Free To Fly (Compact Disc)

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CATCHING UP WITH POINT OF GRACE

It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since Christian super-group Point Of Grace hit the scene. In that time, the fresh-faced, small town girls who urged us to “Gather At The River” and “Keep The Candle Burning” have become bonafide, multi-million selling pop stars with 21 consecutive #1 hit singles, Gold and Platinum albums, multiple Grammy nominations and numerous Dove Awards to their credit.

After enjoying a decade of unparalleled success, it would have been easy for Point Of Grace to rest on its laurels and duplicate its previous work on the new album, Free To Fly, released in May 2001. Instead, Shelley Breen, Denise Jones, Heather Payne and Terry Jones decided that it was time to push the sonic envelope a bit and try something new. They approached the making of Free To Fly in an entirely fresh way, and created an album that is distinctly Point Of Grace but with an edgier, funkier pop sound.

Following the release of the seasonal album A Christmas Story in 1999, the group took a well deserved, year-long sabbatical. “We had been working for 10 years straight, and we never took a break until after the 1999 tour for our Christmas album,” says Terry. “It was a refueling and reinvigorating experience to step back, take time off and focus on our families and friends.”

During their break, the members of Point Of Grace concentrated on their personal lives. Both Terry and Denise had new baby boys and spent time with their older sons. Denise also completed her college degree via a correspondence course. Shelley and Heather enjoyed relaxing with their husbands and friends. The women also had time to perform at Women of Faith conferences, and made an effort to really study today’s pop music scene.

“It was a good time for us to get a feel for pop culture and what’s out there,” says Shelley. “I enjoyed sitting at home and being an observer.”

Denise adds, “We get so caught up in what we’re doing that we don’t have time to listen to the radio and look at the world in general. This was a great time for that.”

Faith in God and a love of singing – the elements that originally brought the members of Point Of Grace together – have kept them going strong for a decade. Formed in 1990 on the campus of the Arkansas college they attended together (although Heather, Denise, and Terry also went to the same Oklahoma high school), the women knew immediately that their four voices created a special sound. “It was magical the first time we sang together,” Denise recalls. “It was amazing.”

Influenced by Sandi Patty, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Wayne Watson, as well as by vocal harmony groups like Chicago, Manhattan Transfer, and En Vogue, Point Of Grace’s self-titled Word Records debut earned them six # 1 singles, an achievement still unmatched by any artist in any genre of music. The group’s follow-up albums, The Whole Truth; life, love & other mysteries; Steady On and A Christmas Story, continued to build on Point Of Grace’s trademark harmonies. With each release, the group expanded its audience while garnering 21 consecutive #1 hits. A favorite of fans and critics alike, Point Of Grace gained national media exposure on programs like “Entertainment Tonight,” “Regis and Kathie Lee,” “CBS This Morning,” “The View”, “Good Morning America” and VH-1, as well as with articles in The New York Times Magazine, USA Today Weekend and Time Magazine. In early 2000, the group released its “greatest hits” collection, Rarities & Remixes, a compilation of 15 cuts from past projects.

So what’s next for this fearless foursome? The group is already planning a major, nationwide Free To Fly headlining tour, and is laying plans for “Girls of Grace,” a conference aimed at teenagers that will take place in 2002. “’Girls of Grace’ is a long time dream of ours,” Shelley says. “We have appeared at the Women of Faith conferences and we want to expand that idea. We plan to have a conference that will incorporate speaking and meeting with young women in small groups. The event will end with a concert. It also works hand in hand with Mercy Ministries of America, another organization we have supported for a long time. That group helps unwed teenage mothers as well as girls with drug problems, eating disorders and other issues.”

FREE TO FLY: ABOUT THE ALBUM

While making Free to Fly, as always, the members of Point Of Grace had to unanimously agree on musical direction. One of the key decisions on Free To Fly was to work with David Tyson, whose credits include Amanda Marshall, Jude Cole and Alannah Miles (“Black Velvet”). Tyson, based in Los Angeles, produced the cuts “Free Indeed,” “Something So Good,” and “By Heart.” “David has a different ear,” Heather reflects. “He brought a very contemporary pop sound with more grooves and nuances to the record. For Steady On, we wanted a more live band feel. But with Free To Fly, we wanted something different: an edgier, slightly more programmed sound. But of course, we kept the core of who we are. We’ve just turned it up a notch.”

Point Of Grace also enlisted the help of producers Brown Banister and Nathan Nockles, both of whom they’ve collaborated with before, as well as Tom Laune, Glenn Garrett and Wayne Tester. “We wanted to work with different producers in different settings,” Shelley says. “I think that it added a lot of energy to the project.”

Denise adds, “This record is ‘sugar and spice.’ There are sweet moments with the crisp, clear and clean vocals that we’re known for. Then there’s spice—songs with a little harder edge, a little more rock-and-roll. But we always sound like Point Of Grace.”

The group’s signature sound is a seamless blend of four voices into a unique element that also features each member trading lead vocals. Songs like “Free Indeed,” “Blue Skies,” “You Will Never Walk Alone,” “Something So Good” and “Begin With Me” incorporate elements of funk, rock-and-roll and pop, but are united by Point Of Grace’s unmistakable harmonies.

And, as always, the theme of each song on Free To Fly reflects the members’ deep-rooted faith. In fact, as the recording process began, individual songs took on a special significance for the women.

“‘He Sends His Love’ is very meaningful to me,” says Shelley. “We get so many letters from young teenage girls asking for advice about life. That song is written in the form of a letter, and it’s like we are musically responding to our fans. We are telling them in song to be strong and to have faith.”

The song “Blue Skies” particularly ministered to Denise. “While we were recording (the song), my husband was having hip trouble and the doctors found a tumor in his thigh bone,” Denise recalls. “While we were waiting out the results of his tests, we were doing the song. It talks about how, in trouble and in bad times, we have God to see us through. Through the five days of waiting for test results, I thought about the lyrics of that song a lot. It turned out the tumor was benign, and my husband is fine. But that song really sustained us.”

For Point Of Grace, Free To Fly is both an album title and a commentary on the members’ approach to their personal lives and careers. “We have a sense of freedom about who we are and what we do,” Terry says. “We’re so excited about our music and we are looking forward to sharing it with our fans. That freedom to be ourselves and to express our faith through our music is what makes this CD so meaningful to us.”

POINT OF GRACE: Accolades and Awards

Grammy Nominations

• 1996 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album – life, love & other mysteries
• 1999 Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album – Steady On

Dove Awards

• 2001 Group of the Year nomination
• 2000 Group of the Year nomination

Artist of the Year nomination

Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year – A Christmas Story
• 1999 Group of the Year Enhanced CD of the Year
• 1998 Artist of the Year nomination

  Group of the Year nomination Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year nomination – “Circle Of Friends”

• 1996 Group of the year

  Pop/Contemporary Recorded Album of the Year – The Whole Truth Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song – “The Great Divide” Special Event Album of the Year – My Utmost For His Highest

• 1994 New Artist of the Year

21 Consecutive #1 Radio Songs

• “I’ll Be Believing”
• “I Have No Doubt”
• “Gather At The River”
• “You Are The Answer”
• “One More Broken Heart”
• “No More Pain”
• “God Is With Us”
• “Jesus Will Still Be There”
• “The Great Divide”
• “Love Like No Other”
• “Faith, Hope & Love”
• “Dying To Reach You”
• “Keep The Candle Burning”
• “Circle Of Friends”
• “That’s The Way It’s Meant To Be”
• “Steady On”
• “Saving Grace”
• “When The Wind Blows”
• “The Wonder Of It All”
• “My God”
• “The Song Is Alive”

Top 10 Albums (CCM Update and Billboard sales charts)

• A Christmas Story
• Steady On
• Life, love & other mysteries
• The Whole Truth
• Point Of Grace

POINT OF GRACE: SUMMER 2001 CONCERTS

FREE TO FLY: LYRICS

By Heart
Written by Sean Hosein, Dane DeViller and Pam Sheyne © 2001 BMG Songs, Inc./ Little Engine Entertainment/Big Caboose Music, Inc./ASCAP/Appletree Songs, Ltd (PRS)

Your shining light
Has changed my life
It’s like I’ve found my way home
I know You’re near
Hear You loud and clear
I could live on this feeling alone
Everywhere I go You are right there beside me
Anytime of night or day

Chorus
Your name is on my lips
Your love I can’t resist
Got to be with You wherever You are
I want You memorized
So when I close my eyes
All I have to do, is keep loving You
By heart

I don’t have to see
See You to believe
That You’re not won’t going away
I know You’ll be
Watching over me
You’re the shelter that’s keeping me safe
I know Your arms they can
Reach out to hold me
Even when I’m feeling alone

Chorus

(comes naturally)
Like every breath I breathe
(don’t have to think)
It’s second nature to me
I close my eyes
And You are there with me
You know me You see me
You hear me You heal me

Chorus

You Will Never Walk Alone
Written by Lowell Alexander © 2001 Word Music, Inc./ASCAP

Along life’s road
There will be sunshine and rain
Roses and thorns, laughter and pain
And ‘cross the miles
You will face mountains so steep
Deserts so long and valleys so deep

Sometimes the journey’s gentle
Sometimes the cold winds blow
But I want you to remember
I want you to know

Chorus
You will never walk alone
As long as you have faith
Jesus will be right beside you all the way
You may feel you’re far from home
But home is where He is
And He’ll be there down every road
You will never walk alone

The path will wind
And you will find wonders and fears
Labors of love and a few falling tears
Across the years
There will be some twists and turns
Mistakes to make and lessons to learn

Sometimes the journey’s gentle
Sometimes the cold winds blow
But I want you to remember
Wherever you may go

Chorus

Bridge
Jesus knows your joy, Jesus knows your need
He will go the distance with you faithfully

Chorus

He Sends His Love
Written by Jeremy Bose and Paul Evans © 2001 Word Music, Inc./Vandelay Publishing (Admin. by Word Music, Inc.) Frederick Drive Songs/ASCAP

I am writing this to you
And I hope that one day soon
You will come to realize
You are precious in his eyes

I know you feel alone
A million miles from home
It seems that no one cares
That life is so unfair

Hold on to this promise like it’s your last breath
Let it fill your heart when it’s all you have left

Chorus
You gotta believe
You gotta be strong
You gotta have faith enough to know no matter where you are
He is always with you
Never give up
Never give in
His only Son died for all our sins and He will lift you up
And hold you in His love
He gave His Son
He sends His love

When the weight is just too much
And there’s no one you can trust
When it’s dark and you’re afraid
Let the spirit guide your way

There’s so much left to do
A great big world to wander through
So many people in your life
Waiting to see your smile

Pre-Chorus/Chorus

Bridge
His love is all around you
A fortress that surrounds you
Let it comfort and protect you from the storm

It’s time to start a new day
He will help you find your way
To a better place

Pre-Chorus/Chorus

Praise Forevermore
Written by Darlene Zschech
© 2001 Darlene Zschech/Hillsong Publishing/ASCAP/(Admin. in the U.S. and Canada by Integrity’s Hosanna! Music) c/o Integrity Music, Inc., 1000 Cody Road, Mobile, AL 36695. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.Used by persmission.

Earnestly I sought You
Lovingly You found me
Embraced me as Your child
Now I’ll never be the same

No greater love than Yours Lord
Never known it before
Only ever dreamed about
This abundant love

Chorus:
Singing hallelujah, hallelujah
To my awesome God
Lift my voice unto my closest friend
I’ll praise You to the end
Singing hallelujah, hallelujah
To the faithful one
Raise my hands in honor of You Lord
I’ll praise forevermore

How could I say thank you
For joy and peace so beautiful
Father, friend, my Jesus
Lover of my soul

Savior of the world
I dance before Your throne now
All that is within me
Will rise to glorify

Chorus

Blue Skies
Written by Matt Huesmann and Grant Cunningham
© 2001 Meadowgreen Music Company/Imagine That Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Pulblishing) /Matt Huesmann Music (Admin. by Bug)/ASCAP

On days of gray
When doubt clouds my view
I can’t seem to see past my fears
My strength seems to fade
And it’s all I can do
To hold on, ‘til the light reappears…

Still, I believe though some rain’s bound to fall
That You’re here next to me
And You’re over it all

Chorus
Lord, the sky’s still blue
For my hope is in You
You’re my Joy
You’re the dream that’s still alive
Like the wind at my back
And the sun on my face
You are Life
You’re Grace
You are Blue Skies
You’re my Blue Skies

When nights are long
Seems the dark has no end
Still we walk on in light of the truth
For waiting beyond
Where the morning begins
Is the dawn, and Your mercy anew

Oh, to believe we’re alive in Your love
There is so much to see
If we keep looking up

Chorus

Bridge
You filled the heavens with hope and a higher love
A picture, a promise for life…

Chorus

Begin With Me
Written by David Tyson and Steve Siler
© 2001 EMI April Music Inc. o/b/o EMI April Music (Canada Ltd.)/Into Wishin'(Admin. by EMI April Music Inc.)/ Word Music, Inc./Fifty States Music (Admin. By Word Music, Inc.)/ASCAP

Lord I know sometimes you look down and shake Your head
When we know what we should do and do the other thing instead
We’re living in glass houses and we’re throwing sticks and stones
The love that will come to us is the love that we have shown

Ignite a fire in my spirit
And when I want to make a difference
This will be my prayer

Chorus
Begin with me
Turn my world upside down
Come change my heart around
Lord keep on washing me clean
Begin with me
Come and renew my mind
And lead me to the light
Till I am more like You, Jesus
Begin, begin with me

Have you ever noticed how we love to give advice
We offer up suggestions without thinking twice
Got 20/20 vision when we’re watching someone else
But it’s a little blurry when we’re looking at ourselves

I can’t forget to check the mirror
That’s where I find the only one
That He wants me to change

Chorus

Bridge
Starting right here, right now
Lord I surrender to You
Ready to serve
Ready to love
‘Cause that is all that matters in the end

Chorus

Free Indeed
Written by Grant Cunningham, Matt Huesmann and David Cleveland
© 2001 Meadowgreen Music Company/Imagine That Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)/Matt Huesmann Music (Admin. by Bug)/ASCAP

Can you think of the way that we used to be
We were young, full of hope and full of dreams
Look around what has happened in-between
Living life can steal your hope away it seems

Dream again
Oh, you’re like a child who’s waiting to become

Chorus
The Son has come to free us
Set your eyes on Jesus
You’re free now
(Know that you are free indeed)
To love, to live, to dream
To love as He has loved you
To live like He’s among you
To dream now
Know that you are free indeed

When your world is a dark and lonely place
Turn your eyes from yourself and seek His face
There’s hope in His open arms you’ll find
And a peace that’s gonna free your heart and mind

Breathe again
Oh you’re free to fly and young enough to run

Chorus

Bridge
But for me to live is Christ
That would be no sacrifice
I freely give Him all my life…

Chorus

All That I Need
Written by Glenn Garrett and Wayne Tester
© 2001 Cut Above Music/Universal-MCA Music Publishing, a division of Universal Studios, Inc./ASCAP

Sometimes I know, You can read my mind
Deep down inside where my fears are hiding
Whisper so tender the way that You do
There’s a love that’s forever I’ve found in You

I know sometimes, I ask you for the moon
Reach for a star and I long to hold You
How can this love be so simple for You
The You reach out and touch me
And suddenly I see

Chorus
All that I need is You
Always forever with You
I feel Your love and I realize
All I ever needed was You
Just You

You’re all I ever needed

Once in a while a dream will come true
A moment in time created by You
Things less important start falling away
There’s a truth down inside me
And I hear my heart say

Chorus

Bridge
I remember a time
Love was so hard to find
I was never really satisfied
Needing what I just denied
Oh but now I see
So suddenly

Chorus

Something So Good
Written by Jack Blades, Jane Vaughn and Brent Bourgeois
© 2001 Sony/ATV Songs LLC /Ranck Rock Music/First Avenue Music/BMI/Wordspring Music, Inc./ADC Music (Admin. by Wordspring Music, Inc.)/SESAC

We’ve got something so good
We’re gonna show you

It makes me happy
Always makes me feel free
When I’m in His hands
Do you understand?
Not trying to sell you
I’m only trying to tell you
(that) His love is for real
It’s there for you to feel
There is no reason to run from the One
Who can free you oh yeah

Chorus
We’ve got| something | so good
We’re gonna show you
Stand in| His light| you’ll see
It’s gonna shine through
Open| your heart | it’s real
And waiting for you

We’ve got something so good

All through the highs and lows
The only thing you need to know
(is that) Jesus will be true
He’s there to comfort you
You’re not the only one
Who feels like everything you’ve done
Is measured in pain
Come in from the rain
There is no reason to run from the One
Who can free you oh yeah

Chorus

A love we can give
A love we can share
A love that is more than money can buy/ I believe
That He’ll set you free

Yes, I Believe
Written by Joel Lindsey and Tony Wood
© 2001 Paragon Music Corp./Vacation Boy Music/New Spring Publishing, Inc./ASCAP (all rights administered by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

When I said that I would follow
It was with an honest heart
But I didn’t fully understand the cost
‘Cause there are saints throughout the ages
And there are those today
Who show us what it really means to carry the cross
That only fuels my devotion
No matter what comes I will say

Chorus
Yes, I believe
I believe with all that is in me
Yes, I believe
Though the world rises up against me
I will be faithful
To the choice I have made
I am determined
I will not be ashamed
To live so the whole world can see
That yes, I believe

There will never be a reason
To lose this confidence
For I have found where my assurance lies
It is not in my own power
But in who my Savior is
And the truth of this conviction
Makes me shout to the sky…

Chorus

Bridge
Yes, I believe He is risen
Yes, I believe we are forgiven
Yes, I believe, I believe
And one day we’ll see Him
And together we’ll say

Chorus

La La La
Written by Brent Wilson
© 2001 Just Three Words Music Publishing (Adm. by The Loving Co.)/ASCAP

If a picture’s worth a thousand words
What are they?
And since Your Spirit intercedes for me
What do You hear when I pray?
‘Cause I’m finding it hard to find the words
To let You know how my heart can hurt
So I’ll sing the tune
And let You fill in the words

Chorus
La La La
La La La
La La La…

It’s comforting to know
My words aren’t all You hear
I can talk to You with laughter
And I can talk to You in tears
And I don’t have to know just what to say
For You to hear me when I pray
So I’ll sing a part
And let You read my heart

Chorus