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Farrell and Farrell were a husband and wife Contemporary Christian music act which had its beginnings in the early 1970s Jesus music era and went to become one of the first Christian new wave acts in the 1980s on such albums as 1984's Choices and 1985's Jump to Conclusions.
Early history through NexPax Records era The core members of the act were high school sweethearts Bob Farrell and wife Jayne Farrell, who had sung in a local rock band with Bob prior to her conversion to Christianity at a crusade. It was through Jayne and a friend that Bob experienced his own conversion as he says: "Jayne and I became born again in the Spring of 1971, in Houston. Within a week of becoming a Christian I wrote my first song about my new Lord and new life. Within a couple of months, we began performing (quite innocently) in coffeehouses and backyard Bible studies. When we had to assume a name – we chose One Man Band."[Farrell & Farrell Music]
The band consisted of Bob playing acoustic guitar and three vocalists but gradually evolved into a full band with drums, keyboards/keybass and guitar. Along with the fuller instrumentation came a name change to Millennium and a recording in 1973 aided by friends Randy Bugg on bass and Sonny Lallerstedt on lead guitar, both members of Dove, the first Christian group to record on Myrrh Records.[Hot Hits Book]
In 1976, the Farrells moved to Edmond, Oklahoma and became active as a duo again
. In 1977, they gained a record contract with Gary S. Paxton's NewPax Records in 1978. Their first album Farrell and Farrell was notable for being one of the first Contemporary Christian music recordings to feature the Fairlight synthesizer as well as co-writing assistance from Pat Terry of the Pat Terry Group on the song "Can't Ask Anything More". They also netted a #2 Christian radio hit with the track "Earthmaker".
The duo fully blossomed on their sophomore release as Eddie DeGarmo of DeGarmo and Key guested on keyboards for the album Make Me Ready, which also featured early songwriting from future Contemporary Christian music star Michael W. Smith. The album would spawn #23 hit "Heavensong", #13 charter "Boundless Love" and top 5 smash "All You Need" (peaked at #2).
A sold out July 24,1982 performance at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma's Civic Center Music Hall led to their live album Let the Whole World Know-Live. Unlike their previous albums where studio musicians handled keyboards, Bob Farrell handled the OBX keyboard as well as acoustic guitar. The title track reached #25 in 1983 on Christian radio.
StarSong Records tenure The next album could be seen as the beginning of the "golden era" of the band as electronic keyboards would play a larger part in the group's more experimental sound. Choices utilized not only electronic keyboards but the use of Simmon drums and other electronic percussion and unusual "instrumentation" like a 7-Up can.
This time, Dana Key and Eddie Degarmo both guest on guitar and keyboard and co-write "Get Right or Get Left" (a #28 Christian radio hit). They also placed 2 top 10 hits with "Hosanna Gloria" (#10) and "Give me the Words" (#4).[Hot Hits book] Jimi Jamison of the mainstream rock band Survivor did some session work on the album as part of the "Rock Choir" backing vocals. Billy Smiley and Mark Gersmehl of White Heart also contributed lyrics to songs for the disc.
During a time period when mainstream musicians were making headlines with charity benefit singles like USA for Africa's "We are the world", Christian musicians likewise banded together as CAUSE (an acronym meaning Christian Artists United to Save the Earth). Bob took part in the recording of their 1984 single "Do Something Now".
The success of tracks like "Get Right or Get Left" encouraged the duo to point their music in an even more electronic direction for 1985's Jump to Conclusions. The disc included one of their most popular compositions, "People in a Box" (#4 on Christian radio
Duo swansong to present The band was able to play in the nation that inspired "Meek and the Mighty" (from Jump to Conclusions) in a 25 date swing through Russia in 1988. Ending a 3 year recording hiatus, Farrell and Farrell released their swansong, 1989's Superpower, on Word Records. After nearly 20 years in the business, the strain of touring was taking too much toll on the group's marriage and they decided to call it quits.
In 1996 Bob produced the musical Savior which won a Dove Award for Best Musical. He netted another Dove in 1998 for Best Choral Collection for Our Savior..Emmanuel, co-produced with Greg Nelson.
Bob remains active in the Contemporary Christian music industry as a songwriter for such acts as Stacie Orrico, Jaci Velasquez, Wynonna Judd, and Eric Clapton. He also was a key player in the 2003 rock opera !Hero, being involved with creation of the music along with veteran Christian rocker Eddie DeGarmo, formerly of DeGarmo and Key, as well as acting in the opera in the role of Governor Pilate. In 2005, the DVD release of !Hero was nominated for a Dove Award for Best Long Form Video.
Legacy In first bringing electronics-based sounds to Christian Contemporary music, Farrell and Farrell helped pave the way not only for similar synth-pop acts like 80s bands Crumbacher and Mad at the World and 90s act Painted Orange but the groundwork was laid for Christian based lyrics in genres which derive from keyboard heavy sounds such as industrial music and techno.
As a songwriter, Bob Farrell has penned material for both Christian and mainstream artists including Bob Carlisle, DeGarmo and Key, Bryan Duncan, The Imperials, Pat Terry Group, Michael W. Smith, Diana Ross, John Berry, Eric Clapton, Laura Branigan and Anne Murray.
Discography Sources:
1973 (as Millennium) Millennium
1973 Jayne Farrell (solo) Jayne CAM-154
1976 (Bob as part of band Dove) Dove II Myrrh Records
1978 Farrell and Farrell NewPax Records NP-33050
1979 A Portrait of Us All NewPax Records NP-33076
1981 Make Me Ready NewPax Records NP-33104
1982 Let the Whole World Know-Live NewPax Records NP-33127
1984 Choices Star Song Records 710205386X
1985 Jump to Conclusions StarSong Records 7102060866
1986 Manifesto StarSong Records 7102074867
1989 Superpower Dayspring Records
1989 The Meek and the Mighty, a greatest hits anthology, StarSong Records
1992 The Early Works Benson Records (anthology)
Copyright Citations
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