SCOTT WESLEY BROWN
1974--Scott Wesley Brown (Georgetown); 1976--I
Am A Christian (New-Pax); 1977--I'm Not Religious,
I Just Love The Lord (Sparrow); 1978--Songs
and Stories (Live) (Seven Locks); 1979--One
Step Closer (Sparrow); 1981--Signature (Sparrow);
1982---SWB (Sparrow); 1983--All
My Best(Sparrow); 1984--Kingdom Of Love (Sparrow);
1985--Somebody's Brother (Sparrow); 1987--The
Language Of Jesus Is Love (Sparrow); 1988--To
The Ends Of The Earth (Word); 1990--Living
In The Comfort Zone (Word); 1991--Passionate
pursuit (Word); 1995--35 Favorite Songs (Sparrow);
1996--Mission Of Praise ( Integrity); 1988
More Like You (Ministry); Out Of Africa (Maranatha [South Africa]); 1999--Let
The Nations Rejoice (Worship And Arts). A Heart For You (SongWard 2003)
Hymns, The Old Made New (Devotion 2005)
A Christian music veteran of twenty-five years, Scott Wesley Brown began
as a Gordon Lightfoot-style folk-Rock singer during the days of the Jesus
movement. He persevered to become one of Christian
music's foremost purveyors of easy listening ballads and worship songs.
Especially noted for his compassion and social concern, Brown is the
founder and director of I Care Ministries, and he
has worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor and hungry of the world. Originally
from Washington, D.C., he moved to Franklin, Tennessee, in 1981. In 1984
he compiled a project called All The Church Is Singing in support of Russian
churches behind the Iron Curtain. Brown has also
written songs for such artists as Pat Boone, Bruce Carroll, Amy Grant,
The Imperials, Sandi Patty, Mark Lowery and Petra. His song "My
Treasure" was recorded by opera star Placido Domingo on the
latter's million-selling Perhaps Love album in 1982. Brown
authored a book titled Keeping The Gospel In Gospel Music (American Christian
Writers, 1998).
Brown is backed by members of Sons Of Thunder on
his debut album, which opens with what would prove to be an uncharacteristic
rock track, "Sing, Singing His Song." The
second record (on Gary Paxton's label) begins instead with "Rejoice,"
a pretty ballad carried mainly by strings, and concludes with "Love
One Another," another pretty ballad consisting of mostly voice and
piano. In between it displays some surprising diversity: Paxton's "Ride
The Wild Horses" has a zany pop-rock feel, and "Excuses"
had Harmony magazine comparing Brown to Tom Jones.
The third album, I'm Not Religious, was to be Brown's
first "classic." The title song and "I Wish You
Jesus" became staples of late '70s Christian music, exemplifying
the transformation of spontaneous-but-sloppy Jesus music into the polished-but
programmed contemporary Christian sound. Brown now
had his sound defined, and his career with Sparrow would establish him
as a Christian musical equivalent of general market artists like Dan Hill
or Michael Johnson. Lyrically, he sought to establish a straightforward
Christian message in every song. The strong ministry
component of his concerts is revealed on his 1978 live album, Songs And
Stories, on which he is backed by the group Glad. He would release his
next project, One Step Closer, amid self-confessed repentance from "the
Jesus Star syndrome," consciously seeking to duck the spotlight and
offer subdued, worshipful songs like "Jesus is The Lord Of My Life"
and "Praise You In The Rain." Signature
was produced by Dan Collins (husband of Jamie Owens-Collins and eventual
head of Newport Records) and employs orchestral backing by the National
Philharmonic of London. "He Will Carry You" would gain
the most notice as a new inspirational standard. Collins
also produced SWB, which gave Brown his most-acclaimed record since I'm
Not Religious. Musically, SWB displays more of an orchestrated pop style
reminiscent of artists like Neil Diamond (whose arranger Lee Holdridge
was used). The project was voted one of the Top Five Christian
releases of 1981 by editors of Campus Life magazine; CCM called it "a
treasure chest of well-wrought MOR/inspirational songs arranged with high
drama yet delivered with obviously and simple sincerity." Exceptional
tracks include "This Little Child" (about the surprisingly humble
manner of Christ's coming to the world) and a version of "The Lord's
Prayer" that Brown had written for Pat Boone a decade earlier.
As years went by, Brown became a featured singer for such organizations as Promise Keepers, Campus Crusade For Christ, and Youth With A Mission. As indicated, however, missions and world hunger became pressing concerns. His album Kingdom Of Love evinces a tougher sound and seems to draw upon his experiences in visiting countries in the Eastern bloc. The song "The Wall" is ostensibly based on Joshua's biblical victory over Jericho, but makes analogous political references to the Berlin Wall. "Peace By Peace" is a pacifist anthem declaring that lasting peace can never be accomplished through warfare. In 1987 Brown recorded an entire album of songs dedicated to the poor (The Language Of Jesus Is Love), and in 1988 he recorded a similar concept album related to missions (To The Ends Of The Earth). The first of these features a tribute to Mother Teresa and a title track sung as a duet with Shirley Ceasar. The latter features "Please Don't Send Me To Africa," a satirical rendition of what Brown envisions to be the prayer of the American middle class: "Please don't send me to Africa / I don't think I've got what it takes / I'm just a man / I'm not Tarzan / I don't like lions or gorillas or snakes."
Brown entered the '90s with another adult contemporary
pop record in the same vein as SWB. The album Living In The Comfort Zone
has a definite international focus, incorporating touches of styles from
around the world. Thematically, too, "This Is The Church"
and "The Lord Who Loves Us All" encourage the listener to adopt
a global faith perspective. Brown was back on Christian
radio stations with the title track to the album and the song "Marvelous."
backed by the group Take Six. Passionate Pursuit continues to
seek a more up-to-date sound with a horn section on one song ("Let
My People Go") and vocal duets with Kelly Willard ("Righteous
and Holy") and Ashley Cleveland ("Tower of Pride"). The
titular subject of Passionate Pursuit is evangelism, which is extolled
so relentlessly that CCM would describe the album as "a high octane
evangelical lecture." In the late '90s Brown
focused on producing collections of worship songs, such as Mission Of
Praise, More Like You, and Let The Nations Rejoice. The album Out Of
Africa recorded in South Africa draws on his overseas experience to incorporate
distinctively African musical styles.
CHRISTIAN RADIO HITS: " I Wish You Jesus"; "I'm Not Religious"; One Step Closer"; "This Little Child"; "Learning To Live Like Jesus"; "He Will Carry You"; "It Is Finished" ; "Yeshua ha Mashiach"; "Kingdom Of Love"; "Marvelous"; "Living In The Comfort Zone".
For more information or interviews email:
Scott
Wesley Brown
