Alternative rock
Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Jacob's Trouble was an American Christian rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia in the 1980s. The group originally consisted of members Jerry Davison (drums, lead vocals), Mark Blackburn (guitar, lead vocals), and Steve Atwell (bass).

In 1989, Jacob's Trouble released their debut, Terry Scott Taylor-produced album, Door Into Summer, a mixture of original numbers and cover versions of songs by The Beatles and The Monkees.

A year later the band released their second album, Knock, Breathe, Shine. The band received notice at the time for the song “About Sex,” a song about the proper role of sex in society from a Christian perspective. Fearing a fundamentalist label, the band opted to remove the song from the album and replaced it with the more ambiguous “About Sex, Part 2.” Despite this, the album was the group's best-selling record. They performed “About Sex” during a concert at Dellinger Park in Cartersville, GA.

One of Jacob's Trouble's songs, “These Thousand Hills,” was given much wider exposure when Third Day performed a cover of the song on their album Offerings. Jacob's Trouble was referred to as “being a band ahead of its time.”

After their second album the group added two new members (Ron Cochran on drums and guitarist Keith Johnston), allowing Davison to become the band's principal singer. The new line-up recorded the album …let the Truth Run Wild! After the album's release Blackburn left the band. The band went on to record one more record, the self-titled Jacob's Trouble.

Jacob's Trouble split after their fourth album and its subsequent tour. A collection of “rarities” was released in 1994 entitled Diggin' Up Bones, which featured the long-lost “About Sex.” The group reunited briefly in 1998 to record a new song, “Step by Step,” for a compilation album called The Jacob's Trouble Sampler Pak.

Atwell, Johnston, and Cochran continue to record together under the name Janah.

Jerry Davison recorded one CD under the name Sideways8 in 1998 and occasionally releases songs via such Internet music sites as garageband.com and IUMA.com. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia where he serves as Creative Arts Pastor for Church at the Ridge in Hiram, GA.

Mark Blackburn released two solo albums, Flowerchild (1996) and The Continuing Adventures of…. (1997). Blackburn is pastor of a church, Area251/Reallife Church, in his hometown of Dallas, Georgia.

(from Jacob’s Trouble)

Steve Atwell - Bass, vocals, keyboards, backing vocals
Jerry Davison - Drums, vocals, tambourine, backing vocals
Mark Blackburn - 6 & 12 string guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, backing vocals

Greg Flesch - Guitar, keyboards, e-bow
Gene Eugene - Piano, keyboards
Alex MacDougall - Tambourine, maracas, percussion

Produced by Terry Scott Taylor
Engineered by Gene Eugene

1. Wind and Wave (5:14)
2. Tell Me What You See (3:20)
3. She Smiled at the Future (3:59)
4. Church of Do What You Want To (4:45)
5. Awfully Familiar (4:58)
6. Waiting for the Son (4:15)
7. Door Into Summer (3:07)
8. If You Believe (4:22)
9. Million Miles (3:28)
10. All for You (3:38)
11. Psalm 151 (3:51)

1990 Alarma Records (CD09210)

Steve Atwell - Bass, backing vocals
Jerry Davison - Drums, percussion, vocals, backing vocals
Mark Blackburn - Electric, rhythm, and acoustic guitar, vocals, backing vocals

Greg Flesch - Electric guitar
Randy Stonehill - Harmony vocals (track 4)
Terry Scott Taylor - Backing vocals, Harmony vocals (track 4)
Rob Watson - Keyboards, backing vocals
Ojo Taylor - Piano (track 9)
Dan Michaels - Saxophone (track 13)
Jerry Chamberlain - Backing vocals
Riki Michele - Backing vocals
Sharon McCall - Backing vocals

Produced by Terry Scott Taylor
Recorded by Gene Eugene

1. Look at U Now (3:04)
2. Little Red Words (3:40)
3. Dreammaker (4:20)
4. Further Up & Further In (2:33)
5. Beggars and King (3:43)
6. Is It True? (2:58)
7. Islands, Buildings and Freeways (2:50)
8. I Believe in You (4:44)
9. There Goes My Heart Again (3:18)
10. Bad Lick & Gun Shot (0:06)
11. Mr. Hitler (4:10)
12. I'm A Little World (2:33)
13. About Sex (Part II) (4:02)
14. Wounded World (3:40)
15. These Thousand Hills (3:07)