Coming Up to Breathe (2006)

Joel Caballero
2 hours ago
4 min read

Coming Up to Breathe is the fifth studio album by the Christian rock band MercyMe, released on April 25, 2006 by INO Records/Sony Music. The album was produced by Brown Bannister. The album was recorded at two studios: Allair Studios in New York state and Abbey Road Studios in London.

MercyMe wanted to rock out this time around, so they once again worked with Bannister, who produced their 2005 Christmas album The Christmas Sessions and Coming Up to Breathe's sound is more heavier than in previous releases.

Bannister's producing style was different from Pete Kipley's, who had produced their first three albums, Almost There, Spoken For, and Undone; while Kipley was a hands-on producer, "involved in every part of the song," Bannister would wait until the band had "run down all [their] avenues" before giving input. The band felt Bannister was an "amazing encourager" and were satisfied with the Christmas album Bannister had produced with them; although they felt Kipley did a great job on their previous records, improving themselves as a band and as songwriters, they felt it was "time for a change."

The album's lead single and music video, "So Long Self" was an immediate hit topping both Billboard and Radio & Records Christian radio charts. The song even crossed over to mainstream radio where it peaked into the Top 20 on the adult contemporary charts. Their music video for "So Long Self" shows their fun side as opposed to MercyMe being just the band best known for their AC hit ballads "I Can Only Imagine" and "Word of God Speak." Their second single "Hold Fast" was a hit as well on both Christian and mainstream AC charts in 2007. The track "Bring the Rain" features a vocal choir consisting of Mandisa, Anointed (Steve Crawford and Da'dra Crawford Greathouse), Lisa Bevill, Michael Mellet,

Fiona Mellet, Abel Orta and Jovaun Woods. It was released as the third single and topped the Christian radio charts. Another track "No More, No Less" also charted, but only made the Top 20 on R&R's Christian CHR chart.

Coming Up to Breathe charted and peaked on the following Billboard album charts:

-#1 Top Christian Albums

-#13 Billboard 200 Albums

-#5 Top Rock Albums

-#13 Top Alternative Albums in 2007 for a week

Coming Up to Breathe was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA) in 2007 selling half a million copies, giving MercyMe their fourth gold record. That same year, MercyMe earned their first Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album and earned two Dove Award nominations for Group of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. A year later in 2008, MercyMe was nominated for a Dove Award for Song of the Year for "Bring the Rain." The CD edition of Coming Up to Breathe, at the end of the final track "I Would Die For You," contains five minutes of silence and then a hidden bonus track "Have Fun in Life." Target stores that sold Coming Up to Breathe contained an exclusive unreleased bonus track "Sing."

Track listing

All songs written by MercyMe.

1. Coming Up to Breathe -4:18

2. So Long Self -4:03

3. Hold Fast -4:39

4. Something About You -4:54

5. You're to Blame -4:14

6. No More, No Less -5:47

7. Where I Belong -4:39

8. Bring the Rain -5:31

9. Last One Standing -3:38

10. One Trick Pony -3:27

11. 3:42 AM (Writer's Block) -3:36

12. Safe and Sound -3:44

13. I Would Die For You -6:24

Personnel

MercyMe:

Bart Millard -lead vocals, backing vocals

Jim Bryson -keyboards

Barry Graul -guitars, backing vocals

Mike Scheuchzer -guitars, backing vocals

Nathan Cochran -bass guitar, backing vocals

Robby Shaffer -drums

additional musicians:

Blair Masters -programming, additional keyboards

Eric Darken -percussion

Sam Levine -clarinet

Barry Green -trombone

Mike Haynes -trumpet

Joe Murphy -tuba

Carl Marsh -string arrangements and conductor

Gavyn Wright -concertmaster

The London Session Orchestra -strings

Travis Cottrell and Gene Miller -additional backing vocalists on track 2

Aaron Sternke -additional backing vocals on track 5

Choir on track 8:

Mandisa Lynn Hundley, Steve Crawford, Da'dra Crawford Greathouse, Lisa Bevill, Michael Mellet, Fiona Mellet, Abel Orta and Jovaun Woods

RIAA certifications

Gold certified in 2007.

Radio singles

2006 "So Long Self" -#1 Billboard Hot Christian Songs for 4 weeks, -#1 Billboard

Christian Airplay for 4 weeks, -#1 Billboard Christian AC Airplay, -#16 Billboard

AC, -#6 R&R Christian CHR, -#1 R&R Christian AC for 2 weeks, -#16 R&R Christian

Inspo, -#17 R&R AC

2006 -2007 "Hold Fast" -#3 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, -#3 Billboard Christian

Airplay, -#3 Billboard Christian AC Airplay, -#27 Billboard AC, -#3 R&R Christian

AC, -#3 R&R Christian Inspo, -#27 R&R AC

2006 -2007 "No More, No Less" -#30 Billboard Christian Airplay, -#17 R&R Christian

CHR

2007 "Bring the Rain" -#1 Billboard Hot Christian Songs, -#1 Billboard Christian

Airplay, -#1 Billboard Christian AC Airplay for 5 weeks, -#1 R&R Christian AC for

5 weeks, -#2 R&R Christian Inspo

MercyMe also released an acoustic version of Coming Up to Breathe entitled Coming Up to Breathe Acoustic containing the same 13 songs in the same tracking order. This release only peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart in late December 2007. Coming Up to Breathe Acoustic was released just as MercyMe released their sixth studio album All That Is Within Me.