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Biography
About|the Christian music group|the bugle call|First call First Call is a Contemporary Christian music (CCM) group, originally consisting of Mel Tunney, Marty McCall, and Bonnie Keen. http://www.singers.com/gospel/firstcall.html Original First Calldead link|date=December 2011 Mel's husband, Dick Tunney, acted as the arranger and producer for many of the group's early projects.
Group history
In the 1970s, McCall was a member of a band called Fireworks, http://www.signpostmusic.com/mccall/mccall.htm Biography, Signpost Music while Keen was pursuing a career in musical theater.cite web|url= http://www.bonniekeen.com/meet_biography.htm |title=Bonnie Keen Official Website |publisher=Bonniekeen.com |date= |accessdate=2011-12-30 They met at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee, singing backup for other singers and recording commercial jingles. Dick Tunney met the two during such a session and struck up a friendship. He introduced them to his singer-wife, Melodie. The three saw a benefit in marketing themselves as a ready-made trio for backup vocals and other studio recordings. They were considered the "first call" by music producers—first choice for studio work. But the term also fit with their belief in making their Christian beliefs first in their lives.cite web|url= http://christianpublicityservices.com/dramatic_rose/dramatic_rose/fcallpr.htm |title=Article, The Adams Group, "The Redemptive Journey of First Call" |publisher=Christianpublicityservices.com |date= |accessdate=2011-12-30
None of the three initially foresaw a recording or touring career. As a side project to their backing vocal careers, they agreed to record an a cappella Christmas album called An Evening In December . The album sold very well on the Contemporary Christian market, and propelled the trio into their own music projects. Offers began to come in from high-profile CCM artists such as Amy Grant and Sandi Patty to join them on tour. Their first album of non-Christmas music, Undivided (1986), was followed by Something Takes Over (1987) and God Is Good (1989). The two Christmas music collections, An Evening in December Volume I (1985) and Volume II (1987), have long been bestsellers in the group's catalog. Many comparisons have been made to the group's style similarity to the recording group The Manhattan Transfercite web|url= http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/reviews/2006/rejoice.html |title=Christianity Today, Music Review |publisher=Christianitytoday.com |date= |accessdate=2011-12-30 and the New York Voices.
Around 1989, Melodie expressed a desire to try different styles of music, and left the group in 1990, yet continued her friendship with Marty and Keen. http://www.tunneymusic.com/about/bio.html TunneyMusic.comdead link|date=December 2011 Marabeth Jordan, another session singer, joined the group's ranks.cite web|author=by markwebermusic on 12/25/2011 & nbsp;& bull;& nbsp; |url= http://www.christianmusicdaily.com/content/view/44/97/ |title='& #39;Christian Music Today'& #39;, Article "Bonnie Keen: Bouncing Back" |publisher=Christianmusicdaily.com |date=2011-12-25 |accessdate=2011-12-30
The new lineup saw two successful albums, Human Song (1992) and Sacred Journey (1993). Then in 1994 came news that Jordan was involved in an affair with fellow CCM artist Michael English (singer)|Michael English , both of whom were married to other people at the time. The media attention surrounding the affair cost First Call their record deal and Marabeth left the group shortly thereafter.cite web|url= http://www.christianitytoday.com/tcw/2000/006/1.42.html |title=Christianity Today |publisher=Christianity Today |date= |accessdate=2011-12-30
After the incident, Melodie Tunney returned to the group for a short period to try to reduce damage to the group's image and complete their touring obligations. She also lent her vocals to several projects in which the group was currently involved. In late 1994, First Call acted as the backup group for David L. Cook 's Inspirational music|inspirational single, http://cdbaby.com/cd/davidlcook3 "When Heaven is My Home". The song was written and produced for Cook by Dick Tunney.
After signing with Warner Alliance, another Christmas album, 1995's Beyond December , and the eponymously titled album First Call of 1996 were recorded by Marty and Bonnie as a duo.
After reuniting the original group to record two songs for some compilation projects, music publishers Discovery House signed the members of the original lineup to record together again. Their new collection, entitled Rejoice , was released in 2007.
Marty McCall is currently the pastor of Vocal Ministries http://www.mcleanbible.org/pages/group_contacts.asp? group_id=431 Pastor of Vocal Ministriescite web|author=admin |url= http://www.christianmusicarchive.com/artist.php? id=1921 |title=Pastor of Vocal Ministries |publisher=Christianmusicarchive.com |date=2010-07-26 |accessdate=2011-12-30 at McLean Bible Church cite web|url= http://www.mcleanbible.org |title=McLean Bible Church |publisher=Mcleanbible.org |date= |accessdate=2011-12-30 in McLean, Virginia .
Awards
First Call was a recipient of GMA Dove Awards in the "Group of the Year" category for both 1988 http://doveawards.com/history/browse.cfm? year=1988 Dove Awards 1988dead link|date=December 2011 and 1989. http://doveawards.com/history/browse.cfm? year=1988 Dove Awards 1989dead link|date=December 2011 They also have multiple Grammy nominations.
Discography
Year
Album
Members Who Performed
Record Label
1985
Evening in December as "First Call & Friends"
Keen, McCall, Tunney
Word
1986
Undivided
Keen, McCall, Tunney
Word
1987
Something Takes Over
Keen, McCall, Tunney
Dayspring
1987
An Evening in December, Vol. 2
Keen, McCall, Tunney
Dayspring
1989
God Is Good
Keen, McCall, Tunney
Word
1992
Human Song
Keen, McCall, Jordon
Epic
1993
Sacred Journey
Keen, McCall, Jordon
Word/ Epic
1994
La Razon de Cantar
Keen, McCall, Jordon
Myrrh
1995
Beyond December
Keen, McCall
Warner Alliance
1996
First Call
Keen, McCall
Warner Bros.
2007
Rejoice
Keen, McCall, Tunney
Discovery House
Appearances on other albums
1990 Our Christmas (Word) "Angels We Have Heard on High"
1990 ''Handel's Young Messiah (Word) "Every Valley Shall Be Exalted"
1992 Wings of Victory - Glen Campbell (New Haven)
1993 The New Young Messiah (Sparrow Records) "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion"
1996 Tribute: The Songs of Andraé Crouch (Word) "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus"
References
External links
http://www.bonniekeen.com/meet_biography.htm Bonnie Keen Official Website
Category:American Christian musical groups
Copyright Citations
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