Not Ashamed is the fourth studio album by the Australian Christian rock band Newsboys, released on September 29, 1992 by Star Song Records. The album was Newsboys' first commercially successful album, with "I'm Not Ashamed" becoming a hit on Christian radio. With this album, producer Steve Taylor started co-writing many of the band's songs with Peter Furler, who also began sharing lead vocal duties with then-primary vocalist John James.
"I'm Not Ashamed" topped The CCM Update's Christian CHR chart for three weeks, becoming their first number one hit. Christian AC radio also gave Newsboys some airplay with their next single "Where You Belong/Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" giving them their first Top 10 hit there. Other multi-format songs followed such as "Strong Love" (Christian AC), "Upon This Rock" (Christian CHR) and "I Cannot Get You Out of My System" (Christian Rock). Not Ashamed's sound is a mix of some alternative rock and Europop, two very popular radio formats common to mainstream radio in the 1990s.
Newsboys make their first chart appearance in Billboard magazine as Not Ashamed peaked at number 11 on the Top Christian Albums chart. In 1993, the band earned their first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album and in 1994, their music video of "I Cannot Get You Out of My System" was nominated for a Dove Award for Short Form Music Video of the Year. Later in 1993, Newsboys released a VHS of their music videos from Not Ashamed featuring four music videos, and, for the second time, "Simple Man" from their 1990 album Hell Is For Wimps.
Newsboys were a four-piece band once again as Vernon Bishop left the band, but has contributed as a co-writer on "I Cannot Get You Out of My System." Additional musicians included Dave Perkins on electric guitar, Phil Maderia on the B-3 organ, John Painter playing bass guitar on four tracks and Vicki Hampton on backing vocals. Newsboys covers DeGarmo & Key's "Boycott Hell" with producer Taylor adding a rap verse. The insert sleeve left a humorous note: "With apologies to DeGarmo & Key."
Track listing
All songs were written by Peter Furler and Steve Taylor, except where noted.
1. I Cannot Get You Out of My System (Peter Furler, Steve Taylor, Vernon Bishop)
-3:19
2. I'm Not Ashamed -3:53
3. Where You Belong/Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Peter Furler, Steve Taylor, Helen
Howarth Lemmel) -5:33
4. Upon This Rock (Peter Furler, Steve Taylor, Corey Pryor, Dwight Liles) -4:40
5. Strong Love (Peter Furler, Steve Taylor, Toby McKeehan) -4:03
6. Dear Shame -3:51
7. Boycott Hell (Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key; rap verse by Steve Taylor) -3:42
8. We Come Together -4:36
9. Love Comes True -3:33
10. Lost the Sky Again -5:06
Personnel
Newsboys:
John James -lead vocals on tracks 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9
Peter Furler - lead vocals on tracks 1 -3, 5, 6, 8 -10, drums, programming
Sean Taylor -bass guitar, vocals
Corey Pryor -keyboards, samples, programming
Production credits
Peter Furler -producer (all tracks)
Steve Taylor -producer (all tracks, rap on track 7, additional vocals on track 10)
Radio singles
1992 "I'm Not Ashamed" -#1 Christian CHR for 3 weeks, #36 Christian AC
1993 "Where You Belong/Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" -#9 Christian CHR, #10
Christian AC
1993 "Upon This Rock" -#4 Christian CHR
1993 "Strong Love" -#10 Christian AC
1993 "Dear Shame" -#11 Christian CHR
Previous release: Boys Will Be Boyz (1991)
Next release: Going Public (1994)
Listen to the album Not Ashamed with four music videos included here:
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