Jesus Freak is the fourth studio album by the American Christian rap and rock trio DC Talk, released on November 21, 1995, on ForeFront Records. The style was a marked departure from the group's previous releases, incorporating a heavier rock sound and elements of grunge that was popular at the time.

The album was released to both critical and commercial success. It peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and six of the album's seven singles reached number one across various Christian radio formats. It won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.

Jesus Freak is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential albums in the history of contemporary Christian music (CCM).

Background

After three albums of hip-hop-oriented sound, including DC Talk's Grammy award-winning third album, Free at Last, which was based primarily on hip-hop and pop-oriented songwriting, the trio decided to innovate and reinvent their style.

After three years, DC Talk returned with songs featuring a more alternative rock sound. Thus, fans and critics considered the album's lead single, "Jesus Freak", unexpected. The band focused on more rock-oriented music, with touches of rap and pop interwoven into the mix. Tait later explained, "We wanted to write songs that would hopefully touch a generation."

Recording and production

Compared to DC Talk's other albums, Jesus Freak was, stylistically, an experiment. The album was a fusion of various musical genres, including pop, rock,

In addition, the album contains two cover songs: "Day by Day," from the musical Godspell, and a heavily overhauled version of "In the Light" originally by Charlie Peacock. and acceptance. This number was the highest debut for a Christian album at the time.

After the album, released through ForeFront Records, proved to be extremely successful, the band signed an exclusive distribution deal with Virgin Records.

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3Score = B+ <br />B

| rev4 = Jesus Freak Hideout

|rev4Score =

After the initial success of its release, Jesus Freak was RIAA-certified as Gold by its first month, for shipments exceeding 500,000 units. The album has gone on to sell over two million copies in the United States, achieving double platinum certification by the RIAA.

It is one of the biggest-selling Christian albums of all time and has been certified double platinum in the United States and gold in Canada.

On June 20, 2006, Gotee Records released a ten-year anniversary tribute, Freaked!, featuring artists from record labels Gotee and Mono vs Stereo covering songs from the original album. "In the Light" and "Jesus Freak" are both featured in Alive and Transported. In addition, the songs are still regularly sung in tobyMac and Newsboys concerts.

In 2006, EMI released a commemorative 10th-anniversary version of the album, Jesus Freak: 10th Anniversary Special Edition. This special edition contained a bonus disc of brand-new remixes, rarities, live tracks, and demos.

For the 20th anniversary of the album in November 2015, SMLXLVinyl.com released a double lp 180-gram vinyl of the album. It was its first pressing on the format.

Track listing

Chart positions

{|class="wikitable sortable"

!align="left"|Chart (1995)

!align="center"|Peak<br />position

|-

|align="left"|U.S. Billboard 200

|align="center"|16

|-

| U.S. Billboard Top 40

|align="center"|15

|-

| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary

|align="center"|24

|-

| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 Tracks

|align="center"|11

|-

|rowspan="5"|1996

| "Like It, Love It, Need It"

| CCM Christian Rock

|align="center"|1

|-

|rowspan="2"|"In the Light"

| CCM Christian CHR

|align="center"|1

|-

| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary

|align="center"|3

|-

|rowspan="2"|"What If I Stumble?"

| CCM Christian CHR

|align="center"|1

|-

| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary

|align="center"|3

|-

|rowspan="6"|1997

| "So Help Me God"

| CCM Christian Rock

|align="center"|3

|-

|rowspan="2"|"Colored People"

| CCM Christian CHR

|align="center"|1

|-

| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary

|align="center"|3

|-

| "Day by Day"

| CCM Christian Rock

|align="center"|3

|-

|rowspan="2"|"What Have We Become?"

| CCM Christian CHR

|align="center"|1

|-

| CCM Christian Adult Contemporary

|align="center"|32

|}

Personnel

DC Talk

  • TobyMac – raps, lead and backing vocals
  • Kevin Max – lead and backing vocals, poem (13)
  • Michael Tait – lead and backing vocals, additional BGV arrangements (1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12)

Musicians

  • Mark Heimermann – programming (1–3, 5, 7, 11, 13), Hammond B3 organ (1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 12), upright bass (3), additional vocal arrangements (4), Wurlitzer electric piano (5), pads (7, 12), Moog synthesizer (8), finger cymbals (8), acoustic piano (10), broom (12), keyboards (13)
  • Dann Huff – programming (1), guitars (1, 3, 5, 7, 13)
  • George Cocchini – guitars (2, 13)
  • Chris Rodriguez – guitars (2, 4, 10)
  • Oran Thornton – guitars (3, 5, 8)
  • Sean Turner – guitars (3)
  • Jerry McPherson – mandolin (4), guitars (11, 12)
  • Brent Barcus – guitars (5), bridge arrangements (10)
  • Dave Perkins – guitars (11)
  • Jackie Street – bass (1, 2, 12)
  • Otto Price – bass (2, 5, 7, 10), bridge arrangements (10), wah bass (11)
  • John Mark Painter – bass (3, 4, 11), accordion (4), guitars (4)
  • Brent Milligan – bass (8)
  • Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (13)
  • Scott Williamson – drums (1, 11), drum fills (7), hi-hat (7)
  • Aaron Smith – drums (2, 10)
  • David Huff – drums (3, 5, 12)
  • Shaun McWilliams – drums (4)
  • Will Denton – drums (8), bridge arrangements (10)
  • Todd Collins – bongos (1, 12), loops (1, 12), programming (3, 5, 7, 11, 12), drums (3), cowbell (3), percussion (4), congas (5, 7), tambourine (5), cabasa (7), vocals (9), brush snare (11), Akai MPC60 (13)
  • Terry McMillan – percussion (2, 10, 13)
  • Greg Herrington – loops (10)
  • Denis Solee – flute (11)
  • Ronn Huff – string arrangements and conductor (2, 10)
  • Jason Halbert – bridge arrangements (10)
  • Brennan Manning – ragamuffin intro (4)
  • Charlie Peacock – guest vocals (10)
  • Billy Graham – spoken word (12)

Production

  • Dan R.Brock – executive producer
  • Eddie DeGarmo – executive producer
  • Toby McKeehan – producer, collage photos
  • Mark Heimermann – producer (1–3, 5–13)
  • John Mark Painter – producer (4)
  • Joe Baldridge – engineer, mixing, collage photos
  • Lynn Fuston – string recording
  • Russ Long – additional engineer
  • Todd Robbins – additional engineer
  • Dave Dillbeck – assistant engineer
  • Dan Fritzsell – assistant engineer (1–3, 5–13)
  • Patrick Murphy – assistant engineer (1–3, 5–13)
  • Ed Sharpe – assistant engineer (1–3, 5–13)
  • Penn Singleton – assistant engineer (1–3, 5–13)
  • Shane D. Wilson – assistant engineer (1–3, 5–13)
  • Chuck Linder – mix assistant
  • Ronnie Thomas – editing at MasterMix (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • Ken Love – mastering at MasterMix (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • Nate Yetton – A&R
  • Kevin Max Smith – art direction
  • Paul Venaas – design, layout
  • John Falls – individual band photos
  • Norman Jean Roy – back cover photography

Music videos

  • Colored People
  • Jesus Freak
  • Day by Day
  • Between You and Me

References

  • McNeil, W. K. Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Routledge, 2005.
  • Taff, Tori. 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music. Integrity, 2006.

Notes