77s Message Board | Print: How did you first hear of the 77s?

Posted by Kit on 05-17-2007 at20:12:

I was 17, and "MT" was the first song I ever heard. I'm not sure, but for a while, I think I was under the impression that Sticks and Stones was their first album. That's only because nothing else by them was available at the time really except for More Miserable. Everything else had pretty much disappeared.

"MT" was the only song I knew for about 3 or so months, but then I made a copy of my friend's cassette and got into it pretty fast. My parents bought me the actual cassette of Sticks and Stones for Christmas '91.

Posted by jason on 05-18-2007 at05:53:

Don't normally go for these type of things, but maybe Mike and the rest appreciate reading these...

I was in a christian book/music store browsing their music selection when the cover for Sticks and Stones caught my eye. I thought the cover was cool looking, so I listened to the demo over the store PA system (small store). I heard MT and was hooked. Later I got More Miserable, but only liked a few songs on it (I thought it was a 77s album). But when Pray Naked came out I liked them again and have liked them pretty consistently since. At some point I went back and picked up 88 which I missed the first time around and the 1-2-3 box set when it came out.

Posted by LuR KiNG on 05-18-2007 at08:15:

RE: How did you first hear of the 77s?

quote:

Originally posted by Verve
There maybe a thread like this somewhere already, but I am curious.

since the beginning .

how long?

Posted by James on 05-20-2007 at09:05:

I think the first time I heard of them was in the old True Tunes 'zine. If I'm not mistaken, I heard the Lost Dogs before the 77s (Little Red Riding Hood). I started listening to Christian music in the early '90's, so I came on board a little late in the game. Anyway, loved the Dogs, so I decided to check out a Sevens concert at Cornerstone in '94. I was wowed by Mike's guitar prowess, and surprised by how hard they rocked (I was primarily a "metal guy"). Immediately after the concert, I purchased DWLIS, which had just come out. I also got a picture with Mike, and he looks absolutely miserable. It makes me laugh to look at it, because his face captures the mood of the Drowning...album so perfectly. Knowing now what dark days those were for him, it's so fitting. Anyway, I loved Drowning..., and I've been a fan ever since.

Posted by dennis on 05-20-2007 at10:42:

quote:

Originally posted by dennis
a buddy of mine gave me a mix-tape of 77s tunes from the first two records.

This would have been in fall or winter of 1988.

Posted by Ping Pong Over the Abyss on 05-21-2007 at05:26:

I was about 21 (yeah, THAT long ago Tongue

) when I saw a flyer for a 77s concert. It wasn't long after that I picked up the Sticks & Stones tape. Got hooked from there. Cool

Posted by LuR KiNG on 05-21-2007 at07:14:

quote:

Originally posted by dennis

quote:

Originally posted by dennis
a buddy of mine gave me a mix-tape of 77s tunes from the first two records.

This would have been in fall or winter of 1988.

so you became a 77s FaN in '88 Cool

Posted by dennis on 05-21-2007 at15:57:

quote:

Originally posted by LuR KiNG

quote:

Originally posted by dennis

quote:

Originally posted by dennis
a buddy of mine gave me a mix-tape of 77s tunes from the first two records.

This would have been in fall or winter of 1988.

so you became a 77s FaN in '88 Cool

You are correct Sir!. Pleased

Posted by nick on 05-23-2007 at06:04:

I first saw them in concert one year when I went with a youth group to Icthus(SP?). I saw a picture of them and thought these guys look so different from each other their music has got to be different (it was in 91 or 92). It seems like Aaron was wearing a tux and of course Mike's hair was all "up" and Dave was kind of "preppy" looking and Mark with long hair...so I went and listened to them and was blown away...I do believe that was the first time I listened to The Choir also and my friend and I bought a CD of what we thought was the Choir called At the Foot of the cross but when we listened to it didn't like it (years later I dug it out and couldn't believe I had it and wasn't listening to it!). My first 77s tape was bought from a Christian bookstore that had 88. Once I heard that I had them order everything that they could of 77s (including 123) and I am soooo glad I did that! On side note I then read in maybe 7 ball an article about a band with Derri and Mike called The Lost Dogs that had a Beatles sound to it(Little Red) and being a huge Beatle fan went and got that right away; hooked since. That same magazine had an article of a blast from the past CD that sounded so much like the Beatles by a band called DA called Horrendous Disc(didn't hear that though till much later) and went and bought as many of the DA CDs as I could. I am so glad I did that back then since many of their CDs are hard to get. Good times that were simpler then....I REALLY miss that!

Posted by nick on 05-23-2007 at06:08:

Oh, so I guess I can say thanks to the Choir and 77s for introducing me to everyone I listen to now; from foot of cross came Mike Knott and Phil Keaggy, and it just grew from there all the way till today now listening to SF 59 and MAP and LN. All of that started with them! Otherwise I would still just be listening to Audio A stuff like that!

Posted by TJ 2.0 on 05-23-2007 at14:05:

Thanks to my brother wanting to hook a little bro up with good music, I was introduced back in '84 when All Fall Down came out. It was all downhill from there.

My brother actually got me into the whole Cali Christian alt. scene at that time....The Choir, 77s, Vector, Charlie Peacock, LSU/Michael Knott...and on and on. Good times, those days back then. It was no worries, and all 77s all day. Grrr at responsibilities.

Posted by waterdog on 05-24-2007 at07:20:

actually it was seeing Phil Keaggy at Hope Chapel in Hermosa Beach Ca. that got me to take Christian music seriosly. Went with the youth group to a new years eve concert in west covina (Raul Resse's church) in 91' I believe. and low and behold the seven's was there.

hooked every since

the music is timeless

Posted by nick on 05-24-2007 at07:57:

Oh, also the Choir show that I first saw at Icthus was the one that Wayne E. played with them, so great, especially since I was already listening to The PC. That was their farwell tour I think... Frown

Posted by drowning on 06-12-2007 at08:31:

a good friend in school (long ago fell out of touch with, sadly) lent me some of the 7's recording (sticks & stones) and I have been hooked on the 77's ever since

Posted by jimmy on 06-12-2007 at16:51:

Thumb Up!

Borrowed the Island record in '89. Only album I ever heard by them. Saw them at Conerstone '92. Been hooked ever since.

Since then I've seen the full rockin band 7 times, Mike roe 5 times, Lost dogs 5 times!

Posted by BuckarooBanzai on 06-19-2007 at21:04:

Heard "Caught in an Unguarded Moment" on the radio in the early 1980's. Fast-forward to the early 1990's when I got to see Mike "Armando" Roe do an acoustic gig while he was stitting on a rickety stool at a church in Littleton. Ah, those were the days.

Posted by Fritz Basset on 06-24-2007 at20:58:

My brother picked up the Island release on cassette when it came out. Loved it. And have kept on loving it!

Posted by YooperWannabe on 06-26-2007 at17:06:

I was listening to WSAE out of Spring Arbor, MI - absolutely no idea what year it was. They had an afternoon CCM show they called "Breakaway" from 3 - 5 (?)pm every weekday. I was reading a book about the B-36 when this raucous song came blaring out ... Ping Pong Over The Abyss. It immediately became a staple on the Breakaway show (and the bane of my father) - naturally I was hooked for life. Though it ended up being the bluesier and more introspective jam-type stuff I truly loved, as opposed to the punk, in your face Ping Pong.

I still have the cassette copy of Ping Pong I got shortly thereafter (it happened to be in my car) but later lost my copies of All Fall Down and 77's in a house fire when I was 16. One of these days I'm going to find a reasonbly priced copy of 123 (HAhahaha!) ... or maybe Mike will have mercy on me and reissue it with all of his royalty riches (cue Mike's laughter here...)

Posted by bkratzer on 07-03-2007 at07:12:

RE: How did you first hear of the 77s?

Hey, this is a great question...maybe because I normally wouldnt remember this type of detail, but in the case of the 77s, I do!

I was saved in 86 after a life of crime Smile

, and for awhile only listened to Jimmy Swaggart, John Starnes, etc. This was sort of whiplash after growing up on CCR, Motown, Nazareth, Ted, REO, BadCo, and on and on. Also, my wife didn't view Jimmy as "mood music" - go figure. So, I began looking for better stuff. I first found Russ Taff, then Bryan Duncan, then about a year later began doing music reviews for Syndicate magazine. This was a great opportunity, because you know Q is in tune with everything available. Anyway, a couple of Syndicate readers contacted me and were raving about Sticks and Stones. I was literally on the phone with them at my father in laws house, and this dude offered to drive over just to GIVE me a copy of Sticks and Stones. He showed up within an hour, and to this day, it (along with Charlie Peacocks "Secret of Time") ranks as my favorite album/disc. So, there you go! More than you asked for!