2024 Recap, 2025 Plans, BOGO Ends Next Wkd |
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J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
Happy new year!
Can you believe we’re almost a quarter century into the “new" millennium? Remember that old #1 hit by Zager and Evans, “In the Year 2525”? Well, 2525 is now only 500 years away! ;) Hey, it was 556 years away when that song came out.
Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I used to look forward to purchasing Billboard magazine’s big year-end double-issue, which summarized everything that had gone on in the music industry that particular year. It was filled with charts ranking the top songs and albums for the year in every genre, and I’d get a musical sugar rush just absorbing all that info in such a short time.
With that in mind, I try to do a synopsis of ApologetiX activities at the end of every year. The first article below takes a look back at what we were up to in 2024, the second article compares 2024 with previous years, and the third article outlines our plans for 2025.
I think you’ll find it all very interesting. The rest of the newsletter is mostly the standard stuff you see in every issue, but stay tuned, because we have a new songbook due out very soon, and our latest CD BOGO sale is almost over. |
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2024: The ApologetiX Year in Review |
All in all, 2024 turned out to be very productive for ApologetiX, but it started out rather ominously as one of our own, Wayne Bartley, told me on February 1 that he planned to retire from playing guitars and mixing singles for us by the end of the month.
Thankfully, longtime ApX fan and friend David Michael stepped up to the plate to take over Wayne’s mixing duties and our other two guitarists, Tom Tincha and Tom Milnes, were able to keep cranking out the necessary tunes. David turned out to be a revelation as our mixer, and then Wayne contacted me in mid-August and said he was ready to return on guitars. Praise the Lord!
BACK ON STAGE
We played our first concert since 2017, a big Christian rock festival called Immortal in Versailles OH. In fact, we got to headline on the final night.
Other artists who played that weekend included: Bride, The Daniel Band, Fear Not, Ironwrath, James Durbin, Les Carlsen of Bloodgood, Neon Cross, Sacred Warrior, Saint, Shout, Trytan, Whitecross, and Worldview.
Our emcee, the legendary Pastor Bob Beeman of Sanctuary International, couldn’t have been kinder. I was stunned when he told me he’d been an ApologetiX fan since “Bethlehemian Rhapsody” in ’94.
It was a cool experience. Six of us were on stage, the two Toms, Keith Haynie, Jimmy “Vegas” Tanner, Rich Mannion, and me. Wayne had just rejoined the band two weeks earlier, but he came along as a guitar tech.
MEANWHILE, IN THE STUDIO
Getting ready to play live again took a lot of practice, preparation, and hard work, yet God still enabled us to release 25 singles — a total of 50 tracks, one of which a medley. That's the fourth-most parodies we've ever put out in a calendar year.
Not counting the medley, we spoofed a total of 48 different artists (we did two parodies of one particular group).
Twenty-one of those were artists we’d never attempted before (including two former Beatles):
Blue Swede, The Brothers Johnson, The Buggles, Glen Campbell, Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, Carl Douglas, First Class, Andrew Gold, Golden Earring, George Harrison, The Hues Corporation, Terry Jacks, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Alan O’Day, Paper Lace, Redbone, Reunion, Ringo Starr, 10cc, The Troggs, and War.
The others were:
Aerosmith, The Beach Boys (twice), The Beatles, Kim Carnes, The Cars, The Dave Clark Five, Thomas Dolby, Eagles, ELO, Eurythmics, Peter Frampton, Billy Idol, Elton John, Journey, Kansas, K.C. and The Sunshine Band, Kiss, Barry Manilow, Steve Miller, Eddie Money, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Rush, Three Dog Night, Van Halen, Stevie Wonder, and ZZ Top.
We also released four CDs in 2024: Unchained Medley, ApologetiX ‘74, Zedekiah, Hezekiah, Jeroboam & Other Guys, and X-Tract, tying our record for most non-compilation CDs in a calendar year.
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How Does 2024 Compare With Previous Years? |
We released a total of 50 tracks in 2024. The most we ever put out in calendar year was 54 in 2015, but not all of those songs were released on singles.
Allow us to explain:
We started doing regular singles in January 2014. Over the course of the past 11 years, we have released a total of 519 recorded parodies. The overwhelming majority of these were released on singles, but some were released only on CDs, including six tracks found only on Apoplectic (2014), eight on Easter Standard Time (2015), plus one bonus track each on Only a Glorified Cover Band (2016) and Never Before, but Then Again ... (2021).
For the record, here's the leader board:
MOST SONGS PER YEAR
54 in 2015 (includes eight non-single tracks on Eastern Standard Time)
52 in 2023
51 in 2016 (includes one non-single track on Only a Glorified Cover Band)50 in 2024
48 in 2022
47 in 2021 (includes one non-single track on Never Before but Then Again ...)
47 in 2014 (includes six non-single tracks on Apoplectic)
46 in 2018
44 in 2019
44 in 2017
37 in 2020
SONGS PER YEAR IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
47 in 2014
54 in 2015
51 in 2016
44 in 2017
46 in 2018
44 in 2019
37 in 2020
47 in 2021
48 in 2022
52 in 2023 50 in 2024
TOTAL SONGS: 519 in 11 years
CDs PER YEAR
4 in 2014
4 in 2015
4 in 2016
4 in 2017
3 in 2018
4 in 2019
4 in 2020
3 in 2021
4 in 2022
4 in 20234 in 2024
TOTAL CDs: 42 in 11 years
We thank God for enabling us to be so prolific in 2024 and in the past 11 years. He provides the inspiration, talent, expertise, and personnel, plus the opportunity and ability to put it all together on a consistent basis. |
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What's Next for ApX in 2025? |
J. Jackson lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here yet again!
So, what does ApologetiX plan to do in the year 2025?
NEW SONGBOOK
Well, the first thing is the new edition ApologetiX Digital Songbook, which covers everything from 1992–2024. We hope to release that by the end of this weekend or the beginning of this coming week. All of the text and graphics are done. It’s just a matter of making sure all of the links are working properly.
In addition to lyrics for about a hundred new songs, the new songbook will include some new articles and a bunch of great photos from the big ApX concert we played at the Immortal Christian rock festival (our first since 2017) in September 2024.
ANOTHER BIG CONCERT
Speaking of Immortal, we are pleased to announce that ApologetiX has been asked to return for Immortal 2025, which will once again take place on Labor Day Weekend. This time around, we’ll be playing on Saturday night, August 30, at 8:15 p.m. Here’s the current line-up for that night:
Honor and Glory 4:30 p.m.
Les Carlsen, lead singer of Bloodgood 5:45 p.m.
The Daniel Band 7 p.m.
ApologetiX 8:15 p.m.
Bride 9:30 p.m.
This ought to be an amazing experience; Bloodgood, The Daniel Band, and Bride are three of ApX bassist Keith Haynie’s all-time favorite Christian bands. We’re also delighted to be playing on Saturday night this year and slightly earlier, which should make it a little easier on our fans. We’ll give you more details once we have them.
NEXT CD
We plan to release four new CDs this year, Lord willing. And all of the tracks for the first one have already come out on our six most-recent singles. Two ApX fans already noticed a pattern and figured it out what we were doing — Joel Havian on November 26 and Gary Jelich on December 4.
All 12 of the songs on our last singles were Top 10 hits in 1977. Our next CD will be our 77th overall, and it’s called ApologetiX ‘77 .
That’s not some random thing. Just as 1974 was a very influential year in music for me, which is why we did we did ApologetiX ‘74 last year, the same goes for 1977. Whereas '74 was the first year I started actively listening to what my sisters and others were playing the radio, ’77 was the year when I realized I could turn the radio on myself, tune it to the stations I wanted, and start buying my own singles and albums.
UPCOMING SINGLES AND THE CDS AFTER THAT ‘ Who’s ready to rock? For our 78th and 79th CDs, we plan to turn up the volume and spoof some heavier artists and songs. If you’re a longtime listener to rock radio, none of the tunes we’re planning to do should be obscure to you. In fact, many of them became pop hits, too ... but they’re all the kind you can crank up to 10 … or 11.
You should be getting your first taste of what we’re talking next weekend, when we hope to release our first single of 2025. Both songs on it made the Top 40, but they were even bigger hits on FM rock radio.
Jimmy already has the drums done for seven of these songs, and the other guys, including me, are working on them, too.
We hope you’re as excited about all this news as we are! Please pray that God will continue to guide us. Thank you! |
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Our 76th CD, X-Tract, has been in stock since right before Christmas, but our “buy one get one” offer ends next weekend on Sunday, January 12, at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Order by then and you’ll get the MP3 download immediately. You’ll also get an extra X-Tract CD free with every X-Tract CD you buy. Or choose from 42 other titles as your free extra CD.
We also have good news for our Canadian fans.
According to the U.S. Postal Service website: |
"The U.S. Postal Service will resume acceptance of mail and packages to Canada starting Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. Canada Post has made significant progress in clearing delayed volumes caused by their employee strike, and now commercial and retail customers, as well as those using online systems, will be able to send mail and packages to Canada once again.” |
The Canadian orders we have already received are packaged and ready to go. We’ve just been waiting for the OK from the U.S.P.S. |
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Bible-Reading Plan for 2025 |
We began our latest trip through the Bible on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, BUT we just started the New Testament on January 1, 2025, so there’s still time to jump on the train before you get too far behind!
If you don't have a Bible handy, you can look up these passages for free on Bible Gateway. They have about 60 different English translations/versions there to choose from, plus translations in many other languages, many of which also have multiple translations/versions.
Here’s our plan for this month: |
CLICK HERE to see the reading plan for the whole year. |
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Complete Library for $100 (Includes New CD) |
We recently revamped the downloadable version of our complete library. Now it comes in a PDF with pictures of every album and single for easy reference. You just click on the ones you need to download them instantly.
It even includes our new CD, X-Tract.
We're giving our complete library on download to everyone who donates $100 this week.
That's 1738 tracks, including various versions (studio, live, rarity, album, single, EP, revised, remastered, etc.), plus side projects ... even our most-recent single and our latest CD.
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Standard CDs 1993–2024 (955 tracks) Remastered Classics CDs (219 tracks) Singles, EPs, Rarities, Side Projects (564 tracks)
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Our new ApologetiX USB thumb drives include our new CD, X-Tract.
Our ApologetiX USB thumb drives contain the digital versions of all of our CDs, plus any singles, EPs, or rarities that aren't on CD, including our latest single.
Emblazoned with the band's logo, they have a storage capacity of 16 GB, and they’re write-enabled, so you can add more music to them if and when you get future ApX downloads.
They’re available for a donation of $150 or more. If you've donated for our complete library before, they're available for a donation of $50 or more. |
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Influential Albums #1696–1702 |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.
Here are the latest entries in the "albums that influenced me" series I started writing in May 2020.
Note: Just because an album appears on this list doesn't mean I give it a blanket endorsement. Many of the secular albums on this list are mainly there because they wound up being spoofed by ApologetiX.
1696. Rock's in Their Heads - ApologetiX The 66th ApologetiX LP, Rock's in Their Heads, opened with a parody of a song from 1971 and closed with two from 1979. Along the way, it spoofed at least one rock classic from every year in between. The guys in ApologetiX grew up on ‘70s rock. It was playing on the radios and stereos around us when we first started dreaming about being in our own bands, so it’s embedded in our brains. You could point at all of us without exception and accurately say, “Rock’s in their heads.” These days, many people look at Bible-believing Christians like they have rocks in their heads. Unfortunately, those who oppose us often have rocks in their hands. But the real issue is that the Rock’s in our hearts — Jesus Christ — a chosen and precious cornerstone for those who believe but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense for those who don’t (1 Peter 2:6-8). “For their rock is not like our Rock ...” (Deuteronomy 32:31). Just remember: “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). As Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Released in August 2022, Rock's in Their Heads spoofed songs by Argent, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Bad Company, Alice Cooper, Elton John, Kiss, The Knack, Nazareth, Ram Jam, Bob Seger, Boz Scaggs, The Who, and Gary Wright. 1697. Privateering - Mark Knopfler Released on September 3, 2012, Mark Knopfler's seventh solo LP was also his first studio double-album. It reached #8 on the U.K. albums chart, but did not come out in North America until a year later because of a contractual dispute. It eventually made it to #65 on the Billboard 200. The title track, "Privateering," is my favorite of the 20 tracks (10 per disc). In fact, it's one of my all-time favorites by Knopfler and/or Dire Straits. My next level of tunes from this project would be "Redbud Tree," "Corned Beef City," "Used to Could," and "Seattle." I also liked "Gator Blood," "Radio City Serenade," "Yon Two Crows," "Dream of the Drowned Submariner," "Haul Away," "Got to Have Something," "Today is Okay" "After the Beanstalk," and all the rest. As usual, there are bonus tracks available, too, and among those, I recommend "Occupation Blues," "Follow the Ribbon," and "Your Perfect Song." Merriam-Webster defines a privateer as "a private ship or person that is permitted by its government to fight enemy ships during wartime." So it's basically government-sanctioned piracy. Yes, plenty of jokes could be make about that, but Knopfler revelated that he was using privateering as a metaphor for traveling rock musicians (hence the photo of the battered old van on the front cover). In the press kit for the album, Knopfler said, "I really get a buzz out of having this little group of people that sallies forth across the world. I enjoy being in command of it, the band, the crew, travelling through this ever-changing landscape and playing in all these different places. You get where you get without any kind of assistance, really, making your own way in the world. There are no government grants to play this music. You're a privateer. And that's the way I like it." Also in the press kit, he mentioned that when he was starting out as a musician, " Knopfler recalled the early days of his music career, when "if you had a van you could get into a group, so band wagons have always had a special place in my heart." Personally, from my many years in ApologetiX, I have too many memories of band vehicles (various vans, a couple RVs, and a 40-foot bus) breaking down and requiring expensive repairs, so I don't miss them that much. However, the other band members and I do have some enjoyable times looking back on and laughing about our collective vehicular misadventures. 1698. Everything to Everyone - Barenaked Ladies The sixth Barenaked Ladies LP, Everything to Everyone, came out on October 21, 2003, and it did have a little bit of everything for everyone. Five of the 14 tracks were issued as singles in various places with varying degrees of success: "Another Postcard" (#82 U.S. pop, #9 U.S. adult contemporary, #19 U.S. adult alternative, #28 Canada), "Testing 1-2-3" (#19 U.S. AC, #19 U.S. AAA), "Celebrity" (#81 U.K.), "For You" (did not chart), and "Maybe Katie" (did not chart). The zany "Another Postcard" was probably the closest the band had come to replicating the lyrical style of their 1998 #1 smash "One Week," and it became a big hit in the Jackson family minivan. However, those other four singles were all strong efforts. Musically speaking, my favorite cuts on the album are "Celebrity" and "Aluminum," both of which have the kind of clever lyrics we've come to expect from BNL. Of course, Barenaked Ladies aren't all about the laughs. In addition to "Aluminum," three songs are particular poignant: "For You, "Have You Seen My Love," and the beautiful-but-heartbreaking "War on Drugs." Other tracks I really enjoyed included "Unfinished," "Second Best," and "Upside Down." Everything to Everyone climbed to #10 on the Billboard 200 and #6 on the Canadian albums chart. 1699. 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits - Hank Williams Country-and-western singer/songwriter Hank Williams, who died on New Year's Day 1953, is generally recognized as one of the most important and influential artists in the history of modern music. Although he only lived to be 29 years old, Williams had 37 Top 10 country hits, 11 of which went all the way to #1. Released in 1997, 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits featured eight of those chart toppers: "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Kaw-Liga," "Cold, Cold Heart," "Lovesick Blues" (which also went to #24 on the pop chart), "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)," "Hey, Good Lookin'," "Why Don't You Love Me," and "Take These Chains From My Heart." Seven other Top 10s were included: "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (#2) "Honky Tonk Blues" (#2), "Half as Much" (#2), "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" (#2), "Move It on Over" (#4), "Baby, We're Really in Love" (#4), and "You Win Again" (#10). The remaining five tracks on 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits were "Honky Tonkin'" (#14), "Ramblin' Man" (flip side of "Take These Chains From My Heart"), "My Heart Would Know" (flip side of "Hey Good Lookin'"), "Window Shopping" (flip side of "Jambalaya [On the Bayou]"), and There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight (flip side of the #5 hit "Mind Your Own Business"). Williams untimely death came about as a result of complications associated with alcohol/drug abuse. Ironically, his last single released during his lifetime was the #1 hit "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive," which entered the chart on December 20, 1952, less than two weeks before he died. Three of his other #1 hits were posthumous releases: "Kaw-Liga," "Your Cheatin' Heart," and "Take These Chains From My Heart." Williams' son, Hank Williams Jr., went on to have 42 Top 10 country singles, 10 of which reached #1.
1700. Kinda Stuffy - ApologetiX The 67th ApologetiX CD arrived in early November 2022, stuffed with “stuff.” That word was included in the titles of three of the songs and in the lyrics of two others. That’s why we called it Kinda Stuffy. The surplus of “stuff” brings to mind this Bible verse about the construction of the Ark of the Covenant and its furnishings: “For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much” (Exodus 36:7 KJV). You’ll learn more about that story — and lots of other stuff — if you listen to this album. The parodies cover a variety of topics from Genesis to Revelation, but the songs we spoofed all came out between 1983 and 1988. They’re presented on this disc in chronological order of when the original hits were released. Put ‘em all together and you have the stuff that themes are made of. My fourth daughter, Natalie, did the cover art and all other illustrations throughout the CD booklet and tray cards. She was just three months shy of 15 at the time but had already become an impressive illustrator. And she's continued to perfect her skills in the years since. Kinda Stuffy features parodies of Bryan Adams, Rick Astley, Bananarama, Dead or Alive, Duran Duran, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Naked Eyes, New Kids on the Block, Robert Palmer, The Police, Ratt, Starship, and Tiffany. Many of the tracks on this album and the next several after it featured electronic drums programmed by Rich Mannion and vocals that I recorded in Wexford with ApX guitarist Wayne Bartley rather than at Red Apple Audio Workshop with ApX drummer and engineer Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner. Here's why: In late August 2022, Jimmy and his wife, Eve, were in a terrible accident when the rear tire blew out on the motorcycle they were riding. Both sustained concussions and numerous other injuries, and Jimmy broke his left femur (thigh bone). In fact, Eve later related, "The people at the hospital described it as 'His femur bone exploded.' It wasn't just broken; it had exploded. His artery should have been snagged, but it wasn't." Jimmy had surgery the next day. The doctors inserted two rods, by the knee and by the hip. As a drummer, he was grateful it was his left leg (which is used for the high hat) rather than his right (which is used for the kick drum). "I think what is important to share," said Eve, "is that the Lord has been with us every step of the way, and it's been evident right from the start." Jimmy described how the accident happened: "We were going about 50 mph. It felt like the tire went soft. And then it started to violently fishtail, and I was trying to keep the bike steady and to keep it from landing on her." Eve elaborated further: ""His leg was kind of the sacrifice he made in order for us to be alive. I was able to jump right up afterward, but Jimmy and the bike were in the opposite lane, and he couldn't get off the road because of the break. Two paramedics and a firefighter just happened to be driving by, and they got out and helped immediately. When he landed on the road, there was a red light for the opposite traffic, and that wasn't chance. Long story short, we know that the Lord was all over it, and even though it happened, it was clear." Jimmy added the following: "I am so glad we had helmets on; I remember my head hitting three times on the road." Praise the Lord for His protection and the healing He has brought to Jimmy and Eve in the years since then! 1701. Picture Book - Simply Red If we corralled a bunch of self-professing fans of '80s music and asked them to name artists who had multiple U.S. #1 hits during that decade, I bet it would take a while before anybody guessed Simply Red. Be that as it may, they do belong on the list. Led by singer/songwriter Mick Hucknall, the British blue-eyed (and red-haired) soul group topped the Hot 100 in '86 with "Holding Back the Years" and again in '89 with a remake of "If You Don't Know Me by Now," which had been a smash single (#3 pop, #1 R&B) for Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes in '72. Simply Red's debut LP, Picture Book, was released on October 11, 1985. However, the hits didn't happen in the United States until the following spring and summer — "Holding Back the Years" (#1 U.S. pop, #4 U.S. adult contemporary, #2 U.K.) and "Money$ Too Tight to Mention" (#28 U.S. pop, #13 U.K.), a cover version of minor R&B hit from '82 by The Valentine Brothers. I bought both of those Simply Red 45s while they were still on the charts, although the first time or two "Holding Back the Years" came on the radio, I thought the station was playing a new Carly Simon single. It's a little ironic that I mistook Mick Hucknall's voice for Simon's, seeing as people used to tell her she resembled another Mick — Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, who sang backing vocals on her own #1 hit, "You're So Vain." Hucknall later filled in on lead vocals with Rod Stewart's old group, Faces, for a series of concerts in 2010 and 2011. In retrospect, I'm surprised I hadn't previously noticed the vocal similarities (and R&B influences) the two singers shared. Three more singles from Picture Book made the lower regions of the U.K. chart: "Jericho" (#53 U.K.) "Open Up the Red Box" (#61 U.K.), and "Come to My Aid" (#66 U.K.). I like all of those, especially the latter two. My other top tracks would be "Heaven," "Sad Old Red," and "Look at You Now." I also liked the first single from Simply Red's follow up LP, Men and Women, "The Right Thing" (#27 U.S. pop, #11 U.K.). Picture Book peaked at #31 on the Billboard200, but got as far as #2 on the U.K. albums chart. As you may have noticed, both of the group's U.S. #1 hits also went to #2 on the U.K. singles chart. Hucknall and his mates finally achieved a #1 single in their homeland in 1995 with a song called "Fairground," which only bubbled under the Hot 100 at #114 in the States. Simply Red also eventually garnered 15 U.K. Top 10 LPs, five of which went to #1. 1702. Tracker - Mark Knopfler Released on March 16, 2015, Tracker was Mark Knopfler's eighth solo LP and his highest-charting solo project to date on both sides of the pond, climbing to #14 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the U.K. albums chart. It's got memorable, melodic, mood-setting music filled with interesting, character-driven lyrics. Then again, that's pretty much status quo for him. However, even with that being said, a lot of the tunes on Tracker are instantly accessible ... it doesn't take long to appreciate the sound and get immersed in the narrative. Two cuts were issued as singles, "Beryl" (#23 U.S. adult alternative airplay) and "Skydiver" (did not chart). Those are a couple of my favorites among the 11 tracks on the original album, along with "Laughs And Jokes And Drinks and Smokes," "River Towns," "Mighty Man," "Lights of Taormina," and "My Heart Has Never Changed." As usual, there are also a number of bonus tracks available. Of those, I especially liked ".38 Special," "Terminal of Tribute To," and "Oklahoma Ponies." Five of the 17 songs feature female vocals by Ruth Moody of the Canadian folk trio The Wailin' Jennys: "Basil," "Long Cool Girl," "Wherever I Go," plus the aforementioned "Skydiver" and "My Heart Has Never Changed." They're all delicate and beautiful. But what do I always say about Knopfler's stuff? It's all good, man. |
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If you'd like to donate to the ministry of ApologetiX, there are a couple ways you can do it. |
If you prefer to mail a check or money order, please make it out to "ApologetiX" and send it to:
ApologetiX
208 Charlemma Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15214-1414
Although the donations are not tax-deductible, they will be received very gratefully and used immediately. Thank you! |
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“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17 |
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P.O. Box 101705
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
USA
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