The Exodus

Description

The Exodus is an album by the American folk/country-rock band Phoenix Sonshine, originally released on Destiny in 1975 and soon re-issued by Maranatha! Music. The album was produced and engineered by Evan Williams of Harvest Flight at United Audio in Santa Ana, California. String and horn arrangements by David Diggs. Featuring guest musicians Al Perkins on pedal steel guitar and Don Gerber on banjo and dobro.

Bigger production for the sophomore effort, even dragging in the Pitu Guli Folk Orchestra (whoever they are) for the mysterious title track, playing such commonplace instruments as gaida, gadulka, tamboura, tapan, and kaval (sounds like bagpipes to me). Evan Williams returns as producer and his touch is definitely here: the wah-wah guitar, acoustic guitars up-front. Fuller sound, more diverse, some bluegrass («Paperback Bible» – “I didn’t have the money for the leather bound kind”), blues («Backslider Blues» with harmonica and rippling piano licks), soulful rock (the brass-backed «Waymaker»), and orchestrated ballads («Christ Lives Today» and the heavily wah’d «The Understanding Love»), succeeding more often than not. Lots more assistance this time from the likes of Al Perkins, David Diggs, others. Sure fits into that early Maranatha country-ish folkrock sound – in fact the label later picked up the LP for distribution (HS 777/23). Both releases have the same front cover photo. The back cover of the Destiny release features several b&w photos of the group, while the Maranatha back has another color photo of the trio in the desert. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “The Exodus” – 4:01
A2. “We Only Came To Sing” – 3:43
A3. “The Understanding Love” – 4:01
A4. “God’s Prologue” – 3:07

Side Two
B1. “Paperback Bible” – 2:17
B2. “Jesus Is” – 2:28
B3. “Backslider Blues” – 2:03
B4. “Waymaker” – 3:47
B5. “Christ Lives Today” – 4:08

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CREDITS. Produced and Engineered by Evan Williams. String and Horn Arrangements by David Diggs. Recorded at United Audio, Santa Ana, CA. Mastered by Kevin Gray at Artisan Sound, Hollywood, CA. Cover Photo by Ray Westbrook. Back Photos by Jonathan Terry, Richard Rangel, and Tom Kolstaad. Graphic by Debbe Cowan.

Musicians: Gary Cowan (Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Mouth Sax, Vocals), Debbe Cowan (Vocals), Ron Scribner (Guitar, Bass, Blues Harp, Vocals), Don Gerber (Banjo and Dobro on track B1), Kerry Chester (Keyboards), Al Perkins (Pedal Steel), Craig Morley (Drums, Tympani), David Diggs (Drums on track B2), Evan Williams (Vocal, Piano, Bass on track B2), Hank Quinn (Congas on A2). Pitu Guli Folk Orchestra (Gaida, Gadulka, Tamboura, Tapan, Kaval on track A1).