Barnabas (band)
Encyclopedia
Barnabas was a Christian
hard rock
band that was active from 1977 through 1986. The name of the band was in honor of the New Testament disciple Barnabas
. Originating out of the Jesus movement
of the 1970s, they are considered one of the pioneers of Christian hard rock and heavy metal
, along with Agape, Daniel Band
, Jerusalem
, and Resurrection Band
.
Over their career as a band, Barnabas was based in Los Angeles
, Schaumberg, Illinois, Des Moines, Iowa
, and Edmond, Oklahoma
. Barnabas recorded five studio albums and played a relatively small number of concerts. Throughout their career, the band suffered from attacks by prominent Christian lecturers, which ultimately contributed to their break up in 1986.
in 1977 as according to him he was unaware of Resurrection Band
and therefore did not know of any Christian groups playing hard rock or heavy metal at the time. Cooley placed an ad in Guitar Center that he wanted to form a Christian heavy metal band, and soon bassist Gary Mann and drummer Lance Johnson joined the band. Cooley originally wanted Darrell Mansfield
as a vocalist, but Mansfield turned down the offer so Carolyn Joy was recruited instead. Lance Johnson and Carolyn Joy performed live with the band for a short time, and second guitarist David Storrs was also involved with the band during this period. However, all three left within the first year. The band briefly had a drummer known as Roy, but he was soon replaced by Kris Klingensmith (Kris k.) who took over on drums. Nancy Jo Mann (later Nancyjo or NJo) then joined the band on vocals after being discovered through an ad in a local paper. The band recorded their first album, Hear the Light, in 1980 in a Los Angeles
studio. After this, the band briefly visited Highway Missionary Society in Rogue River, Oregon
before moving to Jesus People USA
in Chicago
for an equally short stay. Next, they moved to nearby Schaumburg, Illinois
.
After completion of the first album, Monte decided to leave the band, and was replaced by Michael (Mick) Donner. Two guitarists Michael "Mick" Donner and Kris Brauninger, joined the band, and the whole outfit relocated to Des Moines, Iowa
, the hometown of Nancy Jo. A second album, Find Your Heart a Home, was recorded in 1981. Following this, both Mick and Kris Brauninger left after the second album was recorded, and Brian Belew joined as a guitarist. With this lineup Barnabas joined Light Records and recorded 1983's Approaching Light Speed and 1984's Feel the Fire. The band then relocated to Edmond, Oklahoma
. However, throughout their career the band faced constant criticism from church organizations and ministers such as Bob Larson
, Jimmy Swaggart
, and Bill Gothard
, and this, combined with the pressures of maintaining the band, Barnabas decided to disband after playing at Toronto Greenfest in 1985. The band's contract obligations required them to release another album, Little Foxes, which was released in 1986, after which the group disbanded.
In 1992, Kris Klingensmith and Royce Priem launched a project to release a compilation CD called The Gospel According to Barnabas, which was remixed by John
and Dino Elefante of Mastedon
. This was released in 1992, but CD-reissues of Barnabas's old albums would not come out until the late 1990s.
The band's official website, "Homeplanet", was launched in February, 1997 and continues today as a repository of Barnabas history, discography, posters, and other historic items. It also features the popular phpBB
message board, "the manifest". Most of the former band members have posted there in the past. Currently, Kris and Nancyjo are participating actively on the manifest.
Kris k. was instrumental in developing the Homeplanet website content, and also pushed through the reissue of all five Barnabas albums on CD, a process that began in 1998 and ended in 2004.
and played a pivotal role in establishing Christian rock
, along with groups such as Agape, Daniel Band
, DeGarmo and Key
, Petra
, Resurrection Band
, Servant
, and Sweet Comfort Band
. They are also cited as a pioneer of Christian metal
and hard rock
, filling the gap on a timeline after Resurrection Band and Jerusalem
and before Daniel Band. On earlier albums, Barnabas adopted a mixture of hard rock, heavy blues, and metal, before adopting a full metal sound with a science-fiction and futuristic flair on their high-point album, Approaching Light Speed. They maintained a significant following before disappearing after their break up.
.
After the break up of Barnabas, Mann went put her energies into Women Exploited by Abortion, which she had established in 1982. Eight years before, in 1974, Mann underwent a botched saline abortion when she was twenty-two, which caused serious complications. According to Randy Alcorn
, Mann was the first to identify consistent psychological effects of abortion.
Nancy Jo Mann would later be one of many musicians whose stories were featured in the book God's Not Dead (And Neither Are We) by Jerry Wilson, which discusses pioneers of alternative Christian rock in the 1980s.
Later reissues and special recordings:
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band that was active from 1977 through 1986. The name of the band was in honor of the New Testament disciple Barnabas
Barnabas
Barnabas , born Joseph, was an Early Christian, one of the earliest Christian disciples in Jerusalem. In terms of culture and background, he was a Hellenised Jew, specifically a Levite. Named an apostle in , he and Saint Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts...
. Originating out of the Jesus movement
Jesus movement
The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...
of the 1970s, they are considered one of the pioneers of Christian hard rock and heavy metal
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...
, along with Agape, Daniel Band
Daniel Band
The Daniel Band is a Canadian hard rock group. They were pioneers in Contemporary Christian Music for their sound that ranged from rock to heavy metal...
, Jerusalem
Jerusalem (band)
Jerusalem is a Swedish Christian rock band, founded in 1975 by Ulf Christiansson. It was one of the first bands to combine Christian lyrics with a hard rock sound.-History:...
, and Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, was a Christian rock band formed in 1972. They were part of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago and most of its members have continued in that community to this day. Known for their blend of blues-rock and hard rock, Resurrection...
.
Over their career as a band, Barnabas was based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Schaumberg, Illinois, Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, and Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
. Barnabas recorded five studio albums and played a relatively small number of concerts. Throughout their career, the band suffered from attacks by prominent Christian lecturers, which ultimately contributed to their break up in 1986.
Band history
Monte Cooley founded the band in southern CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1977 as according to him he was unaware of Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, was a Christian rock band formed in 1972. They were part of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago and most of its members have continued in that community to this day. Known for their blend of blues-rock and hard rock, Resurrection...
and therefore did not know of any Christian groups playing hard rock or heavy metal at the time. Cooley placed an ad in Guitar Center that he wanted to form a Christian heavy metal band, and soon bassist Gary Mann and drummer Lance Johnson joined the band. Cooley originally wanted Darrell Mansfield
Darrell Mansfield
Darrell Mansfield is an American gospel/blues musician.-Biography:Mansfield got his musical start in 1974, releasing his first album Gentle Faith in 1976. He later formed the Darrell Mansfield Band...
as a vocalist, but Mansfield turned down the offer so Carolyn Joy was recruited instead. Lance Johnson and Carolyn Joy performed live with the band for a short time, and second guitarist David Storrs was also involved with the band during this period. However, all three left within the first year. The band briefly had a drummer known as Roy, but he was soon replaced by Kris Klingensmith (Kris k.) who took over on drums. Nancy Jo Mann (later Nancyjo or NJo) then joined the band on vocals after being discovered through an ad in a local paper. The band recorded their first album, Hear the Light, in 1980 in a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
studio. After this, the band briefly visited Highway Missionary Society in Rogue River, Oregon
Rogue River, Oregon
Rogue River is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,131.-History:The settlement was known as Woodville for many years, but was changed to Rogue River about 1912...
before moving to Jesus People USA
Jesus People USA
Jesus People USA is a Christian intentional community in Uptown, on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1972, coming out of Jesus People Milwaukee in the Jesus Movement, and is the largest of the few remaining communes from that movement...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for an equally short stay. Next, they moved to nearby Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
.
After completion of the first album, Monte decided to leave the band, and was replaced by Michael (Mick) Donner. Two guitarists Michael "Mick" Donner and Kris Brauninger, joined the band, and the whole outfit relocated to Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, the hometown of Nancy Jo. A second album, Find Your Heart a Home, was recorded in 1981. Following this, both Mick and Kris Brauninger left after the second album was recorded, and Brian Belew joined as a guitarist. With this lineup Barnabas joined Light Records and recorded 1983's Approaching Light Speed and 1984's Feel the Fire. The band then relocated to Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond, Oklahoma
Edmond is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the population was 81,405, making it the sixth largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
. However, throughout their career the band faced constant criticism from church organizations and ministers such as Bob Larson
Bob Larson
Bob Larson is an American radio and television evangelist, currently based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Larson has authored numerous books on the subjects of rock music and Satanism, written from a Christian perspective.-Life and career:...
, Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
, and Bill Gothard
Bill Gothard
William W. Gothard is an American Christian minister, speaker and writer, and the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles , notable for his ultraconservative teachings...
, and this, combined with the pressures of maintaining the band, Barnabas decided to disband after playing at Toronto Greenfest in 1985. The band's contract obligations required them to release another album, Little Foxes, which was released in 1986, after which the group disbanded.
In 1992, Kris Klingensmith and Royce Priem launched a project to release a compilation CD called The Gospel According to Barnabas, which was remixed by John
John Elefante
John Elefante is an American singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and producer.-Early years:Born in Levittown, New York, his family soon moved to Long Beach, California. Growing up, he sang and performed drums for his family band, the Brotherhood...
and Dino Elefante of Mastedon
Mastedon
Mastedon is the name of a Christian rock band formed by brothers Dino and John Elefante in the mid-80s. The band was formed mainly as a studio project and released two full-length albums and two stand-alone songs on compilation albums.Mastedon have recently signed with Italian label Frontiers...
. This was released in 1992, but CD-reissues of Barnabas's old albums would not come out until the late 1990s.
The band's official website, "Homeplanet", was launched in February, 1997 and continues today as a repository of Barnabas history, discography, posters, and other historic items. It also features the popular phpBB
PhpBB
phpBB is a popular Internet forum package written in the PHP scripting language. The name "phpBB" is an abbreviation of PHP Bulletin Board...
message board, "the manifest". Most of the former band members have posted there in the past. Currently, Kris and Nancyjo are participating actively on the manifest.
Kris k. was instrumental in developing the Homeplanet website content, and also pushed through the reissue of all five Barnabas albums on CD, a process that began in 1998 and ended in 2004.
Style and legacy
Barnabas are considered an important part of the 1970s Jesus MovementJesus movement
The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. It was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture,...
and played a pivotal role in establishing Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
, along with groups such as Agape, Daniel Band
Daniel Band
The Daniel Band is a Canadian hard rock group. They were pioneers in Contemporary Christian Music for their sound that ranged from rock to heavy metal...
, DeGarmo and Key
DeGarmo and Key
DeGarmo & Key was a Christian Rock group that started professionally in 1978. The primary members were Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key. Eddie played keyboards and sang background vocals , while Dana played lead guitar and did the majority of the lead vocals. Other members included Tommy Cathey on bass...
, Petra
Petra (band)
Petra is a music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres. Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock"...
, Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band
Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, was a Christian rock band formed in 1972. They were part of the Jesus People USA Christian community in Chicago and most of its members have continued in that community to this day. Known for their blend of blues-rock and hard rock, Resurrection...
, Servant
Servant (band)
Servant was a Christian rock group that grew out of the counter-culture Jesus Movement of the sixties and seventies. The band was founded in Victoria, British Columbia in 1976 by Jim Palosaari and performed to audiences throughout North America, Europe and Australia for over 12 years. Originally...
, and Sweet Comfort Band
Sweet Comfort Band
Sweet Comfort Band was a Christian rock band that first performed in 1973 in Riverside, California, and were active until 1984. The band was initially composed of keyboardist/lead vocalist, Bryan Duncan, and brothers Kevin and Rick Thomson. The band was the brainchild of the Thomson brothers...
. They are also cited as a pioneer of Christian metal
Christian metal
Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...
and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, filling the gap on a timeline after Resurrection Band and Jerusalem
Jerusalem (band)
Jerusalem is a Swedish Christian rock band, founded in 1975 by Ulf Christiansson. It was one of the first bands to combine Christian lyrics with a hard rock sound.-History:...
and before Daniel Band. On earlier albums, Barnabas adopted a mixture of hard rock, heavy blues, and metal, before adopting a full metal sound with a science-fiction and futuristic flair on their high-point album, Approaching Light Speed. They maintained a significant following before disappearing after their break up.
Nancy Jo Mann
Nancy Jo Mann's vocal style has been described as "powerhouse," drawing influence from Wendy Kaiser and Janis JoplinJanis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
.
After the break up of Barnabas, Mann went put her energies into Women Exploited by Abortion, which she had established in 1982. Eight years before, in 1974, Mann underwent a botched saline abortion when she was twenty-two, which caused serious complications. According to Randy Alcorn
Randy Alcorn
Randy Alcorn is an American Protestant author and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries, a non-profit Christian organization dedicated to teaching an eternal viewpoint and helping the needy of the world. He has written several novels, including Deadline, Dominion, and Deception. He received a...
, Mann was the first to identify consistent psychological effects of abortion.
Nancy Jo Mann would later be one of many musicians whose stories were featured in the book God's Not Dead (And Neither Are We) by Jerry Wilson, which discusses pioneers of alternative Christian rock in the 1980s.
Final lineup
- Nancy Jo Mann (vocals)
- Brian Belew (guitar)
- Gary Mann (bass and keyboards)
- Kris Klingensmith (drums, percussion and lyrics)
Past members
- Monte Cooley (guitar, vocals, songwriter)
- Lance Johnson (drums)
- Carolyn Joy (lead vocals, acoustic guitar)
- Rojelio (drums) second drumme
- Mick Donner (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, and songwriter)
- Kris Brauninger (guitar, keyboards)
- David Storrs (guitar)
Discography
- Hear the Light (1980)
- Find Your Heart a Home (1982)
- Approaching Light Speed (1983)
- Feel The Fire (1984)
- Little Foxes (1986)
Later reissues and special recordings:
- The Gospel According to Barnabas (1992) - CD compilation of Approaching Light Speed and Feel The Fire
- Hear The Light / Find Your Heart a Home (1999) - CD compilation reissue
- Approaching Light Speed (2000) - CD reissue
- Artifacts and Relics (2000) - CD compilation of various unreleased tracks, including a recording of a Barnabas rehearsal
- Feel the Fire / Little Foxes (2004) - CD compilation reissue