Crimson and Blue is the 14th solo album by Christian singer/songwriter/guitarist
Phil Keaggy, released on February 23, 1993 by Myrrh/Word Records. The album was produced by Lynn Nichols (credited as L. Arthur Nichols). It was recorded around the summer of 1992.
Crimson and Blue serves as the third album of Keaggy's "rock and roll" period, following up previous releases Phil Keaggy and Sunday's Child and Find Me in These Fields. Keaggy goes all out with its mix of 1960s pop/rock, blues and some alternative rock. Nichols, who produced the two previous albums mentioned, plays on the album on guitars and backing vocals, plus Keaggy's regular players:
Phil Maderia (B-3 organ, keyboards) and Wade Jaynes (bass guitar). John Sferra of Keaggy's band Glass Harp plays drums throughout the album and even joins Keaggy on a jam session (as heard on the CD EP Revelator track "The Further Adventures of...").
The Paul McCartney comparisons continue on tracks like "Everywhere I Look," "Love Divine," whose track sounds like The Beatles' 1963 hit "All My Loving" and "Reunion of Friends." Keaggy re-visits his 1985 song "I Will Be There," but as a modern rock ballad. Very different from when he originally recorded from Getting Closer!. Keaggy even filmed a music video for the track. Crimson and Blue climbed up to number 7 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart. In 1994, Keaggy earned his second Grammy nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album and was nominated for a Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year.
Track listing
All songs were written by Phil Keaggy, except where noted.
1. Shouts of Joy (music by Phil Keaggy, words by Ray Repp) -5:55
2. World of Mine -5:40
3. Everywhere I Look (Phil Maderia) -4:29
4. Love Divine -2:25
5. Reunion of Friends -4:12
6. All There Is to Know (Phil Keaggy, Phil Maderia) -3:48
7. When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God (Van Morrison) -6:41
8. Stone Eyes (Phil Keaggy, Phil Maderia, Lynn Nichols) -7:02
9. I Will Be There -6:53
10. Don't Pass Me By (Phil Keaggy, Lynn Nichols) -3:45
11. John the Revelator (traditional; arranged by Phil Keaggy and Lynn
Nichols) -8:05
12. Doin' Nothin' -8:29
13. Nothing But the Blood (traditional; arranged by Phil Keaggy) -2:46
Radio singles
1993 "Everywhere I Look" -#25 Christian CHR, #6 Christian AC
1993 "Love Divine" -#22 Christian CHR, #7 Christian AC
1993 "I Will Be There" -#25 Christian CHR
1994 "Reunion of Friends" -#22 Christian CHR
Watch the music video of "I Will Be There" here:
On March 29, 1994, Keaggy released a repackaged limited edition rock version of Crimson and Blue, re-titled Blue on Word Records and Epic Records/Sony Music. Blue was geared towards the mainstream market by eliminating five tracks ("Love Divine," "Reunion of Friends," "Stone Eyes," "I Will Be There" and "Nothing But the Blood") and adding two previous unreleased tracks (a cover of Badfinger's 1972 U.S. Top 20 hit "Baby Blue" and "All Our Wishes"), plus the addition of "The Further Adventures of..." from the Revelator EP. Three tracks from Crimson and Blue, "Doin' Nothin'," "Everywhere I Look" and "World of Mine," were shortened and reworked. Blue is out of print and is not available digitally. A YouTube link to listen to the album is posted below this article.
Track listing
1. Doin' Nothin' (shorter version) -7:35
2. Don't Pass Me By -3:45
3. Baby Blue (Pete Ham) (previously unreleased) -5:37
4. All There Is to Know -3:48
5. John the Revelator -8:05
6. World of Mine (shorter version) -4:30
7. Everywhere I Look (shorter version) -3:53
8. The Further Adventures of... (jam featuring Phil Keaggy and John Sferra) (as
heard on the CD EP Revelator) -12:46
9. All Our Wishes (previously unreleased) -3:22
10. When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God (Van Morrison) -6:41
11. Shouts of Joy -5:55
Previous release: Revelator (EP) (1993)
Next release: True Believer (1995)
Listen to the full-length album Blue here:
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