Take Me to Your Leader (Newsboys album)
Take Me to Your Leader is the sixth studio album by Christian pop rock band Newsboys, released in 1996. It was both the last Newsboys album to feature lead vocalist John James and the first to feature bassist/vocalist Phil Joel. The album won a Dove Award in 1997 for its packaging,[1] and was also nominated for "Rock Album of the Year", "Rock Recorded Song of the Year" ("God Is Not a Secret") and "Short Form Music Video of the Year" (for "Take Me to Your Leader"). The album was also recognized with a Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Gospel Album". It is also the band's only album as a sextet.
| Take Me to Your Leader | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 20, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1996 | |||
| Genre | Christian rock, Christian pop | |||
| Length | 37:00 | |||
| Label | Star Song Communications | |||
| Producer | Steve Taylor, Peter Furler | |||
| Newsboys chronology | ||||
| ||||
The vehicle pictured is an X-PAK 400, created by George Barris in the early 1960s during the Battle of Air Cars. This car appears on a stage in "Hangover" (season 1, episode 12 of the Alfred Hitchcock Hour). Also in this episode, actor Tony Randall, as Hadley Purvis, says the phrase "Take me to your leader."
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Cross Rhythms | |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "God Is Not a Secret" | Taylor and Furler | Furler | Furler | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Take Me to Your Leader" | Taylor | Furler | James and Joel | 2:58 |
| 3. | "Breathe" | Joel and Furler | Furler | Furler | 3:15 |
| 4. | "Reality" | Taylor and Furler | Furler | James and Furler | 3:08 |
| 5. | "Breakfast" | Taylor | Furler | Furler | 3:40 |
| 6. | "Let It Go" | Taylor and Furler | Furler and Frankenstein | Furler and Joel | 3:38 |
| 7. | "Cup O' Tea" | Furler and Joel | Furler | Furler | 2:40 |
| 8. | "It's All Who You Know" | Taylor | Furler | Furler | 3:11 |
| 9. | "Miracle Child" | Taylor and Furler | Davis and Furler | James | 3:10 |
| 10. | "Lost the Plot" | Taylor and Furler | Furler | Furler | 4:56 |
| 11. | "Breathe (Benediction)" | Joel and Furler | Furler | Joel | 3:15 |
| Total length: | 37:00 | ||||
Music videos
- "Take Me to Your Leader"
Radio singles
Aside from "Miracle Child," which was not released as a radio single, every track from Take Me to Your Leader became a top ten hit on at least one of CCM Magazine's Christian charts (either the CHR, Adult Contemporary, or Rock format).
Note: all CCM Magazine' chart information is available in the book Hot Hits CHR 1978-1997 (1997) by Jeffrey Lee Brothers
| Single | CCM Chart |
Debut | Peak Date |
Peak Pos |
Total Wks |
Spins (since 1998) source: Mediabase |
Other Album Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Reality" | CHR | 2/12/96 | 4/1/96 | 1 | 12 | 1,748 |
|
| AC | 2/19/96 | 4/1/96 | 9 | 13 | |||
| "God Is Not a Secret" | Rock | 2/26/96 | 4/29/96 | 2 | 18 | 121 |
|
| "Take Me to Your Leader" | CHR | 4/29/96 | 6/24/96 | 1 | 13 | 1,038 |
|
| AC | 5/20/96 | 6/6/96 | 37 | 5 | |||
| "Cup O' Tea" | Rock | 7/29/96 | 9/16/96 | 1 | 14 | 6 | — |
| "Let It Go" | CHR | 8/5/96 | 9/23/96 | 1 | 12 | 724 |
|
| AC | 8/5/96 | 9/23/96 | 4 | 15 | |||
| Inspirational | 9/16/96 | 9/23/96 | 21 | 4 | |||
| "Lost the Plot" | Rock | 10/21/96 | 1/6/97 | 2 | 16 | 11 | — |
| "Breakfast" | CHR | 11/4/96 | 1/6/97 | 4 | 13 | 6,108 |
|
| "Breathe" | Rock | 1/27/97 | 3/17/97 | 1 | 14 | 132 | — |
| "Breathe (Benediction)" | CHR | 2/10/97 | 3/24/97 | 2 | 10 | 73 | — |
| "It's All Who You Know" | CHR | 6/16/97 | 7/14/97 | 6 | 7 | 4 | — |
Personnel
- John James – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Peter Furler – drums, lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, kazoo, whistling
- Jody Davis – guitar, backing vocals
- Duncan Phillips – percussion
- Jeff Frankenstein – keyboards
- Phil Joel – bass, lead vocals, backing vocals, whistling
References
- Archived October 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Michael Gallucci. Take Me to Your Leader Review at AllMusic. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- Tony Cummings (April 13, 1996). "Newsboys - Take Me To Your Leader Review". Cross Rhythms. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- Mark Ross. "Newsboys - Take Me To Your Leader Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved September 13, 2011.