Description
Wilmore is the solo debut album by the American singer and songwriter Ron Moore, independently released on Airborn Records in 1971, a custom label co-founded by Moore and Ed Kilbourne. The album was recorded between June 1970 and June 1971 with Ron Moore and Doug Southworth producing. Featuring Moore, Southworth as well as Roger Hughes. All song written by Ron Moore except “Hymn To The Sun” co-written with Southworth and “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” written by Larry Norman.
Featuring Ron Moore on vocals and guitars, Doug Southworth on lead and rhythm guitars, vocals, organ, and bass, and Roger Hughes drums and percussion.
Trivia: Wilmore is a very small town in Kentucky which is home to Asbury College, where Ron Moore went to college. It is also the home of Asbury Theological Seminary, a holiness campmeeting, and several Christian organizations. In the early 70s, the Ichthus Christian music festival was started which took place every spring for many years. (The duo of Ron and brother Bill Moore actually played at the very first event.)
In the early days of what is known as the Jesus Movement, Ron found himself playing many coffeehouses across the midwest, as well as colleges on both coasts. He also wrote record reviews for Harmony Magazine, and felt awkward using the term “Jesus Music” or “Jesus Rock”. What’s next he thought; “Jesus shoes and jeans”? The name was too special. So he proceeded to call the genre contemporary Christian music. The name caught on, and he is credited with coining the new name.
It was June 1970. Wilmore, Kentucky was sleepy and warm as usual. Small town, Small college. I had just come back from exile in Seattle due to a problem I caused with the disciplinary committee of the Wilmore college. My high school best friend and bandmate Doug Southworth had moved to be near me to see what music we could do. We jammed and wrote in the basement of a big church in town. I had just bought my own recording equipment after spending lots of money on my first album with my brother Bill. (Lo and Behold‘ 1969.) The songs here are very personal, and heartfelt. We recorded some of the songs in my apartment in Wilmore, some at the church, and some at a Bluegrass studio in Lexington called Lemco which would be my main studio for the next album and where I helped produce Mark Heard’s second album. The album is named Wilmore because this small town, and the people in it influenced the music so strongly. The cover art by friend Gary Montgomery is an old paint store in downtown Wilmore. Gary dropped out of the small Bible college and lived downtown in this store. He had had a hard time with the school, as he was a free spirit and an artist, and they were not. He got in trouble for running around campus with the local pack of dogs, and jumping over hedges with them whooping. Troublemaker. So the word Paint on the cover, and on the store, had the letter “T” partially removed so the word Pain was showing. We all had our pains, loves, and creative moments; our poetry, our nights in the moonlit fields with our girlfriends, our spiritual journeys, and our friends. [ – Ron Moore]
Wilmore is a simple and straightforward acoustic album with that essential long-haired feel. At times the trio of Ron Moore, Doug Southworth, and Roger Hughes recalls the stark yet beautiful sound of early Bruce Cockburn circa High Winds, White Sky, the lonesome acoustic stillness of Neil Young or the gentle easy-flowing hippie folk-rock of an unplugged Wilson McKinley. Resonant acoustic guitars, phased electric, piano, light organ, and simple percussion all combine to achieve a definite highpoint for the style. Fresh original song-writing and personal non-trite lyrics dealing with topics such as a friend just out of prison («To Nancy»), a Korean high school student («Wellington Tang»), conversations with Jesus («First Person») and returning from exile («Montana Michigan»), Stirring hypnotic almost folk/psych quietude surrounding cuts like «Song», «Canada Calls», «Fall Down Rain», «If I» and «Hymn To The Sun». Also a cover of Larry Norman’s «All Been Ready». See also Bill & Ron Moore for an even earlier recording. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/wilmore/1567640731)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “To Nancy” – 3:25
A2. “Song” – 4:16
A3. “Wellington Tang” – 5:55
A4. “First Person” – 3:42
A5. “Canada Calls” – 3:17
Side Two
B1. “Fall Down Rain” – 3:49
B2. “All Been Ready” – 3:08
B3. “Montana Michigan” – 5:05
B4. “If I” – 4:48
B5. “Hymn to the Sun” – 4:23
B6. “Hope Salvation” – 0:46
Note: First issued with no label on the front cover (and no other place either). Re-issued featuring the Airborn label on the front cover. The Airborn issue replaces the original track B4 (“If I”) With a new song, “Firefly”. Issued with fold out lyric sheet. Available at Bandcamp: https://ronmooremusic.bandcamp.com/album/wilmore
Also available at Bandcamp: A live concert with Ron Moore originals plus two. Recorded in Akers Recital Hall at Asbury College, 1971:
https://ronmooremusic.bandcamp.com/album/ron-moore-live-concert-1971
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