Crystal Clear

Description

Crystal Clear is the sole album by the American westcoast/pop group Sapphire, released on Milk & Honey in 1980, a division of Zondervan Corporation. The album was recorded and mixed by Greg Thompson at Martinsound Studios in Alhambra, California; with Al Perkins and Richard Souther producing. Arranged by Souther. Half of the songs were written by lead vocalist Amy Swartzendruber. Also featuring a cover of “Straight & Narrow”, a song written by Bruce Hibbard and Hadley Hockensmith and recorded on Hibbard’s 1980-album, Never Turnin’ Back.

The album features Amy Swartzendruber on lead vocals, Richard Souther on keyboards and synthesizers, Hadley Hockensmith and Randy Mitchell on guitars, David Mackay on bass, James Kehn on drums, and Alex MacDougall on percussion. Saxophone on “The Source” provided by Ken Hutchcroft of Seawind fame. Synthesizer programming by Stephen Hague.

Graced by a consistently soft adult contemporary sound (perhaps too consistent for some record buyers), this LP aims straight for FM easy rock lovers. Melodies and arrangements are not particularly innovative, but exhibit talent and professionalism in the presentation.

Lyrically, the album is more well-defined than many of its predecessors and includes a couple of attempts to include the listeners instead of constantly employing the second person address. For the most part, this album is directed towards those already evangelized Christians who enjoy alternative music and make no bones about it.

(Best cuts: «Through Lookin’», «Seed of Love».) [CCM (What’s New), January 1981]

One of the things that I questioned for over 30 years. This album has a picture of six individuals here. On the liner notes, it shows individual pictures of the six people. But there is no “Sapphire is: …” identifying who the members were. I know Amy Swartzendruber – now Amy Wolter – was the female vocalist who sang several songs, which she co-wrote. They did mention instrumentalists – Hadley Hockensmith on guitar (who also co-wrote a song), Richard Souther (who I’m familiar with via his stint with the A Band Called David) on keys, and James Kehn on drums (who wrote one of the songs, which had a male vocal). Mark Patterson wrote two songs, both of which had a male lead. Other songwriters in the mix included Bruce Hibbard (who co-wrote the lead off song with Hockensmith), Bob Jacobson, Gale Horst (these two co-wrote the second song), and Jae Paul Hogan who co-wrote one song with Amy (he’s credited for concept and cover design/photography). SO … were these musicians part of the band and pictured? And who was the other lady who I’m guessing did the vocal on the lead off song («Straight and Narrow»)?

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Straight & Narrow”
A2. “Roots”
A3. “Through Lookin'”
A4. “Stand On The Promise”
A5. “Seed Of Love”

Side Two
B1. “Calm Assurance”
B2. “Sarah”
B3. “Overture”
B4. “Rain”
B5. “Steppin’ Up”
B6. “The Source”

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Milk & Honey.

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