August 1998 Real Videos Transcript
Transcribed by Jeannie Goins
Copyright 1998 by Real Videos
Mark: Hi, we're the Ragamuffin Band, and we're your hosts tonight on Real Videos.
(Program Intro)
Rick: We're the Ragamuffin Band, and I'm Rick Elias.
Mark: I'm Mark Robertson.
Jimmy I'm Jimmy A.
Aaron: Aaron Smith.
Rick: And we just completed The Jesus Record, which is not a tribute record, and furthermore, it's not really even about Rich Mullins, it's about Jesus, and that's the way he intended it. It's 10 songs about Jesus, which was at one time the earli est working title. It's his last work, and it was a very ambitious project as far as the scope of it. We were fortunate enough also to have the last demo he ever did, which he did on a boom box in a church, and so that the entire record will be the prod uced versions on one disc and Rich's demo cleaned up, somewhat, but essentially untouched, on the other disc. We had some guest artists, people that knew Rich and that fit into the musical fabric of the record seamlessly. And those artists were Ashley Cleveland, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and Phil Keaggy, all of whom knew Rich and admired him, and were friends with him. It was just really, probably the most, in some ways, the most difficult, and definitely the most compelling record I've ever been involved in.
(Amy Grant clip from Homeless Man video)
(Ashley Cleveland clip from Homeless Man video)
("Brother's Keeper" video)
Mark: We were about two weeks away from starting the record when Rich passed away. So we had many meetings, we had the songs picked out, Rich had picked the 10 songs he wanted. And we decided first of all, Rich had considered this the most important record of his career, we don't know why. He felt the content of just focusing on the mind of Christ, meditating on that, was the first record that really had to be made by this band, the rest were just fun to make. And so we felt like there was no way we could let these songs just disappear. So we just went forward completely as planned, and the only change was that obviously, Rich wasn't able to join us. Apart from that, it's the same exact record, we just went in and did it the same way we would ha ve, and I guess we can hope he'd be happy with it, but we wouldn't know.
(Steve Taylor clip from Homeless Man video)
(Michael W. Smith clip from Homeless Man video)
("Secret Ambition" video by Michael W. Smith)
Jimmy: You know, this record, I remember, as a dream a couple of years ago, him saying to all of us as a group, you know, I want to make this record, and it's going to be about Jesus, and it's going to be this incredible investigation into the life an d character of Christ. And I want two songs from each of you, and not only are you going to write them, but you're going to sing them. And we insisted that that not be the case - maybe writing, that would be fun, but we all felt compelled that he should be the one that sang them......
(Clip of Rich singing "You Did Not Have a Home")
Jimmy: Ironically, he got his way, that he wanted us to sing them, and somehow that happened, we had to do it, cause he wasn't here.
(Clip of Rich playing the hammer dulcimer)
Mark: He would always have this childlike thing about it where you would show up for rehearsal, and he would hand you an instrument that not only could you - you didn't know how to play, but you'd never seen before, and just go well, I mean, we've got two days, you can get it!
(Laughter from the others)
Mark: And then he'd write out this incredibly intense piece of music for you to learn in those two days, when you're also rehearsing 20 other songs you dont' know. And to him it was just all fun. He didn't care if it sounded good, it was trying, a nd it was stretching yourself that was important. It was the fun of the moment, he didn't care if it was even technically good as long as you were having fun and challenging yourself.
(Rich clip (speaking) from Homeless Man video)
Aaron: I liked his free spirit, you know, I liked his creative abilities, his willingness to take on a challenge.
(Rich clip (speaking) from Homeless Man video)
Rick: You don't love somebody just a little bit. You love 'em or you don't. And I just loved him, I loved everything about him. I loved him even when I was mad at him, which was often, you know, and when you became Rich's friend, you were his fr iend for life. You got the whole package. And yeah, I really miss him.
("Hold Me, Jesus" video)
(Ashley Cleveland clip from Homeless Man video)
(Rich (speaking) clip from Homeless Man video)
("God So Loved" video by Jaci Valesquez)
Rick: Thanks so much for watching Real Videos tonight. If anything you saw here tonight is causing you to ask questions and you need some answers, feel free to write Real Videos at P. O. Box A, Santa Ana, California 92711, or call the number on the screen, and they'll be happy to answer any questions you might have. Thanks.
Mark: Bye.
Aaron & Jimmy: Good night.
("A Man You Could Write About" video by 4Him)
Transcription by Jeannie Goins