Hotline

Description

Hotline is the third album by the American arena rock band White Heart, released on Home Sweet Home Records in 1985, distributed by Word. The album tracks were recorded by Brent King at The Bennett House in Franklin, Tennessee; with band members Billy Smiley and Mark Gersmehl producing for Home Sweet Home. Overdubbed and mixed by King at Gold Mine Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Track arrangements by the band. Most of the song were written or co-written by Billy Smiley and Mark Gersmehl. Also featuring “Jerusalem” written by Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key of DeGarmo & Key Band, a song that reached number one on the CCM chart. (It was also the first White Heart recording to feature guitarist Gordon Kennedy, who also provided lead vocals on two tracks; “Jerusalem” and “The Victory”.)

White Heart is Scott Douglas (lead vocals), Mark Gersmehl (keyboards and lead vocals), Billy Smiley (keyboards, guitar, and background vocals), Gordon Kennedy (lead guitar and lead vocals), Gary Lunn (bass), and David Huff (drums and percussion).

Some of the best players in contemporary Christian music are on this album, and every cut is expertly performed and recorded. This is top-quality arena rock – as are both earlier White Heart LPs – with polish and pizzazz. Musically, though, I think it’s a notch behind the previous two.

There’s good material here, to be sure. «Turn the Page» is a moving, emotional power-ballad. «She’s a Runaway» has a dramatic narrative and imaginative, head-long music. «In His Name» is another lovely, sensitive ballad. Other cuts, like «Gotta Be a Believer» and «Jerusalem», boast real hooks in their seamless choruses.

However, it sounds as though the band’s songwriters sent much of their best material elsewhere. The chops are all here, but they come off almost pat. Even on a light-hearted tune like «Walls», White Heart has a tendency to be too earnest. And on «Heroes», the result is overblown suburban angst.

‘Hotline’ is still full of choice stuff. Maybe it’s just that I’ve heard it once too often from White Heart. [Bob Darden, CCM, May 1985]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/gb/album/hotline/4393650)

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Hotline” – 4:14
A2. “Gotta Be A Believer” – 4:21
A3. “Jerusalem” – 3:50
A4. “Turn The Page” – 4:55
A5. “She’s A Runaway” – 3:40

Side Two
B1. “Heroes” – 4:36
B2. “In His Name” – 4:14
B3. “The Victory” – 4:22
B4. “Walls” – 2:35
B5. “Keep Fighting The Fight” – 3:08

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Home Sweet Home Records. Later re-issued on CD.

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A full-page advertisement for White Heart’s Hotline was featured in the May 1985 issue of CCM Magazine.

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A full-page advertisement for Sony Walkman – featuring Word signed artist White Heart’s Hotline – was featured in the June 1985 issue of CCM Magazine.

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CREDITS. Produced by Billy Smiley and Mark Gersmehl. Recorded at The Bennett House in Franklin, TN. Overdubbed and mixed at Gold Mine Studio in Nashville. Recorded and mixed by Brent King. Second Engineers: David Pierce and Sam Bailey. Second Engineer on Tracks: Clarke Schleicher. Engineer on track B4: Bob Graves. Mastered by Hank Williams at Mastermix in Nashville. Track arrangements by the band. Linn Drum programming and vocal production assistance on tracks A2 and A3 by David Huff. Synthesizer programming assistance on track A2 by John Slick. Drumulator programming on track B4 by Gary Lunn. Production assistance and input: Brent King and White Heart. Art Direction by Bill Brunt. Photography by Mark Tucker, Ron Keith, and Scott Bonner. Executive Producer: Chris Christian.

Musicians: Scott Douglas (Lead Vocals – Tracks: A1, A2, A3, A5, B1, B2, B3, B5), Steve Green (Backing Vocals – Tracks: A2, A4), David Pierce (Backing Vocals on track B1), Stan Armor (Backing Vocals – Tracks: B1, B5), Mark Gersmehl (Lead Vocals – Tracks: A2, A4, A5, B1, B4; Backing Vocals – Tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B5; Keyboards, Synthesizer solo – Tracks: A2, A3, B3), Billy Smiley (Keyboards, Guitar, Backing Vocals – Tracks: A1, A2, A4, B1, B2, B4, B5), Gordon Kennedy (Lead Vocals – Tracks: A3, B3; Backing Vocals on track A1; Lead Guitar – Tracks: A1, A2, A5, B3, B5; Sitar on track A4, Vocals), Gary Lunn (Bass), David Huff (Drums, Percussion ). Additional musicians: Greg Jennings (Guitar), Shane Keister (Vocoder), Brent King (Tambourine on “Turn the Page”), Stan Armor and Steve Green (Vocals). Strings by The Nashville String Machine.