Spectrum: The Colours Sampler

Description

Spectrum: The Colours Sampler is a multi-artist compilation album, released on Maranatha! Music in 1985, distributed by Word. Released as a part of Maranatha’s Colours Instrumental Series.

LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF COLOURS. The music you encounter in this series carries the distinctive hue of each performing artist’s creativity, vision, and calling. Yet within this realm of wordless worship, you find room for your own thoughts and meditations – room to stretch and replenish your spirit.

“O Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8

‘Spectrum’ appropriately names this rainbow sampling from the COLOURS series. This array of COLOURS delights you with the selected piano, guitar, and keyboard pieces performed by some of today’s most respected musicians. You hear Tom Howard on the Bosendorfer piano, guitarists Steve Erquiaga and Wayne Brasel, and Jeffrey Lams at the keyboard of the Yamaha Conservatory piano. These artists set your imagination free as you journey with them through instrumental praise, including their original compositions and new settings of both contemporary and traditional hymns. ‘Spectrum’ also gives you just a glimpse of COLOURS to come, with master guitarst Phil Keaggy, synthesists Lams and Schreiner, and the string quartet-based Tom Howard Ensemble.

‘Spectrum’ symbolizes the abundance of God’s love and the beauty of His multicolored gifts to His people… gifts never more beautiful than when thy are given back to Him in praise.

“Thou takest the pen… and the lines dance
Thou takest the flute… and the notes shimmer
Thou takest the brush… and the colors sing
So all things have meaning and beauty in that
space beyond time where Thou art. How, then,
can I hold back anything from Thee.”

Dag Hammarskjold, Markings [Note printed on the back of the LP sleeve]

Aside from featuring some of the best songs from ‘A Time for Peace‘, A Time for Joy‘, and ‘The Harvest‘, ‘Spectrum’ contains several unreleased tracks, including an excellent Phil Keaggy rendition of «I Love You, Lord» which won’t be available anywhere else for some time. Tom Howard performs two intriguing cuts with his (uncredited) Ensemble, but again there’s no guarantee that these tracks will be among those released by the group. While ‘Spectrum’ is most desirable for its collectible cuts, it must also be noted that the sound is uniformly splendid. Kudos to engineer Bernie Grundman for taking tapes from disparate sources and melding a cohesive disc. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, June/July 1986]

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. Tom Howard – “Humble Yourself (In The Sight Of The Lord)” – 6:08
A2. Phil Keaggy – “I Love You Lord” – 5:20
A3. Jeffrey Lams and John Andrew Schreiner – “A Shield About Me” – 4:17
A4. Tom Howard – “Freedom Run” – 3:26
A5. Steve Erquiaga and Frank Martin – “Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring” – 3:42

Side Two
B1. Jeffrey Lams and John Andrew Schreiner – “Love, Love / Sing Hallelujah” – 4:42
B2. Jeffrey Lams and Frank Martin – “Eye Of The Storm” – 3:37
B3. Steve Erquiaga, Frank Martin, and Kenneth Nash – “Joy To The World” – 4:13
B4. Tom Howard – “Pool Of Siloam” – 3:46
B5. Tom Howard – “Gethsemane” – 5:13

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette (“digitally mastered BASF chrome cassette”), 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Maranatha! Music.

---

---

A full-page advertisement for Maranatha! Music’s Colours Instrumental Series, including the multi-artist compilation Spectrum: The Colours Sampler, was featured in the April 1986 issue of CCM Magazine.

---