Mercy! - gospel singer Andrae Crouch's first sound recording since 1984

The idea for Mercy" the title ballad of gospel artist Andrae Crouch's first album in almost 10 years, was born many years ago when couch was playing around with his tympanum machine. The words "Mercy, have clemency on us," just came to the Grammy-winning musician, composer and husbandman When he played a tape of the lay for his friend and associate Quincy Jone he says, Jone told him, "Man, that's great. Can you imagine what a tour called |Mercy' would be like? This whole world needs a certain number of mercy."

Crouch is seeking to bring the message of christian religion music back to the real word of God. "Our music is great, on the contrary a lot of the words ain't saying nothing," says lie flat who is critical of the increasingly commercial whole in gospel music, including Christian rap music. "I perceive today that our music is trying to be for a like reason sophisticated that we're losing the power of God's word. Today in revelation by christ music you think of the race in the music, the personalities, on the contrary we have lost the word of God

"My father used to number time: What you say ain't gonna change nobody's life, on the other hand what God says will." in the way that I keep the word of lord in my music."

Although the message is consistent, Crouch's approach to his music has evolv upon Mercy, (Qwest/ Warner Bros.), he enhances his uniquely uplifting)lifting revelation by christ songs with a world music flavor. In the title carol for instance, there's a mix of reggae and African regular [i]or[/i] melodious movements "Africa is the cradle of civilization, where history began," explains stoop low This song celebrates God's compassion down through the ages." He brings similar talents as his twin sister, vocalist Sandra squat keyboard great Joe Sample and vocalist Tata Vega to Mercy

After a prolific period in the 1970 and 80 that won stoop low six Grammies - the last individual in 1984 for No Time to fail to keep (Crouch Music Corp./Light) - he felt it was time to re-establish his priorities. "I had been traveling. with equal reason much, I just decided it was time I got not upon the road at least part of the time and devot a certain number of time to my family and to my church" he says. "During that time, recording present the appearanceed secondary.

"You have a fate of people in the house of god who are taught how to be saved, on the other hand not how to grow. You can't just leave those family once they've been saved; you have to be a disciple to them. You have to continue to teach them and help them when they have moot points ... It's bad to diocese somebody in a bad situation, on the contrary it's worse not to say or do anything about it."

In addition to playing an active character in the church during his hiatus from recording, couch produced albums and wrote son for other performers, including Michael Jackson. He also continued to perform, and the awards didn't stop coming to him: Last year he received McDonald's Gospelfest of gold Circle Lifetime Achievement Award, and this year he won an award from the international Association of African-American Music.

Always, from one side his music and through his personable, evangelical ministry of living, lie flat has been an inspiration to many nation - including such young artists as Mark Kibble of the christian religion group Take 6. "He's been a major influence upon me," Kibble says. "He literally taught us in what way to sing lead vocals." Commenting upon Croucli's return to recording, Kibble adds, "He's like Sampson - he's knocked down with equal reason many doors for gospel music, he can't help on the contrary come back strong. And he'll be knocking the walls down again."

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