DC Talk
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the album. For the music group, see DC Talk (band).
DC Talk is the first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
released from vocal trio DC Talk. It is the most hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
-oriented of all of their albums as each later album gradually progressed into a more rock-centered sound. Michael Tait stated that their original goal for the album was to sell 10,000 units. It sold 7,142 units in 1989. After their popularity spiked with the release of Free At Last, back sales increased although it is the only of their studio album to not reach RIAA gold status (500,000 units sold).
Track listing
- "Heavenbound" – 3:53 (feat. Kevin Max)
- "Gah Ta Be" – 3:57
- "Final Days" – 4:08
- "The King (Allelujah)" – 4:10
- "Spinnin' Round" – 3:48
- "Voices Praise Him" – 3:51
- "Time Ta Jam" – 2:02
- "He Loves Me" – 5:11
Recording
DC Talk (consisting of Toby McKeehanToby McKeehan
Toby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
, Michael Tait
Michael Tait
Michael DeWayne Tait is a Contemporary Christian Music artist. Michael Tait met Toby McKeehan and Kevin Max while attending Liberty University in the late 1980s, and formed four-time grammy winning band DC Talk, with whom he released 5 acclaimed studio albums...
, and Kevin Max
Kevin Max
Kevin Max Smith is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk...
) signed their initial record deal with ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records
ForeFront Records is a Christian Music record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from current owners Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo and is now part of the EMI Christian Music Group.In 1998, ForeFront released a 2-CD...
in January 1989, along with Vic Mignogna
Vic Mignogna
Victor Joseph "Vic" Mignogna is an American Anime Award winning voice actor and musician who has done voice work for many anime series, movies, and video games...
and Mike Valliere. In the long-from video Narrow Is the Road, the group points out the apartment where the deal was signed. Dropping out of Liberty University
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
, the trio moved to Nashville, TN and recording for DC Talk immediately began. Recording was a fast process as the album released June 13, 1989.
Heavenbound and Spinnin' Round
The album's opening track provided the majority of the album's relative sales success. "Heavenbound" was originally recorded for the group's independently-released cassette demo Christian Rhymes to a RhythmChristian Rhymes to a Rhythm
Christian Rhymes to a Rhythm was Dc Talk's independent debut album released in 1987. It is extremely rare so information on it is hard to find. Despite this, all of the songs on this album appear on the album Dc Talk in 1989. The only differences between the 2 albums is that by 1989, Kevin Max had...
, which featured only Tait and McKeehan. It was re-recorded after Kevin Max
Kevin Max
Kevin Max Smith is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk...
was added to the group just prior to this release. The album received a sales boost after the music video for "Heavenbound," the only one made for this record, received airplay on the BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
network's "Rap City." "Heavenbound" was featured on the compilation Ultimate Rap (Starsong, 1989).
The second but minor hit was "Spinnin' Round" featuring their friend Mike Valliere who beatboxed (known as "Valet Beat") on this Final Days, and Time Ta Jam. "Spinnin' Round" was featured on the compilations Rappin' His Word: Today's Hottest Christian Rap (Arrival Recordings, 1990) and Rap - Straight From the Streets (Benson, 1990).
Both songs were included in the album dc talk: The Early Years
The Early Years (dc Talk album)
The Early Years is a compilation album from DC Talk featuring songs from their first three studio albums. The album was released to introduce newer fans of the group to their older material.-Track listing:#"Heavenbound" - 3:52...
Additionally, "Gah Ta Be" was featured on Ultimate Rap 2 (Starsong, 1990).
Always Leanin'
The album Christian Rhymes to a Rhythm included the song Always Leanin' which was excluded from this album, for unknown reasons.Sales
The album released to minimum sales on June 13, 1989. The album grossed 7,142 units by the end of 1989. Christian albums are tracked on Billboard's Top Contemporary Albums chart, which then tracked the top forty albums on a bi-weekly basis (now weekly). DC Talk managed to break onto the chart just once in 1989 (#34 on November 18, 1989). Seven months later, in June 1990, the album returned to Top 40 on the June 2 and June 16 charts (#32 and #39, respectively). The trio's second album, Nu ThangNu Thang
Nu Thang is the second studio album from DC Talk, which was released in 1990. It was certified Gold by RIAA.-Track listing:#"When DC Talks" – 2:28#"He Works" – 3:39#"I Luv Rap Music" – 3:49#"No More" – 3:37#"Nu Thang" – 4:12...
, broke into the Top 10 in November 1990 and remained in at least the Top 12 for six straight months. It peaked at #5 three times during this run. The success of Nu Thang led to an interest in DC Talk far higher than it ever enjoyed on its own. After reaching the Top 40 only six times, and no higher than #32, in its first two and a half years, DC Talk soared to #18 for the chart of November 2, 1991. Proving it was no fluke, it remained on the chart for the next two and a half months. It peaked at #10 on November 30, 1991 but had other Top 20 showings of #11, #14 (twice), and #19 at various points of its run. After its rather humble beginning, DC Talk crossed the 100,000 units-sold mark.
Reworked Live Versions
Two songs from DC Talk were reworked for the Free At Last World Tour in 1994. The first eight lines of lyrics from "Time ta Jam" were updated into a live-only song, which introduced by name the group's touring band members, called "Back 2 the Basics." Footage can be seen in the long-form video Narrow is the Road. Also on the Free At Last World Tour was a completely reworked version of "Heavenbound" that brought the song into the combo rap/rock sound of the Free At Last era. This version of "Heavenbound" has never been commercially released in audio or video format. An even different version of "Heavenbound" was included on the The Supernatural Experience tour. It was "freestyled" by Toby McKeehan and bass player Otto Price (a.k.a. "Sugar Bear"). A clip of this version is included on the DVD/VHS The Supernatural Experience.Rap, Rock, & Soul
Following the success of Nu ThangNu Thang
Nu Thang is the second studio album from DC Talk, which was released in 1990. It was certified Gold by RIAA.-Track listing:#"When DC Talks" – 2:28#"He Works" – 3:39#"I Luv Rap Music" – 3:49#"No More" – 3:37#"Nu Thang" – 4:12...
, the group released Rap, Rock, & Soul, a long-form video that chronicled the group's first two albums. For the portion detailing DC Talk, the VHS video contains live performances of "He Loves Me" and "Time Ta Jam." The music video for "Heavenbound" is also included.
Production credits
- Executive Producer –Dan R. Brock
- Production –Toby McKeehanToby McKeehanToby McKeehan , better known by his stage name TobyMac , is a Christian recording artist, music producer, hip-hop/pop artist, singer-songwriter, and author....
and Ron W. Griffin - Engineering and mixing –Ron W. Griffin, Richard Hartline, E. Q. Monroe
- Recorded at Horizon Recording Studios, Pittman, NJ; OmniSound, Nashville, TN; and Crosstown Recorders, Memphis, TN
- Mastered by Hank Williams for MasterMix, Nashville TN
- Cover design –Jon Timian
- Photography –Steve Eastham and Jon Timian
- Music for "Heavenbound" arranged by Richard Hartline
- Music and vocals for "Final Days", and "He Loves Me" arranged by Vic MignognaVic MignognaVictor Joseph "Vic" Mignogna is an American Anime Award winning voice actor and musician who has done voice work for many anime series, movies, and video games...
- Beatbox on "Time Ta Jam", "Final Days", and "Spinnin Round" by Mike Valliere (Valet Beat)
- Words and music by Toby McKeehan execept "Voices Praise Him" and "He Loves Me" - Words by Toby McKeehan, music by Toby McKeehan and Richard Hartline