Word Entertainment

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Word Entertainment
Label wordrecords.jpg
Parent company Warner Music Group
Founded 1951
Founder Jarrell McCracken
Distributor(s) Word Distribution(US CBA market)
WEA (general US market, and outside the US)
Genre Gospel/Christian
Country of origin United States of America
Official website wordlabelgroup.com

Word Entertainment is a Christian faith-based entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is co-owned by Warner Music Group and Curb Records. Word Entertainment represents Francesca Battistelli, for KING & COUNTRY, Switchfoot, Skillet, Sidewalk Prophets, Chris August, Big Daddy Weave, in addition to many others, and is home to Word Distribution, Word Print, 25 LIVE, Word Music Publishing and Word Label Group’s Word Records and Fervent Records.

History

Word Records was founded in Waco, Texas, in 1951 by Jarrell McCracken. The label's name is based on a 16-minute spoken word recording written and narrated by McCracken, the first recording released by the label, entitled the "The Game of Life". The 23-year-old KWTX sportscaster in Waco had read an article by Jimmy Allen, a former athlete who became a Baptist preacher, and based his recording on the article which also is called "The Game of Life".[1] The event is based on a full length match between the forces of Good and Evil with Jesus Christ and Satan coaching the two teams.

Subsequent records focused on other spoken word recordings, but Word soon branched out into southern gospel music. Early employees for the label included Tom Norfleet, Kurt Kaiser and Ralph Carmichael.[1]

The label struggled initially until Marvin Norcross became an equity partner. By 1954, Word had become a publishing house as well.[1]

Several subsidiary labels were started over the years: Canaan Records in the sixties, Myrrh Records (1972)[2] and DaySpring Records in 1977, and Rejoice Records in the eighties. Two of these labels no longer exist today in their original form. The Myrrh Label was resurrected in 2005 as a praise and worship record label: Myrrh Worship.[2] Canaan Records was also re-opened in early 2007 with Dave Clark at the helm.

Larry Norman's Solid Rock Records had a distribution deal with Word from 1975 to 1980. Artists on Solid Rock included Norman, Randy Stonehill, Daniel Amos, Tom Howard and Mark Heard.

In 1983, Chris Christian signed a distribution deal to move his label Home Sweet Home Records from Benson Records to Word Records, today it is still active and remains under the independent ownership of Chris Christian.

Light Records was distributed in the 1970s by Word Records before being sold to Ralph Carmichael in the 1980s.

Reunion Records signed a distribution and promotion contract in the 80s, the agreement lasted well into the 1990s. Today, Reunion Records is distributed through Provident Music Group.

Star Song was distributed by Word Records but left their distribution deal in the late 1980s to sign with Sparrow Records which was taken over by Chordant Distribution and then by EMI.

Distribution deals with other labels in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s allowed Word Records to rise, representing Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Rich Mullins, Russ and Tori Taff, Paul Smith, The Imperials, Petra, Sandi Patti, Kenny Marks, Wayne Watson, Carman, The Archers featuring Steve Archer, White Heart, Gaither Vocal Band, Bill Gaither Trio, Point of Grace, Love Song, Sweet Comfort Band, The Nelons, Happy Goodman Family featuring Rusty Goodman, Florida Boys, Guardian and other artists.

In the 1976, McCracken sold part interest in his label to the American Broadcasting Company.[1] 10 years later, ABC merged with Capital Cities, Inc. and forced McCracken out of the company.[1]

From 1984 to 1990, Word was distributed in the general market by A&M Records and then by Epic Records until 2002.

In 1992, Capital Cities ABC sold Word to Thomas Nelson, Inc. for $72 Million,[3] and Nelson made two major changes—developing the present swirling W logo for book products which was unveiled in 1995, and also moving its headquarters from Waco, Texas, to its present headquarters in Nashville. Nelson split the record label and book publishing arms in 1996 when the labels were sold to Gaylord Entertainment.[4][5][6] In an agreement with Gaylord, Thomas Nelson continued to use the "Word Publishing" name for its book imprint until 2002, at which time it became "W Publishing Group" and retained the swirling W logo. A highly controversial ad campaign introduced at the CBA convention in 2002 created litigation, settled later.

After Colin Reed took over Gaylord Entertainment in 2001,[citation needed] the hotelier made corporate changes at the company, including the ousting of longstanding president Roland Lundy, and sold off the Word Entertainment group to then-AOL Time Warner in 2002.[7] In 2002, former Atlantic Records Christian division manager Barry Landis briefly took the position of president of the label group division. Word went through a period of restructuring, closing their Los Angeles music publishing office, absorbing Myrrh Records, Squint Entertainment, and Everland Entertainment into the Word Label Group, and reducing in-house staff.[8] Curb Records also gained a stake in the company during this time. In 2004, the company was sold again as part of Time Warner divestiture of its music division, selling it to a group of investors led by Edgar Bronfman to form a newly independent Warner Music Group.

Artist roster

This is a list of artists, past and present, who have recorded on Word Records over the past several decades

Current

Former

Hit songs

This is a short list of some of the songs that were made hits on Word Records over the years

    • Hit Songs
    • Amy Grant
  • Old Man's Rubble
  • In a Little While
  • El Shaddai
  • Angels
  • Sing Your Praise to the Lord
  • Thy Word
  • Emmanuel
  • Find A Way
  • Stay For Awhile
  • Lead Me On
  • Saved By Love
  • Baby, Baby (licensed to A&M)
  • Every Heartbeat (licensed to A&M)
  • Good For Me
  • That's What Love is For
  • Breath of Heaven
  • Lucky One (licensed to A&M)
  • Big Yellow Taxi
  • Takes a Little Time
  • A Christmas to Remember
  • Simple Things
  • Somewhere Down the Road
    • With Vince Gill
  • House of Love
    • The Imperials
  • Sail On
  • Bread on the Water
  • Praise The Lord
  • I'm Forgiven
  • Eagle Song
  • Trumpet of Jesus
  • I'd Rather Believe In You
  • Stand by the Power
  • Lord of The Harvest
  • You're the Only Jesus
  • Here on the Rock
  • They See God There
  • Because He Lives
  • Rise Again
  • Let the Wind Blow
  • Jericho
  • Power of God
  • Wings of Love
  • Free the Fire
  • The Boss
    • Russ Taff
  • Just Believe
  • We Will Stand
  • Inside Look
  • I'm Not Alone
  • Not Gonna Bow
  • Walk Between the Lines
  • I Still Believe
  • Down in the Lowlands
  • Winds of Change
  • I Cry
  • Table in the Wilderness
  • God Don't Never Change
  • Ain't No Grave
    • O'landa Draper
  • Lift the Savior Up
  • He Touched Me
  • I See My Miracle
  • Stand Up
  • Praise the Lord Everybody
  • I Feel Like Praising Him
  • We've Come To Praise Him
  • My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord
  • Look Up
  • It's in the House
  • Keep Me Jesus
  • Take Sometime Out
  • I Need Thee
  • We Change the World
  • Wipe a Tear (Featuring Russ Taff
    • Rich Mullins
  • Sing Your Praise to the Lord (also recorded by Amy Grant)
  • Awesome God
  • If I Stand
  • Elijah
  • Hold Me Jesus
  • Here In America
  • Brothers Keeper
  • My Deliverer
    • Petra
  • I Love the Lord
  • Creed
  • Beyond Belief
  • Love
  • I'm on the Rock
  • Prayer
  • Who's on the Lord's Side
  • Dance
  • Destiny
  • Sight Unseen
  • In the Likeness of You
  • Midnight Oil
  • Good News
  • Praying Man
  • Just Reach Out
  • Enter In
  • Think Twice
  • No Doubt
  • Right Place
  • Lord I Lift Your Name on High
  • We Need Jesus
  • If I Had to Die for Someone
  • The Longing
    • Guardian
  • Dr. Jones and The Kings of Rhythm
  • Shoe shine Johhny
  • I Found Love
  • C'mon Everyone
  • See You in Heaven
  • This Old Man
  • Lead the Way
  • Bottle Rocket
  • Coffee Can
    • Point of Grace
  • I'll Be Believing
  • Jesus Will Still Be There
  • Dying to Reach You
  • Gather at the River
  • How You Live
  • Great Divide
  • Steady On
    • Kenny Marks
  • Right Where You Are
  • Friends
  • The Party is Over
  • Soul Reviver
  • Make It Right
  • White Dress
  • Say a Prayer for Me Tonight
  • I'll Be a Friend to You
  • Next Time You See Johnny
  • Running on Love
  • Turn My World Around
  • Like a Father Should Be
  • Fire of Forgiveness
  • Absolutely Positively Friends
  • World Gone Mad
  • Before My Last Goodbeye
    • Wayne Watson
  • Long Arm of the Lord
  • Walk In The Dark
  • Friend of a Wounded Heart
    • Sandi Patty
  • Make His Praise Glorious
  • How Majestic Is Your Name
  • Via Dolorosa
  • The Star Spangled Banner
  • We Shall Behold Him
    • with Wayne Watson
  • Another Time, Another Place
    • Gsithers (various incarnations)
  • He Came Down to my Level
  • No Other Name But Jesus
  • Living Sacrifice
    • Happy Goodman Family featuring Rusty Goodman
  • What a Happy Time
  • When Morning Sweeps The Eastern Sky
  • The Lighthouse
  • I Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now
  • What A Beautiful Day
  • John the Revelator
  • I Believe He's Coming Back
  • Better Hurry Up
  • Oh Say, But I'm Glad
  • I Bowed On My Knees and Cried Holy
  • Home
  • Leavin' On My Mind
  • I Am
  • Jesus Knows All About It
  • Family Band
  • The Woodsman
    • Florida Boys
  • I'm Standing on the Solid Rock
  • When He Was On The Cross (I Was On His Mind)
    • Other Performers
  • The Champion - Carman
  • Back to Who I Am - Paul Smith
  • Beat of a Different Heart - Paul Smith
  • O for a Thousand Tongues - The Nelons
  • Mary Did You Know - Mark Lowry
  • Time Out - The Clark Sisters

See also

References

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External links

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