New EP from Mike McBride!

NEW EP from Mike McBride!

We have been waiting for this for a few years. Ever since Mike returned to us, about 2012 or so, he has written a lot of songs. Many of Mike's new songs have fit into our Living Waters productions, but he deserves to have something that reflects his own unique talent. And so? Ta da! Here is the brand new EP, "You to Me", by Michael McBride

Here are the songs on the list:

1.     Honey (with Mark singing along)

2.     Red Blood (featuring Mike's daughter!)

3.     You (a love song)

4.     Stay

By the way, that drawing? was made by Mike himself when he was 14 years old! Cool, right?!

You and Me on Spotify

You and Me on iTunes

A Story About "Song of Witness"

A Story About "Song of Witness"

Mark after singing "Song of Witness" at Church on Easter morning 2019

In the late 70's, I wrote a song called "Song of Witness". It's an Easter song all the way. Each verse is a spoken, poetic narrative. It details Peter and John running to the tomb and finding the shroud, Mary Magdalene recognizing the Risen Lord, The Lord appearing to the Apostles on Easter night. Each verse has its own chorus ("He is risen! Alleluia...", "Long have I waited..." and "Peace be with you..."). After going through the three you join all three choruses together and then end strong on "He is risen!". (I will put the music at the end of the article.)

I happened upon a Christian Songwriters Conference at Estes Park in Colorado (I believe in 1980??). I decided to give it a shot and copied a concert version of "Song of Witness" onto a cassette tape and sent it in. Well, what to my wondering eyes did I behold in the mail but an in-depth breakdown and a pass to the main competition in Colorado! I'll never forget it. The reviewer was Dan Burgess, and we are forever beholden to him for seeing something good in the song.

So! I was off! (Those who know me, know that.) In Colorado, I got to see Amy Grant, Phil Keaggy and so many others. How exciting! Finally the day came for the competition. A room full of 'experts' judged my song. And? They absolutely ripped it apart! One guy said something like, 'what the heck is this?? you can't even tell what it is..." Another said 'this is a poor rip-off of Don Francisco' (I actually didn't even know who Don Francisco was at that point!) I just wished I could crawl under the floor, I was so embarrassed. That particular year? I actually had no reason to be that embarrassed - the winning song, was, I think, "Via Dolorosa" sung by Sandi Patti at the last show - that DESERVED best song, without a doubt far more than "Song of Witness". In later years, "We Are One Body" by Dana beat out my "Peter the Rock" for World Youth Day 1993 (in Colorado aGAIN!!) - once again, clearly destined to be. Interestingly, my son, Stephen, is now teaching in Colorado the last couple of years.

I went again to the Estes Park Conference in 1982, I believe, with Mike McBride, and myself. I had "Tonight" and Mike had "He Will Be". Well, the critics didn't like us that year either! All this might have seemed like a waste of time, but you know what? We learned from it! It made us determined to constantly improve, and boy did we ever! The next few years in the 80's saw a true flowering in so many ways. (By the way, that was the year Steve Taylor debuted on stage, and we were there to see it!)

I hope you enjoyed this tale from our past connection with the Christian Contemporary Music scene in its beginnings. Many thanks again to Dan Burgess and may Our Risen Lord bless you and yours richly!

Dan Burgess! Listen to his music www.reverbnation.com/danburgess

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE! 

Easter Playlist from Living Waters on RN

Easter Playlist from Living Waters on RN

Easter Playlist from Living Waters on ReverbNation CLICK

The Easter Season has begun! Here is a short LW Playlist which includes "Light of the World" from the new album. "Roll the Rock Over" is an old salvaged tape where the volume goes low on you, but it is well worth turning up the volume!

1. Alive Again

2. Light of the World

3. Save Me From Myself

4. Roll the Rock Over (classic live)

5. Forever

Easter Playlist from Living Waters on ReverbNation CLICK

Good Friday Playlist From Living Waters

Good Friday Playlist From Living Waters

LW Good Friday Playlist on Spotify

It is Good Friday. Such an important day! A day that every human heart has thought about and longed for, whether they knew it or not. As Isaiah said about the Suffering Servant and all he would suffer, all he would go through for our sake: "....those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it...." This is healing for the nations. I just heard that the word for "mercy" in Greek is almost exactly the same as the word for "olive oil". His total sharing of our fate is the ultimate healing balm for our deep wounds and alienation from God and ourselves and each other. "By his stripes we are healed". This has to be the deepest meaning for us. Let the Living Waters of His Grace flow to heal your confusion, pain and problems. Eat this Bread. Drink this Cup.....

Our Reviewer LOVED This Song!

Our Reviewer LOVED This Song!

Light of the World CLICK to PLAY

When Rob Allwright reviewed our "Overflow" album, there were a couple of songs he really liked, especially "Light of the World". This goes WAY back to our roots as part of our 'that was then and this is now' theme. Here's what he had to say:

“...."Light of the World"...starts off with some jangly sounding guitars as the vocals talk about how it's hard to see people really loving in this world. The chorus then takes a change of music direction with just some regular percussion which holds into the next verse when suddenly a honky tonk piano is introduced in the backing. This song just builds up and keeps on giving as it reminds us to look to Jesus because we are meant to be salt and light to the world. Again this song feels like a big production in a lively musical and the sound of it really gladdens the heart! Near the end there is some piano with a lead singer that just sounds like something Keith Green might have done! The end blends vocals to the lyrics "The Light Of The World" and it just sounds fantastic. I think I would listen to that song alone on repeat, there's just so much going on!”

Do you agree with Rob? Let us know!

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!

"Endless Dance of Love" - The "Two Feet" song

Endless Dance of Love - The "Two Feet" song

Here we have an old live version of a favorite song of ours, "Endless Dance of Love", perfect for the Lenten season. We usually call it the 'Two Feet Song'. This version is kind of primitive; watch out as it starts with a loud buzzing sound. It also seems to be  one of the first times we did it, and the sound quality is not good, but it's worth hearing, I think. I am hoping we can do a studio version. Below the link is a discussion of how the song got written.

Endless Dance of Love (classic live) CLICK to listen

One year for our annual Christmas party, Joyce Rossignol decided that we were not going to have our usual Kris Kringle or Yankee Swap. She gave out one of her famous “homework” assignments. We had to write some sort of creative thing without spending money for a gift; I usually did a poem or a song. She passed around the hat, and I drew Kathy Bourque's name, Dave's wife. She was the leader of the dancers in the group. So I asked, ‘what can I possibly do this time, Lord’ and prayed for some inspiration that could be useful for her and us. I went to Chapel and got down on my knees to pray. (“How to say what Jesus means to do for you?”) I have to say, I think the Lord ‘opened my eyes’ to the role of the dancers in prayer and gave us a great song to express the dancers place in the group's heart of prayer.

Before this, I think I have to admit, I was usually too busy doing the music to notice or appreciate ENOUGH what they did. I ONLY saw them from the back all the time, after all, except when they would turn and glare at me when I randomly CHANGED THE WORDS TO THE SONG, rendering their movements comical or meaningless. (!) The classic has to be with Make Me Free when I said something like ‘falling on my knees like a tree’ or some such nonsense. (Believe me some of the dancers had classic ‘death-stares’. It makes me wonder how I could get my own songs so wrong and how I survived to this day.) It’s human nature not to notice something really wonderful that is very close to you and I guess that was where I was.

But as I prayed about this homework, I think God truly let me see their ministry as He sees it, like Mike had expressed in “Lonely Dancer” (of which the video is so beautiful: 

https://www.reverbnation.com/artist/video/11184972  

The key image I built the song around is that of the two feet of Jesus crucified. They are nailed down and yet his gift on the Cross is the ultimate dance, {an idea alluded to in “Lord of the Dance”}. True love circumscribes our ‘freedom’ and causes pain, worry and sacrifice, yet, paradoxically, it is the only true freedom to tie oneself down in this way, the ultimate ‘rejoicing’. [In Aramaic which Jesus spoke, the word for 'rejoice' and 'dance' are the same.] Further, I really realized how much of a prayer our group’s dancing has been, so many times.

John Drahos told me once he was using this song with his church music ministry and that everyone always called it “The Two Feet Song”! That’s probably a better working title, but I’ve decided to keep the original title here as “Endless Dance of Love”. Greg really likes to play this and we all like Denise singing the lead on it. The version I have here is probably one of the first times we did it, live from our 1993 Sheepgate Coffeehouse concert; kudos to Joe Prunera for getting it to us. It gives you a great idea how it sounded. Later I heard that beautiful song “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack and recognized a familiar invitation from the “Lord of the Dance”.

St. Cecelia loved music intensely, yet she was willing to “dance” as the Lord had, giving her life as a martyr. Her incorrupt body was discovered over a 1000 years later with three fingers extended on one hand and one on another, ostensibly expressing her faith in the Trinity. This miracle was recorded in the famous sculpted masterpiece of Stefano Moderno. “Fly free, life’s a dance.”

Endless Dance of Love (classic live) CLICK to listen

ReJOIce!!
Mark LaJOIE!