currently con ...
band backing him. Due to the
laryngitis
Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks.
Laryngitis is categorised ...
of
Terry Scott Taylor
Terry Scott Taylor (born May 24, 1950) is an American songwriter, record producer, writer and founding member of the bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies (credited as Camarillo Eddy). Taylor is also a member of the roots and alternativ ...
, lead singer of
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. The band currently con ...
, Norman sang their songs from ''
Horrendous Disc'' with the rest of Daniel Amos backing him so that Daniel Amos could be paid.
Solid Rock implosion (1980)
At the
Greenbelt Festival
Greenbelt Festival is a festival of arts, faith and justice held annually in England since 1974. Greenbelt has grown out of an evangelical Christian music festival with an audience of 1,500 young people into its current form, a more inclusive f ...
held a few days later, Daniel Amos refused to back Norman as previously agreed due to their unfolding legal action against Norman, forcing Norman to recruit another group of musicians.
[Larry Norman in Dougie Adams, unpublished interview with Larry Norman, (August 2001), http://solidrockarmy.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=108066&p=3&topicID=28025780] During this performance, Norman sang for the first time, "May Your Feet Stay On The Path", as a beatific
benediction
A benediction ( Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the exposit ...
to the Solid Rock artists he had released.
Norman explained in 2001: "It's a song I wrote for all my artists because I wasn't going to work with them any more. So I stayed up one night praying all night and working on this song asking God to help me bless the artists one more time so that they would know that I loved them even if I didn't want to work with them".
Despite being advertised as soon available in November 1979, ''Horrendous Disc'' was not finally released by Solid Rock until April 10, 1981, ten days before the band's follow-up ''
¡Alarma!'', was released on
Newpax Records. In 2000 Norman sang "
Hound of Heaven" on the Daniel Amos tribute album, ''
When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos''.
The end of Solid Rock
June 17, 1980 meeting
In June 1980 the Solid Rock community imploded due to concerns about delays in releasing albums, royalties and publishing rights, and Norman's personal life.
[John Cody, "Angel Tells Tragic Tale of Larry Norman", ''BC Christian News'', http://www.canadianchristianity.com/bc/bccn/0709/20angel.html]
One of the areas of disagreement within Solid Rock was over their philosophy of ministry.
The concerns of Stonehill, Taylor and Howard and other Solid Rock musicians led to an intervention on June 17, 1980 with Norman organized by Philip F. Mangano, the Solid Rock business manager.
According to Rimmer, ''Fallen Angel'' claims that "it was at this memorable meeting that Larry, rather than bowing to the concerns of his fellow artists and the Solid Rock family, chose to strike out. With accusations against his co-workers, he began the process of winding up the Solid Rock operation and the dreams of the artistic community came crashing down."
[Mike Rimmer, "Larry Norman: The David Di Sabatino's Fallen Angel Documentary", ''Cross Rhythms'' (March 28, 2010), http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Larry_Norman_The_David_Di_Sabatinos_Fallen_Angel_documentary/39066/p4/]
Winding down
Norman and Mangano severed their business association, with Norman selling his interest in Street Level Artists Agency to Mangano, who subsequently resigned in October 1980 to start a new career in working to help the homeless, and becoming the Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness for seven years from March 2002,
By October 1981 Norman was still represented by Word and the only artist signed to Solid Rock. In a 1982 interview with British Christian musician Norman Miller, then Executive Director of Word Europe, Norman discussed both the original purpose for Solid Rock and its future:
I have very few plans for Solid Rock at all. Originally, I started Solid Rock as a way of helping other young artists become established. My plan has always been to provide them with an intense education, support their efforts with concerts and record production, and then graduate them into the mainstream where they can stand on their own feet. I've been able to get Randy Stonehill to the point where Myrrh Records has signed him directly, while others, like Mark Heard, Tom Howard, and Daniel Amos have all signed with different American companies like New Pax. I've helped about fifteen people get contracts so far, and all the old Solid Rock crowd has graduated and I'm working with new and younger artists now.
Analysis & Norman's comments
American Christian rock historian John J. Thompson identifies several factors in the collapse of Solid Rock, including possibly an over reliance on Norman's celebrity; Norman's confrontational lyrics and music, which alienated both the Christian and mainstream music industries; Norman's over-commitment, including producing almost all of the Solid Rock albums, contributing songs, and singing backing vocals; and "by releasing high-quality music by the best bands, Norman doomed his label to almost certain failure. He was simply way ahead of the curve".
[John J. Thompson, ''Raised by Wolves: The Story of Christian Rock & Roll'' (E.C.W., 2000):51.] Additionally, the emergence of several
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
-influenced Christian bands in the late 1970s, who "cranked out music that made Larry Norman and
Love Song
A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order. ...
look like antiques. Some of them even considered the members of Daniel Amos to be geezers".
American professor of religious history
Randall Balmer
Randall Herbert Balmer (born October 22, 1954) is an American historian of American religion. He taught at Barnard College and Columbia University for twenty-seven years before moving to Dartmouth College in 2012, where he was named the Mandel Fami ...
believed that the causes of the demise of Solid Rock were "Idealism, marital difficulties, and financial naivete — as well as changing musical tastes". Stonehill opined in 1994: "As artistically heady as the days at Solid Rock were ... and as good as the ideas were on paper, the business end was always very loose-knit. ... We were young guys with good ideas but not a whole lot of business sense". Norman acknowledged in a 1984 interview: "I've never been really good in the business side of it. I haven't had a problem with creativity but I've never had the business side of it together." In a 1998 letter to Randy Stonehill, Norman indicated:
"I DIDN'T DO IT RIGHT: You know I never cared about money, so it's something I never worried about. ''Which was probably not helpful to running a record company and keeping track of everything to the artists' satisfaction''. ... I couldn't run the label without competent assistants. I trusted Philip anganoto keep track of royalties, gave him an open checkbook, and never looked over his shoulder. I thought he was my other half. And Philip just wasn't that man. He made a lot of money ... and I'm sorry about your royalties, but I ran the musical side and Philip ran the business side".
Norman gave his rationale for the winding up of Solid Rock Records in a 1989 interview: "I couldn't run Solid Rock Records anymore because of my mental condition due to an accident, I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't finish anybody's album. I couldn't get any work done in the office, it was just real hard. And I'd already done the one album for each artist that I'd promised, and I wanted to liberate them and get them signed up with a real big record company. But they all wanted to stay together because that was what they knew....I hadn't intended to produce any second albums for any of the artists. They were all out of contract. My contract wasn't really a contract to hold them to me. I had a contract with them because Word required it of Solid Rock. So, I just gave them their contract back as soon as their album was out. There was a lot of personal strife in everybody's life. My wife had decided she wanted to marry somebody else and all of the artists at the same time were leaving their wives, and I just thought this was an appropriate time for introspection. I didn't want to be up on stage and having kids come back afterwards and ask me why everyone was getting divorced.
[Larry Norman in Brian Quincy Newcomb, "Larry Norman: The Long Journey Home", ''CCM'' (June 1989)]
http://www.geocities.com/sunsetstrip/club/1150/lnorman20yrs.html
The tensions of the Solid Rock community resulted in the fracturing of several personal and professional relationships, Norman's departure overseas, the dispersal of the Solid Rock artists to other labels, and to the formation of Phydeaux Records. Norman became "a musical hermit, ceasing relationships with record companies and focusing on selling his music directly to his fans through the mail".
Post 1980
In February 1992, Norman had a heart attack and limited the activities of his record label until his death in 2008, but work continued to release CD versions of archival material from the 1970s.
Selected discography
* ''
In Another Land
"In Another Land" is a song by the Rolling Stones, released in December 1967 as the first single from the album ''Their Satanic Majesties Request'', and credited solely to Bill Wyman. In America, London Records released it as a single a week ...
'',
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman (April 8, 1947 – February 24, 2008) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 album ...
, 1976
* ''
Welcome to Paradise
"Welcome to Paradise" is a song by the American rock band Green Day. It first appeared as the third track on the band's second studio album, '' Kerplunk''. It was re-recorded and rereleased as the fifth track on their third studio album, ''Dooki ...
'',
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, bu ...
, 1976
* ''
View from the Bridge'',
Tom Howard, 1977
* ''
On Turning to Dust'',
Mark Heard
John Mark Heard III (December 16, 1951 – August 16, 1992) was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia.
Heard released sixteen albums, and produced or performed with many artists, including: Sam P ...
, 1978
* ''
Appalachian Melody
''Appalachian Melody'' is an album by Mark Heard, released in 1979 on Solid Rock Records.
Track listing
All songs written by Mark Heard.
Side one
# "On the Radio" - 3:41
# "Castaway" - 3:30
# "Bless My Soul" - 4:08
# "Here I Am (Once Again)" - ...
'',
Mark Heard
John Mark Heard III (December 16, 1951 – August 16, 1992) was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia.
Heard released sixteen albums, and produced or performed with many artists, including: Sam P ...
, 1979
* ''
The Sky Is Falling'',
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, bu ...
, 1980
* ''
Horrendous Disc'',
Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos (aka D. A., Dä) is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. The band currently con ...
, 1981
* ''
Something New under the Son'',
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman (April 8, 1947 – February 24, 2008) was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 album ...
, 1981 (recorded in 1977)
* ''
Friends On Tour'', Larry Norman & Friends, 1981
* ''
Get Me Out of Hollywood'',
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, bu ...
, 1999 (recorded in 1973)
See also
*
Larry Norman discography
Recording since 1966, first as a lead singer for the group People! and then as a solo artist, Larry Norman is noted for his extensive career as well his attention to Christian subject matter. His music was released on both mainstream and indepen ...
*
List of record labels
File:Alvinoreyguitarboogie.jpg
File:AmMusicBunk78.jpg
File:Bingola1011b.jpg
Lists of record labels cover record labels, brands or trademarks associated with marketing of music recordings and music videos. The lists are organized alphabetically, b ...
References and notes
{{Authority control
Christian record labels
Record labels established in 1975
Vanity record labels
Oregon record labels
American independent record labels
1975 establishments in the United States
1980 disestablishments in the United States
Larry Norman