Mike’s Songs: “Let Me In” & “Searching”
August 6, 2010 at 7:16 am
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/4799208 for a live version of "Let Me In"
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_4799266 for "Searching"
In the 80’s Mike McBride came into his own as a songwriter for the group and certain songs became standard parts of our concerts. I recently catalogued all the LW songs on an Xcel spreadsheet and have his count at 27, most of which saw real service at our shows. We were talking this week about the list. Several of them were pretty epic and Jim Babish used to kid us about the “LOOONNG songs” that Mike had, but if you have quality that only makes the quantity sweeter, right? We could divide them into two categories: piano songs and guitar songs.
Piano Songs
Among early examples of these were “Song of Love” that we have posted here as a Noteworthy version [http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/13648617] and “I Need Someone” http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/13606479 . But it was in the early 80’s that some classic ’Living Waters’ songs in this category began to arrive. His masterpiece of course, is “Lonely Dancer”, for which the beautiful video is posted here: http://www.youtube.com/v/1-oN0Yw7AaQ. But among the others we loved doing and people came to hear, there were ballads like “Don’t Run Away” which had a dance to it. There was a great participation song called “Love in Arms” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13650368 that had a Latin flavor to it and the dance “Prodigal Song” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13605858 which was one of my favorites (the climax of the ‘Prodigal Daughter’ presentation). But it is the classic rocker “Searching” which we are presenting here in a great version from the 1995 Reunion Concert with Mike (special thanks to Joe Prunera!). I remember somebody commenting at a Christmas show at St. Linus, one of the first times we did it, that it represented a “flowering” of LW as a group. I think he was right. After “Searching”, both Mike and I began to write songs that represented a new confidence and identity [see the blog entry for “A New Conversion: ‘Nobody Else’”]. It’s a rocker that let Greg and Dave stretch their wings in a way they hadn’t before, as well as Mike.
Guitar Songs
Mike and I were just remembering one example,“Love is Patient”, way back in 1977?? I helped Mike with the Scripture part of that one. But a time came in LW life that Mike left the keyboard, strapped on a guitar and got out front to lead us. “With You I Am” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13657133 and “I’ll Survive” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13606676 come to mind. “Love’s Beginning” became the center piece of our Christmas tape and it’s a beauty which we continued to do long after Mike left. But probably the best concert one was what we present here, “Let Me In”. Dave came out to sing on this one and they put me on bass (which I did for several of Mike’s songs, like “Lonely Dancer” and “With You I Am”) and I am proud of the bass line I came up with. It, too, was one we liked so much that we continued to do it after Mike left.
I like the honesty of both songs, grappling with feelings and situations we certainly did as young people, making the introduction of the faith element that much more authentic when it is really ‘saving’ us for for a fulfilled life of love and hope.
Enjoy and celebrate the talent of Mike McBride and Living Waters!
Mark Lajoie
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_4799266 for "Searching"
In the 80’s Mike McBride came into his own as a songwriter for the group and certain songs became standard parts of our concerts. I recently catalogued all the LW songs on an Xcel spreadsheet and have his count at 27, most of which saw real service at our shows. We were talking this week about the list. Several of them were pretty epic and Jim Babish used to kid us about the “LOOONNG songs” that Mike had, but if you have quality that only makes the quantity sweeter, right? We could divide them into two categories: piano songs and guitar songs.
Piano Songs
Among early examples of these were “Song of Love” that we have posted here as a Noteworthy version [http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/13648617] and “I Need Someone” http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/13606479 . But it was in the early 80’s that some classic ’Living Waters’ songs in this category began to arrive. His masterpiece of course, is “Lonely Dancer”, for which the beautiful video is posted here: http://www.youtube.com/v/1-oN0Yw7AaQ. But among the others we loved doing and people came to hear, there were ballads like “Don’t Run Away” which had a dance to it. There was a great participation song called “Love in Arms” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13650368 that had a Latin flavor to it and the dance “Prodigal Song” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13605858 which was one of my favorites (the climax of the ‘Prodigal Daughter’ presentation). But it is the classic rocker “Searching” which we are presenting here in a great version from the 1995 Reunion Concert with Mike (special thanks to Joe Prunera!). I remember somebody commenting at a Christmas show at St. Linus, one of the first times we did it, that it represented a “flowering” of LW as a group. I think he was right. After “Searching”, both Mike and I began to write songs that represented a new confidence and identity [see the blog entry for “A New Conversion: ‘Nobody Else’”]. It’s a rocker that let Greg and Dave stretch their wings in a way they hadn’t before, as well as Mike.
Guitar Songs
Mike and I were just remembering one example,“Love is Patient”, way back in 1977?? I helped Mike with the Scripture part of that one. But a time came in LW life that Mike left the keyboard, strapped on a guitar and got out front to lead us. “With You I Am” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13657133 and “I’ll Survive” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13606676 come to mind. “Love’s Beginning” became the center piece of our Christmas tape and it’s a beauty which we continued to do long after Mike left. But probably the best concert one was what we present here, “Let Me In”. Dave came out to sing on this one and they put me on bass (which I did for several of Mike’s songs, like “Lonely Dancer” and “With You I Am”) and I am proud of the bass line I came up with. It, too, was one we liked so much that we continued to do it after Mike left.
I like the honesty of both songs, grappling with feelings and situations we certainly did as young people, making the introduction of the faith element that much more authentic when it is really ‘saving’ us for for a fulfilled life of love and hope.
Enjoy and celebrate the talent of Mike McBride and Living Waters!
Mark Lajoie
August 11, 2010 at 8:30 am
UPDATE 2012: Mike is entirely back in the groove and even writing new songs. Our 2011 Concert and our recent jam sessions have featured most all the songs mentioned here!