Lee Young was dismissed in 1982, and Jon Mohr was hired as the new bass singer. They then recorded the album, Passin' The Faith Along. Later, tenor Steve Green left and Larnelle Harris was hired. This group cut the New Point Of View album before Mohr left.
At this point the "New Gaither Vocal Band' dropped the "new" part of their name. Bill Gaither dropped to the lowest part (although they didn't call it Bass at the time), Gary McSpadden was moved down to baritone and Michael English was hired as lead singer. Although the previous album (New Point Of View) had been more contemporary than its predecessors, the album with this version of the group (One X 1) took it even further. After this album, Larnelle left and was replaced by Lemuel Miller. The group did not record an album with Lemuel before he left. He was replaced by Imperials alumnus, Jim Murray. They cut one album (Wings) before Gary McSpadden left to devote more time to his solo career. Mark Lowry was tapped to replace him. Although Lowry admittedly didn't have the natural ear for the baritone part, or the experience, he added a great voice along with his comedy and soon made their sound more smooth. First planned to perhaps be their final album, their gospel roots project Homecoming, in 1991, caused most Southern Gospel fans to welcome the Vocal Band with open arms. A follow-up recording called Southern Classics cemented their relationship with fans.
Jim Murray left and was replaced by Terry Franklin whose tenor voice was heard on the aforementioned, Southern Classics. Michael English left to pursue a popular solo career. He was replaced by Buddy Mullins. Terry Franklin soon left and was replaced by another Imperials alumnus, Jonathan Pierce. Strengthened by the popularity of the Homecoming video series, the Vocal Band added Guy Penrod at lead and after Pierce's departure, David Phelps was added at tenor. After Lowryโs departure, The Imperials alumnus Russ Taff sang baritone for a couple of years. When Taff returned to solo work, Marshall Hall was his replacement. Wes Hampton succeeded Phelps in 2005.
During the 1990s and into the first few years of the 21st century, the Gaither Vocal Band mastered the art of mixing classic Southern Gospel with Country and Inspirational styles. This gave the group a broad fan base that reached beyond the typical do.
In 2009 Marshall Hall and Guy Penrod left the group. Instead of just replacing them, Bill decided to make the group a five-man band -- bringing back some crowd favorites: Michael English, Mark Lowry, and David Phelps.
Complete List of Group Past Members:
* Bill Gaither, Baritone (1980-84); Bass (1984-present)
* Lee Young, Bass (1980-1982)
* Steve Green, Tenor (1980-1983)
* Gary McSpadden, Lead (1980-1984); Baritone (1984-88)
* Jon Mohr, Bass (1982-1984)
* Larnelle Harris, Tenor (1983-1987)
* Michael English, Lead (1985-1994, 2009-present)
* Lemuel Miller, Tenor (1987)
* Jim Murray, Tenor (1987-1992)
* Mark Lowry, Baritone (1988-2001, 2009-present)
* Terry Franklin, Tenor (1992-1994)
* Buddy Mullins, Lead (1994-1995)
* Jonathan Pierce, Tenor (1994-1997)
* Guy Penrod, Lead (1995-2009)
* David Phelps, Tenor (1997-2005, 2009-present)
* Russ Taff, Baritone (2001-2004)
* Marshall Hall, Baritone (2004-2009)
* Wes Hampton, Tenor (2005-present)
Discography
* The New Gaither Vocal Band (1981) - Benson
* ''Passin' The Faith Along (1983) - Benson
* New Point of View (1984) - Benson
* One X 1 (1986) - Word Nashville
* Wings (1988) - Star Song
* The Best from the Beginning (1989) - Benson
* A Few Good Men (1990) - Star Song
* Homecoming (1991) - Star Song
* Peace of the Rock (1993) - Star Song
* Southern Classics (1993) - Benson
* Testify (1994) King is Coming (1994) - Chapel
* ''Can't Stop Talkin' About Him (1995)
* Southern Classics: Volume II (1996) - Chapel
* Back Home in Indiana (1997) - Spring Hill
* ''Lovin' God & Lovin' Each Other (1997) - Spring Hill
* Still the Greatest Story Ever Told (1998) - Spring Hill
* God is Good (1999) - Spring Hill
* Classic Moments from the Gaither Vocal Band - Volume 1 (1999) - Benson
* Classic Moments from the Gaither Vocal Band - Volume 2 (1999) - Benson
* I Do Believe (2000) - Spring Hill
* Everything Good (2002) - Spring House
* A Cappella (2003) - Gaither Music Group
* Best of the Gaither Vocal Band (2004) - Gaither Music Group
* Give it Away (2006) - Gaither Music Group
*Together Signature Sound and Gaither Vocal Band (2007) - Gaither Music Group
*Lovin' Life (2008) - Gaither Music Group
*Christmas Gaither Vocal Band Style (2008)
*Gaither Vocal Band Reunion - Volumes One & Two (January 2009)
Reaching
Gaither Vocal Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His love, went on reaching
Right past the shackles of my mind
Then the word of the Father
Became Mary's little son
And His love reached all the way to where I was
And so, this great creator who'd been reaching all along
Made love become a baby, one of our very own
And spoke His word so we could understand
His love went on longing
His love went on reaching
Right past the shackles of my mind
Then the word of the father
Became Mary's little son
And his love reached all the way to where I was
Reaching. Longing.
Longing. And Searching.
And the longing and the reaching
Became Mary's little son
And his love reached all the way to where I was
The Gaither Vocal Band's song "Reaching" is a powerful testament to God's love and the extent to which it goes in reaching and touching lives. The opening lines of the song, "His love, went on longing / His love, went on reaching / Right past the shackles of my mind," immediately set the tone for a song about a God who is relentless in pursuing His creation.
The lyrics then transition to the story of Mary and the birth of Jesus, emphasizing the tremendous love that God had for humanity to come down to earth in human form. The lines "And so, this great creator who'd been reaching all along / This God who formed the world with his own hands / Made love become a baby, one of our very own / And spoke His word so we could understand" describe the grandeur of God's plan and the extent to which He was willing to go to show humanity His love.
The song then returns to the refrain, "His love went on longing / His love went on reaching / Right past the shackles of my mind / Then the word of the father / Became Mary's little son / And his love reached all the way to where I was," emphasizing the unending nature of God's love and how it is able to penetrate even the most difficult and resistant places.
Overall, "Reaching" is a beautiful and moving song about the incredible love that God has for humanity and the lengths to which He goes to reach us and bring us into relationship with Him.
Line by Line Meaning
His love, went on longing
God's love has been longing for us all along
His love, went on reaching
God's love has been reaching out to us despite our shortcomings
Right past the shackles of my mind
His love breaks free of the mental barriers holding me back
Then the word of the Father
God's spoken word is powerful and authoritative
Became Mary's little son
Jesus became human, born to Mary, a representation of God's love for humanity
And His love reached all the way to where I was
God's love extends to every individual no matter where they are
And so, this great creator who'd been reaching all along
From the beginning, God has been reaching out to us with his love
This God who formed the world with his own hands
The all-powerful God who created the universe
Made love become a baby, one of our very own
God became human through the birth of Jesus, fully embracing humanity and our experiences
And spoke His word so we could understand
God's spoken word is meant to be understood and accessible to everyone
Reaching. Longing.
God's love continues to reach out and long for us
Longing. And Searching.
His love searches for us as we search for him
And the longing and the reaching
The constant longing and reaching out of God's love
Became Mary's little son
In Jesus, God's love becomes physical and approachable
And his love reached all the way to where I was
God's love extends to meet us wherever we are in life
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tabeakalimeris1230
Lyrics:
His love, went on longing
His love, went on reaching
Right past the shackles of my mind
Then the word of the Father
Became Mary's little son
And His love reached all the way to where I was
And so, this great creator who'd been reaching all along
This God who formed the world with his own hands
Made love become a baby, one of our very own
And spoke His word so we could understand
His love went on longing
His love went on reaching
Right past the shackles of my mind
Then the word of the father
Became Mary's little son
And his love reached all the way to where I was
Reaching. Longing
Longing. And Searching
And the longing and the reaching
Became Mary's little son
And his love reached all the way to where I was
@britzel71
I've never heard this before but in my Devotional Bible study on Christmas songs this was one of the songs covered. Love this so much!!!
@betsschreuder5047
Wow! Beautiful harmony. I love the piano!!! To hear this kind of music when you're up early morning, soothes the heart and tells your soul to be still and let God speak to you. ๐๐๐
@andreemilio5488
Glรณria a Deus , vida longa ao Bill Gaither
@tabeakalimeris1230
Lyrics:
His love, went on longing
His love, went on reaching
Right past the shackles of my mind
Then the word of the Father
Became Mary's little son
And His love reached all the way to where I was
And so, this great creator who'd been reaching all along
This God who formed the world with his own hands
Made love become a baby, one of our very own
And spoke His word so we could understand
His love went on longing
His love went on reaching
Right past the shackles of my mind
Then the word of the father
Became Mary's little son
And his love reached all the way to where I was
Reaching. Longing
Longing. And Searching
And the longing and the reaching
Became Mary's little son
And his love reached all the way to where I was
@sharonpiper2253
Absolutely takes my breath away. What passion for Christ these men have!
@margianspruce1419
Amen! His love has no boundaries, ever unconditional, halleluyah! Yah bless you Gaither vocal band!
@mariliacercal
Absolutamente lindo. Deus os abenรงoe!
@lifelinegirl1
Absolutely mind blowing harmony. Thank you for the blessing guys.
@darleenmuhly529
Absolutely love their harmony!
@elizeviljoen3924
I love this group's music soooo much. Spirit filled music.