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Writer's pictureJoel Caballero

Don't Wait for the Movie (1986)

Updated: Sep 30, 2023


Don't Wait for the Movie is the fourth studio album by the Christian rock group White Heart. Released in the fall of 1986, this is their first album with Sparrow Records.


Don't Wait for the Movie introduced two new members: new lead singer and former roadie Rick Florian and Chris McHugh on the drums. Bass guitar player Gary Lunn would leave the band after recording the album and was replaced on tour by bass guitar player and musician Tommy Sims. Sims would be a regular member on the next two albums. Don't Wait for the Movie became a very successful album with radio singles "How Many Times (Seventy Times Seven)" and "Fly Eagle Fly" both topping the Christian radio charts while "Beat of a Different Drum" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Christian" were hits on Christian Rock radio stations and programs. CCM Magazine listed this album at number 74 in their 2001 book The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.


Don't Wait for the Movie climbed to number 11 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart. White Heart was nominated for a Dove Award for Group of the Year at the 18th GMA Dove Awards but lost to the vocal group First Call. The album cover did win a Dove Award for Recorded Music Packaging given to Mark Tucker and Buddy Jackson for photography and art direction. White Heart also released a companion video called Don't Wait for the Movie: The Live Video Album on VHS featuring all songs on the album except "King George."


Track listing

All songs written by Billy Smiley, Mark Gersmehl and Gordon Kennedy, except where noted.


1. Read the Book (Don't Wait for the Movie) (Billy Smiley, Gordon Kennedy, Mo West) -4:51

2. Holy Ground -4:42

3. Beat of a Different Drum (Billy Smiley, Mark Gersmehl, Gordon Kennedy, Chris

McHugh) -4:17

4. Fly Eagle Fly -4:41

5. Convertibles -3:43

6. Let the Children Play (instrumental) (Gordon Kennedy, Larry Stewart) -1:32

7. King George -4:20

8. No Apology -4:22

9. Maybe Today -4:25

10. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Christian -4:34

11. How Many Times (Seventy Times Seven) (Mark Gersmehl) -4:27


Personnel


White Heart:

Rick Florian -lead vocals, backing vocals

Mark Gersmehl -keyboards, lead vocals on tracks 8 and 9, backing vocals,

trombone on track 5

Billy Smiley -keyboards, guitars, backing vocals, trumpet on track 5

Gordon Kennedy -lead guitar, lead vocals on tracks 1 and 4, sitar on track 4,

backing vocals

Chris McHugh -drums, percussion

Gary Lunn -bass guitar, LimmDrum programming


Production credits


Billy Smiley and White Heart -producers


Radio singles

1986 "How Many Times (Seventy Times Seven)" -#2 Christian CHR, #1 Christian AC

1986 "Convertibles" -#20 Christian CHR

1986 -1987 "Fly Eagle Fly" -#2 Christian CHR, #1 Christian AC

1987 "Maybe Today" -#1 Christian CHR, #3 Christian AC


Previous release: Live at Six Flags (1986)

Watch the live concert video Don't Wait for the Movie: The Live Video Album:


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