Description
Soaring, Volume I, sub-titled Contemporary Christian Music – Together in Spirit, is a multi-artist compilation released on Arrival Records in 1984, a gospel imprint of K-Tel (a mainstream multi-national budget record label).
A rock oriented follow-up album simply entitled Soaring, Volume II was released the same year.
Dave Milner is the vice president for product development of K-tel International. He oversees most of the public relations for K-tel, works in product development and has a hand in the creative side of jacket design, point-of-purchase displays, home videos and records.
He says K-tel got into the contemporary Christian music marketing business about a year ago with the “From The Heart” collection, although the company has released a number of gospel-oriented sets by major names in country music over the years. Things, Milner says, went well from the beginning.
” ‘From The Heart’ did very well indeed,” he says. “It was a ‘best of’ sort of collection in an MOR vein and sold in excess of 100,000 copies. We supported it with tv and radio spots and achieved a great deal of success in non-traditional outlets for Christian records, like K-Mart and Wal-Mart.”
Milner says “Soaring Volume I” parallels the soft pop-MOR slant of “From The Heart,” while “Volume II” is closer to K-tel’s pop and rock collections. “Volume I” is slated to receive both TV and support radio merchandising, while “Volume II” is aimed more towards radio.
K-tel /Arrival is serious about collecting and marketing the albums, Milner says. “We built the compilations only after consulting with radio programmers in Christian music, the Christian music magazine record charts and the record companies themselves.
“One of the reasons we’re so interested in Christian music is that our research shows that less than 1% of all Christian shoppers shop in Christian bookstores, where the vast majority of Christian albums are sold,” he continues. “No one can support Christian music to the public the way K-tel can. We’ve also discovered that Christian music continues to sell for a long time.”
K-tel’s Christian albums will be marketed over such tv outlets as the Christian Broadcasting Network and selected programs in certain larger markets, as well as with extensive point-of-purchase displays and special promotions. Milner says the mass merchandisers have been more than willing to work with K-tel in prominently displaying the religious albums because of the company’s past support of the product.
“We’ll also play it by ear in various markets, going to more radio or whatever if it is needed. Christian music is the easiest market to buy.”
Milner says the early success of K-tel’s religious albums means that other such projects are on the drawing board, including several featuring single artists as well as multi-artist compilations. He says the company will also continue to refine its market research.
“I think our real growth will be in the stores themselves as they gain confidence to support our Christian albums with more in-store promotions, displays and facings. Some are even talking about doing ‘Christian music weeks’ in Wal-Marts or wherever. They know we’ll work with them to promote the music through the radio and newspapers. This is one of the few ways that the non-hard-core Christian buyer is going to get a taste of this music.” [Excerpt from the article “K-tel Turns To New Christian Sounds” by Bob Darden, Billboard Magazine (Gospel Lectern section), June 30, 1984 (Vol. 96, No. 26)]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. Amy Grant – “El Shaddai” (from the album Age to Age, Myrrh 1982)
A2. The Imperials – “Because Of Who You Are” (from the album Stand by the Power, DaySpring 1982)
A3. Keith Green – “Oh Lord You’re Beautiful” (from the album So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt, Pretty Good 1980)
A4. Scott Wesley Brown – “He Will Carry You” (from the album Signature, Sparrow 1982)
A5. Silverwind – “A New Beginning” (from the album A Song in the Night, Sparrow 1982)
A6. Sheila Walsh – “Star Song” (from the album War of Love, Sparrow 1983)
A7. Benny Hester – “Come Back” (from the album Nobody Knows Me Like You, Myrrh 1981)
Side Two
B1. Leon Patillo – “Cornerstone” (from the album I’ll Never Stop Lovin’ You, Myrrh 1982)
B2. Debby Boone – “With My Song” (from the album With My Song, Lamb & Lion 1980)
B3. Michele Pillar – “He Rolled Away The Stone” (from the album Reign On Me, Sparrow 1984)
B4. Reba Rambo – “Because Of Who I Am” (from the album Confessions, Light 1980)
B5. 2nd Chapter of Acts – “Rejoice” (from the album Rejoice, Sparrow 1981)
B6. John Michael Talbot and Terry Talbot – “He Is Risen” (from the album No Longer Strangers, Sparrow 1983)
B7. Phil Driscoll – “Jesus What A Wonder You Are” (from the album Sound the Trumpet, Sparrow 1982)
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Arrival Records.
A full-page advertisement for various releases on Arrival Records, including the multi-artist compilation Soaring, Volume I, was featured in the September 29, 1984 issue of Billboard Magazine.
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