Love Song - The Early Years (2020)

LoveSong's roots go back to a time in the mid to late 1960s when musician friends were gathering at Chuck Girard's house in Pasadena, CA for Bible studies and jam sessions. Jay Truax was among those friends living in the house with Chuck. Jay and Chuck first met while playing in separate bands at Gold Street, a teen club in Orange County California. They eventually met fellow musicians Denny Correll, Bobby Guidotti, Larry Brittain, Jesse Johnston, and John Mehler. This connection would come to form the nucleus of the pre-Christian group “LoveSong”. Burned out with the materialistic world, most of them were on a spiritual quest which included the use of drugs, the embrace of eastern religions, reading of the Bible, and eventually assimilated them into the counter culture of the day.Their search for truth brought some of them to Hawaii where they thought the New Jerusalem which they had read about in the Bible would be established.

After trying to "live off the land", and believing they might be the biblical disciples reincarnated, they grew tired of waiting for the new Millennium and Chuck, Jay, and Denny return to the mainland. Jay went to Salt Lake City, UT, and along with drummer John Mehler formed the group Spirit of Creation. During this time Correll and Girard formed a new band in Southern California. Girard recalled a bandmate from years earlier saying that a great name for a band would be The Love Song. After dropping the word “the” – LoveSong was named. After a short but successful stint with Spirit of Creation, John and Jay joined Chuck and Denny and LoveSong. In the early stages, LoveSong played in clubs preaching Jesus, peace, love, and the use of LSD as a way of finding God.

During this time, Tommy Coomes and Fred Field had been discharged from the army, and through a series of events ended up living communally in Laguna Beach with Jay and Chuck. The whole Southern California area was alive and buzzing with spiritual awakening and rumors of hippies getting saved. Still on their search for truth, they were endlessly discussing doctrines of the Bible and getting stoned. After an invitation to Calvary Chapel and other encounters, they all accepted Jesus Christ. This series of events transformed LoveSong’s direction and roster. In February 1970 a couple of weeks after their conversions, Chuck, Jay, Tommy and Fred first played at Calvary Chapel, and LoveSong was reborn. Within a few months, John Mehler, who had also given his life to Christ, re-joined LoveSong.

Toward the end of that first year, Fred Field left to form his own band, and Bob Wall was recruited and became LoveSong’s new lead guitarist. They had many firsts, one of them being the first Christian band to play at an amusement park. The first festival at Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California called the LoveSong Festival set a park record for attendance in a single day. LoveSong became a vital part of the "Jesus People Revival" of the 1970s with tours of the US and the Philippines where their song “A Love Song” went to #1 on the secular charts. Their ministry flourished amidst the swirl of national media attention from top record labels and interviews with magazines including Rolling Stone.

In 1973, Bob Wall took a sabbatical to be with his family. Phil Keaggy, who was already in the nationally successful band Glass Harp, joined LoveSong for the remainder of the tour before LoveSong disbanded in 1974. One of the highlights of that year was the second LoveSong Festival at Knotts. The second-year attendance doubled, again setting new records. Disneyland would soon follow and the Jesus People Movement kept exploding. With Bob back on board, LoveSong reunited many times over the years including their 2010 – 2012 “Feel The Love” tour with Pastor Chuck Smith bringing their timeless music and message to a new generation. Whether you are revisiting an amazing era call the Jesus Movement or discovering the impact of this group for the first time, join LoveSong in experiencing God's love...and bring a friend.

LoveSong is about Jesus and His message. Through music, they touched hearts, broke down traditional barriers, and help start the Jesus Revolution of the 1970s.

“LoveSong changed music. They were the unwitting pioneers of a whole new genre of music, later to be called CCM.” – Greg Laurie pastor of Harvest Christian fellowship

"In a world of imitators, LoveSong has been an originator, the first domino that started the others going. And, although they had the privilege of being first in quite a number of things, LoveSong has looked at their opportunities not with a sense of pride, but with a sense of gratitude, gratitude for the way the Lord allowed them to pave the ground for other people. For Christians, as for LoveSong, popularity is insignificant. What really counts is the message, an uncompromising communication of Christ's love for a lost world." - Stan Jantz