I’m going through an obscure old collection called One Hundredfold: A Contemporary Folk Hymnal, and have found one that has at least left a trace on the internet.
It is Ken Meltz’s “Believe and Repent”, which was originally sung by the Roamin’ Collars. He based it on Mark 1:15. It sounds like a hymn for Lent.
Mary at Godsongs expressed surprise it was still being used decades after being out of print. As with all these songs, I’m happy to take down the sheet music at the request of the copyright holder or author, especially if they can point me to where they are available.
I hadn’t heard the original when I made my backing:
Nice one: These obscure collections often contain one or two gems which have become popular somewhere in the world: this is probably it!
From the videos, my guess is that this song is included in a hymn-book published one of the countries in Asia which uses English as a common worship-language.
G’Day Mary
I know this era is really your beat, but researching these songs on the internet is pretty patchy. Most of these songs have only the Discogs note from this album or a fleeting reference to a band someone played in back in the 70s.
I think only two of these forty or so WLP songs have survived to still be in print with GIA. But if a song takes hold in the Phillipines for example, it could spread back to Japan or Australia through the Filipino Catholic diaspora, so they could turn up.
cheers
Geoff
My favourite “goodness, look where THAT” popped up is Estelle White’s Deep Calls to Deep (https://www.godsongs.net/2017/01/deep-calls-to-deep-my-soul-finds-no-resting-place-but-him.html).
Written in the 1970s – with a poetry and intensity quite different from many of her sons – it appears to have died a death in the UK. Then it suddenly pops up in Canada this century – and just checking YouTube now, there are more recordings. I never would have predicted that!!!