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Contemporary Christian Music Watch
By Jim Galipeau

The "Rappin' Boys of the Silver Screen" have been put on hold! Last month I told you about >DC Talk preparing a feature film, "Free At Last," tentatively scheduled for a fall release. Intaglio Productions, the group working on the film, has decided to postpone the release date. The company will try to persuade major distributors to release it the first quarter of 1995.

Amy Grant's new album House of Love has hit bookstores, record stores and major retail chains like a hurricane! On the Christian retail level the album shipped 450,000 units; 1.2 million units total to the general marketplace. Myrrh is spending a lot of time and money promoting this release to the Christian retailers. One of the major promotions is the "House of Love VIP Sweepstakes." The grand prize is a trip for two to a "House of Love" concert with the red-carpet treatment . . . limo transportation, great seats, backstage passes, tour jackets and, of course, photos with the >Amy Grant cardboard stand-up!! Just kidding on the cardboard stand-up, the pictures will be with the real Amy Grant. There will also be several other "consolation" prizes such as tour jackets, Amy Grant CD libraries, videos and T-shirts.

In the meantime, Amy's music from House Of Love is tearing up both the Christian and mainstream charts. At press time, the debut single "Lucky One" was No. 7 on Radio & Records' AC chart, No. 14 on Billboard AC and No. 40 on the Hot 100. Her Christian single, "Children of the World," is one of the most added songs of the week on Christian Research Report's AC chart and The CCM Update's AC chart.

Meanwhile, The Tennessean newspaper reports that a 35-year-old Chicago man was arrested recently for trespassing on the Franklin, Tenn., Farm of Amy Grant and hubby >Gary Chapman. The man was sentenced to thirty days in jail and was told to stay away from the Grant-Chapman farm and family and was even warned to stay out of Williamson County. Keep all this in mind the next time you take that family trip to find the "stars'" homes in the Nashville are.

According to all reports I've seen and heard, Youth for Christ's DC '94 went well. It all started Wednesday night, July 27, with speaker >Ken Davis and music from >Al Denson, >Geoff Moore >& the Distance and DC Talk. Amy Grant also made a surprise appearance leading the youth in "We Believe In God." On Thursday night, >Michael W. Smith was the surprise guest. Friday was the conclusion to the "True Love Waits" campaign with at least 200,000 covenant cards planted in the ground at the National Mall. Performing Friday were >Steven Curtis Chapman, >Petra, >Degarmo & Key and speaker >Josh McDowell.

>Susan Ashton has caught the attention of one of country music's hottest artists, >Garth Brooks. In fact, she'll be opening for Garth on the second leg of his European tour. Brooks says Ashton will be a wonderful addition to the tour.

>Phillips, Craig & Dean are getting ready for their first national tour as headliners, stopping at over twenty cities. Opening for the male trio will be labelmate >Brian Barrett and new Sparrow artist >Cheri Keaggy. By the way, Cheri's celebrating her first No. 1 single, "Open My Heart."

You've come to know and love her as >Sandi Patti, now she's changing her name . . . well, the spelling of her last name. Sandi has gone back to the original spelling of her family name. So >Sandi >Patty has finished her new release, Find It On the Wings, which is slated to be in stores sometime in October. Sandi will tour sixty major markets with a full band and will also be part of the Young Messiah Tour around the Christmas season.

Besides Patty's new album, this fall we'll see some new releases from >Bob Carlisle, >Mark Lowry, >Lisa Bevill and >4Him. I've also heard that Smitty's begun work on his next project which may be more rock like The Big Picture than pop like Go West Young Man and Change Your World. I'll be sure to keep you posted.

WJIE Pics

King of the Jungle Steven Curtis Chapman

Fearless Heart East to West

No Condemnation Lisa Bevill

Children of the World Amy Grant

Be Still Newsboys

Traces of Heaven Bryan Duncan

Where are the Broken Hearts

Gary Chapman

My Place Is With You Clay Crosse

Little Bit of Love Rebecca St. James

You Can't Put Out the Fire Larnelle Harris