====== Altar Boys ====== Punk Rock\\ California, USA Altar Boys were Christian punk rock band from California formed in 1982. The original members were [[Mike Stand]] (vocals, songwriting, and guitar), Jeff Crandall (drums), Steve Pannier (guitars) and [[Ric Alba]] (bass, background vocals). Mark Robertson would later replace Alba on bass. The formation of The Altar Boys, according to [[Mike Stand]]: "In 1980 I committed my life to Jesus Christ and began working on my salvation with “fear and trembling”. I began playing in a Christian rock group called “Image” with my cousins Jeff and Bill Crandall and a guy named Armand Barocio. We were not really that good, but it was a start. The band lasted for about two years. Anyway, Bill and Armand kind of dropped out of Image after about a year and we got a different bass player along with Ken Tamplin from Shout but that really didn’t work either. Jeff and I decided to form a different band – the Altar Boys name came later. Ironically, we auditioned lead singers, and someone who could be a front man. I had no intention of being the main songwriter, singer or front man – it wasn’t even on my radar. As you might guess we couldn’t find anyone who fit the bill, so at some point I decided just to do it – I suppose it worked out in the end and was meant to be. I remember in 1981 I went to see my brother’s band “The Lifesavors” play and became inspired. I became good friends with the guys in Undercover and began writing songs with a more punk feel to them. I kind of felt that I was just writing Beatles music that was sped up. We did experiment with ska and light pop, but I think we did the “power punk” (or whatever you want to call it) the best. Hence, you see the results of what I was really going for on //Gut Level Musi//c, //When You’re a Rebel// had hints of it as did //Against the Grain//. By the time we recorded //Forever Mercy// we had kind of strayed from our original sound – bad move. Our first bass player came as a recommendation from Undercover, he stayed with us for about 2 years until Ric joined the band – that change improved the band greatly. Steve auditioned for the group in May of 1982 – he was a real good fit. We played our first gig at First Baptist church in Fullerton in July of 1983. I have some great photos from that gig. We were well received. After that first performance the band sort of took off and we played anywhere and everywhere, about 10 times a month… I suppose the rest is history (With a small h). We sought to be a little more melodic on //Forever Mercy//. But our fan base loved the hard driving stuff. With that said, the //Forever Mercy// project was just so different, it had its good moments but everyone wanted to hear //Gut Level Music//. In the end, the music did not “work” very well in the live setting. Hence we pulled mostly from our older material.... We were hoping to do a 6th record called //No Substitute// that really was basically more in line with //Gut Level Music//, but we just could not seem to get back into the studio. Some of those songs were used on the [[Clash of Symbol]]’s first recording while others are not going anywhere." ===== Discography ===== | 1983 | Demo | | 1984 | Altar Boys | [[Ministry Resource Center]] | | 1985 | When You're a Rebel | [[Alarma Records]] | | 1986 | Gut Level Music | [[Alarma Records]] | | 1987 | Against the Grain | [[Alarma Records]] | | 1989 | Forever Mercy | [[Alarma Records]] | | 1990 | Mercy Thoughts | | 1991 | The Collection | [[Alarma Records]] | | 1992 | No Substitute | (unreleased) | | 2000 | Live at Cornerstone | [[Millenium Eight Records]] | | 2018 | No Substitute | [[Lo-Fidelity Records]] | ------ ==== Demo ==== 1983 Independent [[Mike Stand]] - Lead vocals, guitar\\ Steve Pannier - Guitar\\ First bass player?\\ Jeff Crandall - Drums - Go for You (2:17) - Mary Ann (2:42) - You're Lost (1:36) - Anytime at All (2:21) ------ ==== Altar Boys ==== 1984 Ministry Resource Center (SPCN-7-100-03372-19)\\ 2002 Millenium Eight Records (M8D-1131) [[Mike Stand]] - Guitar, lead vocals\\ Steve Pannier - Guitar\\ [[Ric Alba]] - Bass, keyboards\\ Jeff Crandall - Drums, vocals Produced by [[Ojo Taylor|Joey Taylor]] - Alright! (2:24) - I'm Into God (2:52) - Have a Clue (2:36) - Where's It Gonna Lead You (2:24) - You Found Me (3:46) - Take in the Son (2:44) - Well O.K. (2:36) - Good Life (3:31) - Oh, Oh Nancy (1:33) - We Love Jesus (2:40) - It's Up to You (3:07) == 2002 Re-issue Bonus Tracks: == - Go for You (2:17) - Mary Ann (2:42) - You're Lost (1:36) - Anytime at All (2:21) ------ ==== When You're a Rebel ==== 1985 Broken Records (CD08796) [[Mike Stand]] - Lead vocals, guitars\\ [[Ric Alba]] - Bass, backing vocals\\ Jeff Crandall - Drums, percussion, backing vocals Produced by B. B. Stone - Difference in Me (4:06) - More of You (2:58) - Calling Out to Believers! (3:23) - When I'm With God (2:33) - I'm Into God (reprise) (1:44) - When You're a Rebel (3:58) - Jesus is Number One (2:46) - If You Let Him In (2:25) - When I See You (3:08) - He Knows You Better (2:58) - Does God's Heart Cry? (4:35) ------ ==== Gut Level Music ==== 1986 Frontline Records (CD9006)\\ 2015 Girder Records (GR1005) Mike Stand - Guitar, Vvocals\\ [[Ric Alba]] - Bass, backing vocals, piano\\ Jeff Crandall - Drums, backing vocals Produced by [[Terry Scott Taylor]] - You Are Loved (4:12) - G.L.M. (Gut Level Music) (4:04) - I'm Not Talking About Religion (3:58) - I Question It (2:45) - You Found Me (3:42) - Unconditional Love (3:33) - There is a Love (4:18) - Calling to You (3:12) - Final Hour (2:56) - Life Begins at the Cross (4:09) Note: The 2015 re-issue included the missing unreleased song "I Just Can't Let Go" (3:59) inserted in between tracks 5 and 6. ------ ==== Against the Grain ==== Frontline Records (CD9023) [[Mike Stand]] - Guitars, vocals\\ [[Ric Alba]] - Bass, backing vocals\\ Jeff Crandall - Drums, percussion, backing vocals Produced by The Altar Boys and [[Terry Scott Taylor]] - Fallen World (4:05) - Kids are on the Run (3:48) - Hearts Lost in Nowhere (4:01) - Broken (3:56) - Where's the New World? (5:18) - Against the Grain (2:28) - Human Sound (4:21) - Take Control (3:11) - Shout Louder! (3:33) - Count on Love (4:27) ------ ==== Forever Mercy ==== 1989 Alarma Records (FLD9057) [[Mike Stand]] - Lead vocals, lead guitar, harmonica\\ [[Ric Alba]] - Bass, guitar, vocals\\ Jeff Crandall - Drums, percussion, vocals Steve Griffith - Additional drums, vocals, and guitar\\ Steve Pannier - Lead guitar on tracks: 5, 6, and 9 Produced by Steve Griffith - Forever Mercy (4:20) - Listen Up (4:28) - Faith! (4:03) - The Meaning of Life (4:26) - Ride This Train (4:26) - World Burning (4:00) - Here Ends the Night (3:53) - Love Eternal (3:55) - More Than Words (3:48) - Silent Night (4:13) ------ ==== Mercy Thoughts ==== 1990 Independent\\ 2000 Millenium Eight Records (M8D-1049) == 1990 Tape version == - Well O.K. (live 1984) (2:38) - You're Lost (1983 2nd demo) (1:31) - Where's It Gonna Lead You (live 1984) (2:26) - When You're a Rebel (live 1984) (3:49) - You are Loved (live 1989) (4:43) - Fallen World (live 1989) (4:32) - Do I Stand Alone? (demo version) (4:29) - It's Me (unreleased solo demo) (3:56) - Life in the Streets (unreleased solo demo) (3:42) - World Burning (demo version 1989) (3:27) - Altar Boys Go Skating (unreleased track from the //Forever Mercy// sessions) (2:31) - Stand & Fall (solo demo 1989) (4:15) - I Can Hear (unreleased track from the //Simple Expressions// sessions) (4:54) == 2000 Millenium Eight Records Version == - Listen to Your Heart Breakdown (demo version 1983) (2:39) - Take in the Son (live 1983) (2:33) - Come Along and See (live 1983) (2:36) - Now Your Mine (live 1983) (2:41) - You're Lost (1983 2nd demo) (1:31) - Well O.K. (live 1984) (2:38) - Where's It Gonna Lead You (live 1984) (2:26) - When You're a Rebel (live 1984) (3:49) - Gut Level Music (basic track 1986) (4:17) - You are Loved (live 1989) (4:43) - Fallen World (live 1989) (4:32) - Do I Stand Alone? (demo version) (4:29) - It's Me (unreleased solo demo) (3:56) - Life in the Streets (unreleased solo demo) (3:42) - World Burning (demo version 1989) (3:27) - Altar Boys Go Skating (unreleased track from the //Forever Mercy// sessions) (2:31) - Throw Your Torches Down (live reference demo 1989) (3:41) - Altar Boys Go Skating (acoustic version) (demo 1989) (2:26) - Stand & Fall (solo demo 1989) (4:15) - I Can Hear (unreleased track from the //Simple Expressions// sessions) (4:54) ------ ==== The Collection ==== 1991 Alarma Records (FLD9268) Collection of their best songs / greatest hits, with four remixes and three solo tracks from [[Mike Stand]]. - You are Loved (remix) (4:11) - Heart Lost in Nowhere (4:06) - Against the Grain (2:27) - Broken (4:00) - I Question It (extended remix) (2:51) - There is a Love (4:18) - Forever Mercy (extended remix) (5:18) - World Burning (remix) (4:03) - Life Begins at the Cross (4:10) - The Meaning of Life (4:56) - Ride This Train (4:23) - GLM (Gut Level Music) (4:10) - [[Mike Stand]] - I'm Only Human (3:36) - [[Mike Stand]] - Do I Stand Alone? (4:33) - [[Mike Stand]] - Footsteps of Love (3:54) ------ ==== No Substitute ==== 1992 unreleased Demo tracks were recorded for this project, but never finished or released at the time they were recorded. - Rebel Rock - History Comes Back - Light of Freedom - Outside in the Distance - Surround Me - You are the One - 1,000 Miles - We Will Hold On - Let me See Your Hands - No Substitute ------ ==== Live at Cornerstone ==== 2000 Millenium Eight Records (M8D-1068) [[Mike Stand]] - Lead vocals, guitar\\ Steve Pannier - Rhythm guitar, slide guitar\\ Mark Robertson - Bass, vocals\\ Jeff Crandall - Drums, vocals - Against the Grain (5:05) - You Found Me (4:35) - If You Let Him In (0:13) - Gut Level Music (GLM) (4:20) - He Knows You Better (3:07) - [band introduction] (1:13) - I Question It (3:10) - You Are Loved (3:57) - Heart Lost in Nowhere (3:58) - Life Begins at the Cross (4:43) - [audience applause] (1:58) - I'm Into God (2:34) - When You're a Rebel (4:45) ------ ==== No Substitute ==== 2018 Lo-Fidelity Records The unreleased demos from 1992 were cleaned up, finished, and finally released. - Rebel Rock (4:38) - No Substitute (4:00) - Let Me See Your Hands (3:32) - Light of Freedom (4:01) - Outside in the Distance (3:25) - History Comes Back to Haunt This World (5:18) - The Kids Cry (3:58) - Surround Me (4:34) - Thousand Miles (4:27) - Devotion (4:28) - Give Our Hearts Back to God (4:16) - Revolution of Love (2:53) ------ ===== Links ===== * [[http://downthelinezine.com/archives/mike-stand-and-the-altar-boys/|Down the Line interview with Mike Stand]]