Description
More Than Words is the debut album by the American country-rock/soft-rock band Parable, released on Maranatha! Music in 1975. The album was recorded by Jonathan David Brown and Buddy King at Buddy King Studios in Huntington Beach and Mama Jo’s Recording Studio in North Hollywood, California; with Tommy Coomes of Love Song fame producing. Mixed by Brown at Buddy King Studios. Orchestrated by Jim Stipech. All songs written by Chuck Butler except tracks A1 and B2 written by Joy Strange. The album track “Maybe” was as well included on the Maranatha! Music sampler LP Maranatha! 5 released the same year.
Parable was lead by Chuck Butler, who had previously been a part of the band Country Faith, one of the great Jesus Music bands to never have recorded a full album despite great responses for a few songs the band did record for various Maranatha! Music sampler albums (“Two Roads“, “Come Quickly Jesus“, “Ballad Of Luke Warm“, “Big City Blues“, “Nursery Rhyme“, and “Pearly Mansions“). Butler shares lead vocals with Joy Strange, who later went on to be a part of the soft-rock duo Bob & Joy Cull. (Joy was actually first part of a duo called Selah. They never recorded an album though recorded a song included on the very first album released by Maranatha! Music, the multi-artist sampler The Everlastin’ Living Jesus Music Concert, which actually also inlcudes a song recorded by Country Faith.) The band’s rhythm section features Pat Patton on bass and Don Kobayashi on drums.
Chuck Butler had previously recorded on the early Maranatha sampler LPs under the name Country Faith. Here on Parable he shares lead vocals with Joy Strange, joined by Don Kobayashi on drums and Pat Patton on bass. Musically they fall somewhere between folk-rock and soft rock: a mellow sound with nice acoustic guitars, a few ’70s string orchestration on the ballads «Sweet, Sweet Song», «I Know What It’s Like» and «Song For The Church», joined by brass on «Peter, James & John» and the brisk moving «All Alone». Decent electric guitar on «Let The Old Man Die», (courtesy of John Wickham). Bill Sprouse contributes some fitting Fender Rhodes and organ moments. Other Maranatha folks involved, including Fred Field, Al Perkins, Darrell Mansfield, Bruce Herring, Jonathan David Brown and Erick Nelson. Very melodic stuff and an above-par early Maranatha release enhanced by decent songwriting. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/more-than-words/724894513)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “More Than Words” – 3:37
A2. “All Alone” – 3:24
A3. “Sweet, Sweet Song” – 2:50
A4. “Maybe” – 2:17
A5. “Someone’s Callin'” – 3:17
A6. “I Know What It’s Like” – 3:17
Side Two
B1. “Peter, James & John” – 3:07
B2. “On Your Own” – 2:50
B3. “Let The Old Man Die” – 2:52
B4. “Friends” – 2:31
B5. “Song For The Church” – 2:50
B6. “Goodbye” – 2:46
B7. “16 Petersham Place” – 2:10
Note: Simultaneously released on 8-track tape, cassette, and 12-inch vinyl LP by Maranatha! Music. Later re-issued on CD.
CREDITS. Produced by Tom Coomes. Engineered by Buddy King and Jonathan David Brown. Mixed by Brown. Recorded at Buddy King Studios, Huntington Beach, CA and Mama Jo’s, North Hollywood, CA. Mixed at Buddy King Studios. Mastered at Kendun Recorders. Orchestrated and conducted by Jim Stipech. Graphics and Illustration by Kernie Erickson. Photography by Carmen Terrazas.
Musicians: Parable – Chuck Butler (Lead Vocals and Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Track B1), Joy Strange (Lead Vocals and Acoustic Guitar), Pat Patton (Bass, Vocals), Don Kobayashi (Drums). Additional Musicians: John Wickham (Electric Guitar – Tracks: A1,A3,B3), Fred Field (Mandolin – Tracks: A1,B5), Alex MacDougall (Percussion – Tracks: A1,A2,A4,A5,B1,B3,B4), Tom Coomes (12-string Guitar – Tracks: A2,B2; Electric Guitar – Tracks: A4,B3), Bill Sprouse (Fender Rhodes – Tracks: A3,A4,A5,B4,B6; B-3 Organ – Tracks: A5,B4), Darrell Mansfield (Harmonica – Track A3), Tom Stipe (Piano – Tracks: A3,B6), Leo W. Potts (Oboe – Track A6; Soprano Saxophone – Track B6), Craig Olson (Tenor Saxophone – Track B1), Al Perkins (Pedal Steel Guitar – Track B2), Erick Nelson (Piano – Track B3), Jim Stipech (1st Classical Guitar – Track B3; Piano – Tracks: B6,B7), Don Kobayashi (Percussion – Track B4), Jonathan David Brown (Piano – Track B5). Backing Vocals: Bruce Herring (A3,A6,B4,B5), Tom Coomes (A3), Yvonne Lewis (A5), Jay Truax (A6,B2), Rhenda Edwards (B1,B3).
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