#282 SOMETHING I BELIEVE IN by Denny Correll (1982)

SOMETHING I BELIEVE IN by Denny Correll (1982)
Myrrh - MSB 6699

Producer: Bill Maxwell

File Under: Blue-Eyed Soul/Funk/R&B/CCM

Time Capsule-Worthy Track:

You Can Depend on Jesus

His raspy, blues-infused voice is instantly recognizable by the relatively small number of people who were familiar with the man and his music. It's been said that if Denny Correll had stuck with secular music, he would have become a star on the order of a Rod Stewart or a Joe Cocker. Maybe so, who knows?

Instead, he's enjoying eternity with Jesus.

Dennis Correll was born into a musical environment on Feb. 19, 1946. His mother was a big band singer and his father was a gifted pianist and big band orchestra leader. Music filled their home - swing, jazz, R&B, big band, Gospel and rock and roll. While Denny's mom loved Jesus and guided countless people to faith in Christ, his Dad suffered from alcoholism, leading eventually to their divorce. [After much prayer, Denny's father did accept Christ as Savior late in his life, was delivered from alcoholism, and was reconciled to his children.] 

Blues Image (Correll is 2nd from the top, clockwise)

Correll's entree to the rock world would be through a band called Blues Image. The band was formed in Tampa, FL in 1966. In 1968 the band moved to NYC where they managed a club called The Image. They regularly played their bluesy rock at the club and ended up snatching a recording deal with Atlantic Records' Atco subsidiary. When vocalist Michael Pinera left the group to join Iron Butterfly, Denny Correll became the lead singer. After moving to the West Coast, they recorded the hit Ride, Captain, Ride, which sold over one million copies, earning a gold record in 1970. Alas, it would be the only charting hit for Blues Image, making the group essentially a "one-hit wonder." Other Blues Image alumni of interest to CCM listeners would include Skip Konte (who later played with Three Dog Night and produced Christian albums for Darrell Mansfield, Leon Patillo and Denny Correll), and Gary Dunham, who had a solo CCM career when his Blues Image stint was over.  

MANNA. (Denny Correll is upper left.)

After the breakup of Blues Image, Denny Correll floated around. He joined a group called Manna and recorded a single for A&M Records called Good Old Rock and Roll, then played with a band called 5th Cavalry. 

It was at this point that Denny became part of Jesus Music history. It's not a stretch to say that without the influence of Denny Correll, we might never have heard of a band called Love Song. 

Chuck Girard was playing in Las Vegas at the Pussy Cat a Go Go with a band called Six the Hard Way. It just so happened that 5th Cavalry was on the bill as well. Denny Correll, ever the evangelist, gathered all of the musicians together during a break and began witnessing to them about Jesus. Girard was impressed with Correll's passion and conviction and started reading the Bible after returning home to LA. Girard and a bunch of musician friends started searching for God through the Bible but also trying to find meaning, fulfillment, and spiritual enlightenment through drugs. They started calling themselves Love Song and played bars and clubs in Southern California. They eventually visited a church called Calvary Chapel and ended up giving their hearts and lives to Jesus. And the rest was history.

Denny Correll ended up a member of Love Song for a short time and co-wrote one of the songs (Changes) on the group's landmark 1972 debut album.

Fast forward several years, and Correll was now a solo artist. He released Standin' in the Light on Maranatha in 1979, followed by How Will They Know on Myrrh the very next year. Which brings us to Something I Believe In.

This record had one of the coolest album covers of the 80s. It was one of those covers that sort of told a story. Correll is running to catch a cab on the front cover. The back cover photo shows him laughing and talking with the taxi driver; Correll appears to be handing the driver (Arnold Johnson) a copy of the album. Nice work on the art direction by Paul Gross, and the photography by Sam Emerson. By the way, in addition to one of the great soulful voices in CCM, Correll also had some of the best hair in the music business.

Producer Bill Maxwell took advantage of Correll's natural gift - his blue-eyed soul singing - and surrounded him with a cast of top-notch studio musicians. Of course, the "Koinonia boys" played on this record and formed one of the all-time great rhythm sections: Maxwell on drums, Abraham Laboriel on Bass, Hadley Hockensmith on guitar, Alex Acuna on percussion and Justo Almario on woodwind instruments. Guitarists Dean Parks and David Williams also made their presence known.  

Concerning Denny Correll, blogger David Lowman wrote, "If there was a more soulful voice in CCM I can’t tell you who it belongs to. Correll’s voice was pure soul and guts, a dynamic range with no limits." That voice was on display on Something I Believe In. The album followed the same general pattern as most of Denny's albums - a contemporary soul sound with the funky stuff being balanced somewhat by sultry, inspirational power ballads. The mid-tempo pop numbers were the most fun to listen to...and where Denny could best express himself. 

Evangelism is the lyrical theme that ran through this album, and, really, through Denny's entire ministry.

"Denny was a real evangelist," Bill Maxwell told me during a recent phone interview. "He was a real talent. He was unbelievably talented and a sweet, beautiful guy that I loved greatly."

Denny's younger brother Tim has always had a similar evangelistic zeal and wrote a lot of songs with Denny. In fact, Tim shares a writing credit on four of the ten tracks on Something I Believe In, including a powerful ballad called Too Many Lonely People.

Tim Correll

"Yeah, the Lord gave Denny and me many songs together," Tim told me not long ago. "We really loved working and hanging out together. The Lord would sometimes give me hook ideas as I was traveling around southern California doing my day gig in commercial finance sales. I would call Denny from the nearest phone booth and sing him my hook idea; if he dug it he would start working on it and tell me to come by after work to hear the direction that he would hear the idea going. That's the way I got the hook on Too Many Lonely People. It came while I was downtown Los Angeles and began seeing so many homeless and/or alcoholic people, people who just needed the Savior. I went to see Denny after work. Den had started developing the melody and some lyrics. We worked a couple of days on the lyrics, and it was done."

Tim said that his older brother had a huge burden for souls. "Denny was an extremely gifted songwriter," Tim said, "and our message was always to share the good news of the Gospel with the music that the Lord gave both of us, individually and together, encouraging others to receive Christ as their Savior and be born again."

After Something I Believe In, Denny Correll recorded three more albums.

Correll had three back operations and reportedly fell into some problems with addiction. He was certainly not alone in that (artists such as Chuck Girard and Bryan Duncan went public many years ago with their own struggles). Suffering from heart problems, Correll was treated at the Hoad Hospital in Newport, CA in 2002. After he was released, he attempted to drive himself home...but never got there. He suffered a heart attack and was found in his car in a school parking lot where he died on November 29, 2002. Denny Correll was just 56 years old.

After Denny’s sudden passing, his brother Tim went through a very difficult time. "We were joined at the hip and Denny’s passing has been really hard," says Tim Correll. "I know he’s with Jesus, but he was not only my big brother but also my best friend. I really miss him."

Denny Correll was cremated; Tim buried Denny's ashes at sea in December of 2002.

"Now, some 20 years after his highest peak as an artist, Correll deserves to be recognized for his exceptional artistic achievements, undeniably powerful voice and heart for ministry," said blogger David Lowman. "I have never heard his name attached to a Gospel Music Hall of Fame and that is a shame. I hope one day that will be corrected."