The pop music machine thrives on timeliness, which is a shame. With the glut of new records that comes out every week, by the time the wheat has been separated from the chaff it’s far too late in blog-years to start a conversation. Still, some older albums demand ink, and the series of albums released by Paul Johnson’s Radiance Music Restoration Project serves to restore an important local musical legacy that has been, effectively, lost for decades.
Johnson spent a significant period involved in the Gospel Outreach movement, which longtime Humboldt residents will remember as a Jesus Freak commune that included Lighthouse Ranch at Table Bluff and Deliverance Temple in Eureka. Many members of the flock were musicians, and they produced hours of homemade recordings that had never seen wider release until Johnson stepped up several years ago.
Northern California Jesus Movement draws on music from 11 full-length CDs Johnson has lovingly remastered from the original analog. This two-disc set collects songs by more than a dozen different artists, but the common threads are unpretentious, old-timey gospel, acoustic twangs and heartfelt harmonies. This music represents the genesis of what eventually became Christian rock; these artists are in a sense the forebearers of, say, Switchfoot, or perhaps more genre-appropriately, indie-folkies like Derek Webb. (In fact, even the musical genealogy of Humboldt’s own Huckleberry Flint probably has a dollop of the Gospel Outreach ethos in it.)
The difference between today’s Christian pop and this music, however, is that the Radiance recordings were not made within the purview of a “music industry” — they’re off the grid, pop-culturally. There’s no trace of marketing, no writing coded lyrics for “seekers,” not even reformist criticisms of the Christian establishment — just tunes about God, mostly retooled gospel hymns or original songs inspired by the Bible. Some are clear-eyed and simple, like Simmon’s “Jesus Rose Up from the Dead,” a straight-ahead folk tune about “exactly what the Bible said,” and some, like Karl Richey’s “The Stone Which the Builders Refused” are Dylanesque streams of Bible-study consciousness. These are songs about Jesus for a group of people who loved Him, and music, and each other. Little else seems to matter.
Unfortunately, some of the songs are presented in abridged medleys; Johnson writes in his wonderfully detailed liner notes that this is in order to “maximize content,” but it makes portions of the compilation sound like advertisements, selling the songs short. Still, from the glimpses we get here, it’s clear that the full-length Radiance records by the wild-eyed Simmon, So Glad to Be Back Home, and the psychedelic/angelic Layne Fish, Lullaybe, would be rewarding listens. Johnson is to be commended for preserving a significant piece of the musical and spiritual history of Northern California.
This article appears in Fixing the World.
i was at the ranch in the early 70’s and would like if u know how i could get ahold of some of the people from that time i know alot of people that u sang there during that time
Hi, Janet. Your name’s not familiar, but then, I was at the Lord’s Land in ’73-74 and not Lighthouse Ranch. My website’s at http://www.pcez.com/~bigshoe/. I haven’t darkened a church door with my shadow for years now, but in the mid-80s I was Managing Editor at Radiance. David Leon, Tom Kennedy and others you probably know, were close personal friends of mine. Fred (aka Tim) Simmen went to be with the Lord, taking my place on a tree-planting crew. I had volunteered for it, after two months of gruelling work on other crews, but felt sick and opted out. I wasn’t a musician — just someone who went to work every day and helped keep people fed. My wife and I have been married 35 years now, and we have two children — one here in Eugene, and another living in China. God bless and keep you and yours. Keep the fire burning inside. Your brother, Michael 🙂
It’s great to hear that a lot of the music material has been preserved – thank you Paul! I recall attending a Festival of the Son between around ’75-’77 at which Radiance recorded the music performances. Can’t remember where it was, but we camped out. I had the great joy of playing there in a band from Santa Rosa called Rock Salt. We were all still learning back then that acoustic guitars weren’t intrinsically holy and electric guitars weren’t evil. We were semi-electric. I remember meeting Jim Durkin when he came to preach at our church in Santa Rosa (His Name Ministries) and brought some singers. I recognize a couple of the tunes in the article above.
Paul, if you release the Festival Material I’ll buy it. Thanks again for preserving this
relatively unknown, but VERY influential stream of music. It would make a great documentary. Probably tons of photos floating around…
Alright all youse Jesus Freaks, I am outa here. Keep the faith,
Eric
It was by Providence alone (the puritans translated providence as ‘the hand of God in the glove of circumstance’) that I met people from Sonoma Mtn Lighthouse and eventually His Name Ministries. I consider the 3 years I spent in Santa Rosa with these saints as the most influential years of my life that laid a strong foundation upon which I still stand. I married one of those sisters Terry Ginger) and 32 years later we look back on those days and those people with fondness. I try to travel to Santa Rosa every year to meet some of you. We live in British Columbia. Steve Hargrove visited us not long ago and I still have the cassettes from Radiance and Rock Salt. I would absolutely buy your CD when it gets produced. If anyone has photos of the early Festival of the Son near redwood city, a copy of that early slide show The Purpose and the Vision that Francis Anfuso produced and photos of His Namer’s please forward them to me. Stojan Ninkovic —- ninklink@telus.net
Dylan could never write anything near to “The Stone That The Builders Refused!” Won’t even go in the other deficient details here — what Paul has done [with what Radiance did] needs promotion, but accuracy above all! I was there, at the time, so I know….
I was at Living Waters and the Lighthouse Ranch in the early 70’s. My email is: richardford999@yahoo.com. Send me a line, any time! Radiance Music still, uh, “rocks” or whatever….
So few comments! The influence of so many born again artists who reflected a deep love and fellowship with God is still with me. Most of the songs were simple love songs to God, the brethren, and to lost souls being reminded of God’s love. I was at His Name Ministries in Santa Rosa from August 1974 to sometime in 1976. Jesus used His Name to form the solid scriptural bedrock in my life – a babe in Christ. I remember the worship being Spirit led and directed with Rock Salt (Steven Hardgrove, Jon Ilig, and Ben Crusoe) being often used to bless the saints! Glorious days sitting on the floor near the stage of the auditorium and being enraptured by the Lord! 🙂 Yet shall we again be gathered to be before Jesus to ever love and praise him who has only given us a small taste of what will be when he brings us all home!
BTW: If any of you former His Name Ministries Jesus freaks care to write 🙂
Allen Langley – allang77@usa.com
So Happy to see this. Am preparing to write NOW a retrospective of this influential era. Like two other’s who posted: Stojan and Eric, I too was a member of “His Name Ministries” for many years and lived communally most of them. For me it was and is and will remain all about the music. I would love to hear some of it again. About 13 years ago we had a small reunion, and the music was definitively the tie that binds.
I attending Sonoma Mt Lighthouse in 1977 for about six months, between getting out of the Navy and working overseas with Operation Mobilization. I have great memories of worshiping there.
Its a shame the g.o. ministry is in denile of the killing of 250,000 indians through rios montt’s genocide campain that there labors payed for. Many missionaries were killed by preacher brig.gen.montt as well as indiginous mayan indians. I was in the middle of it all.When poisoning me didn’t work,they sent me to a fake mission that they forgot was a money laundering front. Well I joined them when they assured me that they didn’t beleave in the jim and tammy,pat robertson,jerry farwell brand of charlotanism but that all changed when the cia and jose efram rios montt came to be saved. He was moved up ahead of us all on the list and was a carbon copy of jimmy swagart.Except for the murdering.That was all him and the death squads financed by the church. Seems much worse than Jimmy Jones there kid.Jimmy killed his own followers.Montt of gospel outreach,killed 250,000 indians and 50 or so missionaries that pleaded with him that” there just children”,but he had to show his men he is tuff. Your pall Reagan said he was getting a bum rap. And so did his pal Pat robertson.
Did Jim Dirkin sell his soul in the end for money and favor from Reagan,Bush,and the CIA? Seems its possible because of the resulting death of several missionaries Montt gunned down himself along with the 200,000 to 250,000 indians. Ps,there were no communists,no leftist ,no marxists,just sick,hurt,and poor cathalics on land rich in nickel.A Canadian mining company wanted that land and paid Bush handsomly for Montt to kill off the inhabitants.And The Lighthouse ranch helped unknowingly to finance and now cover up this shame. I know what happened and I will not be silenced. Souls are lost and many need a healing and repentance. I may be killed for telling this but I faced being killed for the lord before.
The final conclusion: I finally fiqured it out. I had been poisoned by Jose Montt for giving him a problem and addressing the staff in responce to his smoking and carring on in town with a young girl back in 78. But the secret clincher is DIAMONDS! The area in Gautamala is rich in diamonds, Nickel,gas,and Kimberlite tubes were evedant.Pat Roberston wanted all the diamonds and demonized the indians,paid off Bush and Reagan and financed the fake mission not to help the earthquake victums but to innialate them so to have free access to the land. They paid off Jim Dirkin to look the other way.Gave his son a big mahogany boat. Then they took over the ranch,kicking out good people and sending me off so I wouldn’t realize what was going on while they made up Montt into a fake evangalist(thats not hard,most are fake)and sent back to win a rigged election.Pat,Jim,and the CIA was the orcestator of genocide and Montt,there top paid puppit. The church was so ashamed as to get rid of the evidance and white wash the whole thing as a conservative move of the church.The church did so much sin against man and God that Eureka, nay the whole world should never forget the evil and murder commited by there efforts. And what about the souls of the dead? And what about the missionaries killed?And what about the souls now helplessly lost that were cast away from the help of the mission that fed and sheltered the poor,run aways ,spiritual seekers,and the children? What about those that would have found Love and Jesus? The PTL club even arranged to have the Isrealians buy the bullets. And Jose had Jim Dirkin try out the machine gun Reagan bought him. Now who had blood on his hands? That gun killed thousands! Who I asked?Well,I did too. My relatives visiting me brought with them a Brg.General Jose Montt to be my special guest for my birthday at the ranch on 4-15-77 to 4-17-77 while they said they were on vacation. I suppose now,that they were not just traveling with there friend Montt,but he was asked to be brought with them to check out the ranch by the state dept., or Ed Mease, (or ?),to see if the idea they had could work. Billions were riding on it. The innocent indians did not deserve to be Murdered/genocided. The people of the ministry of Gospel Outreach need a total repentance once they admite they were involved.They will go to hell for this evil they conceal. I have reached to them but they cut me off now. They will not tell the rest of the evil and blood on our hands. Pat Robertson and George Bush are satans best workers and it shows. America paid for the genocide along with the church and the billionares and Pat Robertson really cleaned up. Anyone have anymore hands on info? Send it to me I’m writing a book soon. (I’m not looking to get rich,just justice for the lost) Thanks,M.L.Z./Eaglespirit
Also the ranch was on a lease. All that changed so to pay off the church leaders. I had known Jim and the ranch he told me was on a lease owned by the county of Humbolt. The paperwork was doctored up to show differently thats for sure.
After watching the movie The Jesus Revolution it brought back a flood of memories of my days at His Name Ministries Santa Rosa. We were the mid California Jesus people! We worked and worshipped together as we lived and loved together. The cops would drop hitchhikers off at our door knowing we’d take care of them. There also were beautiful Holy Spirit anointed movements up on Sonoma Mountain with brother Jim Swallow and the Skiles family. The liberating revelation that Jesus forgave all my sins past present and future came at the foot of that Cross up on the mountain. Its almost indescribable yet I can describe it! Then there was the Russian River movement with Richard Paradise leading it. But back to the Lincoln Center schoolhouse where I lived. The intense prayer times and joyful dancing and worship will forever stay with me. How about the time we decided to go to Golden Gate Park to share the Good News of God’s love for all and we ran into a major Hare Krishna event. I had brought along a megaphone and decided to share with a group of onlookers when a group of plainclothes Krishna security guys started pushing me towards some bushes as they were pulling short bats out of bags. They were going to lay a beating on me and I spotted Don Norris in a huddle with saints praying. I yelled ‘Don’ and he looked up and ran over to us. It almost turned into a rumble but Don negotiated I put away my megaphone and we stay in the park as it was our right also. Some His Namer’s did have a reunion years ago but I think we are due for another one. It will take organizing. Many happy happy memories for me. I carry them on my heart and if I can again experience the Presence of Jesus walking with me today as I did in those years 1972-1975 I would consider my life well lived. More to say but for another time…yours and His ~ Stojan