| Flap Your Wings | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 4, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | 1999, 2000 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:57 | |||
| Label | TheChoir.net Records | |||
| Producer | ||||
| The Choir chronology | ||||
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| The Choir studio albums chronology | ||||
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Flap Your Wings is the tenth studio release, and ninth full-length studio album, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 2000. It earned the band its first Grammy Award nomination. [1]
After the band's "To Bid Farewell" tour documented by the live album Let It Fly, the members of the Choir moved onto other projects. Lead singer and guitarist Derri Daugherty and drummer and lyricist Steve Hindalong began working with a variety of other contemporary Christian artists such as Common Children, White Heart, Phil Madeira, Julie Miller and the Newsboys, in either production or musical capacities. Hindalong also released his first solo album, Skinny, in 1997. [2] Daugherty continued his side gig with the Lost Dogs, which released two albums during this period, The Green Room Serenade, Part One and Gift Horse. Bass guitarist Tim Chandler went back to work with Terry Taylor on his solo, Daniel Amos and Swirling Eddies projects, while sax and Lyricon player Dan Michaels continued in artist management at Benson Records. [2]
Hindalong and Daugherty had their greatest success with the City on a Hill worship music series, released in mid-2000. [2] The lead single from the initial album, Songs of Worship and Praise , was "God of Wonders," co-written by Hindalong and Marc Byrd; it held the #1 spot on the Christian adult contemporary charts for several weeks, [3] [4] and would become one of the most successful worship songs of the early 2000s. [5] The project would later receive a Dove Award in 2001 for Special Event Album of the Year. [6]
During this hiatus for the Choir, Michaels decided to create an official website for the band, where they could directly interact with fans as well as sell music and merchandise. [7] [8] This site was launched at the very time that the internet was becoming a new paradigm for indie rock artists, as a band with an established fanbase like the Choir no longer needed to tour relentlessly to keep listeners eager for new music. [9] However, it was a one-off concert at a music festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico during the summer of 1999 that finally convinced the members of the Choir to work on new music together. [2]
On Thanksgiving weekend of 1999, Chandler flew out to Nashville, Tennessee for a writing and recording session, and the result was five new songs. [9] In May 2000, Chandler returned to Nashville, and the band wrote an additional five songs. The Choir suddenly had an album's worth of new material. [9]
This second recording session took place mere weeks after the passing of Gene Eugene, lead singer and songwriter for Adam Again, who had been found dead on the floor of his recording studio, The Green Room, in Huntington Beach, California. [10] Eugene, a prolific producer and engineer, was a close personal friend of the band—Michaels in particular—and had worked on a number of their releases. At only 38 years old, Eugene's death was a shock, and as a result, the song "Hey Gene" was created in response, incorporating lines from Michaels' eulogy at the funeral. [7] [9]
"Mercy Lives Here" was the first time since Voices in Shadows that Daugherty wrote the lyrics as well as the music to a Choir song. Originally intended for a solo album, the song was inspired by his visit to a bar in Akron, Ohio filled with a strange assortment of characters. [9] The album's closing song, "Beautiful Scandalous Night," was a re-recording of the same song from the worship record At the Foot of the Cross, Volume One: Clouds, Rain, Fire from 1992.
The cover painting for Flap Your Wings, described by one critic as "equal parts representation and abstraction," [11] was done by Michael Knott, the frontman for Lifesavers Underground and the co-founder of Blonde Vinyl Records. Knott continued to create art and sell his work online until his death on March 12, 2024. [12] [13]
Flap Your Wings was strategically released just one day before the band performed live at the 2000 Cornerstone Festival, which served as a launching pad for the new release. [2] The album was released on CD only, and independently, as Galaxy21 Music—which would release future Choir albums—had not yet been founded. Because the band viewed the new album as a response to their most avid fans, only 8,000 copies were manufactured. "Hey Gene" was released as the first single from the album.
Given the album's independent status and limited release, the members of the Choir were surprised to learn that Flap Your Wings was nominated in the Best Rock Gospel Album category for the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, which were held in 2002. [1] Although placing first in an online poll conducted by Christianity Today as to which artist deserved to win the Grammy that year, DC Talk took home the award for the album Solo . [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| CCM Magazine | Favorable [14] |
| Cross Rhythms |  [15] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth |   [16] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | [11] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | [17] |
Critical reaction at the time was positive. Writing in CCM Magazine , critic Dave Urbanski said that Flap Your Wings was a "decidedly delicate mix of the band's best musical elements from its '90s catalog, and although there's not a whole lot new here musically, The Choir does throw in a few pleasant surprises." He called the lead single "Hey Gene" "an energetic pop-rock gem," adding that it was "the most rock oriented tune on the record—and the obvious centerpiece." With the inclusion of the worship song "Beautiful Scandalous Night," Urbanski summed up Flap Your Wings as "a fine record with more than enough shining moments." [14] Cross Rhythms gave the album a perfect ten, with critic Mike Rimmer writing that the album was "classic Choir," with "well-crafted songs and warm production." He added that "Flap Your Wings sees humanity and eternity meeting in a collection of songs that build on the foundation of their best work." [15]
The Phantom Tollbooth was especially effusive, naming Flap Your Wings the August 2000 Pick of the Month, and included three separate reviews. In the lead review, critic Michial Farmer claimed that Flap Your Wings was an "immediate contender for best album of 2000." Although critical of some "missteps" like the drum machine in "Flowing Over Me" and the re-recording of "Beautiful Scandalous Night" not "[reaching] the magnitude of the original," he praised "Mercy Lives Here" for avoiding "the cheesiness and banality typical of modern worship, and [it aims] at the brain as much as the heart." [16] Steven S. Baldwin added that Flap Your Wings was the band's "warmest, most relaxed album to date," with songs that were "bright and beautiful, heartfelt and pure." [11] Terry Wandtke closed out the triple review, saying that "Flap Your Wings continues [the Choir's] general success as artists with integrity and testifies to their continued relevancy in any market."
Retrospectively, Flap Your Wings has also received praise. Mark Allan Powell, writing in the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, called the album a "warm, relaxed, and generally gentle record," adding that it "revives their atmospheric tradition, with perhaps a little Radiohead influence showing around the edges." He praised the title track's "profoundly spiritual lyrics," and called "Hey Gene" "the highlight of the album." "As sentimental as any Bob Carlisle song," Powell added, "it recalls the mercy their friend always showed them, sheds a few tears over his absence, and then bids him adieu." [7]
All lyrics by Steve Hindalong and all music by Derri Daugherty, unless otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Flap Your Wings" | Derri Daugherty, Steve Hindalong | 3:15 | |
| 2. | "Shiny Floor" | Tim Chandler, Hindalong | 4:23 | |
| 3. | "Mercy Lives Here" | Daugherty | 3:33 | |
| 4. | "Hey Gene" | Hindalong, Dan Michaels | Daugherty, Hindalong | 4:31 |
| 5. | "Sunny" | Chandler | 3:39 | |
| 6. | "Flowing Over Me" | 3:52 | ||
| 7. | "Cherry Bomb" | 5:12 | ||
| 8. | "I Don't Mean Any Harm" | Chandler, Hindalong | 4:47 | |
| 9. | "A Moment in Time" | Hindalong, Daugherty | 2:54 | |
| 10. | "Beautiful Scandalous Night" | 3:51 | ||
| Total length: | 39:57 | |||
The Choir
Additional musicians
Production
Derri Daugherty is an American record producer, songwriter, guitarist and singer, best known as the lead singer and guitarist for band the Choir.
The Choir is an atmospheric alternative rock band currently comprising Derri Daugherty on guitar and lead vocals, Steve Hindalong on drums and percussion, and Dan Michaels on saxophone and Lyricon. Long-time bass guitarist Tim Chandler died in 2018, and guitarist Marc Byrd was the fifth member of the band between 2005–2014. As of 2024, the band has released 19 full-length studio albums, three EPs, five live albums, one single-disc compilation album, one retrospective box set, and is still actively recording new material.
Voices in Shadows is the first studio album by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1985.
Shades of Gray is the second studio release, and first EP, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1986. All five songs were later included as bonus tracks on the CD release for Chase the Kangaroo.
Diamonds and Rain is the third studio release, and second full-length studio album, from alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1986. It is the first release under the band's new moniker after dropping "Youth" from their name.
Chase the Kangaroo is the fourth studio release, and third full-length studio album, from alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1988. Considered by critics to be one of their finest albums, Chase the Kangaroo is listed at No. 50 in the book CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, published in 2002, and No. 4 on the list of the "Top 100 Christian Rock Albums of All Time" by HM Magazine in 2010.
Circle Slide is the sixth studio release, and fifth full-length studio album, from alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1990. Considered by some critics to be the band's best album, and even called "one of the best Christian albums ever made," Circle Slide was listed at No. 53 in the book CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music. This would be the final album the Choir would record for Myrrh Records.
Kissers and Killers is the seventh studio release, and the sixth full-length studio album, from alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1993. It was their first release after leaving Myrrh Records, and according to drummer and lyricist Steve Hindalong, represented a major turning point for the band: "We went independent after this, and never were on a label where there were expectations of any kind of a 'ministry' or anything like that."
Speckled Bird is the eighth studio release, and seventh full-length studio album, from alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1994. The album is largely a remixed and reworked version of the independent Kissers and Killers project with an additional five tracks.
Free Flying Soul is the ninth studio release, and eighth full-length album, from Christian alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1996. It earned the band its first industry recognition with a Dove Award win.
O How The Mighty Have Fallen is the 11th studio release, and tenth full-length studio album, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 2005. Guitarist Marc Byrd officially became the fifth member of the band with this album.
Wide-Eyed Wonder is the fifth studio release, and fourth full-length studio album, from alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1989. This would be the first studio album with new bass guitarist Robin Spurs, and would mark the band's first attempt to target the mainstream market.
Love Songs and Prayers: A Retrospective is the first compilation album from alternative rock band the Choir, released in 1995.
Burning Like the Midnight Sun is the 12th studio release, and 11th full-length studio album, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 2010.
de-plumed is the 13th studio release, and 12th full-length studio album, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 2010. It was the band's first "unplugged" recording, featuring reinterpretations of songs from prior albums.
The Loudest Sound Ever Heard is the 14th studio release, and 13th full-length studio album, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 2012.
Peace, Love & Light is the 15th studio release, second EP, and first digital-only album by alternative rock band the Choir, released on November 27, 2013. This is also the band's first Christmas-themed release. As a "stretch goal" in the Choir's Kickstarter campaign for their 2014 album Shadow Weaver, this EP was provided exclusively to funders who pledged $60 or more.
Shadow Weaver is the 16th studio release, and 14th full-length studio album, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 2014. This was the last album to feature Marc Byrd as a member of the band, and the first time the Choir used crowdfunding to finance a new studio project. In 2019, UTR Media named Shadow Weaver as one of the "30 Best Gourmet Albums of the Decade (2010-2019)."
Bloodshot is the 17th studio release, and 15th full-length studio album, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 2018. This was the final studio album to feature bass guitarist Tim Chandler, who died in October that same year.
Deep Cuts is the 18th studio release, and 16th full-length studio album, by alternative rock band the Choir, released in 2021. This is the band’s first studio album to be recorded after the death of long-time bass guitarist Tim Chandler, who died in 2018.
Footnotes
Bibliography
