« Back to Top Level | Wilson Mckinley

Wilson Mckinley - Message Brought To Us (1970)

Track listing:
  1. You Gotta Hear About My Friend [1970] 2:55
  2. The Love Of My Saviour [1970] 2:58
  3. Tree Of Life [1971] 3:56
  4. Crown Of Glory [1971] 1:32
  5. His Eye Is On The Sparrow [1971] 3:08
  6. Come On Home [1971] 2:48
  7. Spirit Of Elijah [1971] 6:11
  8. Standin' At The Crossroads [1972] 4:03
  9. Never Cry No More [1972] 2:58
  10. He Made Us Free [1972] 3:10
  11. Then I Fell In Love [1972] 2:58
  12. A Warm Summer Day [1972] 4:51
  13. I Wish I Hade The Words To Tell You [1972] 2:48
  14. Almighty God [1972] 3:14
  15. Saviour Changed My Life [1973] 2:34
  16. I See With Different Eyes [1973] 3:44
  17. I'm Love With Someone [1973] 3:50
  18. God Is Everywhere [1973] 4:23
  19. Simple Song [1973] 3:30
  20. Country In The Sky [1973] 4:42
  21. I'll Live Again [1973] [Bonus] 2:36

Notes

Size: 138 MB
Bitrate: 256
mp3
Ripped by: ChrisGoesRock
Artwork Included

Their scarce albums can command hundreds of dollars from collectors across North America and Europe. Their mystique seems to grow by the year among their few but avid fans, to a level more befitting a stadium-filling supergroup. They are the Wilson McKinley, a West Coast guitar-based rock group who may just be the first Jesus People rock band.

They certainly were the first Christian rock band to be known in Washington, Alaska and throughout the Pacific Northwest. There were, of course, Christian solo artists who produced rock albums, but the Wilson McKinley is the first known band to come out of a secular rock and roll background and into the Kingdom of Heaven, name and all, bringing their instruments and rocking style with them. It is a long and fascinating story, with elements of legend and apocrypha that deserve a good sorting out.

For those blessed to have heard them in person or worked with them, this ongoing interest may be a bit unnerving. That is because the Wilson McKinley also tried to adopt a humble, self-sacrificing, "Whole Body Ministry" style that has yet to catch on in the current Christian music industry (more on that later).

"The only legitimate Wilson McKinley release, now available to all! With beginnings firmly in the secular realm and a strong following in the Northwest, the band signed to Alshire Records (home of 101 Strings) and recorded one LP (Honky Tonk Women) under the label's 'acid-rock' moniker, The California Poppy Pickers. With the proceeds from the album sessions, the band self-released a 7" EP in 1970 and soon met street minister Carl Parks, giving up the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and effectively ending the first incarnation of the group. The minister encouraged the remaining band members to pick up their instruments again to create some music for a street meeting, and the first 'Jesus Rock' group was born. This 21-track compilation includes material from all three of their original LPs (On Stage, Spirit Of Elijah and Heaven's Gonna Be A Blast), their first cassette (Country In The Sky) and one unreleased track from 1973. With the exception of the On Stage material, all tracks are sourced from the original tape reels, which were subject to excessive reverb or careless mastering at the time of original LP manufacture."

01. You Gotta Hear About My Friend
02. The Love of My Savior
03. Tree of Life
04. Crown of Glory,
05. His Eye is on the Sparrow
06. Come on Home
07. Spirit of Elijah,
08. Standin at the Crossroads
09. Never Cry No More
10. He Made Us Free
11. Then I Fell in Love
12. A Warm Summer Day
13. I Wish I Had the Words to Tell You
14. Almighty God
15. Saviour Changed my Life,
16. I See With Different Eyes
17. I'm In Love With Someone
18. God is Everywhere
19. Simple Song
20. Country in the Sky
21. I'll Live Again