''Songs of the Heart'' is the twelfth studio album by

Christian alternative rock Christian alternative rock is a form of alternative rock music that is lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. Some critics have suggested that unlike CCM and older Christian rock, Christian alternative rock generally emphasizes musical ...

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 (musician), Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. ...

, released on BAI Records in 1995.

Concept

The album's concept is a musical journey down legendary

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

with the fictional couple Bud & Irma Akendorf. This concept was partially conceived after discovering an LP hanging on the wall of their rehearsal hall. The LP, which was released in the early 1960s and entitled ''Songs of the Heart'', was by a singing gospel duo by the name of Bob and Elsa Beckendorf. The cover featured the couple pictured in

Oak Creek Canyon Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon o ...

. The band, inspired by the cover, decided to explore the lives of a fictional couple, which they named Bud and Irma Akendorf. The released cover of D.A.'s ''Songs of the Heart'' is an exact copy of the original LP by the Beckendorfs, with the artist name replaced. In an interesting turn of events, it turned out that the Beckendorfs were from

Sedona, Arizona Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. It is within the Coconino National Fo ...

- which happened to be the real life home of Daniel Amos' founder

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 alternative m ...

's paternal grandparents. ''Songs'' was later re-envisioned in the form of a three-CD book set, ''When Everyone Wore Hats''. "Hats" included the entire original release plus the entire album rerecorded as an acoustic coffeehouse band, three bonus tracks, an interview about the album, new photos, liner notes and a short story by Taylor.

Track listing

# "Cant Take My Eyes Off Of You" (Gaudio/Crewe) # "The Glory Road" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "Get Into the Bus, Aloha" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "Evangeline" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "Uneasy Lies the Head of the Confidence Man" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "The Organ Bar" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "Donna Nietche and her Super Race of Kick Boxing Uber Parrots" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "Our Night to Howl, Time to Go Dancing" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "Sins of the Fathers" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "Turn This Off" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "Loveland" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "When Everyone Wore Hats" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart) # "My Hand to God" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler/McTaggart)

Personnel

Jerry Chamberlain Jerry Chamberlain is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer, best known for his work with the rock bands Daniel Amos and the Swirling Eddies (credited as "Spot"). In late 1974, Chamberlain was asked to join Jubal's Last Band, ...

– guitars * Tim Chandler – bass guitar, guitar, and trombone *

Greg Flesch Greg Flesch (born 1960) is an American guitarist and musician, best known for his work with the rock bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies (credited as Gene Pool). Flesch joined D.A. in 1984, just in time for the '' Vox Humana'' tour. Besid ...

– guitars, accordion, and organ *

Ed McTaggart Ed McTaggart (born July 10, 1951) is an American drummer and artist. He is best known as the drummer of the rock band Daniel Amos. McTaggart joined DA in 1976, after years of playing with Bill Sprouse Jr.'s band The Road Home. In the 1980s, McT ...

– drums and percussion *

– rhythm guitars and lead vocals Additional musicians *

Gene Eugene Gene Andrusco (April 6, 1961 – March 20, 2000), better known as Gene Eugene, was a Canadian-born actor, record producer, engineer, composer and musician. Andrusco was best known as the leader of the alternative rock band Adam Again, a member o ...

– keyboards Production notes * Executive Producers –

Ojo Taylor Joey "Ojo" Taylor is an American bassist, vocalist and keyboardist. He is best known for his work with the Christian rock band Undercover. He produced and was a studio musician for Nobody Special, the stage name for his brother, Pat "Nobody" Tay ...

and Gene Eugene * Engineering – Terry Taylor and Gene Eugene * Recorded at The Green Room,

Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...

* Additional Recording at Desert Moon,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

* Mixed by Gene Eugene at the Green Room, and the Mixing Lab,

Garden Grove, California Garden Grove is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, located just southwest of Disneyland (located in Anaheim, CA). The population was 171,949 at the 2020 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, ...

. * Cover Photo – George Jordan. * Art Direction and Layout – Ed McTaggart at the Color Edge,

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish for "Table Coast") is a city in Orange County, California. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza–John Wa ...

and Tom Gulotta at Patton Brothers,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

References

{{Authority control 1995 albums Concept albums Daniel Amos albums