Mylon LeFevre, Resurrected

Sunlight: An Alan Toussant song but totally has elements of Christian rock, and isn’t unpleasant. I mean, they are using some of the best session guys, and it is a Toussant song.

I Keep On Loving You: Another AT song, a little Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Work to Do: Isley’s work is grittier, funkier. Mylon sounds a little rough in the voice, even though he sort of baby-proofed this version

Declaration of Love: AT, B-side filler of a song

“If you don’t like Rock & Roll, put this back where you got it”

That warning is usually good to heed, but not for the reason they state. “Rock & Roll Resurrection”** is no different (its not very good), but it is interesting!

Mylon LeFevre was all over the 70s rock world. Pete Townshend had him arrange and sing the background vocals for the “Tommy” soundtrack**, he opened for Traffic, The Grateful Dead**, Emmerson, Lake, & Palmer, Yes**, and scads of others.

If you have not heard of Mylon LeFevre, it is probably for the same reason you have; God, drugs, and Elvis.

Mylon’s dad, uncle, and aunt started singing the Gospel as The LeFevre Trio in the 1920’s**. Their big break was on the Grand Ole Opry radio show, where they were paid 2 live chickens and a 50lbs bag of Purina Chow. Mylon’s mother, the daughter of a Tennessee pastor, took her sister-in-law’s place in the band** when she married into the family in 1934.

The LeFevre Trio transformed into simply, The LeFevres as children were born. Mylon first sang publicly when he was 5**. And had to stand on a piano bench to reach the microphone. The family criss-crossed the Bible Belt throughout the 50’s, singing for some of the largest revivals, crusades, and TV evangelists of the decade.

In his autobiography, Mylon said that as a young child, he saw really good ministers using God’s word for good, alongside other ministers with less honorable intentions. And that bothered him. He also didn’t appreciate all the Hell-fire and Brimstone preaching. He was looking for the Love of God, and not finding it in his experiences. He was going through the motions as a member of a family** whose whole entire existence, brand, being! revolved around the Church. The Southern Church! And not finding it troubled him.

Add to that, at 12yrs old, Mylon was sent to a state run boarding school in Tallulah Falls that was, in essence, a reformatory. He was the only one there who still had 2 parents who were married to each other. And he wasn’t there because he was a bad kid**, but because his parents were trying to care for Mylon’s younger sister who had severe epilepsy. They were overwhelmed, and their answer was to literally abandon this poor, sheltered boy in a scary shit-hole while they tried to tackle his sister’s medical issues. It gutted the boy, at 12 you’re still a child, and throughout his teen years, nearly everyone who was supposed to care for and nurture Mylon, didn’t.

In 1962, Army grunt** Mylon got a weekend pass to go sing with his family in Memphis. Problem was, he was stationed in South Carolina, and no one was giving this hitchhiking soldier a ride and a break from the freezing rain. He didn’t get to Ellis Auditorium until 7:30 on Saturday night, minutes before his family was scheduled to perform. Unable to sleep, shower, or change, Mylon stepped out in wet Army greens and sang a song he wrote the year before called, “Without Him.”**

In a mirrored booth, Elvis Presley was squirreled away, scouting songs for his upcoming Gospel record, “How Great Thou Art.”** Elvis was touched by the sight of this young disheveled Army private and had Mylon come to the booth. There he said he wanted to record “Without Him.” He also told Colonel Tom** to not take the kid’s publishing and copyrights, which was customary if Elvis sang your song.

And that changed everything for Mylon LeFevre.

“How Great Thou Art” was released in 1967. A number of people recorded “Without Him” before Elvis, but no one provided Elvis-level royalties. Mylon’s first check was for $90,000**, which is just under $1 million in today’s crap-economy. And over 120 people have recorded it since. It provided Mylon with financial** freedom and respect in the music world, well everywhere except LeFevre Incorporated.

Even though Mylon’s royalties paid for the development of the family business** which now included a recording studio and publishing company as well as a syndicated TV show, Mylon’s dad was at odds with his sideburns and the contemporary nature of the songs** he was writing. In 1969, Mylon was fired by his father for the last time.

So he started a band.

The band, named Mylon recorded their first record, “We Believe”** in 1969 with Alan Toussaint as producer. **He also produced “Rock & Roll Resurrection” and later inducted Mylon into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

“We Believe” is full of funky guitar riffs, songs of joy, and black women singing behind a group of long haired freaky white boys, most of which would go on to form the Atlanta Rhythm Section**. It came out in 1970 on Cotillion, and many sources called it the first contemporary Christian rock record on a major secular label. But… in 1969, Spooky Tooth did put out “Ceremony**,” on A&M in the UK. With experimental French Composer, Pierre Henry and it was supposed to parallel the Mass. My husband said it might be considered an “electronic album”? I listened to it. I don’t hear the Mass. No one did. Critics hated it and it killed Spooky Tooth.

But, Gary Wright’s** bad mistakes aside, 1970 was seeing a lot of “Jesus Rock” or “People Rock” hitting the airwaves.

The late 60’s-early 70’s had hippies and other peaceful people, tired of Vietnam, and looking for meaning, a higher power** that didn’t necessarily have to do with weed or acid, or did! finding Christian street preachers’ messages of Jesus and Love a comfort.

The Jesus People** were a large faction, mostly in California, that specifically used folk-rock music to appeal to those searching. But young people across the country were very open to a more inclusive Church and world, regardless of Belief, and little pockets of Christian communes popped up from coast-to-coast. The Protestant church also began to loosen their restrictions on “wordly” entertainment which allowed musicians like Larry Norman** and Barry McGuire** to lay down the roots for Contemporary Christian Music. The Catholic Church moved from Latin Mass in 1965, and lo-and-behold, allowed Guitar Masses** in some of the more modern churches by the early 70s.

But wherever you were getting your “God Rock” or “People Rock,” you had a lot to choose from.

Andrew Lloyd Webber released “Jesus Christ Superstar”** as a concept album in 1970, and as a Broadway play in 1971. It became an Oscar-nominated movie in 1973, with controversy because, you know, change is hard. Also in 1970, Carnegie Mellon student John-Michael Tebelak presented “Godspell”** as his Drama Master’s Thesis. Jewish composer, Stephen Schwartz would write the score for the off-Broadway production in 1971, to the aghast of Gate-keeping Christians everywhere. As a side note, the Canadian production of “Godspell”** essentially begat SCTV, and a movie about that is coming in September of 2026.

In 1969, Orthodox Jew, Norman Greenbaum,** wrote “Spirit in the Sky” which sold 2 million copies by 1970.

Melanie recorded “Lay Down” with the **Edwin Hawkins Singers and it went to #6 the same year. And its a jam.

“Signs” by the Canadian group, **Five Man Electrical Band was the B-side to an unsuccessful A-side, until it was released as it’s own single in 1971 where it hit #3 in the states.

Three Dog Night released their album, “Naturally” which carried the hit **(BIG CHILL)“Joy to the World.” They followed it up in 1972 with “Black & White” off of their record, “Seven Separate Fools.”

And while NOT Christian in intent, George Harrison released,**(SPLIT PHOTO) “My Sweet Lord” in 1970, followed by 6 years of litigation, as well as the biggest selling UK single in 1971.

God was everywhere.** {COKE PHOTO}

So it shouldn’t be a surprise when Mylon, the band**, found themselves opening for Mountain**, the band, during their “Climbing!” tour. Climbing! was the record that had “Mississippi Queen” on it. Mylon, the person, became good friends with their bass player and producer, Felix Pappalardi**, which led to Mylon, the band**, to sign with Felix’s management company. After that, the doors swung wide open!!

Overnight, Mylon, the band**, was performing with Traffic, The Who, Ten Years After, Jethro Tull, J. Geiles Band. And Mylon, the person**, was widening his drug pallet. To be fair, Mylon was smoking weed as an escape since he was a teenager. Ya think? So it isn’t all the music world’s fault, but there were plenty of drugs there.

It was during the recording sessions of ** “Love the One You’re With” that Mylon was introduced to cocaine. He found that he was so productive for those first three days, that he immediately bought a kilo.

Because: Elvis money.**

Mylon was touring endlessly in the early 70’s, and he developed a strong relationship with heroin to cope with life on the road. But he did have people-friends. One of them was Alvin Lee of “Ten Years After”** who invited Mylon to his place in Jamaica after their tour ended. There, they laid the groundwork for their record, “On the Road to Freedom”** which was recorded in Alvin Lee’s castle studio. Well, once it was finished being built. But it was ok, pal Roger Daltry let them use the studio in his castle while they were waiting.

So this was where Mylon landed,** in part to detox, again, in the English countryside, surrounded by great musicians, and their castles.

“On the Road to Freedom,” is a super-group record. George Harrison** contributed a song and played guitar. Stevie Winwood and Jim Capaldi** from “Traffic,” Boz Burrell** from “Bad Company,” Ian Wallace** from “KIng Crimson,” and Ron Wood**, who just left Rod Stewert to join The Rolling Stones, were also on it. Oh, and one day when both of their drummers were on tour, George Harrison suggested his brother-in-law. Who turned out to be **Mick Fleetwood.

Its a good record. It sounds great. It is of the time and these musicians. There are good songs here. I especially like the title track. My website has a link to their 1973 appearance on The Midnight Special**, and Mylon is as high as a kite! Interestingly, you can hear George Harrison, but you can’t see him because he was in litigation with his label, which is why he is credited on the record as Hari Georgeson.

The record was recorded essentially for free, and did well. But lack of record company backing, because how dare** musicians control their music, meant doom for the record, and everyone went back to being who they were before. Which just meant more drugs and more depression for Mylon.

“Rock & Roll Resurrection” was the last rock record by **Mylon LeFevre. He had one in 77** and another in 78**, but this 79 album is the unfortunate example of what happens to your art when you’ve been an addict for 15yrs. Alan Toussaint contributed 3 songs, there are 2 covers, and only one song that was all Mylon.

It isn’t good.The first song, “Let it Flow” sounds like he was up all night and stumbled into the studio at 5am, unwashed and nasty. Sam Cooke’s “Shake” and The Isley’s “Work to Do” were sort of dad-rocked in production. And “Dance the Night Away” was the required 1979 disco entry. Nothing stands out for the right reasons, and sadly, it sounds like it was produced to hide Mylon’s flaws.

This record’s value is in the amazing studio musicians Toussaint used.

Caleb Quaye**, Tom Robb**, Roger Pope**, Kenneth Williams**, Sam Henry Jr**, Leo Nocentelli**, Tony Broussard**, and Steve Hughes** played with everyone! EVERYONE! It is easier to list who they didn’t play with.

And they are all holding Mylon LeFevre up.

Mylon went home to Georgia, and tried piecing his life back together, AGAIN. He had a daughter he barely knew, addictions that knew him too well, and was about to face some serious health issues that literally brought him to Heaven’s door more than once. He needed to heal his Spiritual relationship with God so he could physically heal from decades of drug abuse.

And in order to do that, he had to walk away from his Rock & Roll lifestyle**.

But Mylon also had to get out of his record contract! And this is the crazy thing! His lawyer argued that Mylon being “Born Again” constituted an “Act of God” which was required to get out of the Mercury** contract. And he won! Mylon had to give up his future recordings, publishing, and royalties, but they were eventually replaced.

Mylon and the Broken Heart** was the band he put together after he made his peace with God. In 1987 their record, “Crack the Sky,”** won a Grammy for Best Gospel Group, and they would go on to win four Dove Awards, which is the Gospel Music equivalent to the Grammys. Mylon would eventually move from Music to full-time Ministry and continued to spread the Word until he died in 2023**.

Now. this is the part where I usually say, “You should be able to find this one in the cheaps,” but why would you? This is the debris left over from a train wreck. Your time, money, energy, and ears would be better served finding either, “We Believe”** or definitely, “On the Road to Freedom.”**

There is nothing to see here, just move along.

I did listen to a Greatest Hits record of Mylon and the Broken Heart, and it was OK. Musically, it was better than I anticipated but I don’t know much about Contemporary Christian Music except that Chicago has a Christian rap station** that my compulsive radio changing will find while I drive. I did notice, its harder to tell if it is God Rock. **(DOGMA)

They aren’t singing the Song of St. Francis anymore.

BandsoftheLost.com has a ton of supporting material and links to “We Believe,” “On the Road to Freedom,” and “Rock & Roll Resurrection.” If you’d like to hear about other records you may or may not have had back in the day, feel free to subscribe to Bands of the Lost YouTube channel, or check us out at BandsoftheLost.com.

Happy Digging.

Bands of the Lost

Lynn@bandsofthelost.com