Radio Tour

Chris is currently on a multi-city radio promotions tour to support his new single, "Empty Me."

Since Greenville, SC (my home) has this crazy airline that offers one way flights for as low as $39, I thought I'd jet down to Orlando last week to observe this next stage of his adventures.

Chris is traveling with the talented Jon Skaggs, drummer extraordinaire. Jon acts as road manager, keeping Chris on schedule, then whips out his djembe on command to accompany Chris for in-house, live over-the-air performances.

Jon is a dream drummer who does two things, in particular, that I have begged church drummers to do over the years: he's happy to play to a click if need be and enjoys creating his own custom drum loops on his computer. That's probably why he's played with Nichole Nordeman, Bethany Dillon, Brandon Heath and Casting Crowns to name a few, and your church drummer... sells insurance.

The boys arise as early as 5am to make a station's morning show, entertaining folks as they drive to work. After lunch and perhaps a mid-day nap, they're off to another town for an interview on a station's afternoon show, entertaining folks as they drive home from work.

Most artists hate doing radio promos. Chris, on the other hand, is not your average artist, and loves promoting his music any way he can (plus he's had great experience doing radio promos while on American Idol.)

In between the excitement we managed to experience the wonders of the Magic Kingdom, and dine at my new, favorite type of restaurant: the Brazilian Steakhouse. Try the delicious Texas de Brazil the next time you're in Orlando. You'll be in meat-lover's heaven as "Gauchos" bring you all the slow-roasted steak and chicken you could possibly want.

Recording Strings for Chris Sligh's CD

Super Tuesday 2008 was especially super for me - I was in Nashville recording strings for Chris Sligh's upcoming major label debut with producer Brown Bannister.


One of my favorite things is arranging orchestra for pop music, and usually I just do what is called a "MIDI mockup" - emulating a real orchestra with synthesizer on my computer. I did this on Half Past Forever's "Take a Chance On Something Beautiful" (Chris's band.)

However, with a major label budget, real string players were hired. These days, even major label budgets are tight, so a full string section was not hired. With the fantastic sounds of today's synths, you can achieve quite a beautiful, realistic string sound using synths and only a few players - dubbing them over and mixing in digital strings.


The day of the session Chris and I were like little kids on Christmas morning - it was thrilling to hear some of the finest session players in the world record music that he had written and I had arranged. An added treat was meeting renowned cellist John Catchings (on far right.)

Chris is re-doing a few songs from "Take a Chance On Something Beautiful." The new recording is aimed at the Christian market but has a few secular songs that could cross over. Since I now had the luxury of writing for real strings I amplified my original string parts on these songs, getting a little more adventurous by giving the lines a few more twists and turns. Here's a rundown on the tunes I arranged:

1. In a Moment. Brown has toyed with the dramatic key change at the end. It still changes key but you may not even notice!

2. Know. Similar to the original.

3. Cry Tonight. Brown's genius shines through on this one - I like this new version better than Chris's original - it really grooves.

4. Loaded Gun. A new song you haven't heard - Chris has a pop/rock version of this song, but wanted to try something out of the box for the recording. We collaborated on this one: He played me a new Eleanor Rigbyesque version for me on his keyboard and I took it and ran with it. The arrangement is only a string section with vocal. There's been nothing like it in Christian music. We're not talking lush, lullaby strings, here - it's a throbbing, pulsing arrangement. One word that comes to mind in describing it is "violent!"

5. Vessel. Chris needed a quiet ballad for the recording since most of his tunes are so epic. He dusted off "Vessel" - a song he had written years ago - and asked me to arrange a string quartet over his acoustic guitar track. The string players performed this so beautifully in the studio that I almost choked up! My guess is that the song will be popular in churches across the country.

After the session I took home a DVD of the string recordings, imported them into my computer and spent the next few days mixing them with my digital orchestra to create the perfect blend. Then I emailed sound files back to Brown and Nashville where the final recording will be mixed. The CD will be mastered later this month in LA (mastering is the process that gives the recording the final crispness and punch for the radio.)

Look for the new CD on May 6. If you're a Chris Sligh fan and own "Take a Chance On Something Beautiful" (sold in North America in stores like Best Buy or online at Amazon) you'll enjoy hearing new versions of his catchy songs, plus some new gems.

Chris Sligh's New Recording

Finally, Chris is able to make the major label recording he's always dreamed of. He began recording in December with Grammy-winning uber producer Brown Bannister along with the finest Nashville session players. Chris is using a few songs on the new CD from his independent recording "Take a Chance On Something Beautiful." He told me that Brown liked my string arrangements and wants to use them on the new CD.


Before Christmas I visited Chris in Nashville and got to meet Brown and watch Chris record. Brown is a great guy! None of that Nashville attitude. It seems like people at the top of their game are nice, normal folks and the wannabes are often the ones with the fake smile.

We had lunch at the famous Lovelace Cafe and I enjoyed hearing Brown's stories of the early days of Christian music. I remember those days fondly. Sigh - the golden age of Christian music, when a new Amy Grant record was a major event.


Every hit song of hers would spawn new genres. When she sang "El Shaddai" suddenly everyone had a song out with some Hebrew words in it. When "Angels Watching Over Me" came out, suddenly everyone had a song about angels! And did you know Amy had planned on releasing "I Can Only Imagine," but instead let Mercy Me do it first (the song was written by Mercy Me's lead singer, Bart Millard) - graciously allowing the song to launch the band's career. I really loved it when Michael W. Smith and Amy would collaborate. He'd play on her records and they'd write songs - like "Thy Word." I told Brown I missed those days. He said he does, too!

Producer Stephen Leiweke on left, Brown on right

Along with Blanton & Harrell, Brown was around at the birth of CCM - he produced Amy's first recording and others from her heyday. Check out his wikipedia entry - the list of artists he's worked with is astounding. And now I get to work with the man who's produced music I've loved for over 20 years! Somebody pinch me. Chris Sligh is my hero LOL!

If anyone has a chance of making it in music, Chris Sligh does: great voice and songwriting talent, funny personality plus a top team of professionals behind him. The new CD should be out in the first quarter of 08 and he'll then begin a short tour.

Chris Sligh Update

People often ask me about Chris Sligh and what's going on with him. Chris moved to Nashville right after the American Idol tour at the end of the summer.

At one point he had 11 record labels interested in him. Two in particular were practically fighting over him. And to think he was about ready to give up music and get a real job only a year ago!

He eventually decided on Brash Music. I really like these guys - they're ex music biz people who want to reinvent the industry. And to help them think outside the music biz box - CEO Mike McQuary (known as "McQ") was the president of MindSpring, an old Internet company that merged with Earthlink around the turn of the century.

Brash has quite a track record. They're not a Christian music company, but they're behind the mega-popular Aaron Shust, a humble worship leader from Atlanta's Perimeter Church who has taken the CCM world by storm. Out of nowhere Aaron won the Dove award (Christian Grammys) for artist of the year, songwriter of the year, and his song, "My Savior, My God" won song of the year. Something tells me the inbred Nashville CCM suits aren't too happy about that.
Brash sought Chris out and we all went to lunch one day here in Greenville. I love hearing music biz stories and they had a bunch. One familiar thread that ran through the conversation was how traditional record labels tend to flush money down toilets. I mean just burn through money like there's no tomorrow. After explaining how they're attempting to save themselves - and the artists - tons of money by actually thinking and planning, I exclaimed, "What? You're trying to apply business principals to... the music industry?" Cackles ensued.

Chris is managed by Blanton, Harrell, Cooke & Corzine - the people who virtually invented the Christian music industry some 20 years ago - the people behind Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Kathy Troccoli, Point of Grace, Aaron Shust and Bebo Norman. I think Chris is in very good hands with them.

Tim Light, Adam Fisher and Me on TV

Last month (November 2007) Tim Light and his wife Amber visited the USA. Tim won my 2003 WorshipIdeas.com worship songwriting contest with his excellent song "Our God Reigns" (you can download it at WorshipIdeas.com.)

Since then, Tim and I have become buds - I'll go over to the UK to visit, he'll come here to do concerts. Plus we usually write a song or three while he's here (this trip we wrote a new Easter ballad I'm excited about.)

A year or two ago when Tim visited, I suggested we write a Christmas worship song for churches - there aren't that many out there, and you can sing "Hark the Herald" only so many times! We wrote "I Adore You" and it's become a hit - downloaded by over 20,000 churches and sung all over the world.

CBN News wanted to do a story about it and reporter Tracy Winborn invited us up to Virginia Beach while Tim was visiting last month. Adam Fisher (HomeRecordingHowTo.com) and his wife, Megan, joined the fun. We had a great time visiting colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown.

Since it was around Thanksgiving, I mentioned to Tim how grateful I was that the pilgrims left his horribly oppressive country to find religious freedom in this new land. He suggested that he record a CD of patriotic songs. (This sort of ribbing goes on continually when we're together.)

Before the taping we had the pleasure of leading worship for the CBN staff - what a nice bunch of folks. We even met Pat Robertson:

After their chapel service we toured CBN studios and had lunch at their fabulous Swann Terrace restaurant in the Founder's Inn.

After lunch, Tracy made final preparations for the shoot. Here she is talking with Tim at her desk in the newsroom. I was surprised at how high tech the place is - it's like walking into Epcot or something:

Next came makeup:

Then microphones:

Then the interview. I chose this picture in particular because Tim looks like a goon:

Here's a pic of the group. From left to right: Tracy, Adam, Megan, Tim, Amber, me.

The clip has aired on Tracy's show, Newswatch, as well as the 700 Club on Thursday, Dec. 27. Watch the clip online. It's basically about how we record music across the planet. Tim and I write a song, I record the track here, Adam plays guitar, Tim sings it in England, emails his voice to me, Adam and I mix the music, and churches across the world download it and use it in their worship services. Who needs a record label these days?

Robotz!!

Last year I disclosed that I'm obsessed with robots. I even have one that vacuums my floor.

My friend Ben Lane, who's an animator on The Simpsons, also loves robots. Click to see a Simpsonised version he drew of me.

One time when I was at his house, I saw a portrait painting he had made of a robot. I thought it was hilarious. Kind of like one of my favorite Wired Magazine features - artifacts from the future - as if someone in the future had a painting commissioned of their personal housebot.

Anyway, when I saw it I wanted it, so he gave it to me. It now hangs proudly in my studio. I think it's funny that it showed up on the TV clip of when I was on the 700 Club:

Here's a pic straight on:

Ben has upload more awesome drawings of robots to his blog. Check them out, robot loverz!

The Final Idol Adventure

Last night ended a fun chapter of my life - watching and being a part of Chris Sligh's American Idol adventure.

The Idol Tour came to Greenville, SC - our home town. Chris had an emergency root canal in the morning but was able to sing. Jay and Adam, two great friends of mine and fellow Half Past Forever bandmates, plus their wives, shared in the experience. Here's a link to a pic of us all back when it all started on January 30th.

The show and entourage is quite an event. Tour producer Simon Sidi describes it as "a big circus crossing the country" and that's pretty much accurate - dancing contests, red carpet photo simulations and giant walking Pop Tarts in the venue lobby add to the craziness.

The show kicked off with "Let's Get It Started" (Black Eyed Peas) sung by several contestants. By the way, keep an eye on the janitor sweeping the stage right before the show starts!

The rest of the show is a mix of solos, duets and group numbers - mostly current and recent top 40 stuff. Some quick observations:

Blake is a star. I could have watched him all night. One of his highlights was Maroon Five's "She Will Be Loved." Blake looped his beatboxing with a recording device, then played guitar and sang over the rhythm. Very cool.

Phil Stacey is a fantastic singer and entertainer. If you go to the show, you will be floored. I don't remember him like this on the show. After hearing him sing and interact with the audience, I wondered why he didn't win.

I never cared for LaKisha, but her rendition of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Loved You" was breathtaking. Her powerful voice filled and commanded the room. It was the one song of the evening that gave me chills.

Melinda didn't sing enough. Her solo, "Natural Woman" came towards the end of the 2nd half, and I remembered just what a perfect vocalist she is. Great performer, too.

I was also never a fan of Chris Richardson, but I liked his version of Maroon Five's "This Love" better than Adam Levine's. Another good and energetic performer who can work the crowd.

Haley: I never thought much of her as a vocalist but last night she earned my respect. She sounded great and showed spunk and pizazz as a performer. Yes, her legs are, thankfully, well displayed.

I didn't expect much from the show but actually had a fun time. Looking past the cheesiness and blatant commercial tie-ins (everywhere you look is something sponsored by somebody) you'll find a few memorable performances and a chance to see some stars of tomorrow early in their careers.

What's Wrong With American Idol

In my previous posts you'll read my raves about the show. Uh oh, I was duped again by the music biz. You would think I'd learn by now, after spending years in it.

Idol has jumped the shark. I'll reveal some behind the scenes shenanigans in a few months.

But what's going on now - heck, anyone can see that something is wrong with the show.

It simply is not about the contestants.

You can't really blame the Idol powers-that-be. After all, how can mere humans retain their sanity when their show is the most powerful force in the history of television. It's a rare thing to maintain popularity with credibility and level heads.

Self-importance is what's going on here. Take the "Idol Gives Back" nonsense as an example. I'm all for feeding the homeless and helping underprivileged nations, but I watch American Idol for... the contestants. If you remember that week, the contestants were a laughable afterthought. We see Ryan and Simon in Africa. Paula at a youth center. Randy in New Orleans. What about the... contestants?

In fact, the contestants have been an afterthought all season. The grandeur of the show itself has taken center stage. In previous years we've come to know the contestants. TV crews make a trek to their hometowns. We meet their families. Find out about their hobbies. What they do for a living. Why not this year? Until the final 3 it didn't happen, because it's not about the contestants anymore.

What's sad is that these contestants are cool, quality people and you really haven't seen much of their personalities on the tube. There are stories to be told that haven't. I've had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with several of them, and they're awesome. Melinda really is that sweet and kind (and humble.) Gina is hil-ar-i-ous and bubbly. Chris R is so polite. Blake is a bundle of energy and creativity. Phil would make a great buddy. And on top of it, they're all friends with each other and will probably have the time of their lives this summer. I guess you'd never know that unless I told you, 'cause the show didn't. [Update 05.26.07 If you caught Larry King Live last night, you saw that friendly interaction between the top 10.]

And the finale. What on earth was that? Smokey Robinson with plastic surgery gone awry (has he been hanging with Kenny Rogers?) Bette Midler couldn't find a pitch. Clive Davis is a boring old coot (what a hoot - inadvertently, or intentionally, dissing Taylor by comparing his sales with Daughtry's right before Taylor performs!) Tony Bennett, please retire. And that weird segment with the fat woman in the yellow outfit humping Ryan made me uncomfortable (I was at the Birmingham auditions and watched her antics all day. Yes, she really is that nuts.) But, thank goodness, we heard again from Gwen Stefani via satellite.

Please, all I want is to hear the contestants and get to know them. Even Sanjaya. I'd love to hear Phil again, Brandon again, Gina again, Stephanie again, Chris R again, Chris S again. Even Lakisha, again. Did we really need to hear Sanjaya again?

It was great while it lasted.