Featured song, The Land Of Oohs And Ahs by Reba Rambo, from her 1977 album Reba Lady.
Unless you have the misfortune to have not experienced one of the great American traditions of the past 70 years, you should have seen at least once the classic MGM movie, The Wizard Of Oz. According the Wikipedia article about the movie, it was not a big hit when it first hit the silver screen in 1939, although the song Over The Rainbow became quite popular at the time. It was first aired on television in 1956, and then annually from 1956 through 1991, thirty-five consecutive years. Since then, it actually airs more than once a year, on multiple networks, including Turner Classic Movies. And as with some other films that were not great commercial successes when they first appeared, The Wizard Of Oz just continued to grow in popularity over time.
We watched this again last night. It was fun, and nostalgic, and again moving in its final message — There’s no place like home! It is actually a retelling of the classic finding-yourself story: Life seems like it has to be better somewhere else; the hero (or heroine) leaves or is pushed away from home to take a journey of adventure and self-discovery; and in the end, it is discovered that part of what was being sought was back at the beginning, at home.
The story experienced by Dorothy and her friends in the land of Oz is also the story of some of us. Some may have left the faith of their youth, looking for something better. Sometimes it’s just the normal changes of life, having to leave home and go out on your own, but still feeling that longing for the home in which you grew up. The end of the story is that the Emerald City that we’ve been seeking for is actually not the place we need to be; where we need to be is in the arms of God, in our true home. And the home, the life that we remember and fondly long for again, was just a dim reflection of the true home we will ultimately have. Its why we loved that old home, that old world so much; it was a poor copy of the home we’ll have in heaven.
And then in 1977, this artist named Reba Rambo released a song with a really strange name, The Land of Oohs and Ahas. And here was the influence of so many years of seeing The Wizard Of Oz on TV, but the story was retold in the language of the Jesus movement.
I wish I could say I had a clean copy of this, but the album appears to be available nowhere I could find. This copy of the song presented here is from The Larry Black Show back in 1977. The day I taped it from WOW 590 AM, we apparently had some thunderstorms in the vicinity, and so there are those good-old summertime crashes of lightning here and there through the recording. Similarly, I cannot locate a good copy of the album cover to post at the end of the lyrics. However, if you would like to obtain a better recording of it, you can hear it on The Beginnings Concert, recorded in 2005, along with many other pioneers of Jesus music together in a live concert. You can use the above link, or order it from Amazon (below).
Once upon a time I was caught up in a whirlwind
Spinnin’ fast, till at last I hit the ground
Then I met some folks with faith like little children
With words of truth, they introduced me to their KingPut His ruby slippers on my feet,
Started walkin’ the yellow brick road
Now I’m travelin’ far from home
Instead of bricks, I’ll walk on streets of gold!We’re off to the pearly white city
Where all of our dreams come true
Word’s can’t describe its splendor
It’s the land of Oohs and AhsSomewhere over the rainbow
We’ll see the king Jesus
He’s not exactly a wizard
But He can make new creatures out of us!He can take a heart so cold as a tin man’s
And warm it up, warm it up with His love
He can give you the courage of a lion
To stand up, stand up in the devil’s faceIf you got a mixed-up scarecrow’s mind
Your thoughts He will renew
If you think there’s no place like home
You should see the one He’s built for you!We’re off to the pearly white city
Where all of our dreams come true
Word’s can’t describe its splendor, no
It’s the land of Oohs and AhsSomewhere over the rainbow
We’ll see the king Jesus
He’s so much more than a wizard
And He can make new creatures out of us!
He can make new creatures out of us
He can make new creatures out of usSome day I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up, where the clouds are far behind me
Where all my troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That’s where you’ll find meSomewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There’s a land that I’ve heard of
So many times in my momma’s lullabySomewhere over the rainbow
Little bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Someday, so will I
Someday, so will I !
 |
[iframe http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=gregrejoy-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0018ONO4G&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr 120 240] |
Tags: Heaven, Reba Rambo, travel
The final uploads of my remaining copies of The Larry Black Show have been put in the Download section. I have added three more copies directly from vinyl disks as they were sent to radio stations, specifically programs #412, #413, and #414. The information about artists on each program are listed with the description on each download.
I also have added four additional Larry Black Show programs, episode numbers unavailable, that I found on an old reel-to-reel tape. I have established that these programs aired in 1981, between May and probably late summer. These are non-stereo recordings, and at least one does not begin directly with the beginning of the program.
One of them I have determined was aired on 5/24/81, the day before Memorial Day 1981, but that program is apparently a replay of one from October 1980; I conclude this because on the show he speaks of a delay in printing of the the LBS Magazine “until November, possibly not until after the start of the new year”.
Another episode, which I have chosen to date as 7/12/81, is clearly from mid-summer of 1981, not before Independence Day, but not close enough to Labor Day to mention it.
The other two episodes I am not able to pin down an air date any closer than “mid-1981” and “summer 1981”.
These are what the ReelRadio.com web site would call “unscoped”; that is, they contain the full versions of the songs that were played, as well as commercials, station ID announcements, weather forecasts, etc. I believe what I did was to have a lamp timer set to turn the recorder on and off at the appropriate times, which is why the show start is not more accurate (a lamp timer does not work like a VCR timer). Some of these episodes ran from 6:30-7:30 am on Sunday mornings on WOW; one of them is during the 9 o’clock hour.
Until such time as I am able to come across any more vinyl disks of the show (got one from eBay last year), this is my full collection of complete Larry Black programs. Enjoy!
For those readers (such as Dennis Oliver who posted a comment) who have been wanting more of The Larry Black Show, I’ve put three more shows in the Download section. From approximately 1984 and 1985 you can now listen to episodes #354, #407, and #409, with music from the likes of ELO, David & The Giants, Johnny Rivers, Barry McGuire, Phil Keaggy, Latinos, Asia, Michael W. Smith, Harry Chapin, Mark Heard, Phil Driscoll, Cindi Lauper (?!), Gary S. Paxton, Petra, Russ Taff, Dion Demucci, Bruce Springsteen, Darrell Mansfield, Whiteheart, Scott Wesley Brown, Wayne Watson, The Songwriters, Jimmy Buffett, Philip Sandifer, Edin-Ådahl, Willie Nelson, Huey Lewis, Kenny Rogers, and Terry Clark. And of course, Larry Black’s commentary throughout each hour-long program!
Featured song – Madness Dancing, by Bob Bennett, from his 1982 album Matters Of The Heart.
The thing I like about this song is that it shows the example of a person who has the attitude that despite how crazy the world is, he is going to take time to spend with God in prayer. Not only that, but his trust that God is handling the world for him is so great, he dances in this quiet place, dances for God alone.
The theme of this site is “Great Great Joy”, and this is the essence of joy – the connection with God that makes His joy hit you “like a crashing tide”, makes you want to dance. This is especially difficult for me, as dancing is not my strong point. But I want to have that freedom that lets me move my feet and be able myself to dance before God. It’s scriptural; look at all the songs in Psalms, the Bible’s song book, that deal with dancing.
As I listened to it, I was reminded of a story I read some years ago, written by a pastor who was imprisoned for his faith in one of the former Communist countries of eastern Europe, back in the 1950s. At one point in his imprisonment, he was put in solitary confinement for over a year. And during that time of suffering and isolation, he found his faith strangely growing and intensifying. At one point during that year, he actually danced to the Lord in his small, dark cell. It must have seemed strange to the guards who checked on him; in fact, it led them to increase slightly his food allocation for a short time, as they thought something was seriously wrong with him!
Dancing is not the point or focus of this, obviously. The point is making that intimate connection with God.
In the middle of this madness
I am dancing
Though I’m not sure why just now
I tried to be sober
I tried to be logical
But I could not stop my feetI know I have not turned off my mind
I know there’s evil all around
But for now it’s outside
And I am in my room
And joy is like a crashing tideI don’t wanna burn no books
Don’t wanna to argue rock ‘n roll
I don’t want to shoot anyone
With my high-powered doctrine gun
Let the madness roll on
Like a hungry beast
Cause no one will miss me
(No one will miss me)
For a half an hour at leastA song came this morning and woke me
And as I listened, then I found
That I was not alone
I was standing, moving,
Dancing, dancing
On holy groundI don’t wanna burn no books
Don’t wanna to argue rock ‘n roll
I don’t want to shoot anyone
With my high-powered doctrine gun
Let the madness roll on like a savage beast
Cause no one will miss me
No one will miss me
No one will miss me
For a half an hour at leastNo one will miss me
No one will care
No one …In the middle
In the middle of this madness
In the middle of this madness I am
I am dancing
In the middle of this madness I am dancing
 |
Tags: Bob Bennet, dancing, Praise
