Welcome to Lasting Impressions, the one place for all things Deliverance and Janz team music featuring Danny Paul and Ken Janz. If this is your first time here, please start reading from the first post (at the bottom of the first archived page). It will make more sense that way.

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Ken and Paul Janz 1987

I believe this was the birthday party of Leo Janz.
Special music provided by his sons and ex-Deliverance members, Ken and Paul Janz. Danny Janz was around, but not involved in this piece.


Ever since I attended Black Forest Academy in the late 70's, I have had this mild obsession with our local band, the European rock band Deliverance. The band has hung around in my mind like the ghost of a person taken too soon, by unexplained means, doomed to roam the earth until their vindication. Like Canada's Avro Arrow, a program nipped in the bud by paranoid governments. Like a scratch I can't itch, I continue to search for that elusive radio version of my favorite song by my favorite band, that for some reason has been shrouded in secrecy since their disbandment 25 years ago. Despite their very best efforts to the contrary*, this band has made a lasting impression on me, both with their stunning harmonies and talent, and through their continued devotion to the message they were trying to spread in the 70's.

Until the advent of the internet, the only trace of Deliverance I could find has been the delete bins of old record stores where the occasional Attic Records version of Tightrope or Atlantic's Lasting Impressions could be found, and the occasional person who was returning from Germany and had contact with the band members. Now there are a handful of websites that present a reasonably accurate history of the band, not totally accurate but better than nothing. The secrecy, I believe is due to two facts: one, the band no longer exists, and two there was a lawsuit which invalidated the licence of the group for radio play, thus ending all distribution. I am continually amazed that in this age of the internet that the music hasn't resurfaced, but all searches through Kazaa, GNU networks, Napster, etc lead to a dead-end. Why? Where is the music? What happened to the fans? Are the only fans friends of the group who, like me, feel like they're betraying a friendship by pirating and distributing these works? If a band is invalidated by law are their works still protected?

I am opening up this site to everyone who may have material and stories to share regarding the European band Deliverance. If you want to be a member of this blog so you can add entries, let me know in the comments, and I'll add you to the list. Please, I don't want anything from the metal band Deliverance, which emerged in the US a few years later. If you know if this other Deliverance had something to do with the demise of the former (namely - are they the plaintiffs in the lawsuit?) Please let us know!

For starters, I have the contents of a few web pages with fairly complete history's of the band. Soon I'll have scanned cover art of their four albums (yes, there's four! not three) and other tidbits. I am in the process of converting the three later albums to mp3's for my own use. If smell is the sense most closely linked to memory, music has to be the second, and I am ready for a trip to my past.


* Danny and Ken were asked to speak to each of the domitories of Black Forest Academy, to encourage us to NOT buy their newest album Tightrope, because it wasn't overtly Christian, and was not sanctioned by the Janz Team nor the BFA school board. They did however explain to us their target audience, and how this kind of music is the only way to get close to those people, and this was their ministry. Funny ... we couldn't listen to their music, but we attended the same church, they had their kids in our elementary school, and the drummer was their art teacher! Perhaps distributing albums at school (at first) wasn't such a good idea.
In retrospect there were issues we were shielded from, and the people in charge, had ample grounds for their cautious attitude. I am happy to see that everyone has turned out OK in the end.

16 Comments:

Blogger Hear-TV said...

A website for the band Deliverance is long overdue. I was one of the music directors for the first full time Christian Rock station on the planet, WINQ, in Florida back in the 70s. When the Deliverance album "Give It A Try" came out, we started playing the title cut and it went to the top of our charts. The song stayed there for months.

While traveling in Canada a couple of years later, I was in a record store and found "Lasting Impressions" which became my favorite album of the day (my wife's too). I would love to have all of their albums on CD but I guess that will never happen. Most CCM albums from that era will never be released on CD.

Oh, one other thing. I keep reading that Deliverance released three albums under that name. And your admendment here adds that another album Hymns was released. That's a new one on me. But there was still another album by Deliverance. This may be the same as the Hymns album, but it was called "To God Be The Glory" and was released in 1976 on Image VII records, a Word Inc. label. The album number is VII 7738. The songs are as follows:

Side 1
My Tribute
Give Them All To Jesus
Come On Down
Praise The Lord
Through It All
He'll Lift You Up

Side 2
Give Thanks
Since I Opened Up The Door
In Remembrance
Love Is
Bethlehem...Galilee...Gethsemane
Because He Lives


And let's not forget the pre-Deliverance Janz Team release called Salvation Song (available on CD in Germany) with Danny, Paul and Wayne.

I look forward to your site! If you do convert the albums to mp3s, I would love to have copies for the radio stations I manage. I have all three albums but no way yet to rip them to mp3.

Peace,

Rob W.
www.jesusmusicoldies.com*

8:48 PM  
Blogger Daryl said...

Rob,

thanks for your comments regarding Deliverance. You're right that the fourth (first actually) album was called "To God Be The Glory". "Hymns" was my long-time impression (I only saw the album once, when I was about 16). A friend of mine just found a copy for me and gave me the real title. I thought I had corrected that on the website, but apparently not. I was looking forward to the first comments from a real fan, since that is the only way we can all learn more about how big Deliverance really was. If you had access to their records at the radio station, did you have the real North American version of Tightrope? The one with the heavy guitars instead of the light airy saxes? I have been looking for that for years. I don't know if it was a white cover album or what, but a real copy of that would be wonderful. I am going to rip my 20 year old cassette tape of tha version, but it was recorded through a clock-radio and a handheld mike, so the quality is terrible! Keep your eyes here for mp3's. I just set up my system and ripped the first song of Danny and Paul's "If I Ask", a cover (possibly the first) of Larry Norman's "Sweet Song Of Salvation"!

9:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi. my name is Martin Starkie and I'm in the UK. I came across your page today whilst surfing for anything to do with Deliverance. I have a vinyl copy of the Tightrope album that never gets played these days due to there being no turntable at home, but like you I became very frustrated at the lack of information on the band.

I saw them perform live at the Greenbelt festival, around 1979 or 1980 I guess. The performance was great, with the most memorable thing being that one of the band was actually singing a harmony part from behind the sound desk 50 metres from the stage!

I wasn't even aware of th existence of Lasting Impressions until today. Are any of these available anywhere in a digital format?

All the best from here

Martin Starkie

8:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi,
My Name Is Benjamin Wiegratz and i was and i'm still a big fan of Deliverance.I'm also a big lp (Vinyl) dealer.I'm living in Switzerland and i do know Janz Team very well,because i was a member of the Janz Team LP Ring Switzerland.
I have some very rare vinyl albums from The Janz Team Singers and Danny & Paul which you don't have listed here: Danny & Paul: "Sing das Lied" & "Salvation Song" in german lamguage. Janz Team Singers: "Noch nicht am Ziel",german language & "Janz Team Singers",english language,released 1975 on Image VII,with Nils Kjellström.
I have also the ultra rare single of the latest recordings from Deliverance, after they must have changed their Name to "JANZ". It is the single, which have also the song "Steine",written by Paul Janz & Michael Kunze,3:09, which was released for the Eurovision Song Contest for Germany in 1981 !! The other rocky song on side two is "Mirror",written by Paul&Ken Janz.,3:55. Single was released on Global Rceords,Germany.
I have also the very first releaed single from Danny & Paul, from ca. 1969.
Also,i have the very first released two singles of Deliverance from 1972, called "The Janz Team Singers with Danny & Paul". (Deliverance members plus Jack Stenekes: Ken Janz,Danny Janz,Paul Janz,Herb Rempel,Vern Gisebrecht and Jack Stenekes).
You can read all stories about Deliverance in his Book from KEN JANZ, called "Rebell in Gottes Hand".(published 2002 by gerth medien, germany). There you will find the real story about what happen with Deliverance.
Do you know that Deliverance (+Jack Stenekes) has released in 1978 a very high quality album (which is also available now on CD) under the album title "Der König kommt"? This Album has 11 titles in german language,including the song "Give Thanks",written by Paul Janz,originaly released on the album "To God be the Glory", but now recorded new in german language: "Ich sag Dank". the 12.Song is a fast Song, the only in english language: "I Am Free", written by Jack Stenekes. The singers of this super Album are: Ken Janz,Danny Janz,Paul Janz,Herb Rempel,Vern Giesbrecht and Jack Stenekes.That's exactly like Janz Team Singers and Danny&Paul or: Deliverance +Jack Stenekes!!
Oh, and there are some more songs i have from the members of Deliverance.
If you've interest to buy from me some things i've have listed, just email me: bensound@orangemail.ch
Discography of all "Deliverance" releases:
1) 1969: Danny&Paul;"Go down Moses" /Janz Team/Single.
2) 1970: Janz Team Singers; "Janz Team Singers", Janz Team and Image VII/LP.
3) 1971: Janz Team Singers and Danny&Paul;"Ein wunderbares Heil",Janz Team/Single.
4) 1971: Janz Team Singers and Danny&Paul;"Reach out to Jesus",Janz Team/Single.
5) 1972: Janz Team Singers;"Frieden",Janz Team/LP.
6) 1973: Danny&Paul;"Sing das Lied",Janz Team/LP.
7) 1973: Danny&Paul;"If I Ask",Image VII/LP.
8) 1973: Janz Team Singers,Danny&Paul,Hildor Janz,Janz Team Ambasasdors; "Janz Team in Lied und Wort" (each Group has recorded two Songs),Janz Team/LP. Danny&Paul:"Herrlichkeit"&"Entscheide dich" /Janz Team Singers:"This Man"&"Einsam geh ich durch die Strassen".
9) 1974: Danny,Paul & Wayne;"Salvation Song",german language version released on Janz Team/LP and CD.
10) 1974: Danny,Paul & Wayne;"Salvation Song",english version,one add song by Wayne Quiring:"Books & Calendars".Image VII/LP.
11) 1974: Janz Team Singers;"Noch nicht am Ziel",german version,Janz Team/LP.
12) 1974: Janz Team Singers;"Along the Road",english version,Image VII/LP.
13) 1975: Janz Team Singers;"Janz Team Singers,english language album with some add songs like "it's an old,old Story",written by Ken Janz.Image VII/LP.
14) 1976: Deliverance;"To god be the Glory",Image VII/LP.
15) 1977: Deliverance;"Give it a try",BlueRose Records and Image VII/LP.
16) 1978: Deliverance;"Lasting Impressions",Global/LP.
17) 1978: Junge Männer loben Gott (Deliverance);"Der König kommt" (includes english song "I Am Free and the german version of Paul Janz' "Give Thanks").Janz Team/LP and Logos Musik/CD.
18) 1979: Deliverance;"Tightrope",Global/LP.
19) 1981: JANZ (Deliverance)"Mirrors".Global Records/Single.
After 1981, Danny Janz (Daniel Janz) and Ken Janz has recorded songs on differents albums, both in german and english language! Paul Janz has recorded some solo albums and has produced also some albums of others artists,like the swiss group "The Tram",english group "Heart,Soul & Mind", canada worship leader Brian Doersken,german female singer Hella Heizmann and many others! Jack Stenekes has also recorded over 10 solo albums and is still the "chief" of Janz Team Ministries Canada.
Regards,
Benjamin Wiegratz
BenSound Musik Switzerland.

1:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi there. I came across lastingimpression.blogspot.com recently and was catapulted back through time. My parents have a Janz Team Singers album (LP) and my dad has (had?)an old Jack Stenekes cassette that I used to listen to. Those two albums were as close to the current pop music scene of the time as we had in our home for years. I really enjoyed them and now you've opened my eyes to the rest of the story. I'll have to ask my dad if he's aware of the rest of the work that's out there. This is too cool!

2:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maybe a "Where are they now?" is in order on this website. I personally talked to Chris Janz his son about 2 years ago, and he mentioned that his Father(Paul) is studying in England to be a Theologian.

2:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for this! I was looking all over the web for it. I remember the band (My favorite album when I discovered them in 1981), but couldn't find a copy anywhere. I met Paul once. My understanding is he's now teaching Theology in England.

7:24 AM  
Blogger Martin Güdel said...

Hi there. I just dropped by this site the other day when I was looking for songs by deliverance to download. My older brother once had "Tightrope" as a vinyl album which I listened to over and over again.
So I was very happy to find this page, but unfortunaltely the download links don't seem to work anymore. Is there a possibility to still get the mp3 files for tightrope?
thanks for answering me.

3:41 AM  
Blogger Martin Güdel said...

My Goodness me, the link works again! Thanks so much. I'm feeling launched back 25 years ... great stuff!

11:19 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Daryl,
My name is Rick Shaw. I was the drummer on "Lasting Impressions". I also helped with vocals and percussion. I was with the band in 76' 77'. I left just before the record was released. I am an American living in Florida. I was trying to get back in touch with the guys in the band. If you have any information for me in that reguard please let me know. It was great to find this site and know that there are still people out there who remember and appreciate Deliverance music from that era. Thanks

6:27 PM  
Blogger Daryl said...

Hi Rick, thanks for leaving a note! My biggest fear is that if Ken and Paul find this site they'll be legally obligated to tell me to take it down.

All I know about the other band members is that Paul is teaching at Oxford, Ken is in Europe and Danny is in BC, Canada, and can be found on Facebook under his real name. I suspect that if you find Danny, he can give you what you're looking for.

10:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting to find this. I'm the wife of Dave McSparran, aka David Raven, drummer on Tightrope. I'll be with Paul and Beth Janz in the UK in a couple of weeks. David or I could probably answer some questions, as we've kept up with everyone to some extent.

David is the only one that has remained active as a musician, having recorded about 1500 albums, writes music for film and television (currently songs on Sons of Anarchy and Parks and Recreation)and has a new album being released in a couple of months with his own band, Mojo Monkeys (New Orleans R&B). He has played with everyone from Keith Richards to Iggy Pop, Nora Jones, Bruce Springstein, Mike Ness of Social Distortion. Tomorrow night he opens for Lynyrd Skynryd in LA (where we live). He has played on Matt Redman's and Fernando Ortega's albums. He plays, writes, sings and produces. -Rebecca Ver Straten-McSparran

2:30 PM  
Blogger Joyce said...

My daughter and son-in-law bought me a record player for Christmas. I came across my sleeve for "If I Ask" by Danny and Paul. Oh how I loved that record and wish I could access it again. .. or a digital download or something. I may have worn it out. I don't know.

2:41 PM  
Blogger David Holl said...

This is great! I wasn't aware of any of this and have recently been collecting missing albums thanks to discogs. I remembered the song Give It A Try as a teenager and was glad to finally find the album.

4:41 PM  
Blogger Daryl said...

This Deliverance post had 14 comments so maybe I can reach every single subscriber to this blog at in one shot:
Everything is moving to http://deliverance1976.wordpress.com
The songs are hosted on Dropbox and will remain available until I stop paying my Dropbox subscription, or until Dropbox goes under. At the moment the four Deliverance albums are available. Other Janz team albums will be added soon. Take a peek and tell me what you think! (not here)

8:38 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I heard Deliverance at a church in Towson, Md. about 1976 or '77. (Can't remember exactly.) I was blown away by their harmonies on "To God be the Glory." They also played a song that I have been desparate to get a hold of, but don't have the foggiest how. They lyrics began, "I have often wondered where I'd be, if you hadn't come along into my life. Giving me a song, and showing me the greatest treasure I have ever known." As a Christian musician, I have wanted to get the lyrics and chords to this - one of the most beautiful song I ever heard.

1:29 PM  

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