Solid Rock Records
| Solid Rock Records | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1975 |
| Founder | Larry Norman |
| Distributor(s) | Word Records |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | US |
Solid Rock Records is the record label of Larry Norman. It was set up in 1975 to distribute his own work, after he had been released by Capitol Records. Solid Rock had a distribution deal with Word Records until 1980.
Besides releasing his own work, other artists like Randy Stonehill, Tom Howard, Mark Heard, Daniel Amos, Pantano & Salsbury (formerly known as the J.C. Power Outlet), and Salvation Air Force were signed to his label. Larry Norman also worked with David Edwards (ex-J.C. Power Outlet), who finally got to release his debut recording, a self-titled album on Myrrh Records in 1980, as well as the British artist Steve Scott. Scott recorded one album, Moving Pictures, produced by Norman and Heard, that in the end was put on the shelf.
Strongly influenced by Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer, and his community at L'Abri in Switzerland, which Norman had visited with his wife Pamela on his honeymoon in 1972, and "possibly inspired by the Apple imprint of The Beatles", in 1974 Norman founded Solid Rock Records to produce records for Christian artists who, like himself, had "no commercial value." Norman intended Solid Rock to be "a "musical L'Abri", and "more than business though, it was community." "Solid Rock became an important moment in the history of Christian rock music since it was the first truly artist-driven label". According to Norman, the purpose of Solid Rock was "to help other artists who didn't want to be consumed by the business of making vinyl pancakes but who wanted to make something 'non-commercial' to the world". Solid Rock "was a community of shared ideas and discussion. Artists would work on each other's projects and even tour together. It seems to have been a place where they were trying to create art that would cross over. Larry Norman in particular had a desire to not simply create Christian music but music that was from a Christian worldview that would stand up in the mainstream and that people could accept and be challenged by". According to Solid Rock alumnus Tom Howard: "We ate together, laughed together, cried together, travelled together. It wasn't like a cult or anything; I mean we'd go off to our own families and our own pockets of friendships but there was definitely a sense of gathering among that small handful of artists".
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