The Jesus Record is the ninth and final album by American singer and songwriter Rich Mullins, released posthumously on July 21, 1998, ten months after his death.
The first disc of the album, entitled "The Jesus Demos", consists of nine rough demos Mullins recorded for the album in 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.[1]
The second disc was recorded after Mullins' death by a Ragamuffin Band (Rick Elias, Mark Robertson, Jimmy Abegg and Aaron Smith), with guest vocals by Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Ashley Cleveland, and Phil Keaggy. Orchestration 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 the 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 onto the final album. Two men, who were helping Elias find potential recordings, searched countless church video libraries, bootleg tape traders lists, professional video tapers, music message boards, email discussion lists and other sources, before someone came forward with a tape that was made at the Green Bay church. This person was able to rush the tape to the two men doing the extensive search, who then rushed it to Elias who was mastering the album. The tape arrived on the final day of mastering, just barely in time to be included.
Much of the 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.
Track listing
Disc One: The Jesus Demos
"Hard to Get" (Rich Mullins) – 4:41
"All The Way to Kingdom Come" (Rich Mullins) – 3:18
Rich Mullins – lead vocals, guitar on tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 and piano on tracks 3, 5, 7, 8 of The Jesus Demos
Mitch McVicker – backing guitar on track 9 of The Jesus Demos
The Ragamuffins are – Rick Elias, lead vocals on tracks 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, backing vocals, guitar, harmonica on tracks 4, 7; Aaron Smith, drums; Mark Robertson, bass guitar, lead vocals on tracks 2, 4, 6, backing vocals; Jimmy Abegg, guitars, lead vocals on tracks 4, 6, backing vocals for The Jesus Record
Amy Grant – lead vocals on "Nothing Is Beyond You" for The Jesus Record, backing vocals on tracks 9, 10
Ashley Cleveland – lead vocals on "Jesus..." for The Jesus Record, backing vocals on tracks 1, 9
Phil Keaggy – lead vocals on "All The Way To Kingdom Come" for The Jesus Record
Michael W. Smith – lead vocals on "Heaven In His Eyes" and "That Where I Am, There You..." for The Jesus Record, backing vocals on tracks 1, 10
Rick Elias – lead vocals on "My Deliverer", "You Did Not Have a Home", "All The Way To Kingdom Come", "Man of No Reputation" and "Hard to Get" for The Jesus Record, backing vocals on track 3
Mark Robertson – lead vocals on "Surely God Is With Us", "You Did Not Have a Home" and "All The Way To Kingdom Come" for The Jesus Record
Jimmy Abegg – lead vocals on "You Did Not Have a Home" and "All The Way To Kingdom Come" for The Jesus Record
Jim Chaffee – backing vocals on tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 of The Jesus Record
Linda Elias – backing vocals on tracks 3, 4, 6 of The Jesus Record
Additional musicians
Tom Howard – piano on tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, Wurlitzer on track 8, orchestrations on tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, orchestra arrangement on tracks 1, 5, 7, string arrangements on track 3, string quartet arrangement on track 8, conducting on tracks 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 of The Jesus Record
