White Heart (1983)

White Heart is the debut studio album by the Christian rock band White Heart, recorded in 1982 and released in the spring of 1983, originally on Myrrh/Word Records.

It is the first and only album to feature Gaither Vocal Band vocalist Steve Green on lead vocals. Green would leave the band after the album's release saying that rock music was not his style vocally. He would go on to be a successful inspirational singer in the vein of Sandi Patty and release his first solo album in 1984. Patty sings co-lead vocals with lead guitarist Dann Huff on the track "Everyday" and Michael W. Smith played piano and co-wrote on the track "Black is White." The album is produced by members Huff and Billy Smiley with Chris Christian as executive producer. White Heart climbed to number 10 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart. The band earned their first Grammy Award nomination in 1984 for Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group and was nominated for a Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year.

White Heart was reissued on CD jointly by Retroactive Records and Christian's record label Home Sweet Home Records on April 9, 2021, released as part of The Legend Series. The album was remastered and contains the full, uncut original of "Everyday" with the saxophone solo intact, a version of "Listen To The Lonely" that is missing the tape drag present on many of the prior CD versions, no tape dropouts on "Nothing Can Take This Love" that plagued previous versions, plus a bonus track featuring a remix of "Everyday" that first appeared on the 1987 Greatest Hits compilation. The CD booklet contains lyrics, photos and liner notes written by Christian himself and a trading card with White Heart on the front and information about the band and the album on the back.

The song "He's Returning" featuring vocals by Green and Huff was one of their earliest hits. A music video was made for the track, but was made in 1985. In the video, members Mark Gersmehl and Scott Douglas (Green's replacement) were lip-syncing the solo parts by Huff and Green. Both Huff and Green were no longer with White Heart by the time this video was made.

Track listing

1. Hold On (Mark Gersmehl) -3:41

2. You're the One (Billy Smiley, Mark Gersmehl) –4:00

3. Listen to the Lonely (Billy Smiley, Mark Gersmehl) –3:57

4. He's Returning (Mark Gersmehl) – 4:24

5. Carry On (Billy Smiley, Mark Gersmehl) – 3:55

6. Guiding Light (Billy Smiley) – 3:22

7. Everyday (with co-lead vocals by Sandi Patty) (Billy Smiley, Dann Huff, Gary McSpaddon) -5:02

8. Nothing Can Take This Love (Billy Smiley) –3:59

9. Black is White (Billy Smiley, Michael W. Smith, Gary McSpaddon) -3:16

10. Go Down Ninevah (Billy Smiley) –4:45

Personnel

White Heart:

Steve Green -lead vocals, backing vocals

Billy Smiley -rhythm guitar, keyboards, lead vocals on tracks 6 and 10, backing vocals, producer

Mark Gersmehl -keyboards, synthesizers, organ on track 8, backing vocals

Dann Huff -lead guitar, co-lead vocals, backing vocals, producer

David Huff -drums, percussion

Gary Lunn -bass guitar

additional musicians:

Michael W. Smith -piano on track 9

Sam Levine -saxophone on track 7

Phil Naish -piano and rhodes on track 7

Dennis Holt -percussion on track 8

Mark Morris -percussion (tracks 1, 3-5 and 7)

Radio singles

1983 "He's Returning" -#34 Christian AC/CHR

1983 "Carry On -#23 Christian AC/CHR

Next release: Vital Signs (1984)

Watch the music video of "He's Returning" here: