Description
Streams of White Light into Darkened Corners is a satirical cover album by the American singer and songwriter Larry Norman, independently released on AB Records in 1977, distributed by Creative Sound. In the words of Creative Sound’s promo ad: “Satirical and complex survey of “Top 40” religious music … look for hidden clues and meanings. Randy Stonehill is “The Surf Duke”.”
The album was recorded during a few sessions in 1976 and features Randy Stonehill and Jon Linn on guitars, Tom Howard on piano, and a rhythm section consisting of David Coy and Peter Johnson on bass an drums respectively (who also did play on Stonehill’s The Sky Is Falling, Pantano Salsbury’s Hit the Switch, Dave Mattson’s Lead Me Home, as well as Norman’s Something New Under The Son).
A spoken word and musical documentary chronicling the rise (see Billboard charts) and fall (see biblical chapters) of quasi-religious rock songs in the contemporary pop field. (Or: the gospel according to KRLA radio.)
This album does not contain any original Larry Norman songs. It is a collection of other people’s music, and attempts to give a musical overview of the “religious pop music” trend from 1970 to 1974. It explores the bad and the ugly in the commercial exploitation of Jesus Christ as someone other than the Son of God and Messiah. The enclosed article uncovers some of the behind-the-scene stories of the plays ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ ‘Godspell,’ and includes candid observations about Kris Kristofferson, Eric Clapton, Noel “Paul” Stookey, Leon Russell, Barry McGuire, Phil Keaggy, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, and others. It also explores the little-known writers, and the lives of the major artists at the time of the writing and recording of their songs. [Note on the back of the LP sleeve]
An ingenious offbeat satirical look at quasi-religious rock songs from 1970 to 1974. No Larry compositions this time, instead focusing on popular spiritually-angeled songs by artist like Randy Newman («I Think He’s Hiding», «He Gives Us All His Love»), Leon Russell («Stranger In A Strange Land», «Prince Of Peace»), Jackson Browne («Song For Adam»), along with «Put Your Hand In The Hand», «Bridge Over Troubled Waters», «Let It Be» and a disco-fied «My Sweet Lord». The later three titles are described as “a trilogy of songs about faith, hope and royalties” by The Surf Duke, the neurotic disc jockey that introduces each set of songs with his witty commentary (we know him better as Randy Stonehill). Includes very electric covers of Clapton’s «Presence Of The Lord» and the Stones’ «Shine A Light», plus an utterly hilarious version of «Spirit In The Sky». Large foldout insert with numerous photos and observations about the artist as well as the circumstances surrounding the songwriting. Cover notes state that the album was originally conceived as a newspaper article, but no one would publish it. Although advertised as a collector’s item only (“radio airplay on any of the material on this album is expressly forbidden”), this package also happens to provide a very insightful and entertaining listening experience. Worth it just to hear Randy say “up your nose with a garden hose!” [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]
The Church for much of the ’60s and ’70s failed to engage with rock and roll and did not recognise the medium could be used in positive way to articulate and express Christian faith. They tended to fall into the trap of either recognising no connection between the faith and the top 40 charts or, in extreme instances, denouncing singers, bands and their fans with actions like the burning of Beatles records when John Lennon claimed his group were becoming more popular than organised religion. In time, the Jesus Movement saw young Christians beginning to use rock music as a way of expressing their faith. With this collection of covers of secular hits with religious themes Larry Norman threw some food for thought into the debate about how the Church should view rock music. In places Norman openly lampoons church youth groups, adopting quasi-religious hits like «My Sweet Lord», «Bridge Over Troubled Water», «Spirit In The Sky» and Christianising them for use in worship while at the same time often viewing some of the Christians making Jesus Music as potential wolves in sheep’s clothing. His treatment here of material by Randy Newman, Jackson Browne, Leon Russell, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton is a lot more sympathetic and indeed there are times on «He Gives Us All His Love» (Newman), «Song For Adam» (Browne) «Presence Of The Lord» (Clapton) and «Shine A Light» (Rolling Stones) when Norman and his band (including Randy Stonehill, Tom Howard and Jon Linn) give the originals a run for their money and where these covers sound as good as anything else Larry recorded in the ’70s. Some people have said the mix of the goofy humour as Randy Stonehill plays the role of an egotistical DJ introducing the songs on a radio show and the selection of well known secular hits combine to make this one of the more accessible or instantly enjoyable Larry Norman albums. This CD re-issue reinstates the original AB Records 1977 sleeve artwork though oddly the accompanying essay which came with the vinyl LP and first CD re-issue is missing this time round. One or two listeners may get frustrated that over the first few songs in particular Larry and the band deliberately destroy a few of the songs they cover, but on the whole this is worth seeking out if you are a Norman fan and it also highlights an often overlooked side of Larry as a recording artist – as an idiosyncratic interpreter of other songwriters’ material. [Dougie Adam, Cross Rhythms, August 1998]
CD re-issue
In 1974, frustrated by the music industry’s intention to dilute the impact of Jesus rock through the many religious songs that mainstream artists chose to record and the fallacious rumours that celebrities like Clapton had been saved, Larry Norman wrote various hard hitting features that magazines and papers wouldn’t print. As a second line of attack he decamped to his home with a pile of recording equipment and a few friends to record a series of tongue in cheek cover version. Randy Stonehill introduces the songs in the style of an OTT egotistical West Cost DJ, The Surf Duke, and frankly this has some hysterically funny moments! Their acoustic version of Norman Greenbaum’s «Spirit In The Sky» is absolutely hilarious! Larry’s imitation of Mick Jagger on the Stones’ «Shine A Light» is outrageous and the segue of «Bridge Over Troubled Water», «Let It Be» and «My Sweet Lord» is suitably respectful, until we get to the disco break in the latter song and Larry again adopting Mick Jagger mode starts singing, “I’m So Bored”. Call me iconoclastic but these songs deserve to be ripped apart! After the Clapton rumours of conversion which surface every five years or so, «Presence Of The Lord» is given a straight rendition although it’s worth bearing in mind Larry reports that Clapton wrote it to express escaping from the police who wanted to bust him for drugs! This CD release closes with two bonus tracks which did not appear on the original vinyl release. This time they’re introduced by Larry’s Big Bomber DJ alter-ego on Radio K.R.A.P. and include another great Mick Jagger impersonation on «I Am Waiting». Mischievous yet making an important contribution cataloguing counterfeit “Christian” culture. Another album for Larry completeists! [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, August 1998]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Spirit In The Sky”
A2. “Put Your Hand In The Hand”
A3. “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
A4. “Let It Be”
A5. “My Sweet Lord”
A6. “Prescence Of The Lord”
Side Two
B1. “I Think He’s Hiding”
B2. “He Gives Us All His Love”
B3. “Stranger In A Strange Land”
B4. “Prince Of Peace”
B5. “Song For Adam”
B6. “Shine A Light”
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by AB Records. A Special Edition of the album was released on cassette by Phydeaux Records in 1988 featuring two bonus tracks; “The Road And The Sky” (a song written by Jackson Browne) and “I Am Waiting” (a song written by Jagger/Richards). The Special Edition was as well released on CD by Solid Rock Records in 1998, and re-issued again in 2009.
A full-page advertisement for Creative Sound and their label Sonrise Records – including Larry Norman’s Streams Of White Light Into Darkened Corners – was featured in the September 27, 1980 issue of Billboard Magazine. [ LARRY NORMAN. Satirical & complex survey of “Top 40” religious music… look for hidden clues & meanings. Randy Stonehill is “The Surf Duke”. ]
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