About Alan McGill, Baritone...
It wasn't long after Alan received Christ as his personal Savior that he attended a 1949 Youth For Christ rally on a Saturday night in Miami, Florida. At the end the rally, the speaker gave an invitation with the question, "How many in this auditorium tonight under 30 years of age would be willing, if the Lord opened the door, to go into full-time Christian service?" Alan thought for a moment about how unlikely it would be, since his very recent conversion, that a door would be opened to him, having never attended a Bible College or seminary. He was under 30 years of age, however, and with a little more thought, he reasoned that The Lord probably wouldn't open that door, but if He did -- HE WOULD BE WILLING! He responded to the invitation, and the Lord began to open doors.

One singing opportunity after another opened up in youth rallies, Christian Businessmen's meetings, radio broadcasts, tent revivals, Christian banquets and conferences, etc., and then, a recording contract was offered him by SACRED RECORDS, INC in Hollywood, CA (the largest in the country at that time), whose recording artists were active professing Christians.

Alan was completely convinced after these experiences following the Miami youth rally, that God was directing his life and had given him a musical ministry, in the same manner in which He calls preachers into the  preaching ministry. For over 53 years now (at this writing), he has been engaged full-time in this calling.

With regard to Christian recording artists in the 1950's and 1960's, Alan was one of the most recorded, and his records were among the best selling in that era.

It has been said numerous time that his trained baritone voice easily adapts to any type of song, and his interpretive skills bring the most out of its message.

Although there were many opportunities to do so, he has never had the slightest inclination to include current "rock contemporary" music into his Gospel presentations or recordings. Likewise, he also turned down offers in Christian "show business", since his desire is to continue in the musical ministry The Lord has given him, without appearing to be too sanctimonious about these issues. In fact, his Scotch-Irish wit, so evident in his presentations, dispels this concern.

Interestingly also, is the fact that he has never made any financial stipulations or demands of any kind regarding personal appearances, and has never let anticipated attendance or remuneration play an important part in accepting or rejecting and invitation.

The Lord has been unusually good to him in so many ways, including no serious health problems, and a voice that hasn't yet been  affected by age. In fact, he is frequently reminded by others that his voice on records over 50 years ago sounds the same today.

"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." -- II Corinthians 5:17

What's Inside the CD Cover...
...The music section of Christian book stores today (with few exceptions) is stocked with rock-contemporary recordings that appeal to young people between the ages of 18 to 34 (the biggest spenders). Among these, few would recognize the name of George Beverly Shea, Alan McGill or Jack Holcomb. Forty or Fifty years ago, however, most any Christian store proprietor that day would agree that these three soloists were his best-selling male recording artists; probably in that order. Bev, of course, sang in all of the Billy Graham crusades, and still sings very well today in his nineties. Alan's voice hasn't changed since his first recordings over fifty years ago, and he and his pianist wife, Jean, are scheduled regularly for their 60 to 90-minute Gospel presentations... Jack went home to be with the Lord quite a few years ago.

These three men recorded traditional songs of the church and "contemporary songs" songs of that era that had beautiful melody lines, lyrics that rhymed, and doctrinally sound messages. Some were very devotional and others upliftingly spirited, without trap-drums or rock-beat.

All Alan McGill recordings reflect the above-mentioned era and "Christian music like it used to be."

For a number of years, his records were popular in most of the English-speaking countries around the world, and they frequently were featured by Gospel broadcasters on missionary radio stations abroad. Music critics have called his baritone voice "crystal clear," "spiritually warm," "typically distinct" and "very easy to listen to." Broadcasters have stated that if they failed to mention Alan's name when using one of his songs, a new listener would call or write and request the identity of the singer, regular easily recognized it.

Since the majority of our Christian radio stations today use very little (or no) "music like it used to be," Alan McGill's radio plays are usually by conservative Gospel broadcasters who haven't "gone contemporary," and by "Family radio" and "Bible Broadcasting Network" (BBN) who d use his songs regularly.

His longtime friends, and these whom he and Jean meet in their travels, often comment favorably about his warm, friendly, unassuming/unpretentious personality and lifestyle.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" -- Philippians 4:19

In Person
(4012)

This album was recorded in RCA Hollywood Studios in 1960 on the SACRED RECORDS label.

Earle Williams, president of the company, was the producer. Ralph Carmichael was the music arranger and conductor (both longtime friends of the soloist).

Song #3, "THE SAVIOUR IS WAITING," was composed by Ralph Carmichael, and has since become very well-known throughout Christian circles as one of the choice Christian Contemporary songs ofthe 1950 and the early-1960 era. Remember when the contemporary songs had beautiful melody lines (like this one) and rhyming lyrics?

Song #7, "CONSTANTLY," was written by Alan's late wife Nancy, and her mother, the late Katherine Gilpin. Nancy wrote the lyrics, and Mrs. Gilpin , the music.

You'll notice in the chorus lyric, Nancy writes: "Constantly. He's With Me Day By Day, Constantly, He Guides Along Life's Way. Until That Glorious Morning When I'm With Him In My Happy Home In Heaven, Constantly." It was 1:15AM "that glorious morning" of August 22, 1984, when she did enter her "happy home in heaven," where she is now with Him, "CONSTANTLY."

Song #8 "I'M HIS TO COMMAND" was composed by Alan's friend, the late Rev. Phil Kerr, Evangelist, outstanding impromptu piano virtuoso, and unusually versatile accompanist. Not only could he play anything in any key without music copy or advance notice, but, in addition, it could also be a newly composed song he had never heard.

For a number of years, every Monday night at the beautiful Pasadena, California civic auditorium, Phil Kerr Musicals" were held with up to 3,000 people present, many having waited outside for quite awhile prior to the opening of the doors. There was no admission charge, but an appreciation-offering was taken. Like Alan, those performing were mostly Christian-recording-artist friends of Phil's living in Southern California. the program usually consisted of four or five participants who might, in several months, be guests again. There was also audience participation in the singing of Christian songs and choruses, with Phil accompanying and leading at a nine foot concert grand Steinway, along with Hammond-organ in the background. He would frequently compose a new song, "on the spot," after three people in the audience each called out a single letter of the alphabet between A & G, and someone elase called out a three word theme. In the order that they were given, he would put the three notes into an elaborate introduction, followed by his singing this new composition around the three-word theme, and the lyrics (often humorous) always rhymed.

These musicals were happy and spiritually-uplifting experiences, and we trust you'll find Alan's interpretation of these "IN PERSON" songs to be equally pleasing?

LP Memories
(Of favorite LONG PLAY Records)
(6022)

For many years, we relied upon 78 RPM records for our home musical entertainment and enjoyment, didn't we? Played on our own record players, or on those of the local radio stations, they seemed quite adequate in supplying our musical needs.

What a change, however, in the early 1950's, when we were introduced to "Hi-Fi" (High Fidelity) with music frequencies ranging from 40 to 16000 cycles per second, and emanating from a 10" vinyl disc on a turntable rotating at only 33 1/3 RPM. These 10" discs that generally had four songs on each side were soon superceded by 12" ones that usually had six songs per side.

By this time, the general public was becoming aware of woofers, tweeters, mid-range, coaxial and triaxial speakers, tone arm cartridges with jewel-point styluses, expensive receivers and turntables, and etc., and we were listening to recorded symphonic-quality concerts in our own houses.

By 1958, with the advent of two-channel stereo, recorded concerts in our living rooms took on a greater reality...Oh how we loved those "good ole," high-quality, vinyl (sometimes brightly colored) LONG PLAY Records!

The songs on LP Memories were selected from seven different Alan McGill long play record albums of the 1950's. they were recorded at different times during the decade, in various state-of-the-art studios, with a variety of instrumentalists and background singers. Some of the recording sessions were ad lib, and others were orchestrally-written arrangements by the conductor of that particular session. Ralph Carmichael did some of the arranging and conducting. The late Les Barnett, at organ and piano, directed some of the ad lib sessions, and Loren Whitney, as his famous four-manual, Robert Morgan pipe organ, provided accompaniment for several of the songs.

Song #13, "HE'S BEEN THERE ALL THE TIME," was composed by Alan's friends and outstanding keyboard musician, Les Burnett, sometimes referred to as "Mr. Hammond Organ," since he was so unusually proficient in revealing its full potential.

The late Redd Harper, another friend of Alan's, composed song #17,"I'M SINGING FOR MY LORD." They met through their activity in the HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN GROUP, formed to reach people in the entertainment field with the gospel.

"BE STILL MY HEART," song #18, was composed by Edith Boucher, the next-door neighbor of Alan and his late wife, Nancy, when they moved from Hollywood to the nearby San Fernando Valley. Edith, Lewis and their children attended church but didn't really understand the simplicity of the Gospel. Through fellowship with their McGill neighbors, Edith came to know the Lord, and even though she was not a musician, she composed the above song by picking out a melody on her small daughter's tiny toy piano which probably didn't measure more than 12" long. She felt the Lord gave her the lyrics, as well as the melody. When Rev. Wendell Loveless reviewed Alan's recording of the song in Christian Life Magazine in the 1950's, and played it on his Moody radio station program in Chicago, he commented that he wished he had been the composer. He had composed hundreds  of songs, but that's the only one Edith ever wrote. They, too, are now with our matchless Savior.

Although the cover picture on LP MEMORIES was used on another McGill album, years ago, none of these twelve songs are on any other McGill cassette or CD. We sincerely hope you like this album, and that it might somehow be a blessing to you and others.