The Lord's Prayer (Sister Janet Mead song)
Encyclopedia
"The Lord's Prayer" is a rock
setting of the Lord's Prayer
with music by Arnold Strals recorded in 1973 by the Australia
n nun Sister Janet Mead
. Mead was known for pioneering the use of contemporary rock music in celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass and for her weekly radio programs. This recording could be considered one of the links in the development of what would become known as contemporary Christian music.
The recording was produced by Martin Erdman and originally released by Festival Records in Australia. After reaching number three on the charts in Australia, it went on to become an international smash, selling nearly three million copies worldwide and making the upper reaches of the pop charts in territories as diverse as Canada
, Japan
, Brazil
, Germany
, and the United States
.
In the United States, "The Lord's Prayer", picked up for American distribution by A&M Records
(catalog number 1491, b/w "Brother Sun and Sister Moon"), entered the Billboard Hot 100
chart on 23 February 1974, charted for thirteen weeks and reached a peak of number four during Holy Week in April. It was certified gold for sales of one million copies. The record also reached number two on the Adult Contemporary
singles chart. It made Sister Janet the first Roman Catholic nun to have a hit record in the United States since Jeanine Deckers, the Singing Nun, hit #1 with "Dominique
" in late 1963
. It also became the only song to hit the Top 10, whose entire lyrical content originated from the words of Jesus Christ.
Mead was nominated for a Grammy for Best Inspirational Performance (although she lost to Elvis Presley
's How Great Thou Art) and also became the first Australian artist to sell one million U.S. copies of a record produced in Australia. She donated all of her royalties from the recording's massive international sales to charity, and her record label used their share of the proceeds to build a new state-of-the-art recording studio.
Sister Janet re-recorded "The Lord's Prayer" in 1999 for her comeback album, A Time to Sing.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
setting of the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
with music by Arnold Strals recorded in 1973 by the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n nun Sister Janet Mead
Sister Janet Mead
Sister Janet Mead is a Roman Catholic nun and is best known for recording a rock version of The Lord's Prayer. The surprise hit reached #3 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1974 and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in that same year. The single earned her a Grammy Award nomination and Golden Gospel...
. Mead was known for pioneering the use of contemporary rock music in celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass and for her weekly radio programs. This recording could be considered one of the links in the development of what would become known as contemporary Christian music.
The recording was produced by Martin Erdman and originally released by Festival Records in Australia. After reaching number three on the charts in Australia, it went on to become an international smash, selling nearly three million copies worldwide and making the upper reaches of the pop charts in territories as diverse as Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In the United States, "The Lord's Prayer", picked up for American distribution by A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
(catalog number 1491, b/w "Brother Sun and Sister Moon"), entered the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart on 23 February 1974, charted for thirteen weeks and reached a peak of number four during Holy Week in April. It was certified gold for sales of one million copies. The record also reached number two on the Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
singles chart. It made Sister Janet the first Roman Catholic nun to have a hit record in the United States since Jeanine Deckers, the Singing Nun, hit #1 with "Dominique
Dominique
"Dominique" is a popular song in French by Sœur Sourire , of Belgium, also known as The Singing Nun. It is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born priest and founder of the Dominican Order, of which she was a member . The English version of the song was written by Noël Regney...
" in late 1963
1963 in music
-Events:*January 1 – The Beatles start a 5-day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, "Love Me Do".*January 4 – At Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Dalida receives a Juke Box Global Oscar for the year's most-played artist on juke boxes....
. It also became the only song to hit the Top 10, whose entire lyrical content originated from the words of Jesus Christ.
Mead was nominated for a Grammy for Best Inspirational Performance (although she lost to Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's How Great Thou Art) and also became the first Australian artist to sell one million U.S. copies of a record produced in Australia. She donated all of her royalties from the recording's massive international sales to charity, and her record label used their share of the proceeds to build a new state-of-the-art recording studio.
Sister Janet re-recorded "The Lord's Prayer" in 1999 for her comeback album, A Time to Sing.
External links
- Sister Janet Mead's Home Page with a message from Sister Janet
- Listen to a preview of The Lord's Prayer plus other songs by Sister Janet and photos
- Sister Janet Mead biography including information on "The Lord's Prayer"