White Heart’s original roster was: Billy Smiley, Mark
Gersmehl, Steve Green (lead vocals), Gary Lunn, and brothers Dann and David
Huff. In 1982 they released their
self-titled debut album. After this
album Scott Douglas took over lead vocal duties when Steve Green left the group
saying rock music wasn’t his thing.
Douglas was charged with aggravated sexual battery in June 1985 and
sentenced to prison in March of 1986.
White Heart soldiered on with their stage manager and roadie Rick
Florian becoming the new lead singer.
His third album as vocalist was 1989’s FREEDOM (Sparrow). On this project he is joined by Mark Gersmehl
(keyboards/lead vocals), Billy Smiley (guitars/vocals), Gordon Kennedy (guitars/vocals),
Tommy Sims (bass guitar/vocals), and Chris McHugh (drums). The latter three went on to become studio
musicians.
The opening song ‘Bye Bye Babylon’ is a pulsating rocker
that warns against pride and ignoring the one true God: “Rocket ride through
time and space/It’s 2088/They’re diggin’ around in the dust of what we’ve
done/Now people study me, I’m a part of history/Oh, did we leave them another
Babylon?/Is there evidence of spiritual revival or did we leave a land of
broken idols?/Bye, bye, bye Babylon/Is our monument the Holy One?/Bye, bye, bye
Babylon/If God is not our strength and song/It’s good-bye Babylon”. Chris Rodriguez is a background vocalist on
‘Sing Your Freedom’. It is a rock song
of encouragement for those going through hard times: “Let’s come out and say
the truth/Living can be a fight/Sometimes you find yourself wandering down the
cold winter streets of your life/When you’re a prisoner of time and the
darkness is closing in/With all of your heart you’ve got to rely on the song
that is hidden within/The song that cries out to begin/Sing your freedom,
freedom, freedom (2X)/Let the song of your faith come alive”. ‘Let the Kingdom Come’ again denounces pride:
“Well, I crowned myself king/Yeah, I crowned myself king/But I didn’t see the
trouble, the heartache, and the sorrow it would bring/Now I’m broken and
willing/And lookin’ for my King”.
‘Over Me’ is a terrific rock ballad of praise: “Though the
sky is dark and there’s a shadow on the land/The rain comforts me/It is the
touch of His hand/I feel His love pouring down over me/Warm healing waters that
set me free/Safe in the arms of eternity/Held by the wonder and mystery/Over
me, over me, over me”. ‘Eighth Wonder’
is an adult contemporary ballad that reads like a journal entry: “I keep
building and building walls around the truth/But what I’m really needing is to
find my rest in You/Nothing will have meaning till I start believing/Just how
much I mean to You/How much I mean to You/They say there are seven wonders of
this world/What would the eighth one be?/If I could just love myself the
way/The way that You love me”.
Sonically ‘Power Tools’ begins by sounding like you’re in a
workshop. This song is a rock commentary
on money hungry and power hungry preachers: “Expensive sheepskin, money-minded
smile/On his chinny-chin chin/Still some will follow/You gotta open your
eyes.../He’s lost, living in a lie/While your cost of giving goes sky high/For
His piece of the pie”. Tommy Sims,
Gordon Kennedy, and Rikk Florian share lead vocal duties on ‘Invitation’. It calls folks to accept the Lord Jesus
Christ as Saviour: “You can’t crash this party cause you got to know the
Host/The only way that you can be sure that you’re in when it’s time to go/It
takes believing and a heart that’s willing/You got an invitation/He sent me
here to let you know/Paradise is waiting/He’s made your reservation/Now tell
me, don’t you want to go to paradise?”
‘The River Will Flow’ is the longest track at almost seven
minutes long. Mark Gersmehl sings lead
and Dave Perkins harmony. The impressive
background vocalists are: Margaret Becker, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stan Armor,
and Eddie DeGarmo. This anthem of faith
includes these wonderful words: “And the river will flow, the river will
flow/Through all of the times of your life/The river will flow and the river is
love/The river is peace/And the river will flow through the hearts of those who
believe/So put your hand in mine/Oh, put your hand in mine/And let us all go
down and kneel by the river’s side/We’ll cry our tears of joy/Cry our tears of
pain/We’ll let them fall down from our eyes to be washed in the sacred
stream”. ‘Set the Bridge on Fire’ has a
catchy chorus that offers these words of advice: “Break out of the dark land
you live in/Set the bridge on fire/Cross over the deep troubled water/Set the
bridge on fire”.
‘Let it Go’ is a pop song that describes what it is like to
let go of bitterness and hostility: “It’s an open window, a high flying
eagle/This hope in my heart of hearts/It’s a whole lot better to let go of the
anger/Those things were tearing us apart/Now I can look into your eyes with
nothing held inside/It’s like after the storm there’s a ray of gold/That’s how
it feels to let it go/It’s like heaven has come and opened the gates of your
soul/To let it go”. Last up is the
sentimental ‘I’ll Meet You There’.
FREEDOM was produced by Brown Bannister and executive
produced by Peter York. The musicianship
and vocals are well executed all around on this project. This is a solid rock album delivered by a
group of men who have put their faith, trust, hopes, and dreams completely in
God. It makes the statement that
submitting to Jesus makes us truly free and not as some think, slaves. The album clocks in at 53 minutes and 13
seconds. Fans of Petra and Mylon &
Broken Heart will appreciate FREEDOM, which I’m rating 90%. For more info connect with group members past
and present on Facebook.