Solid Rock Records is a record label started by Larry Norman. It was established in 1975 to distribute his work after he had been released by Capitol Records. Solid Rock had a distribution deal until 1980 with Word Records.
The label's roster also included Randy Stonehill, Tom Howard, Mark Heard, Daniel Amos, Pantano & Salsbury (formerly known as the J.C. Power Outlet), and Salvation Air Force. Norman worked with David Edwards, who released his debut album on Myrrh Records in 1980, as well as Steve Scott. Scott recorded one album, Moving Pictures, produced by Norman and Heard which was unreleased.
History Origins Strongly influenced by Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer,Michael S. Hamilton, "The Dissatisfaction of Francis Schaeffer, Part 2", Christianity Today (March 3, 1997), http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1997/march3/7t322b.html Schaeffer's community at L'Abri in Switzerland (which Norman had visited with his wife Pamela on his honeymoon in 1972),Norman's 1973 song "Song for Pamela" (Fly, Fly, Fly), references their honeymoon and their visit to L'Abri. See Barry Hankins, Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2008):61. and "possibly inspired by the Apple imprint of The Beatles"John J. Thompson, Raised by Wolves: The Story of Christian Rock & Roll (ECW Press, 2000):50. in 1974, Norman founded Solid Rock Records to produce records for Christian artists who like himself, had "no commercial value."http://christianmusic.about.com/od/musicnews/a/larrynormanobit.htm; "Larry Norman's Snakeskin Boots", http://talesfromthelaboratory.typepad.com/tales_from_the_microbial_/2007/09/larry-normans-s.html He intended Solid Rock to be "a "musical L'Abri", and "more than business though, it was community."Mike Rimmer, "Larry Norman: The David Di Sabatino's Fallen Angel documentary", Cross Rhythms (March 28, 2010), http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Larry_Norman_The_David_Di_Sabatinos_Fallen_Angel_documentary/39066/p4/ "Solid Rock became an important moment in the history of Christian rock music since it was the first truly artist-driven label".John J. Thompson, Raised by Wolves: The Story of Christian Rock & Roll (ECW Press, 2000):51. According to Norman, the purpose of Solid Rock was "to help other artists who didn't want to be consumed by the business of making vinyl pancakes but who wanted to make something 'non-commercial' to the world".Larry Norman in Jay R. Howard and John M. Streck, Apostles of Rock: The Splintered World of Contemporary Christian Music (University Press of Kentucky, 2004):163. Solid Rock "was a community of shared ideas and discussion. Artists worked on each other's projects and even toured together.
It seems to have been a place where they were trying to create art that would cross over. Larry Norman in particular had a desire to not simply create Christian music but music that was from a Christian worldview that would stand up in the mainstream and that people could accept and be challenged by".Mike Rimmer, "Tom Howard: From Jesus Music Pioneer to Behind-the-Scenes Virtuoso", Cross Rhythms (November 28, 2008), http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Tom_Howard_From_Jesus_music_pioneer_to_behindthescenes_virtuoso/34447/p1/ According to Solid Rock alumnus Tom Howard: "We ate together, laughed together, cried together, travelled together. It wasn't like a cult or anything; I mean we'd go off to our own families and our own pockets of friendships but there was definitely a sense of gathering among that small handful of artists".Tom Howard, in Mike Rimmer, "Tom Howard: From Jesus Music Pioneer to Behind-the-Scenes Virtuoso", Cross Rhythms (November 28, 2008), http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Tom_Howard_From_Jesus_music_pioneer_to_behindthescenes_virtuoso/34447/p1/ In addition to his own recordings, Larry Norman produced music for several artists on his Solid Rock label: Randy Stonehill, Mark Heard, Tom Howard, Pantano/Salsbury, and Salvation Air Force.Donnie Gossett, "Larry Norman 1947-2008" (February 24, 2008), http://www.donniegossett.com/News/News2008/News2008.html Norman produced artists who were signed to other labels like Malcolm and Alwyn, Bobby Emmons and the Crosstones, and Lyrix. While Norman received production credits for two songs on Sheila Walsh's first album Future Eyes, he remixed the songs which were already recorded.Sheila Walsh, I'm Not Wonder Woman But God Made Me Wonderful! (Thomas Nelson Inc, 2008):17-18. In 1977 he signed James Sundquist to Solid Rock,"Folk Concert", Tri City Herald [Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, WA] (September 16, 1977):14. which produced some of the songs on Sundquist's Freedom Flight, an album that blended ragtime and ballads which was later released by Pat Boone's Lamb & Lion label.Bryan Ness, "James Sundquist (and Noel Paul Stookey) - Freedom Flight (1977)" (April 4, 2010), https://nessessarymusic.blogspot.com/2010/04/james-sundquist-and-noel-paul-stookey.html; "Lamb & Lion Discography", http://www.bsnpubs.com/word/lambandlion/lamblion.html; https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aGSj8CksbS8/S7hC6os0nyI/AAAAAAAAAN4/2FPiAw-zNv0/s1600/back.jpg; "Billboard's Recommended LPs", Billboard (June 4, 1977):78; "James Sundquist Biography", About 1978 Norman produced an album, Moving Pictures, for British poet and musician Steve Scott which was never released."Gord Wilson, An Interview with Steve Scott", (April 2007), http://www.alivingdog.com/SteveInt.html.
Daniel Amos (1978–1980) In December 1978 Norman signed Christian rock band Daniel Amos to Street Level Productions and also to his Street Level Artists Agency.Brian Quincy Newcomb, "Terry S. Taylor: The HRS INTERVIEW", PART I, HRS (1991), http://www.danielamos.com/articles/terrytay1.html; "Timeline:1978", http://www.danielamos.com/timeline78.html Daniel Amos had almost completed Horrendous Disc, their third album, co-produced by Mike D. Stone, when under contract to Maranatha! Music. When Maranatha! released them, as it was changing direction to children's and praise music, Horrendous Disc still needed to be mixed."Timeline:1978", http://www.danielamos.com/timeline78.html Norman asked the band to replace two songs, had the album mixed and took new photos of the band for the album's cover to replace those he deemed too controversial for the Christian market,John J. Thompson, Raised by Wolves: The Story of Christian Rock & Roll (E.C.W., 2000):79. and in September 1979, Norman released a test pressing."Timeline: 1979", http://www.danielamos.com/timeline79.html; Karen Marie Platt, "Daniel Amos: What Ever Happened To Horrendous Disc? The Strange Unusual Saga Of Daniel Amos", CCM Magazine (March 1981), http://www.danielamos.com/articles/whatever.html In mid-May 1980 Norman released Daniel Amos from their management contract with Street Level Productions,"Timeline: 1980", http://www.danielamos.com/timeline80.html Referring obliquely to Daniel Amos and Randy Stonehill, who were touring together as part of the "Amos and Randy Tour", in 1993 Norman indicated he was forced to terminate his management contracts because he was "speechless and confused" about the band's (and Stonehill's) on-the-road demeanor including "drinking and cigar smoking and raw humor". See "Linear Notes", Larry Norman, Footprints in the Sand CD (1993) resulting in an estrangement in their relationship.Terry Taylor disputes Norman's version of events. See Brian Quincy Newcomb, "Terry S. Taylor :The HRS INTERVIEW", Part II HRS (1991), http://www.danielamos.com/articles/terrytay2.html. Just before the finalization of his divorce from Pamela Norman in August 1980,The festival was held August 12–17, 1980. See Frans Faase, http://www.iwriteiam.nl/Frans.html Norman performed at the Kamperland Youth for Christ Music festival (now the Flevo Totaal Festival) in Zeeland the Netherlands with Daniel Amos band backing him.Two of Norman's songs and three spoken pieces from this concert were included in GMI's 1992 album, Flevo Totaal Live Tapes Volume 1. See Robert Termorshuizen., "Flevo Totaal Festival (1992)", http://www.meetjesushere.com/Flevo_Totaal.htm Due to the laryngitis of Terry Scott Taylor, lead singer of Daniel Amos, Norman sang their songs from Horrendous Disc with the rest of Daniel Amos backing him so that Daniel Amos could be paid.Larry Norman in Michael Cash and Steve Mason, "Is Larry Norman Through?", VOG (1995), http://www.onlyvisiting.com/larry/interviews/VOG/larry.html ; Larry Norman in Dougie Adams, unpublished interview with Larry Norman, (August 2001), http://solidrockarmy.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=108066&p=3&topicID=28025780
Solid Rock implosion (1980) At the Greenbelt Festival held a few days later, Daniel Amos refused to back Norman as previously agreed due to their unfolding legal action against Norman, forcing Norman to recruit another group of musicians.Larry Norman in Dougie Adams, unpublished interview with Larry Norman, (August 2001), http://solidrockarmy.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=108066&p=3&topicID=28025780 During that performance, Norman sang for the first time, "May Your Feet Stay On The Path",It was recorded in the studio (probably at Chapel Lane in 1981), but not released until 2003's Rock, Scissors et Papier (2003) where it was listed as "Positively Like a Servant". See Robert Termorshuizen, "Rock, Scissors et Papier (2003)", http://www.meetjesushere.com/rock,.htm See also CD-booklet for Rock Scissors et Papier. as a beatific benediction to the Solid Rock artists he had released. He explained in 2001: "It's a song I wrote for all my artists because I wasn't going to work with them any more. So I stayed up one night praying all night and working on this song asking God to help me bless the artists one more time so that they would know that I loved them even if I didn't want to work with them". Despite being advertised as soon available in November 1979,"Timeline: 1979", http://www.danielamos.com/timeline79.html Horrendous Disc was not finally released by Solid Rock until April 10, 1981,"Timeline: 1981", http://www.danielamos.com/timeline81.html ten days before the band's follow-up ¡Alarma!, was released on NewPax Records."Timeline: 1981", http://www.danielamos.com/timeline81.html; Karen Marie Platt, "Daniel Amos: What Ever Happened To Horrendous Disc? The Strange Unusual Saga Of Daniel Amos", CCM Magazine (March 1981), http://www.danielamos.com/articles/whatever.html In 2000 Norman sang "Hound of Heaven" on the Daniel Amos tribute album, When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos."Timeline: 2000", http://www.danielamos.com/timeline00.html; Daniel Macintosh, "Artists Celebrate the Music of Terry Scott Taylor and Daniel Amos", True Tunes News (August 2000), http://www.danielamos.com/articles/truetunes00.html
The end of Solid Rock June 17, 1980 meeting
In June 1980 the Solid Rock community imploded due to concerns about delays in releasing albums, royalties and publishing rights, and Norman's personal life.John Cody, "Angel Tells Tragic Tale of Larry Norman", BC Christian News, http://www.canadianchristianity.com/bc/bccn/0709/20angel.html