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| After reuniting the original group to record two songs for some compilation projects, music publishers Discovery House signed the members of the original lineup to record together again. Their new collection, entitled ''Rejoice'', was released in 2007.<ref name="christianpublicityservices.com"/> | After reuniting the original group to record two songs for some compilation projects, music publishers Discovery House signed the members of the original lineup to record together again. Their new collection, entitled ''Rejoice'', was released in 2007.<ref name="christianpublicityservices.com"/> | ||
| McCall, Tunney and Keen have excelled in their individual pursuits while maintaining their spiritual and musical alliance as |
McCall, Tunney and Keen have excelled in their individual pursuits while maintaining their spiritual and musical alliance as First Call. Marty McCall served for 16 years as worship leader and Director of the Worship Department at McLean Bible Church, a mega church in the DC area. He has established an online platform for coaching worship leaders, teams and singers. Bonnie Keen is an accomplished actress, author, speaker and teacher. Melodie Tunney serves as worship leader at her Nashville church and collaborates with her husband, Dick Tunney on various musical projects. | ||
| == Awards == | == Awards == | ||
Revision as of 03:45, 31 August 2017
This article is about the Christian music group. For the bugle call, see First call.| First Call | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genres | Contemporary Christian music |
| Past members | Marty McCall Bonnie Keen Mel Tunney Marabeth Jordan |
| Website | firstcallmusic |
First Call is an American contemporary Christian music (CCM) group consisting of Melodie Tunney, Marty McCall, and Bonnie Keen.
Group history
Marty McCall, Melodie Tunney and Bonnie Keen met at a recording studio in Nashville, TN, while singing backup and recording commercial jingles. Enjoying their blended sound and their shared Christian faith, they pitched themselves as the "first call" studio team for music producers. But the term also fit with their belief in making their Christian beliefs first in their lives.
None of the three initially foresaw a recording or touring career. As a side project to their backing vocal careers, they agreed to record an a cappella Christmas album called An Evening In December. The album sold very well on the Contemporary Christian market, and propelled the trio into their own music projects. Offers began to come in from high-profile CCM artists such Sandi Patty, and later, Amy Grant, to join them on tour. Their first album of non-Christmas music, Undivided (1986), was followed by Something Takes Over (1987) and God Is Good (1989). The two Christmas music collections, An Evening in December Volume I (1985) and Volume II (1987), have long been bestsellers in the group's catalog. Many comparisons have been made to the group's style similarity to the recording group The Manhattan Transfer and the New York Voices.
Around 1989, Melodie expressed a desire to try different styles of music, and left the group in 1990, yet continued her friendship with Marty and Keen. Marabeth Jordan, another session singer, joined the group's ranks.
The new lineup saw two successful albums, Human Song (1992) and Sacred Journey (1993). In 1994 Marabeth Jordon left the group under the strain of a personal crisis.
After signing with Warner Alliance, another Christmas album, 1995's Beyond December, and the eponymously titled album First Call of 1996 were recorded by Marty and Bonnie as a duo.
After reuniting the original group to record two songs for some compilation projects, music publishers Discovery House signed the members of the original lineup to record together again. Their new collection, entitled Rejoice, was released in 2007.
McCall, Tunney and Keen have excelled in their individual pursuits while maintaining their spiritual and musical alliance as First Call. Marty McCall served for 16 years as worship leader and Director of the Worship Department at McLean Bible Church, a mega church in the DC area. He has established an online platform for coaching worship leaders, teams and singers. Bonnie Keen is an accomplished actress, author, speaker and teacher. Melodie Tunney serves as worship leader at her Nashville church and collaborates with her husband, Dick Tunney on various musical projects.
Awards
First Call was a recipient of GMA Dove Awards in the "Group of the Year" category for both 1988 and 1989. They also have multiple Grammy nominations. They share a 1997 Grammy win with fellow artists on the multi-artist project: "Tribute- The Songs of Andrae Crouch."
Discography
| Year | Album | Members Who Performed | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Evening in December as "First Call & Friends" | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Word |
| 1986 | Undivided | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Word |
| 1987 | Somethin' Takes Over | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Dayspring/Word |
| 1987 | An Evening in December, Vol. 2 | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Dayspring/Word |
| 1989 | God Is Good | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Dayspring/Word |
| 1992 | Human Song | Keen, McCall, Jordon | Myrrh/Word/Epic |
| 1993 | Concert Medley | Keen, McCall, Jordon | Myrrh/Word |
| 1993 | Sacred Journey | Keen, McCall, Jordon | Myrrh/Word/Epic |
| 1994 | La Razón de Cantar | Keen, McCall, Jordon | Myrrh/Word/Epic |
| 1995 | The Early Years | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Myrrh/Word |
| 1995 | Beyond December | Keen, McCall | Warner Alliance |
| 1996 | First Call | Keen, McCall | Warner Bros. |
| 1996 | Comienza a Sanar | Keen, McCall | Warner Bros. |
| 2000 | Friends Forever | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Ministry Music |
| 2006 | Rejoice | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Discovery House |
| 2007 | First Call: The Definitive Collection | Keen, McCall, Tunney | Word |
Appearances on other albums
- 1988 Prism: Red (Reunion Records) "If You're Happy And You Know It"
- 1989 Our Hymns (Word) "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded"
- 1990 Our Christmas (Word) "Angels We Have Heard on High"
- 1990 Handel's Young Messiah (Word) "Every Valley Shall Be Exalted"
- 1992 Wings of Victory - Glen Campbell (New Haven)
- 1993 Breakaway Praise 2 (Joyful Heart) "I Wanna Thank You Lord," "I Love You Lord"
- 1993 The New Young Messiah (Sparrow Records) "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion"
- 1993 David T. Clydesdale presents One Special Christmas (Word) "We Need A Little Christmas (Medley)"
- 1996 Tribute: The Songs of Andraé Crouch (Word) "Can't Nobody Do Me Like Jesus"
- 1997 The Dan Oxley Praise Band (Brentwood Records) "Bless The Lord"
- 1998 Artists Acappella - The Signature Songs (Here to Him Music) "Undivided"
- 2004 Hands Lifted High: Classic Worship Songs with Dennis Jernigan & Friends (Shepherd's Heart Music) "Who Can Satisfy My Soul"
- 2005 Pressing On: Songs Inspired by the Journey of the Apostle Paul (Discovery House Music) "Three Days Blind," "Living Sacrifices," "Nothing Can Separate Us"
References
- Original First Call Archived October 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Article, The Adams Group, "The Redemptive Journey of First Call"". Christianpublicityservices.com. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
- "Christianity Today, Music Review". Christianitytoday.com. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
- TunneyMusic.com Archived August 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- markwebermusic on 12/25/2011 • (2011-12-25). "''Christian Music Today'', Article "Bonnie Keen: Bouncing Back"". Christianmusicdaily.com. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Dove Awards 1988 Archived October 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Dove Awards 1989 Archived October 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- "Christianity Today". Christianity Today. Retrieved 2011-12-30.