Never the Same (1979)

Joel Caballero

24 hours ago

2 min read

Updated: 21 hours ago

Never the Same is the 16th studio and 10th English language album by Christian

singer Evie, released in May 1979 by Word Records. The album was produced and arranged by Pelle Karlsson. The album was recorded at Supreme Studio in Stockholm, Sweden.

Before Never the Same was released, Evie Tornquist married Swedish musician Pelle Karlsson in New Jersey in February 1979. Karlsson would be instrumental in producing Evie's future albums into the 1980s and beyond. This album was the beginning of a major step in their lives. Never the Same features strings by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and local Swedish musicians to give the album a more "easy listening" feel in the vein of late 1970s "soft rock" like The Carpenters. It contains four song written by Karlsson including the title song, "Never the Same Again." "Shine" (also written by Karlsson) is a light upbeat song

about believers living out their faith openly as a light in dark times. It was the only song to be released to Christian radio as a single and it climbed to No. 17 on the Christian music chart.

"Special Delivery" is a Christmas song written by Ron and Carol Harris. Lyrically, it portrays the birth of Jesus Christ as a divine "special delivery" sent to Earth, while beautifully mirroring that imagery in the final verse to describe a believer's joyous expectation of passing into eternity. The track "Home" was released as a promotional single. The song uses a clever play on words to convey its message: while navigating life's long journey, a person can always feel at home because true "home is where the Son is."

Never the Same charted and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart in June 1980. That same year, Evie was nominated for a Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year and earned her third and final Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary.

Track listing

1. Live for Jesus (Nancy Honeytree) -3:25

2. Hold On (Jessy Dixon) -3:49

3. Special Deliver (Ron and Carol Harris) -4:25

4. Never the Same Again (Pelle Karlsson) -3:06

5. This Life (Pelle Karlsson) -4:42

6. Shine (Pelle Karlsson) -4:17

7. At the Rive of Jordan (Pelle Karlsson) -3:29

8. Don't Run From Reality (Roland Utbult) -4:00

9. Home (Ingemar Olsson) -3:21

10. You Have Everything in Your Hands (Anneli Kimling-Björkman)/Jesus I Love

You (Otis Skillings) -3:11