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Stonehill, Randy
A pioneer is defined as "a pathfinder; a scout; one who prepared the way." And that's the very description of contemporary Christian music pioneer Randy Stonehill. For almost thirsty years, Stonehill has been regarded as one of this genre's most-respected songwriters, recording artists and concert performers, with artists such as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Carman citing Stonehill as inspiring them to embark on their respective careers.
Randy began his musical journey in Los Angeles in 1970, just days after graduating from high school in San Jose, CA. Shortly after his arrival in Hollywood, Randy committed his life and talents to Christ. In 1971, Randy released his first album, Born Twice, setting the stage for a distinguished career that has included classic recordings such as Between the Glory and the Flame, Equator, Celebrate This Heartbeat, Love Beyond Reason, Return To Paradise, The Lazarus Heart, and, of course, Welcome To Paradise, considered by critics and fans alike to be one of the best Christian albums ever made.
Not content simply with is role as a pioneer of contemporary Christian music, Stonehill releases his first new album in four years, Thirst, as his debut project on Brentwood Records. Randy explains why the album was over three years in the making. "I thought about recording this new project a year ago. But it wouldn't have been the right record. I don't want to create a piece of product just to maintain visibility or purely for commercial motives. The launching in 1994 of Street Level Records (of which Stonehill was a co-owner) was also a concern. I think it was a growth step for me because of that sense of ownership. That re-awakened me on a musical and artistic level. With the release of Thirst, Street Level has become a sort of production house, under the wing of Brentwood Records. So I get to do what I've always wanted to do with a record company, which is to focus on the artist side of things, and leave the nuts and bolts of the business to those more qualified."
Thirst follows the musical direction of such beloved albums as Welcome To Paradise and Return To Paradise, in that it has a very organic center, focusing first and foremost on Randy's considerable gifts as a composer, guitarist and vocalist. Lending production guidance is Rick Elias (Rich Mullins, That Thing You Do! soundtrack), who has been a friend of Randy's since working on Stonehill's Wonderama album in 1992. "Apart from having shared musical roots and a kindred musical spirit, what made working with Rick special was that he said, 'this is more than a business or financial consideration for me; it's a labor of love.' That's a high level of commitment, and I believe it shows up in the project."
Although Randy's previous recording, The Lazarus Heart (1994), was by far his most successful album at radio, he admits that there are always improvements possible to be seen in retrospect. "I really liked that album, but there was a commercial ceiling on it, in terms of the musical chances we took. In pre-production for Thirst, I said 'How can we improve upon the strengths of the last project?' I thought I'd like it to be as accessible as The Lazarus Heart, but I'd like it to be more muscular, more guitar-driven, which is truer to what I do as a concert performer. So, Rick and I hit on the studio directive: 'Don't try too hard. Let things be understated. When you come to a crossroads, and there's a stock approach to something, let's give it a bit of a strange half-twist instead.'"
Some of the musicians responsible for what Randy calls "the cool vibe" are drummer Bobby Sales ("Solid and swingin'"), a long-time colleague of Rick's; bassist Jackie Street ("a powerful and distinct stylist"); Phil Madiera ("he plays all manner of keyboards and other stuff. Very compelling and slightly twisted!"); and guitarist Jerry McPherson. "He's so cool," enthuses Randy. "He discussed some of the songs with Rick, and showed up for the sessions with everything from a banjo to a sitar, along with a few things we didn't even recognize! He's a collector of instruments and gadgets. Things I can't pronounce, like 'the Turkish geszunteitschnitzel!' When he likes a song, you see this child-like gleam in his eye--he's just enormously creative. And one of the biggest treats was Stuart Adamson from the Scottish band Big Country, who adds that 'rock and roll bagpipe guitar' thing of his to 'Hand Of God.' When Rick told me Stuart was willing to play on the album, I just got this goofy grin on my face, and the fan in me came out. It was like 'Gol-l-ly. Can I bring my camera and take a picture?'"
These first rate musicians and many others serve to add their distinct colors to what Randy feels are "the best collection of songs I've ever had on one album." Among this new batch of classics are "Fire," which Randy says sends a musical signal early in the disc that "I'm not comfortable with just rehashing familiar ideas from the past." "Angels' Wings" and "Every Heartbeat Is A Prayer" address the issue of the struggles that we as believers face on a daily basis. "When I sing 'I have stumbled down a dark and crooked mile,' (from "Every Heartbeat Is A Prayer") I think of this culture with all of its counterfeits and sharp edges that come at you from every angle. You can find yourself in some very destructive places. I've come out with lots of scars and bruises. But the final line in "Angels' Wings" gives a healthy overview: "It all will be worth it when I kneel before Jesus and His face has been carved in the stone of my soul."
One song that Randy realizes is certain to raise questions is "Lonely House." "But I'm happy to address those questions," Randy says. "When people ask about 'Lonely House,' I'll say, 'Yes, this song is about struggles in my 17-year marriage, but it's bigger than that.' It's a song about the human heart, about the universal crisis we all face at some point in our relationships, which is that we're bankrupt. We don't know how to love one another. We have our romantic fantasy about what love is. But ultimately, in any long-term relationship, you hit the wall of your own inability to keep it alive, to make it real. And that's the very thing that should drop us to our knees before the Author of Love, and as we surrender, allow Him to empower us with the ability to love others."
The entire Thirst project is dedicated to Compassion International, with whom Stonehill has been affiliated since 1983. "For a few years leading up to that time," Randy recalls, "I had found myself hungering for some way to be more effective for the Kingdom. I felt like what I did was too cut and dried. Get on a plane, share your songs, share your faith with the audience, go to the hotel, get up the next morning and do it again. When I heard about Compassion, my heart started pounding. I believe their work is so close to God's heart--receiving mercy and giving it away. I feel like my contribution to their ministry is something that has eternal worth."
Two of the most powerful tracks on Thirst, "Little Rose" and "Sleeping," were written specifically for Compassion International, a ministry of Christian child development. "'Little Rose' is about Dina Pierre, who I met in 1984, on my first trip with Compassion to Haiti," Randy explains. "I finally had the opportunity to return to that country in January of 1997, where I spent a day with her. After seeing what God in His faithfulness had done in her life, I remember turning to Compassion's photographer an saying 'she's like a little rose, who, by God's grace, has taken root in this harsh, barren land.' That image stuck with me and kept haunting me. With 'Sleeping,'" Randy continues, "I was looking for a fresh approach to the issue of third world poverty and our responsibility. Sometimes, when we turn a blind eye to suffering, it's not done with cruel intent. We just feel overwhelmed by the pain, so it's easier for us to get on with tour busy agendas and live in the half-dream of denial, than to face the situation. So Phil [Madeira] and I designed it as almost a lullaby, to contrast with the urgency of the lyric."
Randy's dry and zany sense of humor, which has served him well throughout his career, is still in evidence on Thirst, especially on "Baby Hates Clowns." "After one of the first times I performed it live," Randy remembers, "As I gazed at the audience, I could almost sense people sort of squinting hard, as if they were trying to glean spiritual meaning from it. I just stared laughing and said 'you're workin' too hard. We don't have to be so tense as Christians about our music. She just does not like clowns, O.K.?"
While poised on the edge of his fourth decade as a Christian musician, Randy says his priorities have shifted. "I've begun to see the big picture of my life. You realize that your first priority is time with the Lord and trying to be the best husband and father. So, those things have moved to the forefront. Second to these things is doing one's work with integrity and excellence. The ups and downs of the music business has been one of the tools God has used to define real success in my life, which is surrender to Him and communion with Him."
Communion with his family has also taken on a grater priority in Randy's life. Stonehill resides in Seal Beach, California, with wife Sandi, teenage daughter Heather and a vast menagerie of pets, which currently includes three dogs, three cats, a land tortoise and a horse. "I have become the Dr. Doolittle of Seal Beach," Randy admits. "I'm on a first name basis with all the vets and animal shelters in the area. I enjoy having this whole zoo at home. It's nice walking the dogs with my daughter. As you give attention and affection to one of God's creatures, it take the focus off of yourself. I think they're good for your soul. Quite frequently, I'll come off the road, and there will be a new furry face peeking at me from behind the furniture. We've had lizards, hamsters and bunny rabbits in the past. In fact, when I protested the appearance of the rabbit, Sandi said, 'Listen Randy, life's too short not to have a bunny.' I thought about it and had to agree."
Randy says it's "very gratifying" to be considered one of the elder statesmen of contemporary Christina music. "It's something that was unexpected. I do what I do, I try to keep it spiritually real and artistically compelling and then move on down the road." Moving on is what Stonehill is about. He says he doesn't really long for a return to those "halcyon days" of the early Jesus Music movement. "I'm always intrigued and curious about what God will bring about next. It seems like the older I get, the more I view life as absolutely magical. I remember Albert Einstein once said when he was asked about spiritual things, 'either everything is a miracle or nothing is a miracle.' I firmly believe everything is a miracle. I can't help but wonder what's around the corner. I embrace the blessing and privilege of being here each new day. I can look back with fondness and appreciate those early times for this genre of music. But I don't hunger to go back at all. When your precious days are in the hands of God, anything can happen. I have a continuing sense of delight and wonder at just watching this whole thing unfold."
Visit Official Website.
Randy began his musical journey in Los Angeles in 1970, just days after graduating from high school in San Jose, CA. Shortly after his arrival in Hollywood, Randy committed his life and talents to Christ. In 1971, Randy released his first album, Born Twice, setting the stage for a distinguished career that has included classic recordings such as Between the Glory and the Flame, Equator, Celebrate This Heartbeat, Love Beyond Reason, Return To Paradise, The Lazarus Heart, and, of course, Welcome To Paradise, considered by critics and fans alike to be one of the best Christian albums ever made.
Not content simply with is role as a pioneer of contemporary Christian music, Stonehill releases his first new album in four years, Thirst, as his debut project on Brentwood Records. Randy explains why the album was over three years in the making. "I thought about recording this new project a year ago. But it wouldn't have been the right record. I don't want to create a piece of product just to maintain visibility or purely for commercial motives. The launching in 1994 of Street Level Records (of which Stonehill was a co-owner) was also a concern. I think it was a growth step for me because of that sense of ownership. That re-awakened me on a musical and artistic level. With the release of Thirst, Street Level has become a sort of production house, under the wing of Brentwood Records. So I get to do what I've always wanted to do with a record company, which is to focus on the artist side of things, and leave the nuts and bolts of the business to those more qualified."
Thirst follows the musical direction of such beloved albums as Welcome To Paradise and Return To Paradise, in that it has a very organic center, focusing first and foremost on Randy's considerable gifts as a composer, guitarist and vocalist. Lending production guidance is Rick Elias (Rich Mullins, That Thing You Do! soundtrack), who has been a friend of Randy's since working on Stonehill's Wonderama album in 1992. "Apart from having shared musical roots and a kindred musical spirit, what made working with Rick special was that he said, 'this is more than a business or financial consideration for me; it's a labor of love.' That's a high level of commitment, and I believe it shows up in the project."
Although Randy's previous recording, The Lazarus Heart (1994), was by far his most successful album at radio, he admits that there are always improvements possible to be seen in retrospect. "I really liked that album, but there was a commercial ceiling on it, in terms of the musical chances we took. In pre-production for Thirst, I said 'How can we improve upon the strengths of the last project?' I thought I'd like it to be as accessible as The Lazarus Heart, but I'd like it to be more muscular, more guitar-driven, which is truer to what I do as a concert performer. So, Rick and I hit on the studio directive: 'Don't try too hard. Let things be understated. When you come to a crossroads, and there's a stock approach to something, let's give it a bit of a strange half-twist instead.'"
Some of the musicians responsible for what Randy calls "the cool vibe" are drummer Bobby Sales ("Solid and swingin'"), a long-time colleague of Rick's; bassist Jackie Street ("a powerful and distinct stylist"); Phil Madiera ("he plays all manner of keyboards and other stuff. Very compelling and slightly twisted!"); and guitarist Jerry McPherson. "He's so cool," enthuses Randy. "He discussed some of the songs with Rick, and showed up for the sessions with everything from a banjo to a sitar, along with a few things we didn't even recognize! He's a collector of instruments and gadgets. Things I can't pronounce, like 'the Turkish geszunteitschnitzel!' When he likes a song, you see this child-like gleam in his eye--he's just enormously creative. And one of the biggest treats was Stuart Adamson from the Scottish band Big Country, who adds that 'rock and roll bagpipe guitar' thing of his to 'Hand Of God.' When Rick told me Stuart was willing to play on the album, I just got this goofy grin on my face, and the fan in me came out. It was like 'Gol-l-ly. Can I bring my camera and take a picture?'"
These first rate musicians and many others serve to add their distinct colors to what Randy feels are "the best collection of songs I've ever had on one album." Among this new batch of classics are "Fire," which Randy says sends a musical signal early in the disc that "I'm not comfortable with just rehashing familiar ideas from the past." "Angels' Wings" and "Every Heartbeat Is A Prayer" address the issue of the struggles that we as believers face on a daily basis. "When I sing 'I have stumbled down a dark and crooked mile,' (from "Every Heartbeat Is A Prayer") I think of this culture with all of its counterfeits and sharp edges that come at you from every angle. You can find yourself in some very destructive places. I've come out with lots of scars and bruises. But the final line in "Angels' Wings" gives a healthy overview: "It all will be worth it when I kneel before Jesus and His face has been carved in the stone of my soul."
One song that Randy realizes is certain to raise questions is "Lonely House." "But I'm happy to address those questions," Randy says. "When people ask about 'Lonely House,' I'll say, 'Yes, this song is about struggles in my 17-year marriage, but it's bigger than that.' It's a song about the human heart, about the universal crisis we all face at some point in our relationships, which is that we're bankrupt. We don't know how to love one another. We have our romantic fantasy about what love is. But ultimately, in any long-term relationship, you hit the wall of your own inability to keep it alive, to make it real. And that's the very thing that should drop us to our knees before the Author of Love, and as we surrender, allow Him to empower us with the ability to love others."
The entire Thirst project is dedicated to Compassion International, with whom Stonehill has been affiliated since 1983. "For a few years leading up to that time," Randy recalls, "I had found myself hungering for some way to be more effective for the Kingdom. I felt like what I did was too cut and dried. Get on a plane, share your songs, share your faith with the audience, go to the hotel, get up the next morning and do it again. When I heard about Compassion, my heart started pounding. I believe their work is so close to God's heart--receiving mercy and giving it away. I feel like my contribution to their ministry is something that has eternal worth."
Two of the most powerful tracks on Thirst, "Little Rose" and "Sleeping," were written specifically for Compassion International, a ministry of Christian child development. "'Little Rose' is about Dina Pierre, who I met in 1984, on my first trip with Compassion to Haiti," Randy explains. "I finally had the opportunity to return to that country in January of 1997, where I spent a day with her. After seeing what God in His faithfulness had done in her life, I remember turning to Compassion's photographer an saying 'she's like a little rose, who, by God's grace, has taken root in this harsh, barren land.' That image stuck with me and kept haunting me. With 'Sleeping,'" Randy continues, "I was looking for a fresh approach to the issue of third world poverty and our responsibility. Sometimes, when we turn a blind eye to suffering, it's not done with cruel intent. We just feel overwhelmed by the pain, so it's easier for us to get on with tour busy agendas and live in the half-dream of denial, than to face the situation. So Phil [Madeira] and I designed it as almost a lullaby, to contrast with the urgency of the lyric."
Randy's dry and zany sense of humor, which has served him well throughout his career, is still in evidence on Thirst, especially on "Baby Hates Clowns." "After one of the first times I performed it live," Randy remembers, "As I gazed at the audience, I could almost sense people sort of squinting hard, as if they were trying to glean spiritual meaning from it. I just stared laughing and said 'you're workin' too hard. We don't have to be so tense as Christians about our music. She just does not like clowns, O.K.?"
While poised on the edge of his fourth decade as a Christian musician, Randy says his priorities have shifted. "I've begun to see the big picture of my life. You realize that your first priority is time with the Lord and trying to be the best husband and father. So, those things have moved to the forefront. Second to these things is doing one's work with integrity and excellence. The ups and downs of the music business has been one of the tools God has used to define real success in my life, which is surrender to Him and communion with Him."
Communion with his family has also taken on a grater priority in Randy's life. Stonehill resides in Seal Beach, California, with wife Sandi, teenage daughter Heather and a vast menagerie of pets, which currently includes three dogs, three cats, a land tortoise and a horse. "I have become the Dr. Doolittle of Seal Beach," Randy admits. "I'm on a first name basis with all the vets and animal shelters in the area. I enjoy having this whole zoo at home. It's nice walking the dogs with my daughter. As you give attention and affection to one of God's creatures, it take the focus off of yourself. I think they're good for your soul. Quite frequently, I'll come off the road, and there will be a new furry face peeking at me from behind the furniture. We've had lizards, hamsters and bunny rabbits in the past. In fact, when I protested the appearance of the rabbit, Sandi said, 'Listen Randy, life's too short not to have a bunny.' I thought about it and had to agree."
Randy says it's "very gratifying" to be considered one of the elder statesmen of contemporary Christina music. "It's something that was unexpected. I do what I do, I try to keep it spiritually real and artistically compelling and then move on down the road." Moving on is what Stonehill is about. He says he doesn't really long for a return to those "halcyon days" of the early Jesus Music movement. "I'm always intrigued and curious about what God will bring about next. It seems like the older I get, the more I view life as absolutely magical. I remember Albert Einstein once said when he was asked about spiritual things, 'either everything is a miracle or nothing is a miracle.' I firmly believe everything is a miracle. I can't help but wonder what's around the corner. I embrace the blessing and privilege of being here each new day. I can look back with fondness and appreciate those early times for this genre of music. But I don't hunger to go back at all. When your precious days are in the hands of God, anything can happen. I have a continuing sense of delight and wonder at just watching this whole thing unfold."
Visit Official Website.
Albums
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Until We Have Wings
