Prodigal (band)
Encyclopedia
Prodigal was a progressive, influential Contemporary Christian music
group from Cincinnati, Ohio which released three albums in the early 1980s. Although classified primarily as a rock
band, the group's sound ranged from radio-friendly pop
to keyboard-driven New Wave
to pop country
. The group members were keyboardist Loyd Boldman, drummer Dave Workman, guitarist Rick Fields and bassist Mike Wilson. Prodigal was noted for having three lead singers, as Boldman, Workman and Fields would trade off lead vocalist duties depending on the track. Boldman generally handled the rock-oriented tracks, while Workman and Fields split the more pop- and New Wave-focused material.
Prodigal had success on Christian radio with the songs "Invisible Man" (from Prodigal
), the #1 single "Scene of the Crime," "Emerald City" (from Electric Eye
) and "Jump Cut" from Just Like Real Life
. The band also created a number of promotional music video
s for Electric Eye and Just Like Real Life which were featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network
's music video show Real Videos.
The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music says, "Prodigal was in tune with the sounds and spirit of the early ‘80s...while writing songs that expanded the boundaries of the worship and evangelism fare that typified contemporary Christian music at the time." Prodigal’s self-titled debut album was named Album of the Year in 1982 by Group magazine (along with Amy Grant
’s Age to Age
and Petra
’s More Power to Ya
). The music video for the song "Fast Forward" was named Video of the Year by the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers (now the Alliance for Community Media
).
Electric Eye, the group’s second album, received Best of the Year honors in 1984 by both Contemporary Christian Music
magazine (CCM) and Campus Life magazine. The album also received national attention for a unique promotional idea: a computer program for a Commodore 64
was mastered into a “stop-groove” at the end of the vinyl record, the first time this had ever been done. Anyone who downloaded the program via a cassette drive into their computer would find graphics, lyrics and a message from the band. The video for the song, "Boxes" (written by Workman and directed by Boldman), won the very first Gospel Music Association
(GMA) Dove Award for music videos ("Best Visual Song").
The Christian Music Archive said of the band's third album, Just Like Real Life, "This is an excellent album by one of the early New Wave/Rock hybrid bands of the early to mid-eighties, using equal parts keyboards and rock guitar. Sadly the band didn't get the recognition they so richly deserved, as this was a cut above most Christian albums of the time with instantly memorable songs and lyrics so intelligently written as to be in a class of their own. If they had been a secular band, they would have been early MTV stars. An essential album."
After Prodigal disbanded, Boldman released a solo album Sleep Without Dreams on the independent label Outbound Records in 1988. Boldman created three music videos for the album, including one for the title track which won Best Video from the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association (FMPTA). He later co-founded Devotion Media, a creative media firm in Winter Park, Florida
. Boldman has been part of the worship team at Northland Church in Longwood, Florida, since 1989. Workman is current pastor
of Vineyard Community Church
in Cincinnati, while Fields has been serving in the worship band at Crossroads Cincinnati since 2001, and as a member of both The Perkolaters and David Wolfenberger
's band. Mike Wilson currently leads worship at Word of Life Church in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
All three of the band's albums are out of print, and have never been released on CD, either originally or as re-issues. A retrospective article about Prodigal appeared in 2009 in the online magazine Popdose.com[]
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
group from Cincinnati, Ohio which released three albums in the early 1980s. Although classified primarily as a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band, the group's sound ranged from radio-friendly pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
to keyboard-driven New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
to pop country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. The group members were keyboardist Loyd Boldman, drummer Dave Workman, guitarist Rick Fields and bassist Mike Wilson. Prodigal was noted for having three lead singers, as Boldman, Workman and Fields would trade off lead vocalist duties depending on the track. Boldman generally handled the rock-oriented tracks, while Workman and Fields split the more pop- and New Wave-focused material.
Prodigal had success on Christian radio with the songs "Invisible Man" (from Prodigal
Prodigal (album)
Prodigal is the self-titled debut album by the Contemporary Christian/Christian rock band Prodigal, released in 1982.The album cover is notable for mimicking M. C...
), the #1 single "Scene of the Crime," "Emerald City" (from Electric Eye
Electric Eye (album)
Electric Eye is the second studio album by the Christian rock band Prodigal, released in 1984.The band created promotional music videos for "Scene of the Crime," "Fast Forward" and "Boxes," which were featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network's music video show Real Videos at the time of the album's...
) and "Jump Cut" from Just Like Real Life
Just Like Real Life
Just Like Real Life is the third and final studio album by the Christian rock band Prodigal, released in 1985.The band created promotional music videos for "Future Now" and "Jump Cut," which were featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network's music video show Real Videos at the time of the album's...
. The band also created a number of promotional music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for Electric Eye and Just Like Real Life which were featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network
Trinity Broadcasting Network
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is a major American Christian television network. TBN is based in Costa Mesa, California, with auxiliary studio facilities in Irving, Texas; Hendersonville, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; Decatur, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Orlando, Florida; and New...
's music video show Real Videos.
The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music says, "Prodigal was in tune with the sounds and spirit of the early ‘80s...while writing songs that expanded the boundaries of the worship and evangelism fare that typified contemporary Christian music at the time." Prodigal’s self-titled debut album was named Album of the Year in 1982 by Group magazine (along with Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
’s Age to Age
Age to Age
Age to Age is the sixth album by Christian music singer Amy Grant, released in 1982 on Myrrh Records.Age to Age was Amy Grant's breakthrough album, finally earning her serious recognition within the burgeoning Contemporary Christian music community as it ushered her into stardom, and also...
and Petra
Petra (band)
Petra is a music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres. Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock"...
’s More Power to Ya
More Power To Ya
More Power To Ya is the fifth studio release of the Christian rock band, Petra. It was released in 1982. Many Petra fans have long considered this to be their best release from the 80s....
). The music video for the song "Fast Forward" was named Video of the Year by the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers (now the Alliance for Community Media
Alliance for Community Media
The Alliance for Community Media , previously known as the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers , is an advocacy and lobbying organization in the United States in support of Public, educational, and government access cable tv channels...
).
Electric Eye, the group’s second album, received Best of the Year honors in 1984 by both Contemporary Christian Music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
magazine (CCM) and Campus Life magazine. The album also received national attention for a unique promotional idea: a computer program for a Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
was mastered into a “stop-groove” at the end of the vinyl record, the first time this had ever been done. Anyone who downloaded the program via a cassette drive into their computer would find graphics, lyrics and a message from the band. The video for the song, "Boxes" (written by Workman and directed by Boldman), won the very first Gospel Music Association
Gospel Music Association
The Gospel Music Association was founded in 1964 for the purpose of supporting and promoting the development of all forms of Gospel music. There are currently about 4,000 members worldwide...
(GMA) Dove Award for music videos ("Best Visual Song").
The Christian Music Archive said of the band's third album, Just Like Real Life, "This is an excellent album by one of the early New Wave/Rock hybrid bands of the early to mid-eighties, using equal parts keyboards and rock guitar. Sadly the band didn't get the recognition they so richly deserved, as this was a cut above most Christian albums of the time with instantly memorable songs and lyrics so intelligently written as to be in a class of their own. If they had been a secular band, they would have been early MTV stars. An essential album."
After Prodigal disbanded, Boldman released a solo album Sleep Without Dreams on the independent label Outbound Records in 1988. Boldman created three music videos for the album, including one for the title track which won Best Video from the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association (FMPTA). He later co-founded Devotion Media, a creative media firm in Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Boldman has been part of the worship team at Northland Church in Longwood, Florida, since 1989. Workman is current pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Vineyard Community Church
Association of Vineyard Churches
The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian denomination with over 1,500 affiliated churches worldwide....
in Cincinnati, while Fields has been serving in the worship band at Crossroads Cincinnati since 2001, and as a member of both The Perkolaters and David Wolfenberger
David Wolfenberger
David Wolfenberger is a singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Former frontman for The Marshwiggles and Thom Scarecrow, Wolfenberger has 3 solo CDs to date; Tales From Thom Scarecrow, and World of the Satisfy'n Place on Blue Jordan Records and more recently in 2006 on Fundamental Records,...
's band. Mike Wilson currently leads worship at Word of Life Church in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
All three of the band's albums are out of print, and have never been released on CD, either originally or as re-issues. A retrospective article about Prodigal appeared in 2009 in the online magazine Popdose.com[]
Prodigal discography
- 1982 ProdigalProdigal (album)Prodigal is the self-titled debut album by the Contemporary Christian/Christian rock band Prodigal, released in 1982.The album cover is notable for mimicking M. C...
- 1984 Electric EyeElectric Eye (album)Electric Eye is the second studio album by the Christian rock band Prodigal, released in 1984.The band created promotional music videos for "Scene of the Crime," "Fast Forward" and "Boxes," which were featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network's music video show Real Videos at the time of the album's...
- 1985 Just Like Real LifeJust Like Real LifeJust Like Real Life is the third and final studio album by the Christian rock band Prodigal, released in 1985.The band created promotional music videos for "Future Now" and "Jump Cut," which were featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network's music video show Real Videos at the time of the album's...
Loyd Boldman discography
- 1988 Sleep Without Dreams
- 1997 One Hallelujah: A Northland Worship Album
- 2000 How Can I Keep From Singing: A Northland Worship Album
- 2007 Where God Wants To Be: Northland Christmas Worship
Rick Fields discography
- 1988 Sleep Without Dreams Loyd Boldman
- 1999 Finishing School
- 1999 My One Desire Vineyard Community Church
- 2000 Deeper State of Blue - Janet PressleyJanet PressleyJanet Pressley is an American singer-songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio, who founded the Blue Jordan Coffeehouse which later became Blue Jordan Records. She has released two full length records on the label; Late Last Night and A Deeper State Of Blue. She also released a special EP entitled Songs To...
- 2001 Open Hands Bare Feet" - Crossroads Band
- 2001 World of the Satisfyn' Place - David WolfenbergerDavid WolfenbergerDavid Wolfenberger is a singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Former frontman for The Marshwiggles and Thom Scarecrow, Wolfenberger has 3 solo CDs to date; Tales From Thom Scarecrow, and World of the Satisfy'n Place on Blue Jordan Records and more recently in 2006 on Fundamental Records,...
- 2002 (It's Always) Sunrise For Someone - Sunrise For Someone
- 2006 Portrait of NarcissusPortrait of NarcissusPortrait Of Narcissus is the third solo album by David Wolfenberger. It was released in 2006 on Fundamental Records with Blue Jordan Records as an imprint. The album contains 12 original tracks and features such notables as Victoria Williams on vocals, Michelle Shocked on vocals, Joshua Seurkamp on...
- David WolfenbergerDavid WolfenbergerDavid Wolfenberger is a singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Former frontman for The Marshwiggles and Thom Scarecrow, Wolfenberger has 3 solo CDs to date; Tales From Thom Scarecrow, and World of the Satisfy'n Place on Blue Jordan Records and more recently in 2006 on Fundamental Records,... - 2008 Summer Lake Champion - Sunrise For Someone