Gabriel

Gabriel were an Inspirational group active through the entire decade of the 80's.  Their album "Standing Strong" was one of the first featured on my friend Allen's local radio broadcast "Change The World" back in 1985.  Musically, they were cut from the same cloth as Harvest (post pending) but with less "southern" influence.  The group originally consisted of  Robin Lyle (keyboards, vocals) and Jeff Walter (vocals.)  They released four independent albums as a duo, the best of which, "Out Of The East," is pictured above.  In 1988, they signed with Home Sweet Home records, added drummer Robert Noland, and released their self titled major label debut, which was simply a rearranged version of "Out Of The East" (two songs deleted, two new songs recorded with Noland added.)  In 1990 they released "Long Line Of Love" on Urgent records, with Noland sharing lead vocal duties with the others.  "Long Line..." showed them heading in more of a (then) modern "Pop" inspirational direction, but to my knowledge they never released another album.

"Out Of The East" is easily one of my most listened to CCM releases.  Unfortunately, no youtube videos for any of those songs seems to exist.  The entire "Long Line Of Love" disc is available for streaming at Myspace, however.

"Long Line Of Love:" http://www.myspace.com/gabrielsage/music/albums/long-line-of-love-12934725

*Slight Update*  Thanks to my friend Chris for tracking down a couple of live videos of Gabriel.  Here's "I Want To Be Your Light," a track from Out Of The East.

This one's from Standing Strong.

Deviating from the norm...Again

This was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien.  And the Apostle Paul.  The drawing is Phil Keaggy.

Return

And so it is...

I saw through the shadow...

I caught a glimpse of secrets in flight

And the Flame that created it all

And the desire of Gollum

That withered the leaves of the Tree of Life

And the pain of the King

And the Blood

That restored them.

Breakfast With Amy

Discography:
"Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt"  1990
"Dad" 1991
"Product # bvcd 3482 (Love Gift)" 1992
"Live At The Hawleywood Bowl!" 1995

What was this stuff?  Glam?  Punk?  Psychedelic?  Dadaist? (look it up, kids!)  Whatever it was, it was unique.  If the word "Alternative" ever truly fit any band, it was this one. There never was, or ever will be, another Breakfast With Amy.  

The band formed in 1986 to fill in at a Saturday night concert at La Habra Four Square Church in La Habra, California , and consisted of  Dave Koval (vocals,) Jeff Beahn (bass,) Chris Colbert (guitars,) and Paul Pelligren (drums.)  They recorded a couple of demos with Beahn, who was replaced by Caryn Colbert (Chris Colbert's wife) but did not release their debut album until 1990. Between 1990 and 1992, BWA released three of the most bizarre albums to ever hit the Christian music community.  The best was 1991's "Dad," possibly the only Christian album ever released to include a song with lyrics that consist of pithy sayings read from Christian t-shirts. ("Mermelstein And The Disappearing Sink.")

I don't know what happened to most of the members of this band.   Guitarist Chris Colbert and drummer Paul Pelligren formed the Punk band Fluffy (later called Duraluxe,) which also included bassist Jeff Beahn.  Colbert also worked as a producer and engineer on several albums.  Caryn Colbert was in the band Plague Of Ethyls, but all this activity occurred while BWA was still active.

The "Live At The Hawleywood Bowl"  disc was released in 1995 (I've never heard or even seen a copy of that one.  If anyone could help me out there, I would appreciate it.) and then the band disappeared down Mermelstein's sink.  But I'll always love them.

This one isn't for everyone:

Hope you have a sense of humor:

Band Info:  http://www.knottheads.com/bvdetail.php?id=bwa

Fluffy: http://www.knottheads.com/bvdetail.php?id=fluf

Plague Of Ethyls: http://www.knottheads.com/bvdetail.php?id=poe