Description
The Armageddon Experience is the sole full-length album by the American 8-piece pop group Armageddon, released by the Campus Crusade for Christ associated MM Records in 1970, distributed by Creative Sound (Creative Sound, National Distributor). (The group – sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ – was previously known as The New Folk, but changed its name in to Armageddon in 1970. But after being introduced and referred to incorrectly for so long as “The Armageddon Experience”, which was the title of their sole full-length album, they just went with the flow and both names were used.) The album was recorded at Mark Studio in Hollywood, California; and at Summit Sound Studio in Dallas, Texas; with Mike Omartian (a.k.a. Michael Omartian) and Jim Williams producing.
Group members John Thompson and Kathy McEver (both later members of the pop quartet known as John & Kathy, Shane & Alice) wrote one song each, “Carpenter Man” and “Life Is Out Of Tune”, respectively, while Omartian wrote the remaining five original songs (track A2 and all songs on side two). The album as well features covers of folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Hymn” (for some reason re-titled “I Believe In You”) originally recorded on their 1968-album Late Again; and “Oh Happy Day”, a song written by Edwin Hawkins and originally recorded by The Edwin Hawkins Singers on Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord released in 1968.
The group also recorded a song entitled “One Way”, not included on this album, that was featured on the multi-artist compilation Jesus Sound Explosion released in 1972.
Hey with a title like that and a cover bearing giant 3-D letters like a 50’s sci-fi movie title you’d expect a heavy duty sonic assault, right? El negativo. Actually they did have a pretty heavy live cut on the Jesus Sound Explosion LP in which they lived up to their moniker, but this their sole studio effort is considerably docile. Armageddon was one of several Campus Crusade For Christ musical ministry groups that flourished in the early 70’s (others included New Folk, Great Commission Co, and The Forerunners). Although predominantly folkrock bands, their studio albums attempted to achieve a “now” sound to reach the youth, but often were too afraid to rock out, instead pampering their songs with horns, etc, resulting in an ‘Up With People’/’Up Up And Away’ choral sound. Armageddon fares a bit better than the others – there are a few good examples of poprock here that I find myself listening to regularly (plus I enjoy the references to the word “groovy”). Produced by a young Michael Omartian who wrote and arranged several of the songs. [Ken Scott, The Archivist]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/ca/album/the-armageddon-experience/id522587096)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Carpenter Man” – 2:33
A2. “I’ve Got The Love” – 2:18
A3. “I Believe In You” – 2:34
A4. “Life Is Out Of Tune” – 2:14
A5. “Oh Happy Day” – 3:30
Side Two
B1. “People In Motion” – 2:33
B2. “Revolution Now” – 2:35
B3. “God Leads A Sheltered Life” – 2:50
B4. “Bethlehem” – 3:38
Note: A two-sided 7-inch vinyl single (CSS 300) was released by Creative Sound in May 1971 featuring “I’ve Got The Love”, b/w “God Leads A Sheltered Life”, both were album tracks. (The digital release featured on iTunes also lists an extra song entitled “At the End of Time”.)
I was in “The New Folk” in 1969, and we toured the Eastern U.S. and Canada from October ’69 – May ’70. We changed our name mid-year to “Armageddon,” since we changed a lot of our music to pop, rock, and contemporary Christian. “The New Folk” was the first Christian touring band, and began in the mid-60’s. It was sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ, Int’l, based at the time at Arrowhead Springs, above San Bernardino, CA. Most of our concerts were on college campuses all over the U.S.
This is the album that we put out in 1970. Our musical director and producer was the now Emmy Award winner… Michael O’Martian. The previous albums were under the name of “The New Folk.” This was the first album produced under the name of “Armageddon,” and was titled “Armageddon Experience.”
Actually a radio station in Pennsylvania contacted me for an interview about a year ago about the beginnings of what is now a huge industry of contemporary Christian music. At that time, we were just laying down the tracks for the railroad boom that was yet to come… completely unknown to us. ??
There weren’t songs available to draw from, so we mostly either wrote or arranged them ourselves. Michael O’Martian was a musical prodigy, yet we had no idea what his future would one day unveil after he went on to Hollywood, then from there on to Nashville. John Thompson was our lead guitar, and was only 19 at the time. He later became a Dove Award winner for “El Shaddai.” God blessed us greatly.
We were also testing the waters as to what Christians would accept. We three girls in the band had one outfit that came just above the knee, yet we were excoriated in some circles for being mini-skirted go-go girls. We would swing to the rhythms, and that was met with derision for being worldly. When we changed our name to “Armageddon” mid-year, we developed the first half of the show to be entirely secular to warm up and draw in the unbelievers. You can bet that brought us a lot of bashing in some circles. We were danged if we did, and danged if we didn’t. Not much has changed throughout the generations, huh?! ??
However, we were reaching out to college kids primarily, and they loved us … and most importantly, scores of people found Christ at every concert. I often come across people who came to know the Lord through contemporary Christian music, in one form or another, back in the day. Thankfully God is our ultimate judge, and even though we were far from perfect, we gave it the old college try. ?? Bottom line… we serve an awesome God!!! [Laurie Steen Killingsworth, July 20, 2010]
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