Christian Radio Network

It’s been 10 years since MercyMe frontman Bart Millard penned “I Can Only Imagine,” a touchingly personal song about his father’s early death that catapulted the group to nothing short of superstardom. The down-to-earth Texas-based band’s breakthrough hit would sell almost 3 million units, race up the charts on Top 40, AC, Christian and Country charts alike, and be adopted as an anthem by hurting people around the world. In a testament to “I Can Only Imagine’s” timelessness, it remains a favorite on radio playlists nationwide today.

To mark this epic anniversary, and to celebrate one of the most powerful songs and popular groups in Christian music history, MercyMe is releasing “10,” on April 7th. “10” is a new CD/DVD set that showcases twelve number one singles and videos that span the artists career (see full track listing below).

The “10” audio CD features all eleven of MercyMe’s number one radio hits that span their five studio releases, from 2001’s Almost There to their 2007 release All That Is Within Me. The disc also features three bonus tracks including a new recording of “I Can Only Imagine” with the famed London Symphony Orchestra, the never-before-released track “Only Temporary,” as well as the live show cult hit, “10 Simple Rules,” originally featured on the kids video “Hoop Dogz.”

The companion DVD brings the music to life, featuring a diverse mix of concept videos and live performances that showcase how the bands unique brand of music has won hearts in local venues and around the world. In addition to the eleven live and concept videos, fans can view an inside glimpse of the story behind “I Can Only Imagine” and get up close and personal with the band through their appearance on Gospel Music Channel’s “Faith & Fame” feature.

For listeners who first met MercyMe through the story of Millard’s father, which inspired “I Can Only Imagine,” “10” will be a musical marker of a career that has changed lives and continues to inspire. For others, it may be an introduction to a group that has scaled great heights and yet remains firmly grounded by their faith and their families.

MercyMe is also conducting a special edition, exclusive pre-sale offer for fans, details of which can be found at: http://www.mercyme.org.

To hear Millard talk more about “I Can Only Imagine,” please go to: http://www.inorecords.com/mercyme/downloads/mp3download.php?file=imagine10years.mp3

MercyMe will be performing and bowing the new project at the NRB Convention in Nashville as presented by The Christian Music Broadcasters’ “The Perfect 10″ Night Of Music on Monday February 9th.

Since their debut in 2001, Grammy-nominated, American Music Award and multiple GMA Dove Award winners MercyMe have sold over 6 million units in CD and DVD sales, including “Almost There”, nearly triple platinum, “Spoken For,” which is approaching platinum sales, and the RIAA Gold certification for “Undone,” the MercyMe Live DVD, and “Coming Up to Breathe”. Their latest, “All That Is Within Me,” entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at No. 15 and sold an impressive 83,626 units, the most they’ve ever sold in a project’s first week.

MercyMe is one of few Contemporary Christian music groups to have had all of their recordings certified Gold or Platinum, as well as garner 19 multi-format #1 Christian radio singles, and four consecutive mainstream radio hits with “I Can Only Imagine,” (No. 4 AC/top 25 on Top 40/Hot AC), “Here With Me” (No. 4 AC), “Homesick” (top 10 AC), and “So Long Self.” In 2008 the band was named R&R’s Christian AC Artist of the Year, and as one of the industry’s most notable talents, MercyMe has sold out venues including Radio City Music Hall and has been seen on The Tonight Show, CNN, Fox New Channel’s Fox & Friends, ABC News, CBS’ Early Show, and on the pages of Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, USA Today, Billboard, and more.

www.mercyme.org

Ron McClelland, bassist for the popular Christian recording band StorySide:B, collapsed and died suddenly from an apparent undiagnosed heart condition on January 18th while on a cruise with his wife as part of Jacksonville, Florida’s 88.1 The Promise radio listener appreciation trip.

McClelland, who was playing basketball when he lost consciousness, was not able to be revived. He was just 33 years old and is survived by his wife Rebecca.

Fellow band member and guitarist Preston Pohl commented on McClelland’s passing. “He’s inspired me musically and in every way in life. He wasn’t just my best friend; I could definitely consider him my brother. I continue to thank God for Heaven and I believe I’ll see him again, one day.”

“He just always walked around with a huge smile on his face and people just absolutely adored the ground that he walked on,” said drummer Jordan Mohilowski.
“Ron was a man I admired greatly, and I was lucky to call him friend,” said Gotee president Joey Elwood. “Men like Ron always leave a little piece of themselves in the people they touch through their integrity, their honesty, their selflessness, and their joy. That’s where I think many of us will find out solace in the days to come. Ron left a lot of himself for us, made many deposits in our lives and so he’ll be missed immensely, but his character will be with us, pushing us to be better, for the rest of our lives.”

Gotee Records’ Brad Moist commented, “I will always remember Ron’s infectious laughter and big bear-like hugs. Also, something that will always stand out to was how he was a guy who always expressed his appreciation and gratitude for what, we as a label and me as their A&R, did for StorySide:B.”

A donation fund has been established help cover the funeral costs and can be made at any Bank of America in the name of Ron and Rebecca McClelland. Reference bank account number xxxxxxx8678.

www.myspace.com/storysideb

This spring, Seventh Day Slumber will usher their fans into worship with an unexpected motif and sound. Applying their rock, alternative style to worshipful songs, Seventh Day Slumber hopes to provide a tool of praise in a relevant way. “Take Everything” will release on BEC Recordings March 10, 2009 featuring nine cover worship songs in addition to three stirring original tracks.

“We wanted to make these songs more appealing to some of the youth and teenagers out there,” front man Joseph Rojas says of staples like “How Great Is Our God,” “I Can Only Imagine,” “Famous One” and “Nothing But the Blood.” “They’re all really amazing songs and are obviously known by millions of people, but we wanted to record them in way that wasn’t wrapped around the traditional arrangements. We wanted people who wouldn’t normally listen to worship music to hear it in a way that’s relevant to them.”

As most will recall Rojas was delivered from depression and a $400 per day cocaine addiction, but the story doesn’t end there. Recently out of the blue, his father with whom he had an estranged relationship with since childhood, called to reconnect their lives. Excited to touch base with his father Joseph flew him to attend a Seventh Day Slumber concert. It was at that concert where his father answered the altar call and gave his life to Christ. This event among other experiences convinced the group to center the content of their forthcoming release around worship.

“We wanted to come up with something really interesting, taking the same lyrics and basically the same melodies, but putting a completely different spin on them,” he echoes. “So there we were going through our iPods listening to a heavy riff from Underoath one minute and “How Great Is Our God” in a standard worship format the next and subconsciously started taking those traditional worship songs and making them heavier.”

Clearly the band created a project that is already resonating with listeners as radio is praising the debut singles. Debut single (AC and CHR format) “From the Inside Out” as well as the Rock single “Surrender” are already receiving adds and acclaim.

“This song is from a contemporary band plus a song that radio listeners already sing in church,” states Greg Cassidy Program/Music Director KHZR St. Louis, MO. “It sounds great on the air and is testing well! This is the first song from these guys we’ve added…it really fits.”

The importance of live touring in bringing Seventh Day’s Slumber message to the masses has always been the band’s top priority. This year, they have formed a new partnership with the H2O artist agency which represents Newsboys, KJ-52, Superchic[k] and other major bands in the genre.

“Some bands play great music. Others have a heart for ministry,” shares Scott Huie, President H2O Artist Agency of the new partnership. “Seventh Day Slumber is one of those rare jewels of a band that shine at both, and what a privilege it is to be part of their ministry.”

Excited about the new project and touring relationship with H20, Joseph shares, “God’s the ultimate source of our souls finding hope and rest, which after seeing it happen firsthand with my own life and now my father’s faith walk makes me even more excited to sing these songs than ever before.”

About Seventh Day Slumber
From its indie beginnings at the tip of the 2000s to debuting on BEC Recordings in 2005, Seventh Day Slumber has continuously raised the bar of alternative rock excellence coupled with an unabashed gospel message. It’s a tightly wound dynamic that’s not only seen the band’s last two albums land on the Billboard Heatseekers charts (at #33 and #10 respectively), plus a string of Top 10 singles (including the smashes “Caroline” and “Oceans From the Rain”), but it’s also quite literally saved lives. For more information and up-to-date tour dates visit: www.seventhdayslumber.com

With Success of “By Your Side” Tenth Avenue North Joins Third Day, Brandon Heath and Jeremy Camp as the Only Artists in Past 12 Months to Celebrate
Multi-Format No.1s

Tenth Avenue North, the Best Selling and Most Played New Artist of 2008 (according to R&R’s Year End Chart) claims the No. 1 spot on the charts for the third time in its career, and first multi-format No.1, as “By Your Side” tops R&R’s CHR chart this week.

“By Your Side,” previously No. 1 on R&R’s AC Indicator chart (12/08), is also the band’s second career No. 1 at CHR and its third career No. 1 since the May 20 release of its top-selling debut album, Over and Underneath.

Tenth Avenue North has toured extensively over the last year in support of its debut album and will continue its impressive run of shows as it joins MercyMe on the “Rock & Worship Road Show.” The 20-city tour begins March 17 in Billings, Mont. Please visit www.tenthavenuenorth.com/tour for specific tour venues and times.

Features 12 Internationally Recognized Singer/Songwriters: Paul Baloche, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu G, Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Martin Smith, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin, Darlene Zschech

CompassionArt, an award-winning charity based in Littlehampton, England dedicated to seeing works of art generate income for the poorest of the poor, releases The Art of Compassion (FaithWords/Hachette Book Group, January 2009 in the US and Hodder & Stoughton, November 2008 in the UK). Written by 12 world-acclaimed singer/songwriters, the book records the journey that engaged these artists personally in social justice and led to this groundbreaking new charity and book that encourages readers to use their own creativity and talents to help end world poverty.

Challenged by the poverty he saw all over the world, CompassionArt founder Martin Smith, front man for the Gold-selling band Delirious?, gathered together 11 of his friends to write and record an album of songs with the direct aim of the relief of global poverty.

Each singer/songwriter involved in the project has written a chapter for the book. Featured writers include Paul Baloche, Steven Curtis Chapman, Stu G, Israel Houghton, Tim Hughes, Graham Kendrick, Andy Park, Matt Redman, Martin Smith, Michael W. Smith, Chris Tomlin and Darlene Zschech. Together, the artists account for at least 42 million albums sold, 83 No. 1 songs, 10 GRAMMY Awards, 118 Dove Awards, two Stellar Awards, two American Music Awards, and 98 current CCLI Top 500 songs sung by millions in churches around the world.

The compellingly candid stories tell firsthand accounts of extreme poverty around our planet. The stories show how the songwriters move from ignorance and apathy through paralyzing awareness and end with a hopeful call to action, showing us the brutal cost of comfort in the Western world.

“These twelve people are not professional theologians, aid workers, campaigners or development specialists,” says author Craig Borlase (The Naked Christian: Taking Off Religion To Find True Relationship), who writes the opening chapter in the book and serves as editor. “They’re people who—like the rest of us—wonder how their lives can be more effective when it comes to fighting poverty and getting closer to God’s agenda for us all.”

“We are a global community, an underground adventure, a map being drawn as we speak that connects wealth with poverty, art with hope, compassion with despair,” says Martin Smith. “We are starting with twelve of the best-known Christian recording artists, who have come together to create an album and a book, with all artist proceeds and royalties going to break the hold of poverty on people’s lives around the world. But we’re not stopping there; CompassionArt is evolving to connect, inspire and release compassion all over the world.”

“Just take the [CompassionArt] model and run with it,” encourages Michael W. Smith in the book. “…When we look out beyond the boundaries of our own lives – whether we start to focus on the people living around us, on the needs of our country or on the problems that trouble people throughout the world – we uncover one of the greatest secrets of eternity: that giving away is better than holding on, that connecting with others for their benefit far outweighs a life of greedy isolation.”

Each songwriter/author has donated 100% of their proceeds from The Art of Compassion royalties, as well as all the proceeds from the songs on the recording releasing simultaneously with the book, CompassionArt: Creating Freedom from Poverty (EMI CMG, Jan. 27, 2009; Fierce!/Kingsway, Integrity and Crossroads, Nov. 24, 2008), to charity. This is not just a one-time donation, but will be a forever offering for the life of the book and the songs through CompassionArt. All of the royalties received by GloWorks Limited, in partnership with CompassionArt, from sales of the United States edition of The Art of Compassion will go to CompassionArt, a UK charity. (© 2008 GloWorks Limited for CompassionArt, registered with the UK Charity Commission number 1124708.)

CompassionArt is not associated or affiliated with, or otherwise sponsored or endorsed by, Compassion International, Inc. Compassion® is a registered trademark of Compassion International, Inc.

More information on CompassionArt can be found at http://CompassionArt.tv.