LW's "Light of the World"!

LW's "Light of the World"!

Light of the World Studio Mix from "Overflow"

"Light of the World" on Spotify

We have some really amazing news! We have a brand new version of one of our truly classic 'bangers' from way back in the day: "Light of the World"! It is mixed by our own beloved Josh Loell, with all of the original band members playing what they always used to play in concert. There is Dave's familiar high noodling bass part in the intro, Tony's signature style on drums, Greg & Mark rounding out the Guitar brothers, Mike on piano, Denise lending her awesome voice to the proceedings. 

Let's talk about how we got to the point where I wrote this song.

Way back, when Living Waters first started in 1976, we did a couple of my early meditation songs in our first shows, but most of our group concert material consisted in cover songs. BUT, quite early on, we began to consciously write our own group-style songs.

"Sing to Jesus" was probably the first; Dave got that one started with the intro riff. I remember all of us playing it while staying at Chuck's house in Waterville, ME. (That one is the intro to the new album!) Four LW types joined in to create "The Introduction Song" which did exactly what it said in the title, introducing us as the concert began. (Some of us were just talking about that one recently at my son's wedding.) It included a choreographed dance by the newly joined dance troupe. We have no surviving recordings of that one.

A "Sheepgate Coffehouse" Reunion Concert where we revived "Light of the World"

However, probably our first really big one was "Light of the World". There's so many things we could say about this one. I believe all the crew would line up in front of the stage and sway and clap. The clap on the chorus was a special one: 'clap, clap...clap...clap, clap...clap'. (Anne-Marie just called it "that cool clapping"; yeah, it was cool, all right!) ALL the back-up singers were very active on singing this one, an example of working on vocal arrangement that became a hallmark for us. We have a couple of old 'classic live' versions of "L of the W" on our sites, one from 1987.

The tableau for 'evil thoughts' in the Light of the World skit; Mark, Mary Gillis & Mike

Another thing was that this song was usually strategically joined in the program to our early dramatic skit of the same name, "Light of the World". This skit illustrated how vices can be overcome by the power of what our Lord did for us on the Cross. The skit flowed & matched with the song perfectly. (Greg used to pray an acoustic lick in the background during a part of the action, based on "The Trees" by Rush. It fit perfectly.)
As a matter of fact, our shows began to become very well thought out in general, thematically and sonically, with lights, dance, drama and a large sound system. Our standard line became 'we started as a bunch of kids fooling around with our instruments and became a full production of music, dance & drama', & that really wasn't exaggerating. We moved on to the whole "Prodigal Daughter" format after this in support of Covenant House where we actually told a coherent story.

Soon after this song, Mike had a big breakthrough with the epic rocker, "Searching" and the amazing "Lonely Dancer", and I did "Nobody Else" and "Let's Stay," and so on and so on, but the way for those was prepared by these earliest group concert songs.

In this recording you hear & feel very much what it felt & sounded like back in those glorious early days. It felt like a new album was brewing with these songs, and, miraculously, providentially, that has happened! The new album features a deep dive into these earliest roots, plus some totally new creations. Those days were a great gift of grace to all involved, and this song was a part of that. And that grace continues to overflow one hundred-fold, to this time and unto eternal life....
Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!

Light of the World Studio Mix from "Overflow"

Third Straight Week: Our Song is TRENDing!

Third Straight Week: Our Song is TRENDing!

LW's "L of the W" DEMO is indeed trending, 'cool clapping' and all.... 

*Clap!*   *Clap! Clap!*     *Clap!*   *Clap! Clap!*

This is so exciting! It's like a blast from our 70's past. Click the link and listen!!:

LW's Light of the World DEMO!

Anna Post Writing!

Anna Post Writing!

I (Mark) have created a little GarageBand version of our old rocker, "Anna Post Writing"! Click the link (the words "Anna Post Writing" below)& have a listen!

Anna Post Writing!

The story told in this song is a little dated now; it's an imaginary story about a woman who loses her husband and loses herself in her job as a newspaper reporter. (Any relation to any real "Anna Post" is purely coincidental! It mentions papers and typing: very 1980's!) She is so lost, but, like St. Augustine ("tolle et lege"), she picks up the Bible and God's Spirit of Love speaks exactly what she needs to hear. She doesn't hold it against her estranged husband and reaches out to try to tell him about what she found.

This song was written during the time I was living at the McBride's in Natick (1982?) We didn't actually perform it that much but it was pretty cool when we did. This is not exactly how we did it. Greg used to really drive this. But I think I have captured the spirit of the song. Here is what I wrote to my band mates when I first worked this up on NoteWorthy Composer:

Mes amis,
Voici un chanson vraiment etrange. I kept in all the weird stuff, even the "creeping", the "crawling" and the "crying". Part of that bridge sort of reminds me now of nascent 'rapping' before it was cool and before it quite gets cool. All that notwithstanding, I think this is some really cooking '70's-type happening weirdness! What do you think?

And then Dave Babish replied thusly:

"Ahh - Anna Post. Perhaps, in my opinion, one of Living Waters' most "undersung" grooves, and perhaps one of the purest rockers. I found this one on tape while in college. A real showcase of the above-average Living Waters vocals in that chorus. Space for Tony to drive. The song that perhaps most deserves a pulsing lighting rig. The reason for Greg's high tops.

Mark, Greg, Dave, etc, I always liked how many of your songs were about a particular story, a particular experience. A lot of your music was written from first person:

"I see a boat on the horizon..."
"I prayed for you..."
"Make me free."
"When I look at myself and at others..."

Good stuff.
thanks,
Dave"

It really was one of our best pure 'rock' songs I think.

Quite a different story created out of a...PLAY ON WORDS!...imagine that.

Enjoy...Peace
Mark L.

'NOTHer Backing Track! God is With Us

'NOTHer Backing Track! God is With Us

To hear the backing track? click this!:

https://www.reverbnation.com/livingwaters/song/4865250-god-is-with-us-karaoke

And to hear the full version with vocals? click this!:

https://www.reverbnation.com/livingwaters/song/4536738-god-is-with-us

View of the Marist House across from our 505 Pleasant house (where we recorded this)

This is a song that I (Mark) wrote. I wanted to get the effect of chiming bells in the beginning, so I am plucking the C-G-G and then the E-C, with the change from the fifth to the third. And Greg, like some sort of genius decided to add those harmonic hammer-ons, which sound, of course, exactly like bells! (This basic effect is reprised at the end of every chorus.) The verses are in C and choruses in G.

Then Mike CHIMES IN with that da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-daaaah riff that I had composed. I wrote the basic riff, but Mike RAN with it. He did it both on piano and synthesizer. And then he figured out how to continue the effect of the basic riff through all the chord changes, in a way that so sweeeet! so bellissimo! We then mixed the different instruments in a way that perfectly complemented the lyrics of verses and chorus. Mike really is the instrumental star here.

The bridge accomplishes a really cool key change sequence that ends back at the chorus. What Mike managed to do there is just so fantastic; listen to THAT and be amazed. How do you maintain the sense of the basic piano riff while going through all the key changes, meanwhile making it all seem as smooth as silk. I love the baroque-flavored harpsichord thing on the 'Gloria in excelsis deo' segue to the chorus. 

The way Greg chimes in with distortion at just the right times is beautiful, lending power to the key chorus declarations. Listen to Tony on the drums; he is using lower/deeper runs as accents during the chorus, a very nice expert touch, as usual. Dave adds perfect bass runs especially at the end.

I suppose we should mention the funny incident at the end. We were all in the cellar playing certain parts for the lead-in to the end when Mike played that one long C on the synthesizer. What you can't hear is that he was yelling at the top of his lungs, "WHAT'S THE CHORD?!?! WHAT'S THE CHORD!!??!". He finally remembered at the end, but that unintentional held note turned out to be effective and perfect for that spot!

We did some very nice vocal arranging on this, too, so be sure to listen to that. The guys liked to make fun of how I sang, "just LAHK me"! Please, enjoy!

Peace & Love & JOY,

Mark LaJOIE!

New for Christmas!

New for Christmas!

For the first time, our Christmas album, "The JOY", is available here on Bandcamp!

https://livingwaters.bandcamp.com/album/the-joy

Dive in and get refreshed!