The Christian Underground Encyclopedia

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====== Greg Strange ======

Alternative Rock\\
Salem, Oregon, USA

Greg Strange is the stage name of Greg Sostrum, founder of [[Narrowpath Records]] and [[The Lonely Now]]. The July 1989 issus of //The Cutting Edge// announced that he would release an acoustic album called //Poor Boy's Journal// on [[Narrowpath Records]] under his real name. This album was never released. He went on to release several alternative / new wave albums.

From Greg's About web page:

"Gregory Neil Sostrom, the son of missionary parents, was born April 5th, 1962. For five years, his family lived in South Korea.  It was there, as a young boy, that Greg was first exposed to music. From the traditional, oriental instruments heard in the streets, to his father’s classical record collection, Greg’s love for music began to grow. 

Upon returning to the United States, Greg’s family settled in Salem, Oregon. It was during these years of attending Salem Private School and Salem Christian Academy, that Greg played trumpet, joined the choir, took piano lessons, and eventually discovered guitar. 

After graduating high school, Greg attended Western Baptist College (now Corban University). His interest in Christian music began to grow. He and his college buddies would arrive to venues early, and assist with unloading gear for many of the Christian artists that were on tour at that time including Petra, [[Daniel Amos]], Benny Hester and Sweet Comfort Band. Greg’s passion for songwriting began to cultivate,  as notebooks filled with lyrics, chords and ideas were always with him.

Greg completed his education, and received Bachelor’s degrees in both Psychology and Theology. He then moved to northern California and formed a band called [[The Lonely Now]] (the title of a Nicky Cruz book).  

From 1986-1989, they recorded independent projects titled //Captive//, //Original Intentions//, and //Honest Tear//.  [[The Lonely Now]] had the opportunity to open for artists such as [[The Choir]] and [[The Altar Boys]], and also played at the popular Cornerstone Festival.

Greg also launched [[Narrowpath Records]] during these years, and assisted in helping several artist begin their music careers including [[The Crucified]], [[The Swoon]], [[Dance of the Porcupines]], and [[Jesus Freaks]]. This effort came to an abrupt ending when both the parent company ([[Refuge Records]]) and their distributor (Spectra) went bankrupt. Many of these recording can still be found today.

In 1990, Greg signed a record deal with [[Ocean Records|Ocean Entertainment]]. During the next few years, he had the opportunity to record at the famous Mama Jo’s studio, and released //24 Hours to Live// (1991 Ocean/Word) and //I’ve Got a Message for You// (1992 Ocean/Word). At the record label’s suggestion, he began to record under the Greg Strange moniker.

In 1995, he teamed up with J. Andrew Selby, and released the independent //One Step Closer//. This project was an instant success on Christian radio, with the singles 'Love is Forever' (#4) and 'Celebrate' (#6) landing near the top of the Christian Dance music radio charts.

In 1998, he released the //Holy Rollin’ Hotrod//, and also took a job as Production Coordinator at Michael W. Smith’s Rocketown of middle Tennessee. During his two years in that role, Greg had the opportunity to work with many established artists, as well as up and coming acts such as [[Third Day]] and [[Small Town Poets]].

From 2001 to 2015, Greg assumed an aggressive recording and touring schedule. Musically, he moved in a humorous direction, and released multiple independent projects under the Greg Strange name, including //Real Men Play Croquet// (2002), //Greg Strange Live// (2008), and //Hitchin’ a Ride// (2012).  During these years, he traveled with just an acoustic guitar, and performed over 3000 concerts in 48 states. 

Since 2016, Greg has been back home, writing and releasing music in a style that he loves. Producing new tracks under the Dreams and Visions title, he presents a blend straight-forward Christian lyrics, intricate keyboards and live instruments.  Recent songs include 'For God So Loved' (2018), 'Excellent' (2019), and 'Love One Another' (2019)."

===== Discography =====

| 1991 | 24 Hours to Live | [[Ocean Records]] |			
| 1992 | I've Got a Message for You | [[Ocean Records]] |
| 1995 | One Step Closer | [[Narrowpath Records]] |
| 1998 | Holy Rollin’ Hotrod |
| 2002 | Real Men Play Croquet |
| 2008 | Greg Strange Live |
| 2012 | Hitchin’ a Ride |

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==== 24 Hours to Live ====

1991 [[Ocean Records]] (7018130697)

  - In a Shell
  - Never Steps on My Toes
  - Something More
  - Someday, Someday
  - 24 Hours to Live
  - I Call It Home
  - I Don't Like Yellow
  - Amen, Amen
  - I'm Here by You

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==== I've Got a Message for You ====

1992 [[Ocean Records]] (701814969X)

Produced by, words by, and music by Greg Strange

  - Great is Our God (3:19)
  - Me and My Umbrella (3:56)
  - I'm Turning Senile (4:11)
  - At the Bowling Alley (4:03)
  - My Cat Sophie (2:25)
  - Patience & Peaceful (3:57)
  - The Pizza Truck (3:55)
  - Listening to You (3:54)
  - I Believe in Heaven (4:38)
  - The Lord's Prayer (1:53)

The initial name for this album was //Meet Me at the Bowling Alley//.

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==== One Step Closer ====

1995 [[Narrowpath Records]]

  - One Way To
  - Celebrate
  - One Step Closer
  - Yesterday, Today
  - A Miracle
  - Love is Forever
  - Quiet Times
  - Without Ceasing
  - His Only Son
  - Way Truth Life

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===== Links =====

  * [[https://dreamsandvisionsmusic.com/|Greg Sostrom's Official Website]]