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| SHALLOW WATER by Servant (1979) Tunesmith Records (TS-6000) |
Comparisons have often been made between Servant and Resurrection Band. After all, both groups were associated with "intentional communities," both groups rocked pretty doggone hard, and both groups featured dual lead singers -- one male and one female. The reality was that Rez was somewhat more polished and played a harder brand of rock than Servant, bordering more on metal. But there were definite similarities. In fact, the origins of both bands date back to a Christian community in Milwaukee, WI, led by Jim and Sue Palosaari.
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| Owen and Sandie Brock |
The Polasaari group in Milwaukee split into four smaller groups in order to expand their reach. One of those groups ended up in Chicago and took the name Jesus People USA. That group, of course, ended up being the home base for Resurrection Band.
Meanwhile, the Polasaaris themselves moved to Europe where they staged a Christian multimedia rock opera titled Lonesome Stone. Two of the Lonesome Stone cast members were Owen and Sandie Brock.
A few years later, the Brocks reunited with the Palosaaris in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The foursome had long shared a similar worldview and heart for ministry, and it wasn’t long before they were exploring new ways they could team up and share the Gospel together. They attracted other like-minded Christians and before long the idea of forming a band surfaced. Never mind that the Brocks had little talent and no training (their words, not mine). They viewed music as an opportunity to communicate God’s love in a way that would be received by their generation. They honestly felt that their own passion and the Holy Spirit’s anointing was all that they would need. And with that, Servant was born.
Back in 1976, Servant consisted of Owen Brock on rhythm guitar, Sandie Brock on vocals, lead guitarist Bruce Wright, bassist Rob Martens, and David Holmes on drums.
Like so many others had done before them, the members of Servant hit the road and shared their music and their testimonies anywhere they could – parks, street corners, coffeehouses, bars, you name it. They’ve been quoted as saying that their motto during that time was, “Whatever skill you lack, you can always make up for it with volume."
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| Servant in 1977 |
They played their songs and drew people into conversations about who Jesus is and what He had done for them. One young man who responded to their message (after a concert in a public park) was Bob Hardy. He soon climbed into the van and hit the road as an official member of Servant.
There wasn’t a lot of money to be made for Servant in the early days – they often survived on “love offerings” that were more love than offering ($25 to $200 per gig for band and crew). They sometimes had to take side jobs as couriers or migrant fruit pickers to make ends meet.
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| 1977 |
From the beginning, Servant used drama and theatrics to draw attention to their concerts. This is something they had picked up from past associations in Europe with the Palosaaris. Jesus, rock music and theater was an irresistible combination for the band’s small but growing audience in the mid-1970s. But it also earned the band a lot of criticism.
They were also criticized for their living arrangements. An element that set Servant apart from most other bands – but likened them to Chicago’s Resurrection Band – was their association with an “intentional Christian community.” Servant’s community was known initially as the Highway Missionary Society, and later as the Servant Community. They ended up being based out of Grant’s Pass, Oregon. This modern-day interpretation of the Early Church was a source of joy and an important foundation for the band. Some viewed this as cultish and referred to it as a “commune.” They wrote Servant off as hippies and socialists. But the band members themselves viewed it as a glimpse into God’s Kingdom and would not be dissuaded. The community, which grew to about 100 adults, was organized around the shared beliefs of Christian community, simple living, compassion and “justice for the poor.” It was all about "common life in a missionary training environment." A portion of Servant's album and ticket sales went back into the community and was used for missions.
Constant touring caused Servant to become a better, tighter musical outfit; it also caused them to become better known. Servant signed a recording contract with Canadian label Tunesmith Records in 1979. Shallow Water was initially released on red vinyl, eight-track tapes, and cassettes. To celebrate, the band hit the road for four and a half months (over 25 concerts per month). Their travel rig was an International Travelall pulling a homemade wooden trailer.
Resurrection Band was probably the only band anywhere near CCM that rocked harder than Servant in 1979. Shallow Water was released on a small label and probably recorded with a small budget. But it holds up pretty well. That might be thanks in some part to engineer Bob Rock who would go on to work with the likes of Metallica, Motley Crue, and Skid Row.
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| Servant in 1978 |
Side One (or, the "Top Side" as it's listed on the album label) of Shallow Water begins with a minute or so of dramatic dialogue performed by various band members:
I’d like another glass of something different. I mean, red, white, bubbly, flat, what have you got? They do this to the bacon, and now they do it to the cheese, then they bring me this. I can’t get flat, I can’t get bubbly. I mean if I was going to cater to a party, I would do better than this. If I had a business that was involved in this, I’d at least try to get some kind. And what is this, red cheese? Lost the wax. If you could just, if I could just get a decent cheese...
Listen I'm not even gonna go to Europe this year. I’ve decided on a month in the White Mountains.
Oh, really?
Why, yeah...Europe leaves me so exhausted.
Sure, yeah.
If they were so poor I don’t understand how they could even buy our ideas.
Listen I hate to bring it up, I know it’s a touchy subject but isn’t Bob thinking about doing something over there?
For some reason, he thinks he has to go over there and get involved as a missionary and help these poor people. But like I was saying, I just think it’s ridiculous.
Yeah, yeah, it's ridiculous.
There’s nothing to do to help them.
Really...
Can’t understand it.
The thing, the thing that really upsets, I’m not, you know, too upset, I mean...
But I told him God helps those that help themselves.
At that point, the sound of crashing waves and drums kick off the album's title track, a hard rock song with a heavy-handed message. Right out of the box, Servant's brand of stinging social commentary is on display:
Well, I'm sittin' by the TV
And I think I might hit the sack
Life is pretty easy
When you're just kickin' back
I’ve heard about the starving millions
About the TV and radio
I know many are called and I don’t like to stall
But I’m much too busy to go
I’m walking in shallow water
There's no depth to what I do
If I try to go deeper I might disappear
And I've got too much to lose
Sandie's raspy but confident lead vocals are featured on this sarcastic, finger-pointing song.
I heard all about how Jesus lived
But that was long ago
Two thousand years have come and gone
Things have changed a lot you know
Everything's so available
You don’t have to be poor no more
I know there's a lot that some don’t have
But I’ve got mine for sure
I’m walking in shallow water
And I like it fine right here
The temperature's right and I’ll be fine tonight
Just don’t tell me that the end is near
The album's memorable cover is an illustration of the title track. On the front cover, the band members appear to be enjoying their wine and cheese in shallow ocean water. When you open the gatefold cover, you find a photo of the band being wiped out by ocean waves -- tables, food and all. The cover served the song in a spectacular way...and probably helped sell quite a few copies of the record.
The song calls to mind a story from the Gospels and takes a redemptive tone in the final verse:
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| Shallow Water recording sessions |
Now Jesus called to Peter
He said, "Come take a walk on the sea
Leave your fears in the boat and you will float
Just put your trust in Me"
The things that we all cling to
They're gonna drown us in the end
But the helping hand of the Lord is near
On that you can depend
I’m walking in shallow water
And I may as well be dead
Freedom's in reach if we leave the beach
And get in over our head
Well, I’m walking in shallow water
There's no depth to what I do
Walkin' in shallow water
Does it all make sense to you
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It was at once a pretty effective rebuke of materialism and a call to involvement in world missions. It also served notice to listeners who were unfamiliar with this new group that they were indeed radical and committed.
The band continued to drive home their message and worldview with the album's next song, Rich Man.
All the silver’s been varnished
The linen’s white as snow
I’m hiding in the library
Where no one ever goes
And I’m thinking about the wealth
In this big old house around me
You know I feel so ashamed and poor
Because the Spirit hasn’t found me
If I could lend someone a hand
I’d be a rich man…
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| 1978 |
Written by Sammy Hagar (remember him?), Rich Man is a midtempo ballad sung by drummer David Holmes with plenty of vocal harmonies on the choruses.
Sandie is back front and center on the upbeat romp, Here Comes David. Over a bed of electric guitars and guest musician Robbie King's organ, she retells the Old Testament story of King David praising God in his underwear.
Rejoice had a real classic rock vibe. Maybe it's because it was written by Joe Grier and David Eden of “e” band (an early Christian rock group that featured a young Greg X. Volz). Sandie is again featured on this worship song.
Side One ends with one of the album's highlights, a full-on rocker titled Jesus Star. Sarcasm again takes center stage as the song begins with the voice of a radio DJ...
Thank you for tuning into the station KRNL -- where the sound flows and your mind blows! Ha ha! We have a man here who used to be a big star but since putting Jesus in his pocket he’s climbing the charts with a monster hit to become a superstar!
Good, old-fashioned twin analog synthesizers are featured on the song's intro.
Ah, I'm a superstar for Jesus
And my day begins at dawn
Well, my time is in demand
And my book is going strong
I used to be a nasty
'Twas a bad dude in my day
You know the press, they love my story
Who says crime don’t pay? No way!
My press agent called
He said, "You got autographs to sign."
And then I do an interview
With a famous friend of mine
Oh, they need influential people
To get the Gospel sold
Now there’s fame in my name
And they can use that, use that on the show
Jesus Star could've been a dig at the commercialism that we now know was infecting and overtaking CCM around the turn of the decade, as the 70s gave way to the 80s. That's about the time Keith Green asked to be let out of his contract with Sparrow. That's about the time that Terry Clark asked to be let out of his deal with Good News. Chuck Girard, Nancy Honeytree, and others say that there was a definite shift on the part of the record companies at the close of the 70s...away from ministry and toward commerce. Nothing wrong with selling albums, nothing wrong with musicians being able to make a living with their music. But the focus had become airplay, personal celebrity, and album sales at the expense of ministry. Some of the bands and artists who had been mightily used of the Lord to usher in the Jesus Movement suddenly couldn't even get arrested by 1980.
Another potential factor that might've been in play is that celebrity "testimonies" were quite in vogue at that time. Even the President of the United States at the time, Jimmy Carter, had made a big deal of his personal testimony as a Christian and his background as a Sunday School teacher while running for office. Once elected, he did nothing to stem the holocaust of our time (abortion), and actively worked against the best interests of Israel. Since leaving the White House he has come out publicly in favor of so-called homosexual "marriage." But I digress.
You know the DJ, he asked me
"Oh, tell me exactly what you do
You’re so rich and famous
Well, all we ever hear about is you!"
Well I told him, yes I told him
At a thousand bucks a night I told him
"I’m a singer, I’m a writer
Maybe I’m an athlete
I’m a famous politician
I’m a con man off the street
Yeah, a universal Jesus Star
And I’m really doin' well
You know the Gospel's just too hard to take
Without me, it won't sell
It just won’t sell, baby!
After some blistering lead guitar work, our central character chimes back in...
I’m a star
I’m a star, Lord
With me, you’ll go far
Side Two (or the "Bottom Side") begins with a classic song. Water Grave is a song about baptism and new life in Christ. It was written by Steve Chapman and first recorded by the country rock trio Dogwood. The definitive version was released by the Imperials on their Sail On album in 1977. That song was basically Russ Taff's coming out party. But this version by Servant rocks harder than the others and is one of Shallow Water's greatest moments. Water Grave is a rock anthem that can inspire faith and send chills down your spine at the same time.
Group harmonies are featured on Cup of Water, a ballad that ties in lyrically with the theme of the album.
Give a cup of water in the name of the Lord
We need to give away all the things that we have stored
Too much time spent thinking of ourselves
When all around us people crying out for help
THE most memorable song on the album was up next. Holy Roller Blues was an absolute delight. Great lead guitar work and appropriately rough-edged vocals by Bruce Wright make this classic blues tune a favorite of Servant audiences everywhere. Not to mention the humor found in the lyrics:
Well, they call me a holy roller
Yes, I do believe it's true
You know they call me a holy roller
Yes, and I do believe, I believe it's true
If they really knew my Jesus
They'd be-a doin' some rollin' too
They call me a Bible thumper
Whoa, and I do believe, believe it's true
Yes, they call me a Bible thumper
Whoa, and I do believe, believe it's true
Hey, if they really knew what was in the Word of God
They'd be-a thumpin' that Bible, too
You know they call me a Jesus freak
Yes, and I do believe, I believe it's true
You know they call me a Jesus freak
And I do believe, I believe it’s true, yes I do
Wanna ask you one last question before I go
I wanna know
I said I wanna know
I said I really wanna know
Whose freak are you?
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| Bruce Wright |
Barry McGuire had sung about "Jesus People," but Holy Roller Blues just might've been the first time the term "Jesus Freak" had been used on an album. In Servant's live concerts Bruce Wright reportedly performed a theatrical monologue that went with Holy Roller Blues and "left folks rolling in the aisles."
Another full-on rocker closes the album. Crunchy electric guitars and fat, analog synthesizers punctuate this song about the rapture. Sandie Brock sings lead on Fly Away. As an Assemblies of God preacher's kid, I grew up in churches that sang I'll Fly Away on a regular basis. This tune by Servant seemed almost like a rock 'n roll update on the old hymn. My brothers and I used to perform it for a time in our family's evangelistic services. I did my best to replicate the keyboard solo on my Moog synthesizer. The album track ends with the sound effect of an airplane taking off.
As an album, Shallow Water is at times dated...imperfect...rough...a little ragged around the edges. But that's also what gives it a lot of its charm. Servant's energy and passion definitely got their message across on this debut album. It was a fitting introduction and a welcome addition to the very small cadre of CCM groups willing to rock hard.
Servant's sophomore release, Rockin' Revival, was even better. And the band became known for their high energy live shows. It's been said that a Servant concert in the early 80s was like a festival event. They incorporated comedy, video, drama, lasers, pyrotechnics, fog and lights in a way that eclipsed anything being done by other Christian bands at the time (and most secular bands). They shared tours with bands such as DeGarmo & Key and Petra.
My one and only Servant concert was (wait for it) at PTL's "Big Barn" auditorium at Heritage USA. The laser light show -- especially the "competition" between Servant's drummer and the "virtual" laser light drummer -- was like nothing I've seen before or since.
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| Servant in 1987 |
Servant's style morphed over time as they switched labels and released several more albums. In the mid 80s, a decision was made to relocate the band's beloved community from Oregon to Cincinnati, OH. For whatever reason, the move just didn't work and many families dropped out. The "community chapter" of their lives was over. Owen and Sandie, who were part of the community from the first day until the last, have said this was a difficult time, and they considered it "the loss of a dream."
Servant's final concert was held in Banff, Alberta, Canada, in 1990. The Brocks began a new phase of their own lives and ministry, while the other members of Servant at that time regrouped to form Over the Rhine.
Sadly, Bruce Wright died of cancer in Victoria in 1993.
Servant reunited to perform at the legendary Cornerstone Festival near Bushnell, IL in July of 2011. They were awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from GMA Canada in November of 2013.
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| Owen and Sandie Brock |
On the band's website, Owen and Sandie Brock write these words:
Jesus and His amazing love reached down and changed our lives. Through His grace, we let that seed of truth flow out of us touching others. Many times it was not easy, we were often sleep deprived, sick from exhaustion, surviving horrible accidents, amidst pregnancies and vehicle breakdowns, and lack of money, but through all these things He was present. Let it be known that He used us, a scraggly crew of passionate lovers of Jesus to go into the highways and byways and invite others in. The only ability that God needed was availability. You can do the same.
Fun Fact: Originally named Higher Ground, the group later changed their name to Servant.
