The Jesus Record is a posthumous album by Christian singer -songwriter Rich Mullins. Released on the Word Records' Myrrh label on July 21, 1998, ten months after Mullins' passing. Produced by Rick Elias.
It consists of two discs: The Jesus Demos and The Jesus Record.
The Jesus Demos consisted of nine rough demos Mullins recorded for the album at an abandoned church on September 10, 1997, nine days before his death. The songs were meant for a concept album based on the life of Jesus Christ, to be called Ten Songs About Jesus.
The Jesus Record was recorded after his death by Mullins' studio band A Ragamuffin Band (with Rick Elias, Aaron Smith, Jimmy Abegg and Mark Robertson, who joined this line-up and toured). Guest vocalists on the album include Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Ashley Cleveland and Phil Keaggy.
Orchestrations for the album, arranged and conducted by Tom Howard, were recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios. The album ends with the rough demo version of "That Where I Am, There You...," with added instruments and vocals by A Ragamuffin Band, Michael W. Smith and a large choir of family and friends. The last thing heard on the album are the faint sounds of "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus," played by Mullins on the hammered dulcimer. The recording, which was made during a 1997 concert performance in Green Bay, Wisconsin barely made it into the album.
Both discs also contain the track "Heaven in His Eyes," which Mullins wrote and performed in 1981 with his band Zion from their album Behold the Man. On the second disc The Jesus Record, it contains an original song "Man of No Reputation" written and performed by Rick Elias. The Jesus Record climbed up to number 3 on the Top Christian Albums and number 113 on the Top 200 Albums charts in Billboard magazine. The entire album was performed live at the 1998 Cornerstone Music Festival by A Ragamuffin Band, who then embarked on "The Homeless Man Tour" as a tribute to Mullins' memory. In 1999, Mullins won two Dove Awards posthumously for Songwriter of the Year and the album's lead single "My Deliverer" for Song of the Year awarded to Mitch McVicker who co-wrote it with Mullins and also accepted the award in Mullins' behalf at the 30th GMA Dove Awards. "My Deliverer" was ranked at number 87 by CCM Magazine on their 2006 book The 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music.
Track listing
The Jesus Demos
1. Hard to Get (Rich Mullins) -4:41
2. All the Way to Kingdom Come (Rich Mullins) -3:18
3. My Deliverer (Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker) -3:18
4. Surely God is With Us (Mark Robertson, David "Beaker" Strasser) -3:48
5. Jesus... (Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker, Dana Waddel) -4:34
6. You Did Not Have a Home (Rich Mullins) -2:27
7. Heaven in His Eyes (Rich Mullins) -4:00
8. Nothing Is Beyond You (Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker, Tom Booth) -3:40
9. That Where I Am, There You... (Rich Mullins) -2:45
The Jesus Record
1. My Deliverer (lead vocals by Rick Elias) -5:57
2. Surely God is With Us (lead vocals by Mark Robertson) -4:28
3. Nothing Is Beyond You (lead vocals by Amy Grant) -4:18
4. You Did Not Have a Home (lead vocals by Rick Elias, Mark Robertson and Jimmy Abegg) -2:56
5. Jesus... (lead vocals by Ashley Cleveland) -6:03
6. All the Way to Kingdom Come (lead vocals by Phil Keaggy, Rick Elias, Mark Robertson and Jimmy Abegg) -349
7. Man of No Reputation (Rick Elias) (lead vocals by Rick Elias) -6:02
8. Heaven in His Eyes (lead vocals by Michael W. Smith) -4:03
9. Hard to Get (lead vocals by Rick Elias) -4:53
10. That Where I Am, There You... (lead vocals by Michael W. Smith and Rich Mullins) -3:19
Accolades
Dove Award -Songwriter of the Year (posthumously)
Song of the Year ("My Deliverer" by Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker)
Radio singles
"My Deliverer" -#13 Christian CHR, #1 Christian AC
"Nothing Is Beyond You" -#24 Christian CHR, #1 Christian AC
"That Where I Am, There You..." -#4 Christian AC
Previous release: Songs (1996) (compilation)
Next release: Songs 2 (1999) (compilation)
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