Welcome to the Freak Show

Last updated

Welcome to the Freak Show
DcTalkWelcometotheFreakShow.jpg
Live album by
ReleasedAugust 26, 1997
Recorded1997
Genre Christian rock, Christian hip hop, alternative rock
Length78:22
Label ForeFront
Producer Toby McKeehan
DC Talk chronology
Jesus Freak
(1995)
Welcome to the Freak Show
(1997)
Supernatural
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Jesus Freak HideoutStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Welcome to the Freak Show is a live audio and video recording by DC Talk. Chronicling the Jesus Freak Tour in the spring of 1996, they were released separately two months apart in 1997 on CD and VHS, respectively. A DVD version was later released in 2003. Each version has been certified gold by the RIAA (audio for 500,000 units and video for 50,000 units sold). Track listings differ slightly between the two. Select videos included a bonus audio disc that remains one of the rarest recordings in the DC Talk catalog. The audio version won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.

Contents

Release dates

Jesus Freak Tour

Jesus Freak released in November 1995 to first-week sales of 85,000 units, a record for a Christian album at the time. This placed it at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 chart. Anticipation was already high for the scheduled 65-city tour set to begin in the Spring of 1996, but DC Talk's record label, ForeFront Records launched a massive marketing blitz to increase awareness.[ citation needed ] The tour debuted to a sold-out crowd at the Bren Center on the University of California Irvine campus. [3] It later included stops in several European countries (which is documented in the video). Audio Adrenaline opened for DC Talk on the tour.

Audio version

The audio version was recorded in the Pacific Northwest, more specifically in Portland, Oregon and Tacoma, Washington, as evidenced by the band dialogue in several places, such as following "Like It, Love It, Need It" (Michael and Kevin banter about what they like about Seattle). Of notable absence is "Just Between You and Me" which was the album's biggest mainstream hit. This song's rise on the Billboard charts was a result of the partnership with Virgin Records that came after the close of the tour. "Between You and Me" was not played until the last dates of the tour, which was after this recording had taken place.

Track listing

Album release
No.TitleOriginal studio recording onLength
1."Help!" (The Beatles cover)-1:02
2."So Help Me God" Jesus Freak 4:27
3."Luv Is a Verb" Free at Last 4:54
4."Like It, Love It, Need It"Jesus Freak7:58
5."Colored People"Jesus Freak4:47
6."Jesus Is Just Alright"Free at Last5:58
7."What If I Stumble"Jesus Freak6:12
8."In the Light" (Charlie Peacock cover)Jesus Freak5:02
9."Mind's Eye"Jesus Freak6:04
10."It's the End of the World as We Know It" (R.E.M. cover)-7:18
11."Day By Day"Jesus Freak4:35
12."Walls" Nu Thang 2:16
13."Time Is..."Free at Last3:51
14."Alas, My Love"Jesus Freak2:12
15."The Hardway"Free at Last5:43
16."Jesus Freak"Jesus Freak6:03
Total length:78:22

Awards and recognition

The audio recording was awarded the 1997 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Gospel Album". It was certified gold by the RIAA (500,000 units sold) on October 25, 2000. [4]

VHS version

Track listing

  1. "Help!" (The Beatles cover)
  2. "So Help Me God"
  3. "Luv Is a Verb"
  4. "Colored People"
  5. "Like It, Love It, Need It"
  6. "What If I Stumble"
  7. "In the Light"
  8. "Mind's Eye"
  9. "Day by Day"
  10. "Walls/Time Is..."
  11. "Alas, My Love"
  12. "The Hardway"
  13. "Jesus Freak"

Description

The video was filmed in a variety of U.S. locations. This is evidenced by the band members wearing different clothes within the same songs. Footage was obviously spliced together. As with the audio version, dc Talk's mainstream hit "Between You and Me" had yet to be added to the set list at the time of recording. "Jesus Is Just Alright" and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" were left off the video recording due to time constraints. The video, however, added short segments between songs that were filmed at various stops in Europe.[ citation needed ]

Awards and recognition

The video was certified gold by the RIAA (50,000 units sold) on March 2, 1998. [5]

DVD Version

Track listing

The DVD has the main feature of the VHS versions but adds the following bonus features:

  1. "Jesus Freak" (music video)
  2. "Just Between You and Me" (music video)
  3. "Colored People" (music video)

Bonus disc

Included with an extremely select number of videos in 1997 was a four-song bonus disc. The cover reads "Limited Edition EP" although is more commonly called the "Freak Show Bonus Disc" among collectors of dc Talk's more rare releases. It contains the extremely rare release of "Colored People (Organic Mix)".[ citation needed ]

Track listing

  1. "In the Light" (Welcome to the Freak Show Live Version)
  2. "Day by Day" (Welcome to the Freak Show Live Version)
  3. "Colored People" (Organic Mix)
  4. "What Have We Become?" (Jesus Freak Album Version)

Credits

dc Talk

Live band

Production

Related Research Articles

<i>DC Talk</i> (album) 1989 studio album by DC Talk

DC Talk is the first studio album released from vocal trio DC Talk. It is the most hip hop-oriented of all of their albums as each later album gradually progressed into a more rock-centered sound. Michael Tait stated that their original goal for the album was to sell 10,000 units. It sold 7,142 units in 1989. After their popularity spiked with the release of Free at Last, back sales increased although it is the only of their studio albums to not reach RIAA gold status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DC Talk</span> American Christian rap band

DC Talk is a Christian rap and rock trio. The group was formed at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They released five major studio albums together: DC Talk (1989), Nu Thang (1990), Free at Last (1992), Jesus Freak (1995), and Supernatural (1998). In 2002, the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music called DC Talk "the most popular overtly Christian act of all time."

<i>Jesus Freak</i> (album) 1995 studio album by DC Talk

Jesus Freak is the fourth studio album by the American Christian rap and rock trio DC Talk, released on November 21, 1995, on ForeFront Records. The style was a marked departure from the group's previous releases, incorporating a heavier rock sound and elements of grunge that was popular at the time.

<i>The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek</i> 2001 studio album by Relient K

The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek is the second full-length album released by the Christian rock band Relient K. It was released on August 28, 2001, and peaked at No. 158 on the Billboard 200. On June 26, 2006, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000 units in the United States. The cover of the original release is similar to that of the 1999 Ramones release Hey Ho! Let's Go: The Anthology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TobyMac</span> American Christian rapper and singer

Toby McKeehan, better known by his stage name TobyMac, is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known for being a member of the Christian rap and rock trio DC Talk, staying with them from 1987 until they went on hiatus in 2000. He has since continued a successful solo career with the release of nine studio albums: Momentum (2001), Welcome to Diverse City (2004), Portable Sounds (2007), Tonight (2010), Christmas in Diverse City (2011), Eye on It (2012), This Is Not a Test (2015), The Elements (2018), and Life After Death (2022) as well as five remixed albums: Re:Mix Momentum (2003), Renovating Diverse City (2005), Dubbed and Freq'd: A Remix Project (2012), Eye'm All Mixed Up (2014) and The St. Nemele Collab Sessions (2019). He also has two full-length Christmas albums: Christmas in Diverse City (2011) and Light Of Christmas (2017). He became the third Christian artist to have a No. 1 debut on Billboard 200 chart with Eye on It.

<i>Supernatural</i> (DC Talk album) 1998 studio album by DC Talk

Supernatural is the fifth studio album from DC Talk. It is the final studio album released by DC Talk that features all-new material and it debuted on the US Billboard Chart at No. 4, selling 106,213 copies. It was certified platinum three years after its release on February 21, 2002. A remastered edition was released in 2013. It released on vinyl in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audio Adrenaline</span> Christian rock band

Audio Adrenaline was an American Christian rock band that formed in 1986 at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. The band gained recognition during the 1990s and received two Grammy Awards and multiple Dove Awards. Audio Adrenaline were regular performers at the annual Creation Festival, Spirit West Coast festival, Agape Music Festival, and Alive Festival. In 2007, the group disbanded due to lead singer Mark Stuart's spasmodic dysphonia. During this time, they released eight studio albums.

<i>Audio Adrenaline</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Audio Adrenaline

Audio Adrenaline is the debut studio album by the American Christian rock band of the same name. It was released on April 17, 1992. "My God" was one of the first songs recorded by the band, which caught the attention of ForeFront Records.

<i>Dont Censor Me</i>

Don't Censor Me is the second studio album by Audio Adrenaline, released on ForeFront Records on October 1, 1993. The album features the track "Big House", which is considered the band's most popular song.

<i>Bloom</i> (Audio Adrenaline album) 1996 studio album by Audio Adrenaline

Bloom is the third studio album released by Audio Adrenaline. In 1999, the album was certified Gold by RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Tait</span> American contemporary Christian music artist

Michael DeWayne Tait is an American contemporary Christian music artist. Michael Tait met Toby McKeehan in 1984 when he was in high school. Both Toby and Michael met Kevin Max while attending Liberty University in the late 1980s, and together they formed four-time Grammy winning band DC Talk, with whom Michael Tait has released five acclaimed studio albums. Tait is the current lead singer of Newsboys, and one third of Christian rock group DC Talk. Tait also has had success in his solo career, founding a band called Tait in 1997. He toured as a solo act until 2007. He became lead singer of the Christian pop rock band Newsboys in 2009. Aside from singing, Tait is also a self-taught guitar player. Tait also has a sister Lynda Randle, who is a Southern Gospel singer.

<i>MTV Unplugged</i> (10,000 Maniacs album) 1993 live album by 10,000 Maniacs

MTV Unplugged is a 1993 live album and video by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, recorded for the MTV Unplugged series. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and spawned the hit single "Because the Night", a cover of the song written by Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen. Between the recording and release of the album, vocalist Natalie Merchant left the band to pursue a solo career.

<i>Rock a Little</i> 1985 studio album by Stevie Nicks

Rock a Little is the third solo studio album by American singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks, released on November 18, 1985, by Modern Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesus Freak (song)</span> 1995 single by DC Talk

"Jesus Freak" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released on August 1, 1995, it was the lead radio single from the group's fourth album. The song was written and produced by Toby McKeehan and Mark Heimermann. Lyrically, the song is about standing up for the belief in Jesus Christ in the midst of persecution. Musically, the song has been described as alternative rock and grunge. It received airplay on both contemporary Christian music and alternative rock stations, formats that rarely interact. "Jesus Freak" earned DC Talk three GMA Dove Awards.

<i>See the Morning</i> 2006 studio album by Chris Tomlin

See the Morning is the fourth studio album by Chris Tomlin released on September 26, 2006. The title comes from that idea that "our God is as faithful as the rising sun" and is the "Light of the World". The album was originally released in two versions: one with 11 tracks, the other with 4 alternate versions of his songs and a special behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the album. Since then, another version, the tour edition, has been released, which features the standard version, along with music/live videos, along with a sermon by Louie Giglio titled "How Great Is Our God". The first single from the album was "Made to Worship", which was first heard as an iTunes bonus track for the Passion album Everything Glorious.

<i>WOW 1998</i> 1997 compilation album by various artists

WOW 1998 is a compilation album of 30 contemporary Christian music hits which was released on November 4, 1997. WOW 1998 peaked at chart position 52 on the Billboard 200 in 1997, and also at No. 2 on the Top Contemporary Christian album chart. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1998. It was certified as gold in Canada in 1999 by the Canadian Recording Industry Association

<i>Free at Last: Extended Play Remixes</i> 1994 remix album by dc Talk

The Free at Last – Extended Play Remixes is a remix EP by Christian rap/rock/pop trio dc Talk. The EP was released in the summer of 1994 on the heels of the Grammy Award-winning and platinum-selling album Free at Last. The album's three main hits were remixed for this release. The "Extended Play Remixes" was a three-part series released by ForeFront Records in 1994 with the other two by Audio Adrenaline and Code of Ethics. The series extended into the next year with releases by Geoff Moore and the Distance and Rebecca St. James.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Between You and Me (DC Talk song)</span> 1996 single by DC Talk

"Between You and Me" is a song by the American contemporary Christian music group DC Talk. Released in 1996, it was the second radio and commercial single released from the group's fourth album, Jesus Freak. After the unexpected success of the grunge rock single "Jesus Freak", "Between You and Me" helped to bring DC Talk to a new level of success and solidify them as mainstream artists. The song later earned DC Talk a GMA Dove Award and is the only DC Talk single to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was also a Christian radio success and peaked at No. 1 on both the Christian adult contemporary and Christian Contemporary Hit Radio CCM Magazine charts.

<i>Underdog</i> (Audio Adrenaline album) 1999 studio album by Audio Adrenaline

Underdog is the fifth full-length album released by Audio Adrenaline. The album's lyrics are a slight departure from Some Kind of Zombie, as they focus more on missions and the word of God being spread, as shown in "Hands and Feet" and "Jesus Movement"; a theme that would reappear in Worldwide. Other songs, such as "Get Down" and "Good Life", reflect on God's influence in a Christian life.

<i>This Is Not a Test</i> (album) 2015 studio album by TobyMac

This Is Not a Test is the seventh studio album by American recording artist TobyMac. The album was released on August 7, 2015. It debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. In February 2016, it won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. The standard edition was released with 11 tracks, including "Feel It", "Beyond Me", and "Move ". The deluxe edition was released with 15 tracks, including "Lift You Up" featuring Ryan Stevenson, "Fall", and "Beyond Me" and "Like A Match" remixes by Soul Glow Activatur and David Garcia respectively.

References

  1. [Welcome to the Freak Show at AllMusic
  2. Jesus Freak Hideout review
  3. Granger, Thom. "100% Pure Adrenaline." Release Magazine. May/June 1996.
  4. "DC TALK - WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW". RIAA. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  5. "DC TALK - WELCOME TO THE FREAK SHOW". RIAA. Retrieved February 7, 2016.