Description
Come Together, sub-titled A Musical Experience in Love, is an album by the American husband and wife songwriting team Jimmy & Carol Owens, released on Light Records in 1972, a division of Lexicon Music. The album was recorded by Bruce Herring at Sun West Studios in Hollywood, California; with Jimmy Owens producing.
Featuring vocals by Pat Boone, Barry McGuire, Annie Herring, Nellie Ward, Matthew Ward (siblings Annie, Nellie and Matthew would release their first two singles as 2nd Chapter of Acts the same year; “Jesus Is” and “I’m So Happy“), Bruce Herring (of The Way fame), Billy Patton, Chuck Butler (of Country Faith and Parable fame), Danny Robbins, Ernie Rettino (of Ernie Rettino & Debby Kerner fame), Karen Lafferty, Kathryn Ward, Naomi Patton, as well as Jimmy & Carol Owens’ daughter, Jamie.
Come Together was included in the Gospel section of Special Merit Picks, featured in the October 21, 1972 issue of Billboard Magazine: “Thrilling and inspiring and beautiful album featuring Pat Boone. Tunes include the title tune, «Greet Somebody in Jesus’ Name» and «Holy Holy», but the entire album is really a religious happening and a musical experience.”
A follow-up to Come Together, entitled If My People: A Musical Experience in Worship and Intercession, was released by Light Records two years later, and in 1978 The Witness followed, also released on Light. In 1986 Jimmy & Carol released yet another musical, Come Together Again, this time on Live Oak Records.
In 1972, our pastor Jack Hayford (Church on the Way) casually said, “Why don’t you guys write a musical about what God is doing in our church?” The Jesus Movement was at its apex, and God was moving in our congregation in powerful ways through worship and body ministry. So, we wrote our musical, Come Together. It was the first contemporary worship musical of its kind. Come Together proved the power of united churches praising, praying, and singing the Gospel together as Catholics, Protestants, Pentecostals, and just-plain evangelicals formed worship teams and choirs of hundreds and even thousands in stadiums, concert halls, and cathedrals throughout the USA. Some well-known people in our church jumped on board to record it and later, to tour with it, including Pat Boone, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Barry McGuire, Karen Lafferty, and our daughter Jamie Owens Collins.
Jean Darnall, a respected Christian leader in Great Britain, heard about Come Together and met with us. We had just filmed a performance of the musical in the LA Forum with a choir of 1,200 and an audience of 8,000. But Jean didn’t listen to the musical; she just asked Jimmy what God was saying to him. Without hearing a note, she said, “Great Britain needs this!” and carried a copy of the film back to her home in England. There, she… an American, woman, Pentecostal, and preacher, called the Evangelical Alliance together to hear Come Together. And they came!
Jean’s contacts included members of the UK Parliament who sent letters of support to other VIPs. The musical soon had the backing of both Catholic and Anglican archbishops and was being done all over the U.K. through tours created by Jean. A terrific amount of work for both Jean and Jimmy, who conducted the musical tour throughout the British Isles. Pat Boone flew over and joined us. Once again, “our gifts had opened doors of great influence.” In fact, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the head of the Anglican Church, said that Come Together was the most important event in the church of England since the Welsh Revivals.
Before long, Come Together was traveling around the world, all without any promotion from Jimmy and myself. We just had to get out of the way and watch God work through the champions who crossed our path. [Excerpt from an interview with Carol Owens, featured in the January 2022 issue of Worship Magazine]
I was in the studio with Buck Herring when the “Come Together” album was made. This album will always be in my heart the very 1st praise album made. I sat in the engineer booth with Buck Herring and Barry McGuire («Eve of Destruction» fame and 1st protest song recorded in the 1960’s by an artist) when “Come Togther” was recorded. That very night I had dinner with Ernie Rettino in Glendale at his house and we went over to Pat Boone’s studio (Sun West on Hollywood Blvd.) where the “Come Together” album was being made. Many musicians from Maranatha! Music were on that album as well as the original members of 2nd Chapter of Acts, and of course Jimmy’s daughter Jamie Owens-Collins. [David Burgin]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Come Together”
A2. “His Name Is Jesus”
A3. “He Is Here”
A4. “Turn Our Hearts”
A5. “Come Together (Reprise)”
A6. “Clap Your Hands”
A7. “Hallelujah! His Blood Avails For Me!”
A8. “Doxology”
A9. “Holy Holy”
A10. “Come Together (Reprise)”
A11. “Freely, Freely”
Side Two
B1. “Greet Somebody In Jesus’ Name”
B2. “People Of God”
B3. “Blest Be The Tie That Binds”
B4. “May I Introduce You To A Friend”
B5. “All We Like Sheep”
B6. “God So Loved The World”
B7. “Is He Coming For You?”
B8. “Finale”
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Light Records. Re-issued by Light Records in 1974 housed in a gatefold sleeve and featuring new cover artwork (light green front featuring a smaller sized original front cover image). A compilation CD entitled Come Together and Other Favourites were released by Word in 1992 as a part of the Word 25th Anniversary Series. Come Together is available at: http://www.jimmyandcarolowens.com/store/music/come-together/
A full-page advertisement for Light Records’ Folk Musicals was featured in the October 14, 1972 issue of Billboard Magazine. The ad included albums like Tell It Like It Is: A Folk Musical About God (Light Records 1969), Natural High (Light Records 1971), New Vibrations: A Quest in Folk Rock (Light Records 1971), Requiem for a Nobody (Light Records 1971), and Come Together: A Musical Experience in Love (Light Records 1972).
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