I took time to scan and link another project.
This was the original "Blue Book"of songs used by The Way International. This edition had many songs that were used without permission from the authors. Some of these songs were later removed when permissions were being obtained because some of the authors did not give permission.
The next edition of songbook was the "Brown Book" (and later blue again) with all songs legally used with permission as well as some of the songs that were added by and copyrighted by The Way International. The original Blue Book contained 154 songs while the Brown Book only contained 106 songs, 23 of which were in the front written by our own people under the category of "Way Productions Songs".
For example Stevie Kay Louis wrote "He Gave Me Love" in 1977. It appears in the Brown Book but not the original Blue Book. Dorothy Owens wrote "Sons of God are We" and "Jesus our Savior" way back in 1956. Therefore these appear in both the blue and brown books.
It is my opinion that this origingal Blue Book was the most widely used and contained many very popular songs which later disappeared from fellowships due to permissions and copyright issues. Some that come to mind were:
- Family of God
- This World is not My Home
- Unworthy
- Jesus is all the World to Me
- Just Over in the Glory Land
- He Touched Me
- Complete in Thee
- Count your Blessings (Name then one by one)
- Only Believe
- It Took a Miracle
- In Times Like These ("our anchor holds...and grips.....the solid Rock"
- Known Only to Him
- Got Any Rivers ("you think are uncrossable")
- The Lord Knows the Way (through the wilderness. All you have to do is follow")
- Take My Hand Precicous Lord (think Claudette)
Some of you may remember these hymns while others may have never heard them, especially if your first fellowship contained songbooks that were brown or if you began going to fellowships in the 80's and 90's.
These facts are from my best recollection. Please feel free to comment or add more details if you wish.
CLICK HERE if you would like to see this song book. Please note, the index of songs at the end of the book is linked to each song. Click on a song title and it will take you to that page.
To this day we find ourselves singing some of these songs randomly once in a while. I hope you enjoy seeing some of these great songs again.
Thanks!
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HI guys! I have a project that involves a talented keyboardist. I want to put all the old songs into MIDI format just like Dorothy and Rhoda did on their album. Just simple traditional piano. Then, they can go viral via email and be used in fellowships everywhere played on a keyboard or PC. ANY HELPERS?
I just took a music class for college (2018) and found myself looking through my old songbook. I was surprised how many songs I couldn't remember the tune for anymore. I always enjoyed sitting around in someone's living room and singing these songs, learning the Word, and fellowshipping after...
"Way" - to go, John! I lost my only perloined Blue Book many years ago. Thankfully, I have the songs BURNED into my memory. I see several of us are using a songbook that I think was published by Bob Carden, and maybe the late Joe Guarini. But there's no reference as to who really did it. It is very good, for the present, but THANKS TO YOU we can all have the original words that we learned and can sing our hearts out! To my best understanding, there's no copyright that can stop you from singing, and if printed for local consumption with no pricetag who can sue? After all, your very KJV is "copyrighted". I wonder what God does with all those residuals and licensing agreements?
I have started working on a project to collect nicely done piano accompaniment for these songs in midi format. I just plug a thumbdrive with that song on it into my ancient electric piano, and let 'er rip! Sounds just like Dorothy playing. I only have about 25 or so from searching the web. IF ANYONE can play piano in that traditional style into a midi recorder and would like to help this project,PLEASE chime in. Then, if anyone has a laptop at their fellowship, with some good speakers, VOILA! By the way, I like MIDI files because it's new on every player, because it is only instructions on what note the player was to play. There are slight differences between playing it on a PC versus a grano piano, and a MIDI file can be edited, made fast or slow, and adjusted for what key to play it in, not like an MP3 which is a "recording" by someone who used a microphone. If I can get some help, I'll release a MIDI Blue Book for every church in the body!
You have made this grown woman cry. I have been looking for a copy of this book for such a long time. I did find a copy on Amazon for well over $100. I was considering purchasing it. The only reason I wanted it was for my personal pleasure. I wanted to sing praises to the Lord through some of these old hymns that no one sings anymore (at least where I go to church).
God Bless you!!!
Glad you like it Sheila. We still sometimes find ourselves singing these songs out of the clear blue after all these years. Our children are amazed when we break out into a chorus of "This World is Not My Home" or "The Lord Knows the Way Through the Wilderness". They get a kick out of it.
Thanks, John for putting this together for people. It looks like I wasn't the only rebel who held onto their blue songbook as the brown ones were being released and we were told to throw the blue ones away. Also, thanks again for maintaining this site. It is a pleasure to visit. God's blessings to you and yours.
Hi John, the original Blue Book is now forbidden to own you know! You might be in trouble for not getting rid of it as we were directed to do. But I have something even MORE rare.... that few people have ever seen, and that is the sheet music for the orignal Blue Book!!! How do you like that?! Since I was in the Chorus Choir and played for the rehersals sometimes, I got a copy of it and kept it. So I don't know what sort of wrath I may be in for for that....lol.
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