ABC’s Nightline talked with The Edge of U2 recently about what songs were on his playlist.
The Beatles, The Skids and some great American bands top the list.
There’s also footage of ABC’s interview with The Edge and Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day before they helped open the Super Dome last year in New Orleans.
Check it out
Category: Music
The origins of Christian Rock
Slate has an interesting piece on the history of Christian Rock.
I didn’t see any mention of Larry Norman though – who many consider the father of Contemporary Christian Music.
If you’re a dcTalk fan, you may recognize Norman’s name as the author of the dcT cover, I Wish We’d All Been Ready.
Ryan Adams releases new CD
Ryan Adams has a new CD out, Easy Tiger, and NPR has the scoop.
The clips on the NPR piece sound great. Maybe a little different than Adams’ previous work I’ve heard. It sounds very layered with instrumentation. I’ll need to be sure and check it out.
What’s your favorite track by Adams?
I think I’ve got to say one of my favorite tracks is La Cienega Just Smiled off his Gold album.
Merger of Sirius and XM may increase package options
From CNet: If the proposed merger of XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio goes through, the combined company plans to offer packages of channels at reduced rates, including a 50-channel offering that’s almost half the price of today’s lowest-price option.
Read an official press release
CNet says that while the FCC is debating the merger of Sirius and XM, the companies have said they will offer several packages that give consumers a variety of listening options from both of the satellite radio providers, including an all inclusive package that would give programming from both companies for less than $17 a month.
Love me some grace
Martha, Laurie’s mom sent me a link to this video. It’s a great rendition of Amazing Grace and a great story behind the song. I’d love it to be true, but from what I’ve read it doesn’t appear to be true. But I’d love to be wrong.
As mentioned in the video, the current melody we know as Amazing Grace is pentatonic which has been linked to African-American spirituals but the pentatonic scale can also be found in other traditions including Celtic and the music of Greece and southern Albania.
The words to the song were originally written in 1772 by John Newton, a slave trader.
The words first appeared in print in Newton’s 1779 Olney Hymns, that he worked on with William Cowper. The University of Texas at Austin has one of the few remaining copies of the hymnal, which was typical of the day and was printed with words only and no music.
Many historians have said that the tune we now know as Amazing Grace is a variant of New Britain which was likely not published until 1829.
The joining of the New Britain tune and the words to Amazing Grace may not have happened in print until 1835 in William Walker’s, Southern Harmony.
However, the first appearance of Amazing Grace with any tune may have been to the tune of Hephzibah which was published in A Companion to the Countess of Huntingdons Hymns in 1808, 29 years after the words were first published.
It is possible that Hephzibah was the tune Newton’s church may have sung the words with but it’s also possible they may have chosen any number of popular songs at that time. (Hmmm. Funny how that happens. Many of Martin Luther’s hymns were also sung to the tune of popular bar songs in his day. After all – why should the devil have all the good music?)
Over the years the words have also been sung to many differing tunes including the Gilligan’s Island Theme, House of the Rising Sun, and the Eagle’s Peaceful Easy Feeling.
But regardless of the tune you sing it to or where the tune came from, it’s hard to escape the power of God’s grace when you read the lyrics and know the history behind them.
“Amazing Grace”
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
John Newton, Olaney Hymns (London: W. Oliver, 1779)
The final verse was included in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin which was published in 1852:
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.
Chris Tomlin also added a verse for his recording on the soundtrack to the recent Amazing Grace movie:
My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Saviour, Has ransomed me
And like a flood, His mercy reigns
Unending Love, Amazing Grace
UPDATE: This information came from a variety of web sources, including Wikipedia and Mark Rhoads site.
Great music and the news
OrangeNoiseRadio is still waiting to hear more about the negotiations between webcasters, NPR and SoundExchange over the royalty rates webcasters must pay for music programming.
We’re standing by Live365 in agreement that artists should be paid royalties, but Internet radio stations shouldn’t pay more than their fair share. Terrestrial and satellite radio stations should have to pay the same high royalties proposed by the Copyright Royalty Board on March 2, 2007, or Internet radio stations should receive a the same lower rate as other stations.
I encourage you to find out more about the latest updates, including a last minute deal made by congress to keep the stations on the air. Visit savenetradio.org for more info.
In the meantime, OrangeNoiseRadio is proud to announce we’ve added an hourly news broadcast from USA Radio Network as well as the Amber Alert System.
Now you can hear your favorite music, 24 hours a day and stay up to date on the latest news every hour between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Why listen anywhere else?
Check it out and show your support by becoming a VIP listener at: orangenoiseradio.com