Description
Prayers for a Noonday Church is an album by the American priest Father Pat Berkery feat. the psychedelic garage rock group Spur, released on Glasgow in 1969.
Father Pat Berkery was a priest who saw the psychedelic music that was popular as a tool for ministering. So he wrote 10 sermon-poems and got some friends, local band Spur, to do the backing music. Spur was a psychedelic/country rock group from Belleville, Illinois, circa 1966-1972. The band recorded a couple of singles under the name of The Unknowns before changing the name of the group to Spur that recorded a sole album released in 1968; Spur of the Moment. The following year they appeared as the backing-band to Father Pat Berkery’s album Prayers for a Noonday Church.
a priest and five hippies – a roman collar and long hair – why not? – church people, with their short hair and long robes are often shorter on ideas and longer on talk – let’s get something new on the scene
the priest – a guy who just got a new pair of glasses, but who’s been seeing the world pretty well for a long time – a man who listens a lot, but when he talks, something is searingly said – a single man who gives and lives life with his friends
the music – a spur by Spur – old hymns unsacredly done – old hymns sacredly undone – mind blowing, mind feeding – by five fellows who have no religon but brotherhood – whose religion speaks wolumes about the shame of christianity today
the prayers – an unprogram, a direction, a step – a love of church at a crucial crossroad, a hatred of church in darkness even at noonday – a paradox – a joy, an anger – a smile, a snarl – a handshake, a punch (but not below the belt) – a laugh, a cry – a life
that is all, that is enough
Joe Valentine
[a note on the inside of the gatefold sleeve]
One of those really “out-there” priests reciting his cosmic religious poetry overtop the trippy psychedelic rock backing of the group Spur – five hippies who are heavy on the organ and all those wild guitar effects (“mind blowing” states the liner notes). Bigtime weird and totally dated late-‘60s spaced-out feel – in other words it’s excellent! Father Berkery’s almost expressionless delivery adds to the strangeness, as he delivers lines like “cup brimming, eyes swimming, ruby red wine; gold encircles, gold in vision, Christ is remembered?” (from «Chalice»). «Seminary» has Spur doing a psych jam of «Onward Christian Soldiers» in the background, while «Blessings» works in the theme from the Doxology. Other titles include «Baptism», «Confessions», «An Altar», «Priesthood», «Celibacy», «Preaching» and «Sick Call». Liner notes by Joe Valentine of The Mission. Spur also recorded an album on their own around the same time called Spur Of The Moment. Not a parody – just some Catholic ozone heads being creative. Unipak gatefold cover. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. Baptism (“Silent Night”) – 3:25
A2. Confession (“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent”) – 2:35
A3. An Altar (“O Lord, I Am Not Worthy”) – 2:15
A4. Chalice (“Panis Angelicus”) – 4:03
A5. Priesthood (“Sing, My Tongue, The Saviors Glory”) – 4:03
Side Two
B1. Seminary (“Onward Christian Soldiers”) – 2:57
B2. Celibacy (“Holy, Holy, Holy”) – 3:02
B3. Blessings (“O God, From Whom All Blessings Flow”) – 2:31
B4. Preaching (“To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King”) – 2:34
B5. Sick Call (“Dies Irae”) – 4:40
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Spur – Spur of the Moments (vinyl compilation), Drag City/Galactic Zoo Disk 2010
Tracks A1, B2, and B3 are from the original ‘Spur of the Moment’ LP recorded from November 1967 to January 1968 at Cinema Sound Studios in Belleville, IL, and released in February 1968.
Tracks A2, A3 (pt. 2), B1, and B5 recorded in 1972 at Key Charisma Studios, Milwaukee, WI – from demo acetates.
Tracks A3 (pt. 1) and B6 recorded in 1969 at Cinema Sound Studios – from demo acetates.
Track A4 recorded by the Unknowns in 1966 at Metrosonic Studios in St. Louis, MO – from 7″ single.
Track B4 recorded by the Unknowns in 1967 at Technisonic in St. Louis, MO – from 7″ single.
Track B7 recorded in 1969 at RCA Victor Studio B in Chicago IL – from demo acetate.
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