By Deborah Evans Price NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Charlie Daniels and Ricky Skaggs are among the country artists who lent their voices to a new collection of praise and worship songs. "Songs4Worship: Country," an October 2 release from Time Life Music, expands the label's top-selling worship series. The project features Daniels reinventing the Rich Mullins classic "Awesome God," Linda Davis' version of "Shout to the Lord" and Emerson Drive on the MercyMe hit "I Can Only Imagine.
" Rascal Flatts and Diamond Rio are among the other artists who contributed to the set. "I just felt it was time for us to cross-pollinate," said Michael Curtis, a noted songwriter/producer who had the idea of marrying country artists with well-known worship songs. He enlisted Teddy Gentry, best-known as a member of famed country group Alabama, to produce the album with him.
"Worship music just feels natural for the country people to do," Gentry said. "It doesn't feel like they are stepping out of their comfort zone to do this." In the past couple of years, country radio and fans have been quick to embrace country artists recording faith-based songs, as evidenced by such hits as Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and Brooks Dunn's "Believe.
" "Songs4Worship: Country" will be distributed to mainstream retail through WEA and to the Christian market via Time Life's partnership with Integrity Music. The product is also being offered on TV through a direct-response campaign. Both avenues have proved successful for Time Life in the past.
The company's first foray into Christian music came in the mid-'90s with "Songs4Life." Time Life then partnered with Integrity Music for the "Songs4Worship" series. Time Life will launch two other Christian products this fall.
The company partnered with BET J to issue "Love's Holiday: A Gospel Christmas," featuring Alicia Keys, Ann McCrary, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Donald Lawrence, Mary Mary, Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Bell Armstrong and Luther Vandross. The channel will air a half-hour program dedicated to the album in the coming weeks. On October 12, Time Life will launch "Songs4Ever" via a direct-response TV campaign.
The 10-CD series is a comprehensive collection of contemporary Christian music from the early days with Keith Green and Larry Norman to today's hits by Third Day, Casting Crowns and Jeremy Camp. It will be available through retail outlets sometime in 2008.
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