#290 FIRST HAND by Steven Curtis Chapman (1987)

FIRST HAND by Steven Curtis Chapman (1987)
Sparrow Records SPR-1139

Producer: Phil Naish

File Under: CCM

Time Capsule-Worthy Track:

My Redeemer is Faithful and True

I'll confess that I've never quite understood Steven Curtis Chapman's immense popularity. And immense is an understatement, by the way. He's the most popular and most heavily decorated male artist in CCM history. But why?

Chapman has always been sort of an "everyman." In his early career, he was the boy-next-door type that a father would trust with his daughter. He was the kind of non-threatening troubadour that teens tolerated and moms loved. He doesn't possess an amazing voice and is not known as an exceptional guitarist. His live shows draw hordes of fans, but he's really not a very exciting performer. His between-song banter can be earnest and folksy in a concert setting, but he's unlikely to say anything that you'll still remember by the time you get to the car. He's written some memorable songs, but many more that are quite pedestrian. Many of the uptempo songs Chapman has written are too wordy and have begun to sound quite a bit alike over the years, but his army of devotees aren't bothered by that at all. Eleven million albums sold...eight gold or platinum albums to his credit...five GRAMMY Awards®...an American Music Award...48 No. 1 singles...and 58 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. Let me repeat that: FORTY-EIGHT #1 hit songs and FIFTY-EIGHT Dove Awards. That's ridiculous, y'all. And all of that just since 1987. He's got to be doing something right. Maybe his musical abilities examined separately, are not that exciting...but the sum of his musical parts add up to something unique and amazing. Like I said, his appeal has always mystified me a bit. But the appeal is undeniable. And it is massive. Eleven MILLION albums sold? That's a staggering number for a guy who doesn't play like Phil Keaggy, doesn't sing like Matthew Ward, and doesn't write like Bob Bennett.

   

Judy and Herb Chapman had a baby boy in November of 1962 and named him Steven Curtis. Herb was a music teacher in Paducah, Kentucky, so Steven and his brother Herb Jr. fell in love with singing and playing guitar and piano at an early age. A college dropout, Steven took off for Nashville to make it in the music business. Like many other young hopefuls in Music City, he scored a gig at an amusement park known as Opryland, and wrote original songs in his spare time. His first big break came when a legendary CCM group known as The Imperials agreed to cut one of his songs (Built to Last). That led to a songwriting contract with Sparrow Records which resulted in artists as diverse as Sandi Patty, Glenn Campbell, the Cathedral Quartet and Roger Whitaker recording his songs.

Several different labels expressed interest in signing SCC to a recording deal in his own right; he decided to go with the late, great Billy Ray Hearn and Sparrow Records in 1987. The result was First Hand, a record produced by Phil Naish. Musically, Chapman's debut was a mixture of soft rock, pop and adult contemporary ballads. The album boasted a strong supporting cast with Jon Goin on electric guitar, Mike Brignardello on bass, Mark Hammond on drums, and Naish on keyboards. Chapman sang, of course, and contributed electric and acoustic guitars. Background vocals were handled by an all-star cast of Chris Rodriguez, Wayne Kirkpatrick and...wait for it...Herb Chapman.

Carl Gorodetzsky and the Nashville String Machine were employed on First Hand, with string orchestrations by Alan Moore. Greg Nelson was the album's executive producer, and Jeff Balding engineered, assisted by Bill Whittington. Mark Tucker took the pictures while Buddy Jackson and Barbara Catanzaro-Hearn designed the album cover. Beth Middleworth drew up the title illustration, and Jane Golden supplied the cover image of the Santa Monica mural. 

Lyrically, this record has a focus on discipleship, which would serve as SCC's main theme for the majority of his albums. Overall, it's a call for listeners to get engaged in the Christian life.

Understandably, SCC was just finding his footing on this, his debut outing. While there are catchy tunes and clever hooks on First Hand, some have said that it took about 3 albums before Chapman began to find his own voice and style. First Hand is more of a one-size-fits-all, light rock, Nashville Machine type album. The record has received a fair amount of criticism for being too derivative. It's been said that he "borrows" too heavily on this album from folks like Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins, and Richard Marx. The good news is that if you like those artists (and millions do), you'll find plenty to like about First Hand.

The album starts with four strong songs. The title track hearkens back to 50s pop and strikes some listeners as a Footloose clone. One reviewer noted that "It's not hard to sing 'Cut footloose!' several times during First Hand." Another reviewer wrote, "It would probably be lawsuit material if it had been popular enough to gain Kenny Loggins' notice." Ouch. I don't know...I think those criticisms are overblown. There are a limited number of notes and time signatures, and people are always going to hear things that, to them, sound similar to something else they've heard. Do I think SCC sat down and intentionally came up with a plan to rip off Huey Lewis or Kenny Loggins? No. Is his performance on this record reminiscent of those artists? Sometimes. And there's nothing wrong with that.

First Hand may be as dated as SCC's late-80s mullet...but it's an upbeat, feel-good song, and a pleasant way to start the album.

Co-written with James Isaac Elliott, Weak Days was centered around a clever play on words. It was a breakout hit, reaching #2 on the CCM airplay charts. 

An early Chapman family portrait

Another rainy Monday,
Looks like I'm gonna be late again
Why does the race I'm runnin' never seem to have an end
A day away from Sunday
Feels like I'm already losing ground
Funny sometimes how quickly my emotions get turned around
They're letting me down

I gotta keep my eyes on Jesus
Through the weak days
In a world where we really don't belong
I've discovered if I keep my eyes on Jesus
Through the weak days
Then even on the weak days, He'll make me strong

Weak Days is one song that most folks remember from this album; Hiding Place is the other.

A much-loved ballad, Hiding Place has stood the test of time. Providing solace and comfort, it describes God as a loving Defender and Protector, striking a positive chord in the hearts of believers the world over. 

In the distance, I can see the storm clouds coming my way
And I need to find a shelter before it starts to rain
So I turn and run to you, Lord
You're the only place to go
Where unfailing love surrounds me
When I need it most

You're my hiding place
Safe in Your embrace
I'm protected from the storm that rages
When the waters rise
And I run to hide
Lord in You I'll find my hiding place

I'm not asking You to take away my troubles, Lord,
Cause it's through the stormy weather I'll learn to trust You more
But I thank You for the promise
And I have come to know
Your unfailing love surrounds me
When I need it most

Co-written by Chapman and Jerry Salley, Hiding Place is a song that Chapman wouldn't be allowed to stop playing in his live concerts, even if he wanted to. 

Run Away told us, in no uncertain terms, how to escape temptation: 

Don't even look the direction of a thought you should not entertain

It was a catchy, midtempo tune that became one of the album's most popular tracks. Run Away would reach #8 on Christian radio airplay charts.

At the end of the album, Chapman recorded a song that is as profound as any he's recorded during the intervening years. If it's not already there, My Redeemer Is Faithful and True belongs in hymnals. It should be sung by bodies of believers, in unison, on Sunday mornings, in houses of worship from coast to coast. Co-written by Chapman and James Isaac Elliott, it's a beautiful description of the character and attributes of God. Steven Curtis Chapman has said that if he could sing only one song for the rest of his life...My Redeemer Is Faithful and True would be the one. "It's just been a song that, through all of our journey, through losing our daughter, and even before that, sums up everything that I hope my music has communicated over the years," Chapman said. One reviewer called My Redeemer "simply beautiful" and "easily the best cut on the album."

As I look back on the road I've traveled
I see so many times He carried me through
And if there's one thing that I've learned in my life

My Redeemer is faithful and true

My Redeemer is faithful and true
Everything He has said He will do
And every morning His mercies are new
My Redeemer is faithful and true

My heart rejoices when I read the promise
'There is a place I am preparing for you'
I know someday I'll see my Lord face to face
'Cause my Redeemer is faithful and true

Chapman recently re-recorded Hiding Place and My Redeemer Is Faithful and True on a project called Deep Roots, a country and bluegrass-tinged collection of hymns that also includes new versions of some of SCC's most-loved ballads from his early catalog. Produced and recorded in conjunction with Cracker Barrel restaurant in 2013, Deep Roots features performances from Chapman's Dad, his brother, his eldest son, and a daughter-in-law. Ricky Skaggs also makes a guest appearance.

Just a few short years after the release of First Hand, Steven Curtis Chapman would be crowned King of CCM. He would go on to write a love song for the ages (I Will Be Here) and sell a gajillion albums. He probably built a new wing onto his home in order to house all of the awards that came his way. 

On a very tragic note, Steven and his family were visited by unspeakable grief when an adopted daughter lost her life in an accident. The Chapmans were already vocal supporters of adoption, and continue to do wonderful work through a nonprofit organization known as Show Hope. 

Many hairstyles later, Chapman's still doing his thing. I attended a show he did alongside Amy Grant about one year ago, in the winter of 2016. He didn't amaze me with vocal gymnastics that night...he did not dazzle the crowd with his guitar skills...he didn't say anything between songs that I can still remember...but he did sing Hiding Place and My Redeemer Is Faithful and True. And that right there was worth the price of admission.