Artist:First Call
Song:I Will Always Come Back To You
Album:Human Song
First Call is a CCM vocal group that emerged from the Nashville studio scene in the 70s. They became popular enough in the 80s that Word Records tried to cross them over to pop with the 1992 album Human Song. When that didn't work out, First Call returned to the CCM market. Marty McCall was a background singer and he led the band Fireworks. Bonnie Keen was trying to get into musical theater but she was trying to make a living as a jingle singer. The two met at a Nashville recording studio. They met Dick Tunney and his wife Melodie was in the CCM group Truth. The original plan was to be a ready made backup trio for recording sessions. Thus the name First Call. After the 1985 album An Evening in December did well, they signed with Word's Dayspring label. At first they sang a capella so they were sold as a CCM version of The Manhattan Transfer. For the 1989 album God Is Good, Word tried to sell First Call to the secular market through A&M Records. A full band was added so they weren't a capella anymore. It was produced by veteran CCM producer Keith Thomas. Melodie left to start her own music ministry with husband Dick Tunney. She was replaced by Marabeth Jordan. Word moved their secular deal to Epic for the 1992 album Human Song. The album was produced by Michael Omartian. Omartian was a CCM artist and big time record producer. There was a video for I Will Always Come Back To You. They were set up for success. The whole thing came to a screeching halt when it was revealed that Marabeth had an extra marital affair with CCM singer Michael English. That killed First Call in the CCM market. Word dropped them. Marabeth left but First Call continued as a duo on Warner Alliance. Melodie Tunney returned and First Call's latest recording was an EP in 2016. Here's the video for I Will Always Come Back To You by First Call.
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