MickyDolenz said:

RodeoSchro said:

I attend Lakewood Church weekly and can testify that the music is VERY much rock and roll, with some funk and gospel thown in every now and then. They've even mixed in Michael Jackson's "Beat It" to their performance.

The bands at both Lakewood Church and T. D. Jakes' The Potters House are both incredible. I very much recommend tuning in online to watch a full service and hear those bands.

There was funky gospel in the 1970s and even gospel songs with disco elements. I've been to a church with step dancers wearing matching outfits and doing the type of step show you might see a college fraternity doing. More recently there's gospel songs with trap beats.

The Hawkins family style made a Disco Gospel song in the 70s workable

MickyDolenz said:

RodeoSchro said:

Before I moved to Lakewood Church, I spent a couple years running the intermediate school praise band at our local Baptist church. My approach was to take classic rock songs and change the lyrics to praise lyrics. We did some Prince:

"Guitar" (which I changed to "Our God")

"If God Was One of Us" (I know it's technically a Prince cover, but that's the version I taught the kids)

I think that was it, but if I remember any other Prince stuff, I'll add it.

What about Pray by MC Hammer?

Yes, but we didn't do that song. I was only listing songs we did. We did mostly classic rock but I worked in Prince when I could.

BTW, here's the link of the Lakewood Church band mixing in "Beat It" during Israel Houghton's "We Have Overcome". I was there and dang near jumped to ceiling when this happened. "We Have Overcome" starts at about the 4:00 mark:

https://www.youtube.com/w..._qknkfbCc0

OldFriends4Sale said:

The Hawkins family style made a Disco Gospel song in the 70s workable

I think contemporary gospel has often used whatever sound was in, just like secular music has used gospel sounds. The gospel quartets/quintets like the Soul Stirrers & Dixie Hummingbirds are similar to secular vocal groups The Mills Brothers & Ink Spots. The Staple Singers started doing protest style songs after folk singers/groups.

RodeoSchro said:

BTW, here's the link of the Lakewood Church band mixing in "Beat It" during Israel Houghton's "We Have Overcome". I was there and dang near jumped to ceiling when this happened. "We Have Overcome" starts at about the 4:00 mark:

https://www.youtube.com/w..._qknkfbCc0

That reminds me of Metallica doing Beat It. Here's the Clark Sisters song that I mentioned earlier that has a little part of Flashlight in it. It's a full concert, but Pure Gold starts at 24:26. This show was around 1997. The original studio version came out in 1980 and doesn't have the Flashlight part.

Here's the Sounds Of Blackness, who had records produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, doing Purple Rain. Ann Nesby, one of the leads did a song with Al Green awhile back called Put It On Paper that got a lot of airplay on R&B radio when it came out

Isabel Davis ~ Jesus Reigns

Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar ~ Jesus Died For You

Rev. Bertrand Bailey Jr. ~ Praise His Name

St. Monica Catholic Community ~ I Would Die 4 U

St. Stephen Baptist Church Young Adult Choir ~ Jesus Died 4 U

Hope Hymns ~ The Cross

First Congregational Church of Los Angeles ~ Nothing Compares 2 U / Purple Rain

MC Hammer ~ Pray

Thrive Church ~ Purple Rain

Here's Sheila E & smooth jazz singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler performing at Lakewood Church: Falling In Love With Jesus

lurker316 said:

beautifulone6 said:

lurker316 said:

What about Still Would Stand All Time?

Absolutely!!! Prince gave us hints throughout his career. He would scroll “Love God” on guitar pics and letters. Lyrics would say “God is Love, Love is God” So... if you replace the word “Love” with the word “God” in his lyrics you will be amazed . In an interview Prince said that he doesn’t say what the meaning to his lyrics are. He leaves it up to the listener to figure it out for themselves. Me being a born again Christian, I see his lyrics in a more spiritual sense. I’ve noticed many of his songs talk about God (love).

RodeoSchro said:

MickyDolenz said:

What about Pray by MC Hammer?

Yes, but we didn't do that song. I was only listing songs we did. We did mostly classic rock but I worked in Prince when I could.

BTW, here's the link of the Lakewood Church band mixing in "Beat It" during Israel Houghton's "We Have Overcome". I was there and dang near jumped to ceiling when this happened. "We Have Overcome" starts at about the 4:00 mark:

https://www.youtube.com/w..._qknkfbCc0

I'll have to take a listen....

OldFriends4Sale said:

roxy831 said:

You're welcome . I tell ya, when I first heard Let It Rain, the first thing that came to mind was "Did Paul get permission?"

LOL

Another Gospel song inspired by Purple Rain is Awesome by Charles Jenkins. I can definitely see Love, Thy Will be done used in a church setting - possibly for Praise & Worship.