Description
The Secret of Time is the third full-length studio album by the American singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer Charlie Peacock, released on Sparrow Records in April 1990. The album tracks were recorded by Jeff Balding at The Bennett House and The Castle in Franklin, Tennessee; and at Quad Studio, OmniSound Recording Studio, Sixteenth Avenue Sound, and Backstage in Nashville, Tennessee; with Brown Bannister producing for RBI Productions. All songs written by Charlie Peacock except track 2 featuring music co-written with Bongo Bob Smith. The Secret of Time combines reworking of several songs from the West Coast Diaries series along with new songs.
Featuring Charlie Peacock on lead vocals and keyboards, Roger Smith on Hammond B-3 organ, former Vector bandmate Jimmy A as well as Jerry McPherson on guitars, and a rhythm section consisting of Tommy Sims and Chris McHugh on bass and drums respectively (known as the rhythm section of White Heart at that time). Background vocals provided – and arranged – by Vince Ebo and Annie Stocking. With additional friends sitting in on saxophone (Michael Butera), trumpet (George Tidwell), and percussion (Bongo Bob Smith), Charlie Peacock and his ace session band recorded an album featuring powerhouse jazz funk, neo-soul, acoustic/alternative as well as avante-gardist experimentation intertwined in bright, shimmering soundscapes and dazzling arrangements, all performed with pop sensibilities.
The author Gordon MacDonald wrote that, “God often uses models to get his points across. Someone has to open up his life to others and say in various ways – This is where I am struggling; here I fell flat into failure; here is something I’ve learned and from which I’ve profited.”
“The Secret Of Time” is the story of a journey – a journey from failure to profit. Through the redeeming power of God you see a fool made into a fool for Christ. You see a clown made into a clown for God. It is the story of metamorphosis – a confirmation that nothing is ever really lost in nature, only changed. This recording is an assessment of those changes. A chronicle of where I’ve been, where I am at and where I’m going. [CD liner notes]
The two lead tracks on Charlie Peacock’s first album for Sparrow recall the two aspects of the artist’s music that have stood out since his 1984 Exit debut, ‘Lie Down in the Grass‘. «Big Man’s Hat» bolts out of the gate with a sophisticated dance beat, a funky bass, and an aggressive arrangement that builds around Peacock’s engaging metaphor of the appearance of getting older, but not really growing up. Peacock’s voice blends for emphasis with that of long-time compatriot Vince Ebo, and the full band – Hammond organ, horns, the works – drive the whole thing to a conclusion that maximizes Peacock at his rocking best.
«The Way of Love» builds on Peacock’s trio arrangement, which features himself, Ebo, and guitarist Jimmy A. (Abegg, also with Vector), in an intimate interplay that nearly captures their live essence. Both songs are technical improvements on Peacock’s earlier indie versions for his ‘West Coast Diaries‘ series of home-made tapes. To this point, the fan of Peacock who may have feared his move from Sacramento to Christian music mecca, Nashville (and the involvement with producer Brown Bannister), would change his artistic focus, would feel a little silly for even worrying. I mean, Peacock’s integrity is established, and Bannister’s has grown. (Last year’s reinvention of White Heart and the Kim Hill effort reveal he’s capable of more than just Christian pop music.) However, those two tracks may be the best bits of ‘The Secret of Time’.
What follows is a most excellent Christian music effort – don’t get me wrong – it’s very good. It just isn’t the Charlie Peacock we’ve learned to expect. For instance, not again until the closing «Experience» does Peacock hit a hot tempo, and then it’s an R&B groove, no too far removed from several tracks by BeBe & CeCe Winans, that never quite gets the listener to their feet.
Not only do «One Thing», «Put the Love Back Into Love», «Dear Friend», and «Heaven Is A Real Place» sound as though they are toned toward Christian radio tastes, they consistently move to more obvious lyrical devices than one expects from the artist that gave us the majestic «Lie Down», the gritty blues of «Down In The Lowlands» and the earthy sincerity of «Counting the Cost», «Dizzy Dean Movie» and «Riding Into Wonderland». Here poetic metaphors are ignored for direct statements, which means that an artist whose images often intrigued and challenged, is at least most of the time here, accessible to the point of being unchallenging.
As many a contemporary Christian music listener, fans of Amy Grant for instance, likes the Bannister sound, and easy going, somewhat transparent lyrics, Peacock’s Sparrow debut will bring him many new fans, and this is good. Should he then give us a project as inventive and thoughtful as ‘Lie Down‘ and 1986’s ‘Charlie Peacock‘, two of my most listened-to albums, then it will be even better. [Brian Q. Newcomb, CCM, May 1990]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-secret-of-time/715595903)
CD tracklist:
01. Big Man’s Hat – 5:11
02. The Way Of Love – 5:05
03. One Thing – 4:18
04. Put The Love Back Into Love – 5:11
05. Almost Threw It All Away – 6:06
06. The Secret Of Time – 3:39
07. Dear Friend – 4:30
08. Heaven Is A Real Place – 4:59
09. Drowning Man – 3:04
10. Experience – 5:23
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Sparrow Records.
Charlie Peacock, Live at The 22nd Annual GMA Dove Awards, held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, April 11, 1991. “Big Man’s Hat” was nominated for Rock Recorded Song that year and I was asked to play a minute and thirty second version. No matter how much we kept cutting out we still didn’t get it to be exactly 1:30. Honestly, this is definitely the strangest version of this song ever recorded! The lyric never really gets to the point of telling the listener what the deal is with the big man’s hat. Well, they were making a TV show and running a live event on a very tight clock – so I don’t think logic played into it. Still it’s very energetic, which is especially amazing to me since 12 hours before this broadcast I was sick in bed. I do remember casting Eric Darken to play marimba, which I’d never used on the song before (though it was a big part of the song “Lie Down in the Grass” thanks to Bongo Bob Smith). I thought a marimba would look very unique visually, still sound good, and likely not be something this audience had seen or heard before in rock performance. Purple suit contrasted nicely with Aaron’s yellow Sonor drums. – Charlie Peacock
CREDITS. Produced by Brown Bannister. Recorded at The Bennett House, The Castle, Franklin, TN, and Quad Studio, OmniSound Recording Studio, Sixteenth Avenue Sound, Backstage, Nashville, TN. Tracks recorded by Jeff Balding. Additional tracks recorded by Brown Bannister (tracks: B1, B2). Overdubs recorded by Brown Bannister. Additional overdubs recorded by Bryon House and Daryl Zachman. Mixed by Jeff Balding. Additional mixing by Rick Will (tracks: A3, B2, B3). Assistant Engineers: Graham Lewis, Mark Nevers, Roy Gamble, Shawn McLean, Steve Bishir, and Todd Culros. Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab, Hollywood, CA. Arranged by Charlie Peacock. Backing Vocals arranged by Annie Stocking and Vince Ebo. Art Direction by Barbara Hearn. Design by Larry Vigon Studio. Photography by Mark Tucker. Production Coordinator: Richard Headen. Executive-Producer: Peter York. All songs written by Charlie Peacock, except track A2 featuring lyrics by Peacock and music co-written with Bongo Bob Smith.
Musicians: Charlie Peacock (Lead Vocals, Keyboards and Percussion Programming), Roger Smith (Hammond B-3, Keyboard Solo), Jimmy Abegg (Acoustic and Electric Guitars), Jerry McPherson (Electric Guitar), Tommy Sims (Bass), Chris McHugh (Drums, Percussion). Additional Musicians: Jeff Boggs (Synclavier Programming), Michael Butera (Saxophone solo), Trent Dean (Percussion), Byron House (Fairlight Programming), Blair Masters (Keyboards Sampling), Bongo Bob Smith (Percussion), George Tidwell (Trumpet solo), Rick Will (Les Paul and Marshall). Backing Vocals: Vince Ebo (Background Vocals and Additional Male Soloist), Annie Stocking (Background Vocals and Female Soloist). Additional Background Vocalists: Wayne Kirkpatrick and Margaret Becker on track B3. Alexia Abegg, Molly Ashworth, Sam Ashworth, Ellie Bannister and Eric Volz on track B2.
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