Jacob's Trouble is an American
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christians, Christian individuals. The extent to w ...
band formed in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...
in the 1980s. The group's original members were Jerry Davison (drums, lead vocals), Mark Blackburn (guitar, lead vocals), and Steve Atwell (bass). In 1991 they added Ron Cochran (drums) and Keith Johnston (guitar).
Biography
In 1988 Jacob's Trouble formed and released an independent EP, ''Jacob's Trouble''.
In 1989, Jacob's Trouble released their debut album which was produced by
Terry Taylor, ''
Door into Summer''. It is a mixture of original numbers and
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...
s of songs by
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
and
the Monkees
The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...
.
A year later the band released their second album, ''Knock, Breathe, Shine''. The band received notice at the time for the song "About Sex", a song about the proper role of sex in society from a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
perspective. Fearing a
fundamentalist
Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishin ...
label, the band opted to remove the song from the album and replaced it with the more
ambiguous
Ambiguity is the type of meaning in which a phrase, statement or resolution is not explicitly defined, making several interpretations plausible. A common aspect of ambiguity is uncertainty. It is thus an attribute of any idea or statement ...
"About Sex, Part 2". Despite this, the album was the group's bestselling record. Prior to touring while promoting ''Knock Breathe Shine,'' the group added Ron Cochran on drums and guitarist Keith Johnston, allowing Davison to become the band's principal singer. One of their songs, "These Thousand Hills", was given much wider exposure when
Third Day
Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the ...
performed a cover of the song on their album ''Offerings''.
In 1992 Jacob's Trouble released the album ''...let the truth run wild!'' with producer
Mark Heard
John Mark Heard III (December 16, 1951 – August 16, 1992) was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia.
Heard released sixteen albums, and produced or performed with many artists, including: Sam Ph ...
. Near the end of the tour for ''...let the truth run wild'' Blackburn left the band.
The band went on to record one more record, the self-titled and self-produced ''Jacob's Trouble''. The band split after their fourth album and its subsequent tour. ''Diggin' Up Bones'', a collection of "rarities", was released in 1994 and included the song, "About Sex". The group reunited briefly in 1998 to record "Step by Step" for ''The Jacob's Trouble Sampler Pak'' compilation album.
Jerry Davison recorded the album ''Uberpop!'' under the name sideways8 in 1998 and in the early 2000s occasionally released songs digitally. He currently resides in Uganda; he and his wife serve as Family Mentors at The Amazima School.
Mark Blackburn released two solo albums, ''Flowerchild'' (1996) and ''The Continuing Adventures of....'' (1997). Blackburn is pastor of a church, Silver Comet Baptist Church,
in his hometown of Dallas, Georgia.
In 2014 the original three members, Davison, Blackburn, and Atwell, played two reunion concerts in Dallas, Georgia for the 25th anniversary of ''Door into Summer''. They were joined by Nathan Blackburn and Erik Davison, sons of Mark and Jerry respectively, as well as Darryl Johnson, all of whom provided additional instrumentation. They performed the album in its entirety for the first time along with some selections from ''Knock Breathe Shine'', and two covers. A bootleg of the show received a limited digital and CD release.
On March 21, 2021, the band announced their revival and new live project, ''The Cavern Sessions,'' which would be released one track at a time on their YouTube channel with plans for a possible digital release upon the projects completion.
Members
Current
* Jerry Davison – vocals
(1988–1994, 2021–present)
* Steve Atwell – bass guitar
(1988–1994, 2021–present)
* Ron Cochran – drums
(1991–1994, 2021–present)
* Keith Johnston – guitar, percussion
(1991–1994, 2021–present)
Former
* Mark Blackburn – guitar
(1988–1992)
Touring musicians
* Matt Goldman – drums
(1990)
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Door into Summer'' (Aug. 1989)
* ''Knock, Breathe, Shine'' (Aug. 1990)
* ''...let the Truth Run Wild!'' (March 1992)
* ''Jacob's Trouble'' (May 1993)
Compilation albums
*''Diggin' Up Bones'' (1994)
* ''The Jacob's Trouble Sampler Pak'' (1998)
Live
* ''25LIVE: Door into Summer 25th Anniversary Concert'' (2014)
EPs
* ''Jacob's Trouble'' (1988)
* ''The Cavern Sessions'' (live EP) (TBA 2022)
Reissues
* ''Jacob's Trouble / ...let the Truth Run Wild! '' (1998) Double Album released by KMG
* ''Knock, Breathe, Shine / Door into Summer'' (2000) Double Album released by KMG
Singles
* "Church of Do-What-You-Want-To" (1989)
* "Waiting for the Son" (1989)
* "Million Miles" (1989)
* "Psalms 151" (1989)
* "Look at You Now" (1990)
* "There Goes My Heart Again" (1990)
* "Islands, Buildings and Freeways" (1990)
* "Further Up and Further In" (1990)
* "Something Good Happens" (1992)
* "Morning Light" (1992)
* "Walls of Doubt" (1992)
* "I'd Rather Have Jesus" (1992)
* "Hope to See You There" (1992)
* "Wild Wild Ride" (1993)
* "Lovehouse" (1993)
* "Better Days" (1993)
* "This Moment" (1993)
References
External links
Official Blog for Jacob's Trouble by Jerry Davison
Official Youtube
{{Authority control
Christian rock groups from Georgia (U.S. state)
Musical groups from Atlanta
Musical groups established in 1989