Description
The self-titled, sole album by the American funk/R&B project Passage was released on A&M Records in 1981, distributed by Impact Records in the Christian music market. The album was recorded and mixed by Jack Joseph Puig, assisted by Greg Falken, at A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood, California; with band member Louis Johnson producing for Sword of the Spirit Productions. Additional engineering by John Beverly Jones.
It is the sole gospel oriented project by bass player Louis Johnson (April 13, 1955 – May 21, 2015) of The Brothers Johnson fame. As well featuring Valerie Johnson, Richard Heath, and Al Perkins, among others. The album includes covers of Amy Grant’s “Faith Walking People” and Jamie Owens-Collins’ “Love Eyes“.
PASSAGE – A&M SP-4851 – Producer: Louis Johnson – List: 7.98 – Bar Coded
Brothers Johnson bassist Louis Johnson mines new territory. Contemporary Christian fusionwise, with the group Passage. And while the music on this beautifully crafted LP is spiritually guided, it still has that unmistakable progressive R&B/funk sound of The Brothers Johnson. Louis has recruited wife Valerie and close friend Richard Heath for the effort, and the threesome, along with a passle of fine studio musicians, marry R&B with the Lord in an arresting new fashion. [CashBox, Vol. XLII – No. 46 / April 4, 1981 (Album Reviews section /New And Developing Artists)]
A&M’s most recent gospel release was by Passage, a group formed by Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson and his wife last year. This contemporary R&B gospel act sold around 100,000 units, but was unable to convince the company’s top brass to pursue the format in other ways. Today, A&M has no gospel artists and has no immediate plans for signing any. [Excerpt from an article by Jeffrey Ressner entitled “Major Labels Intensify Involvement in Gospel Music”, published in the March 6, 1982 issue of CashBox Magazine]
The lyrics make one wonder whether or not this album title suffers from a misprint, but there’s no mistaking the high artistic and production quality on this LP. This is the production debut of Louis Johnson, the bassist of the Brothers Johnson (a band well-known among secular jazz and R&B listeners.) Louis’ wife, Valerie, and their friend Richard Heath (the percussionist for the Brothers Johnson) worked under Louis’ direction to record a series of pacific jazz (i.e. super mellow) and punchy R&B tunes carrying the Gospel message. Lyrics are openly Christian, joyful and celebrative. Whether or not an album produced and released inside the L.A. secular music world will make it to local secular R&B and AC stations remains to be seen, but the music and producer’s credentials are certainly good enough. (Best cuts: “Open Up Your Heart,” “Power,” “I See the Light,” “The Great Flood.”) [Karen Marie Platt, CCM, April 1981]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Have You Heard The Word” – 4:29
A2. “You Can’t Be Livin'” – 4:52
A3. “Faith Walking People” – 3:34
A4. “I See The Light” – 4:33
A5. “The Great Flood” – 3:39
Side Two
B1. “Open Up Your Heart” – 3:48
B2. “Power” – 4:09
B3. “Love Eyes” – 3:33
B4. “The Son Will Come Again” – 4:04
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by A&M Records. Later re-issued on CD.
A full-page advertisement for Passage’s self-titled album was featured in the April 4, 1981 issue of CashBox Magazine.
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