Our Hymns

Our Hymns
Compilation album by
Various artists
Released1989
GenreContemporary Christian music, gospel, hymns
Length46:17
LabelWord
ProducerExecutive Producers – Loren Balman and Michael Blanton
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Our Hymns is a compilation album released in 1989 on Word Records.[2] It features well-known church hymns each done by CCM artists' interpretation and styles of music from pop ("Holy, Holy, Holy" by Michael W. Smith) to rock ("Onward, Christian Soldiers" by Petra) to country ("More Love To Thee" by Bruce Carroll). It is also a trilogy of albums from Word Records using the word "Our" in the series starting with this album, along with Our Christmas (1990) and Our Family (1992). The R&B vocal group Take 6 won the Grammy for Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group for their interpretation of "The Savior Is Waiting" at the 32nd Grammy Awards. In 1990, the album won Praise and Worship Album of the Year and Amy Grant won Country Recorded Song of the Year for "'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus" at the 21st GMA Dove Awards.[3][4] Our Hymns debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.[5]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Holy, Holy, Holy" (Michael W. Smith)John Bacchus Dykes, Reginald Heber; arranged by SmithSmith4:58
2."'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus" (Amy Grant)William J. Kirkpatrick, Louisa M.R. Stead; arranged by Grant, Brown Bannister, Jerry McPherson, Mark O'ConnorBannister4:05
3."More Love to Thee" (Bruce Carroll)Elizabeth Prentiss, William Howard Doane; arranged by Chris Christian, Loren BalmanChristian3:22
4."I Must Tell Jesus" (Kim Boyce)Elisha Hoffman; arranged by Brian Tankersley, John Andrew SchreinerTankersley3:52
5."Medley: Near the Cross/My Jesus I Love Thee/Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" (Russ Taff)arranged by James Hollihan, Jr., BalmanTaff, Hollihan,Jr.5:04
6."Prelude: Bach's Bourrée/O God, Our Help in Ages Past" (Phil Keaggy)Isaac Watts, William Croft; arranged by Smitty Price, Keaggy, BalmanKeaggy7:02
7."O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" (First Call)Hans Leo Hassler, Paul Gerhardt; arranged by SmithSmith5:12
8."It Is Well with My Soul" (Wayne Watson)Horatio Spafford, Philip Bliss; arranged by Watson, Paul MillsWatson, Mills4:37
9."The Savior Is Waiting" (Take 6)Ralph Carmichael; arranged by Mervyn WarrenWarren4:09
10."Onward, Christian Soldiers" (Petra)Sabine Baring-Gould, Arthur Sullivan; arranged by John LawryLawry, Bob Hartman3:48

Note: The medley by Russ Taff features the following hymns and its writers: "Near the Cross" by Fanny Crosby and William Howard Doane; "My Jesus I Love Thee" by William Ralph Featherston and Adoniram Judson Gordon; "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" by Helen Howarth Lemmel. The medley is arranged by James Hollihan, Jr. and Loren Balman.

Personnel

Lead Vocalists

Musicians

  • Michael W. Smith – keyboards (1, 7), drum programming (7)
  • Brown Bannister – accordion (2)
  • Evie McPherson – accordion (2)
  • Chris Christian – keyboards (3), percussion overdubs (3)
  • Bobby Ogdin – keyboards (3)
  • John Andrew Schreiner – keyboards (4), bass (4)
  • Phil Madeira – keyboards (5)
  • George "Smitty" Price – keyboards (6)
  • Paul Mills – keyboards (8), programming (8)
  • Wayne Watson – additional keyboards (8), guitars (8)
  • John Lawry – keyboards (10)
  • Jerry McPherson – guitars (1), dulcimer (2), ukulele (2)
  • Steve Gibson – guitars (3)
  • Michael Hodge – guitars (4)
  • James Hollihan – guitars (5)
  • Phil Keaggy – guitars (6)
  • Bob Hartman – guitars (10)
  • Gary Lunn – bass (1), drum programming (1)
  • Gary Chapman – bass (2)
  • Sonny Garrish – bass (3)
  • Jackie Street – bass (5)
  • Dave Coy – bass (6)
  • Tommy Sims – bass (7), drum programming (7)
  • Ronny Cates – bass (10)
  • Bryan Lenox – drum programming (1, 7), percussion (1, 7)
  • Paul Leim – drums (3)
  • Brian Tankersley – drums (4), percussion (4)
  • Lynn Williams – drums (5)
  • Doug Matthews – drums (6)
  • Dennis Holt – percussion (6)
  • Louie Weaver – drums (10)
  • Kirk Whalum – saxophone (4)
  • Chris Harris – backing vocals (1)
  • Mark Heimmerman – backing vocals (1)
  • Wayne Kirkpatrick – backing vocals (1)
  • Donna McElroy – guest vocals (1)
  • Christ Church Choir – choir (1)
  • Jean McRath – backing vocals (4)
  • Alfie Silas – backing vocals (4)
  • Ashley Cleveland – backing vocals (5)
  • Jonell Mosser – backing vocals (5)
  • Julie Miller – guest vocals (5)
  • Alvin Chea – backing vocals (9)
  • Cedric Dent – backing vocals (9)
  • Mark Kibble – backing vocals (9)
  • Christian V. McKnight III – backing vocals (9)
  • Mervyn Warren – backing vocals (9)
  • Dave Amado – backing vocals (10)
  • John Elefante – backing vocals (10)

Production

Album Artwork

  • Elizabeth Jones – production assistant (1, 7)
  • Mary Gross – album coordinator
  • Buddy Jackson – art direction, design
  • Mark Tucker – photography

Technical

  • Billy Whittington – engineer (1, 7), mixing (1, 7)
  • Jeff Balding – engineer (2)
  • John Cary – engineer (3)
  • Chris Christian – engineer (3)
  • Brian Tankersley – engineer (4)
  • Lynn Fuston – engineer (5)
  • Eddie Keaggy – engineer (6)
  • James "JB" Baird – engineer (7)
  • Gene Eichelberger – engineer (7)
  • Paul Mills – engineer (8), mixing (8)
  • Wayne Watson – engineer (8)
  • Don Cobb – engineer (9), mixing (9)
  • Mark Kibble – mixing (9)
  • Mervyn Warren – mixing (9)
  • Gary Hedden – engineer (10)
  • Mike Mireau – mixing (10)
  • Steve Bishir – assistant engineer (2)

Charts

Chart (1989) Peak
position
US Inspirational Albums (Billboard)[5] 3

Radio singles

Year Singles Peak positions
CCM AC CCM CHR
1989 "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" (Amy Grant) 2[6] —
1989 "Onward, Christian Soldiers" (Petra) — 14[7]
1989 "Holy, Holy, Holy" (Michael W. Smith) 5[8] —
1989–90 "It Is Well with My Soul" (Wayne Watson) 14[9] —
1990 "More Love to Thee" (Bruce Carroll) 9[10] —

Accolades

Grammy Awards

Year Winner Category
1990 "The Savior Is Waiting" by Take 6 Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group

GMA Dove Awards

Year Winner Category
1990 Our Hymns by Various Artists Praise and Worship Album of the Year
1990 "'Tis So Sweet To Trust in Jesus" by Amy Grant Country Record Song of the Year

References

  1. ^ Kittle, Ashleigh. "Various Artists, "Our Hymns" Review". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Various Artists: Our Hymns. Word Records. 1989.
  3. ^ "32 Annual Grammy Awards winners and nominees". 1990.
  4. ^ "Dove Awards past winners".
  5. ^ a b "Inspirational LPs" (PDF). Billboard. October 21, 1989. p. 32.
  6. ^ Brothers, Jeffrey Lee, ed. (2003). CCM Hot Hits: AC Charts 1978 - 2001. AuthorHouse. p. 105. ISBN 1-4107-3294-0.
  7. ^ Brothers, Jeffrey Lee, ed. (1999). CCM Hot Hits: Christian Hit Radio - 20 Years of Charts, Artist Bios and More. CCM Books. p. 137. ISBN 0-8230-7718-7.
  8. ^ Brothers, Jeffrey Lee, ed. (2003). CCM Hot Hits: AC Charts 1978 - 2001. AuthorHouse. p. 198. ISBN 1-4107-3294-0.
  9. ^ Brothers, Jeffrey Lee, ed. (2003). CCM Hot Hits: AC Charts 1978 - 2001. AuthorHouse. p. 226. ISBN 1-4107-3294-0.
  10. ^ Brothers, Jeffrey Lee, ed. (2003). CCM Hot Hits: AC Charts 1978 - 2001. AuthorHouse. p. 53. ISBN 1-4107-3294-0.