Tribal Opera is the title of an album by Mark Heard

Mark Heard

John Mark Heard was a record producer, folk-rock singer, and songwriter originally from Macon, Georgia, USA....

 (using the pseudonym iDEoLA), released in 1987 on What? Records

What? Records

What? Records was a short-lived record label started by Word Records and A&M Records, intended to focus on creative and unusual rock and roll records with spiritual messages....

. It is a full-on solo project, put together by Heard in his home studio using samples and acoustic, electric and electronic instruments. The band name iDEoLA has no particular meaning; of it Heard said, It's not supposed to be mysterious or anything; I just put a band together and right now I happen to be the only one in it." The album was a bold step away from the country/folk-rock atmosphere of much of Heard's prior and subsequent music.

Both Rich Mullins

Rich Mullins

Richard Wayne "Rich" Mullins was an American Contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter born in Richmond, Indiana. He had two sisters and two brothers....

 and Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...

 later covered "How To Grow Up Big and Strong" on their own albums. Americana artist John Austin covered "Go Ask the Dead Man".

Side one

1. "I Am An Emotional Man"
2. "Is It Any Wonder"
3. "Watching the Ship Go Down"
4. "Talk To Me"
5. "Go Ask the Dead Man"

Side two

1. "Love Is Bigger Than Life"
2. "How To Grow Up Big and Strong"
3. "Everybody Dances"
4. "Why Can't We Just Say No"
5. "Hold Back Your Tears"

Additional musicians

People who hit things for digital samples at Fingerprint Recorders: Doug Mathews, David McSparran, Steve Hindalong

Steve Hindalong

Steve Hindalong is an American drummer, percussionist, songwriter and producer best known for his work with the alternative rock band The Choir...

, David Baker (who also played the Wengi Drum introduction for "Talk To Me") and Dan Michaels

Production notes

• Produced and recorded by Mark Heard at Fingerprint Recorders
  Fingerprint Recorders
  Fingerprint Recorders was a recording studio owned by Mark Heard, where he recorded most of his own records. The studio was located in Montrose, California....
  
  , Los Angeles, California
  Los Angeles, California
  Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
  
  
• Mixed digitally by Mark Heard at Can Am Recorders, Tarzana, California
• Assistants: Stan Katayama, Dan Reed and, Jim Dineen
• PCM 1630 editing at Digital Magnetics by Ted Hall
• Digital mastering at Futuredisc by Steve Hall
• Slaves prepared at Hollywood Sound
• Cover design and graphic arts: Tim Alderson
• Back cover photo-art by Stewart lvester
• Front cover optical textures by Andrew Doucene