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Christian acts' sex appeal raises worry: Has image replaced the message? Friday, May 18, 2001 Mark Hollingsworth saw something at a Christian booksellers' convention that still makes him angry a year later. Hollingsworth watched 14-year-old Stacie Orrico, a rising star in Christian music, sing her No. 1 song, "Don't Look at Me," while gyrating onstage in tight pants and heels. That moment is one reason Hollingsworth has become disillusioned with Christian music after 29 years of managing award-winning groups like Sixpence None the Richer and the Smalltown Poets. Christian record labels are promoting flesh over faith, he says. "A lot of it comes down to, if they have a nice face, do they have a good bust line, and do they have a nice butt," Hollingsworth says of the Christian artists who are promoted today. Hollingsworth's conclusion is shared by some of Christian music's top artists, young and old. As Christian music explodes in popularity, big record labels have taken over many small, independent labels and are pushing artists to use sensuality to sell spirituality. The Christian star-making machinery --- image consultants, airbrushed photos, personal makeup stylists --- has become much like pop music packaging. Orrico shares some similarities with Britney Spears; the sisters act Out of Eden is a counterpart to Destiny's Child. Artists say the new focus on image runs counter to the Christian music message that insists appearances are ultimately unimportant. Michael Johnston, lead singer of the Smalltown Poets, a two-time Grammy nominee whose four members dress in jeans and T-shirts, notes, "The call to love is the call to look outside yourself. If you focus too much on what your image is, then you're not going to able to love." This new emphasis in Christian music will be on display Sunday when three of the industry's most popular and photogenic acts appear in Atlanta. Plus One, Orrico and Rachael Lampa will play at 6 p.m. in a sold-out, 3,600-seat concert at the Gwinnett Civic and Cultural Center. Plus One, the headline act, is the poster band for Christian music's new direction, its answer to the Backstreet Boys. Plus One's manager once ran a modeling agency, and the group uses the Backstreet Boys' set designer and dancers for this tour. The five-member group, which recently won the Dove Award for new artist of the year, is being touted as the next big thing. The group's debut album, "The Promise," has sold at least 500,000 records and is still climbing. Group member Nathan Walters concedes that their looks have helped their rise. "It's sad to say, but I don't think we would have as much success as fast," he says. But Walters says capturing teenagers' attention has allowed them to provide kids with music that does not emphasize sensuality. "We can communicate with people who are our age, and we can say this is what we have experienced," he says. Greg Ham, president of ForeFront Records, an independent label purchased by EMI in 1996, says looks are important in selling any pop music, even with Christian artists "Does it play a part? Yes," he says. "Is it the part? I would say no. When we signed Stacie (Orrico), it was because of what she was. She had a great voice and she had something to say." Christian music insiders trace the new emphasis on image to the corporate buyout of independent Christian labels that's taken place in the last decade. The industry started as counterculture folk-rock during the Jesus movement of the 1970s. Christian artists were seen as ministers first, musicians second. Slick press releases and marketing plans were rare. "My first 10 years, I didn't even know what management was," says singer Bryan Duncan, a Dove Award winner who's had 16 No. 1 hits on the Christian charts in his 29-year career. The crossover success of Christian acts like Amy Grant and Kirk Franklin changed that. The major record labels added marketing muscle and better musicianship. The field evolved into a set of polished Christian subgenres: rock, R&B, hip-hop, even boy bands. For each secular music craze, Christian record companies developed their own version. The approach worked. According to the Gospel Music Association, contemporary Christian music sales jumped by 940 percent in the 1990s, with sales of 50 million albums a year. Christian music now outsells jazz, classical and New Age music combined. Image, the quickest way to sell a product, has become vital. Reggie Gay, program director for Glory 1340 gospel station in Atlanta, says a gospel group can no longer just put on suits, stand in front of a church and have a picture taken for an album cover. A group won't make it without looking good, he says. "If I open a demo package and a picture like Moms Mabley falls out of the envelope, I'm not going to be inclined to listen to it now," Gay says. As the artists get cuter and younger, though, the music gets dumbed down, Hollingsworth says. Artists with genuine gifts aren't nurtured. Older artists are dropped from labels. "I don't need a 14-year-old telling me how to live life or what great spiritual truths they've discovered," he says. The result is that the Christian record industry overlooks artists with undeniable gifts. A frequently cited example is singer Bob Bennett. He is a musical giant among Christian musicians, a superb guitarist and songwriter. One of his albums was recently voted among the best Christian albums of all time by CCM (Christian Contemporary Music) Magazine. Bennett doesn't have a record deal, however. He once recorded with five smaller Christian labels but now promotes his music with his Web site (www.museweb.com /bennett) and concerts. A self-described "big and burly man," he wonders if his career would be different if he had that "look." "It goes through my mind," he says from his home in Los Angeles. "I've always had this fantasy of sending my music to a record company and including someone else's picture and seeing if I would ever get a response," he says. Wes King, a popular and photogenic Christian singer who looks like a blond, all-American athlete, won't allow photos of himself to be used to promote his music. "I don't mind selling a CD, but a picture of me is selling my celebrity, and I don't want to sell celebrity," he says. "Celebrity gets in the way of ministry." He complains that record labels, looking for the next big band like dc Talk, don't take the time to nurture talented artists. Johnston of Smalltown Poets agrees. The group sold about 30,000 copies of their latest album, "Third Verse." "There are tons of guys and girls who have incredible talent," Johnston says, "but unless it's extraordinary, they may get passed over if they don't look a certain way." Some popular Christian artists are simply trying to find a middle ground. Out of Eden, a contemporary gospel group, is known for beauty and fashion --- just like Destiny's Child. But the three sisters refuse to show as much cleavage, wear tight pants or use suggestive dance moves during live shows. "You want to attract people, but you don't want to go too far," says group member Andrea Baca. "It's mighty hard to get up on stage with too much makeup and too much styling and focus on God."
Radio Disney
Features Plus One in Sweepstakes
Nashville, TN - Radio Disney is highlighting Atlantic's gold selling, Dove award winning artist Plus ONE in a special "Last Flight Out" sweepstakes contest where fans can win a Grand Prize trip that would include an all expense paid vacation, featuring a special afternoon spent with members of Plus ONE. The sweepstakes that began on Tuesday, May 1, 2001, will allow the grand prize-winner to chose their destination at on of the following locales: Disneyland Resort for Disney's California Adventure, New York City, or Honolulu. All Radio Disney and Radio Disney affiliated stations will promote, by means of on-air promotional spots, the opportunity to win the Grand Prize. For more information about this special promotion http://disney.go.com/radiodisney/html/sweepstakes/plusone/rules.html Recently garnering the 2001 Dove Award for New Artist of the Year, Plus ONE has experienced an amazing first year. Their debut release, The Promise vaulted the group to the top of the Christian charts and was the best selling artist project in the year 2000 for the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association). The Promise also set a debut week record for most units sold by a new contemporary Christian artist. With a plethora of national television appearances and high profile cover stories, Plus ONE continues to make their mark within the Christian music industry. Plus ONE, the Nashville based vocal quintet made up of Nathan Walters, Nate Cole, Jeremy Mhire, Jason Perry, and Gabe Combs, made their debut in 2000 with The Promise, issued via a joint venture from Atlantic Records and David Foster's 143 Records. The debut release recently garnered the group their first RIAA gold certification. What’s
On The Agenda for PLUS ONE
But what have they done for us lately? “We are recording another album,” answers Nate Cole. “We are writing for it right now. It should be out in the fall.” Noting that The Promise only featured one tune that was penned by the band members (“Be” was written by Cole and singing partners Gabe Combs and Nathan Walters), they expect to have a lot more to say on the next disc. “We have always written,” Jeremy Mhire explains, “but I think we have had time to develop our skills more. We’ve had more experience writing, and we have learned how to put our thoughts together better. Still, for an album, we always want the best songs available, whether it comes from us or from other writers.” “We write with each other,” Gabe adds. “And I think we are good at critiquing each other. (Producer) David Foster always says, ‘you have to be your biggest editor’. You have to be able to edit yourself. You have to realize that just because it is a song that YOU wrote, that doesn’t mean it is a hit.” “I think it is just the constant training that makes you better at your craft,” Nathan says. “You know you’ve got a good song when you find yourself singing it when you don’t have to.” In addition to working on the follow-up to their amazingly successful debut album, Plus One is currently on the road, headlining their highly anticipated North American tour with special guests Rachel Lampa and Stacie Oricco. New Artist
Plus One's Debut Tour Explodes
Plus One's recent performances have captivated audiences with dramatic staging and cutting edge lighting and sound. Audiences continue to respond to Plus One which resulted in continued sold out shows in major markets including a recent audience of over 7,000 in Houston. Other sell-outs in key markets such as Seattle and Portland continue the momentum with several promoters adding second shows to accommodate the demand for tickets. "We are reaching a whole new market with this tour," says Charles Dorris of the William Morris Agency, who represents Plus One. "There is a huge, pent up demand for artists like Plus One that appeal to young fans." The group, which was recognized as the top-selling artist in the Christian marketplace for 2000 (CBA Marketplace), continues to solidify its presence and position as the 2001 GMA New Artist Of The Year, with their touring success and continued forays into mainstream and broadened Christian arenas. "We are so honored to be recognized by our peers in the music industry through the New Artist Of The Year award, and it significantly adds to that recognition, to see the impact of the group by tangible means such as the audience response to this current tour and the sold-out shows in multiple markets." said Mitchell Solarek, manager, Mitchell Artist Management. Bruce Adolph of Creation Concerts adds, "This is the biggest tour of the spring. Our Seattle show sold out three weeks in advance and we could have sold another 1000 tickets." Plus One, the top selling group in the Christian market for 2000, has achieved unprecedented mainstream and Christian publicity appearances, including coverage in Teen People and The Wall Street Journal and recently starred in an episode of CBS's Touched By An Angel. The group has also appeared on Entertainment Tonight, CNN, CBS Evening News and Live! with Regis & Kelly. Plus One will continue to tour throughout the spring and will begin recording their highly anticipated sophomore studio project this coming fall. "Plus One has continued to go beyond expectations in every area of their career. We're all very excited about the success of the band and look forward to the future with this great new group," stated Barry Landis, gm/vp, Atlantic Records. Their impact on our culture continues to motivate and inspire us all." Campus Life, March/April 2001 Plus One brings the good news of faith to boy band mania. by Mark Moring Ten months ago, they were still star-struck schoolboys, little more than mere fans in the audience at the Dove Awards show—Christian music's version of the Grammies. The five wide-eyed guys, one of 'em still a high school senior, were giddy with giggles, barely believing they were even in the same building with some of the biggest names in the biz. "Look!" one of the guys practically squealed. "There's dc Talk!!" "And over there!" another said. "It's Rebecca!!" "Hey!" added a third. "Isn't that Steven?" It was all they could do to resist the urge to rush up to their heroes and ask for autographs and a quick snapshot for the scrapbook back at home. Things'll be quite different at this year's Doves, coming up in April. This time around, all eyes will be on them instead. "Hey," some fan will say, "isn't that Plus One?" Overnight Success It's been a wild and crazy year for Plus One, Christian music's answer to the dizzying popularity of boy bands like 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys. Since their debut disc, The Promise (143 Records/Atlantic), released last May, the quintet with the cover-boy good looks has: • gone gold with more than 500,000 album sales; The Promise was last year's top-selling single-artist CD in Christian stores. • had two No. 1 Christian radio hits, "Written on My Heart" and "God Is in This Place." "Written" sat atop the charts for almost two months last summer. • had a mainstream single, the love song "Last Flight Out," get lots of airtime on about 100 radio stations. • opened for mega-star Jaci Velasquez on a 60-city tour last fall. They'll headline their own tour this spring, joined by pop princesses Rachael Lampa and Stacie Orrico. • appeared on NBC's "Days of Our Lives" in front of about 3.5 million viewers. • performed at the Democratic National Convention last summer, alongside such icons as Stevie Wonder and Mary Chapin Carpenter. • been nominated for a Dove Award as New Artist of the Year. • fended off countless screeching, squealing, smitten teen girls … and even a few of their moms. Moms? "Yeah, moms," says Gabe Combs, rolling his eyes. "It's happened at a few concerts. Girls are always coming up to us for autographs or to take pictures. And a few times, even their moms were pushing the limits, trying to hug us and stuff, flirting with us. It was crazy. We had to tell our road manager to get us out of there." Yep, all the signs of a popular boy band. Maybe not quite the mass hysteria surrounding Backstreet or 'N Sync, but more than just a hint of it nonetheless. Not that they're complaining. "We're five guys who love girls," says Nathan Walters. "That's why we've got love songs on our album. We're always going to sing about that." But that's only a small part of what Plus One is all about. "Our mission is to bring hope," says Jason Perry. "We have a message that God loves you and cares for you. That's what our name means: It's us plus one, and the one is God." Most of the band's early exposure was to Christian audiences, but they'd like to see some mainstream success too. "We're totally a Christian group," says Nate Cole. "But we don't want to stay in a Christian bubble. Yes, we want to encourage believers, but at the same time, we make the music so other people can find Jesus and discover who he is. That's our main mission, to go into the world. I don't know to what extent it'll happen, but we're totally believing and expecting it." A God Thing The title of Plus One's second single, "God Is in This Place," is a good way to describe the way the guys feel about the group. All five firmly believe God brought them together for big things. A year and a half ago, none of these guys knew each other. Meanwhile, an executive at Atlantic Records said it was a "no-brainer" to put together a boy band in Christian music. Calls were made. Auditions were held. And a band was born. And God was clearly in the process. Just ask Jeremy Mhire, who had slipped in his faith and was on the verge of flunking out of college when he got the call. "I wasn't really trying academically," he says. "I wasn't motivated. And spiritually, I wasn't in a good place. I had turned my back on God. "I reached a point where I looked in the mirror and said, 'What am I doing to myself? What am I doing to my life?' Then I said, 'God, I don't really have any place else to look except to you.'" Two weeks later, Jeremy was awakened by a call from somebody he'd never heard of, some music industry guy who'd heard him sing a couple times. The guy offered to fly Jeremy to California for an audition. Jeremy blew him off … but got his phone number, just in case. "I couldn't go back to sleep," says Jeremy. "The Holy Spirit was speaking to me. This was an open door." Jeremy called back and said OK. Two days later, he was on a plane to San Francisco, and the rest, as they say, is history. The five guys hit it off right away, and today they consider one another the best of friends. "We all grew up in Assembly of God churches," says Gabe. "And three of us (Gabe, Jason and Nate) are pastors' kids. We've had the same kind of backgrounds, so it was like getting together with guys from youth group. It just kind of clicked from the start." And, clearly, it's still clicking just fine.
The
Promise album review If
you haven't already heard about this group, where have you been? Read
this group review from Christianactivities.com The Christian Boy Band "Guys with good voices are one thing," says Plus One’s Nathan Walters."But chemistry… that’s another story. Plus One works because we are not just five guys singing next to each other. We’ve worked our socks off to really connect, to click as a unit." The Nashville-based vocal quintet – Walters, Cole, Jeremy Mhire, Jason Perry, and Gabe Combs – likewise found things falling right into place as they completed sessions on The Promise, their debut album and the first joint venture from Atlantic Records’ Christian Division with 143 Records.
2001: The
Year of the Christian Boy Band
Groups like ‘NSync, Backstreet Boys, O'Town and 98º have brought a new sound and a new style of delivery to the forefront of the music scene. These (usually attractive) young men, normally in their late teens and early 20's, combine a high energy dance beat with tight harmonies and precision choreography. It is easy to assume these Boy Bands appeal just to pre-pubescent girls, but don't underestimate the draw of the boy band! I did my own research on the internet to see who is signing up for the lists and clubs and the Boy Bands are pulling in tons of followers, including both male and female followers, in their teens to mid-twenties. Now with Plus One and True Vibe, Christian music has made inroads into the popular genre. A random poll I conducted of 57 Plus One fans revealed their average age was 18.5 years. A look at the ages of 8 of the 32 True Vibe fans at the TrueVibeNews Yahoo Message Board indicates an average age of 17. Plus One has a plethora of clubs, websites and message boards all over the internet and the new True Vibe band has already got a decent smattering of clubs and sites showing up -- with no project out yet! Plus One has the early advantage being in the industry sights for a longer period and chalking up some noteworthy hits and an impressive five Dove Award nominations for New Artist, Group of the Year, Song of the Year, Pop Contemporary Recorded Album of the Year, and Pop Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, but True Vibe is set to give Plus One a run for the roses. With talented Jonathan Lippmann at the helm, who has already demonstrated their is not much he cannot accomplish once he sets a goal (establishing 98º, performing with the symphony, getting a gig on Sweet Valley High, commercials, etc.), True Vibe has already tasted the fruits of a successful first single. They are worth taking seriously, these young men; you might not only enjoy the sound, but you might be surprised what the Christian Boy Bands have to say. This is from HAI magazine -Indonesia (no.6 edition, 2001)
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