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Publication Date: 9 March 2007
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Underground gospel track makes history
Text vote puts 'BIBLES, BIBLES' on playlist
You MUST have heard by now - but just in case...
In what seems to be a busy year for event-based activities, UK gospel music
has already chalked up a significant TV milestone in the history of
contemporary gospel music in the UK. SIMPLY ANDY's anthemic 'BIBLES
BIBLES' was added to CHANNEL U's playlist, the first gospel track to do so.
'It's now part of the playlist...', SIMPLY ANDY says to me in a brief catch-up
chat over the phone. He's almost blasé about the whole thing, as if he's not
quite aware of the weight of the signifcance of the achivement.
The addition of 'BIBLES, BIBLES' to the playlist of a station like CHANNEL U - with its heaving mass of homemade videos and attendant slackness - is
not only hugely encouraging, but indicative of the latent power of the youth
movement in UK gospel. Don't forget: it was all done by text vote.
The numbers suggested that getting a song as blatantly Christian as 'BIBLES BIBLES' on the channel will be a huge ask... The potential number of non-Christians that will vote for a mainstream track in competition with a Christian one (it was up against seven other tracks)
has already chalked up a significant TV milestone in the history of
contemporary gospel music in the UK. SIMPLY ANDY's anthemic 'BIBLES
BIBLES' was added to CHANNEL U's playlist, the first gospel track to do so.
'It's now part of the playlist...', SIMPLY ANDY says to me in a brief catch-up
chat over the phone. He's almost blasé about the whole thing, as if he's not
quite aware of the weight of the signifcance of the achivement.
The addition of 'BIBLES, BIBLES' to the playlist of a station like CHANNEL U - with its heaving mass of homemade videos and attendant slackness - is
not only hugely encouraging, but indicative of the latent power of the youth
movement in UK gospel. Don't forget: it was all done by text vote.
The numbers suggested that getting a song as blatantly Christian as 'BIBLES BIBLES' on the channel will be a huge ask... The potential number of non-Christians that will vote for a mainstream track in competition with a Christian one (it was up against seven other tracks)
ODDS-ON...?
certainly doesn't look hopeful on the surface of it...
But such was the cross-age, national popularity (and subsequent campaign) for the VICTIZZLE-produced song that it managed to create enough passion for people to actually vote for it by phone text in February (no easy thing in this day and age).
And the challenge now is to see how we can harness more of the power of this vibrant youth movement.
The Black UK gospel scene has always suffered from being terribly insular, and the more outward-facing initiatives like this one that can be created, the better for actually getting this gospel out of the church communities to the places that actually matter - on the street.
This is an Acts 8:31 situation - a great opportunity to explain the gospel. Some responses to the in-your-face Christian stance of BIBLES BIBLES generated a somewhat puzzled response in some quarters - was this a parody, or a genuine Christian song...?
But such was the cross-age, national popularity (and subsequent campaign) for the VICTIZZLE-produced song that it managed to create enough passion for people to actually vote for it by phone text in February (no easy thing in this day and age).
And the challenge now is to see how we can harness more of the power of this vibrant youth movement.
The Black UK gospel scene has always suffered from being terribly insular, and the more outward-facing initiatives like this one that can be created, the better for actually getting this gospel out of the church communities to the places that actually matter - on the street.
This is an Acts 8:31 situation - a great opportunity to explain the gospel. Some responses to the in-your-face Christian stance of BIBLES BIBLES generated a somewhat puzzled response in some quarters - was this a parody, or a genuine Christian song...?
BACK TO THE FUTURE...
HOW WILL THEY KNOW...?
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE...?
HOW WILL THEY KNOW...?
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE...?
So, there's the challenge. We need more Urban contemporary Christian songs on mainstream
platforms (and for my money we need to put them there on OUR terms), harnessing support from our community, as this generation is doing...
What happens off the back of this falls into two areas: firstly, we let God do His work. Secondly we lift up God's name for all men to see - and that's not just supposed to happen in our little circles of Christian friends and family, but out in the wider world too.
As ANDY said to me: 'finally: a Christian voice is heard...'. We need more voices like that...
platforms (and for my money we need to put them there on OUR terms), harnessing support from our community, as this generation is doing...
What happens off the back of this falls into two areas: firstly, we let God do His work. Secondly we lift up God's name for all men to see - and that's not just supposed to happen in our little circles of Christian friends and family, but out in the wider world too.
As ANDY said to me: 'finally: a Christian voice is heard...'. We need more voices like that...
LINKS AND CREDITS
> Watch the Bibles, Bibles video on YouTube
> Simply ANDY - MySpace
> Guvna B - MySpace
> Victizzle - MySpace
> Fa!th Child - MySpace
> Gabz - MySpace
> Commission - MySpace
> Kasi - MySpace
> Stealth - MySpace
> Serene - MySpace
> Triple O - MySpace
The Bibles Bibles promo was shot by IMPACT ENTERPRISES
> Simply ANDY - MySpace
> Guvna B - MySpace
> Victizzle - MySpace
> Fa!th Child - MySpace
> Gabz - MySpace
> Commission - MySpace
> Kasi - MySpace
> Stealth - MySpace
> Serene - MySpace
> Triple O - MySpace
The Bibles Bibles promo was shot by IMPACT ENTERPRISES
WORDS AND PICTURES
Words and SIMPLY ANDY picture by Yinka Awojobi
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