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Monday, 29 September, 2008
The Faith Tones
(with comments)
I wonder what became of the Faith Tones? As far as I know, they recorded one album, "Jesus Use Me."
I was a big fan back in the 60s, and played that album daily. I couldn't decide which one I liked best: Frances (the "cute Faith Tone"), Francine (the "pudgy Faith Tone"), or Franny ("the slut").
A few years ago, Toad sent me some FT bootleg recordings from a failed "come-back" tour in 1972. Unfortunately, the sound quality was bad, and it seemed like they had lost their edge.
Rumor has it that Franny went on to become a successful Jay Leno impersonator in Vegas. It's probably not true.
Any other Faith Tones fans?
(via Bifurcated Rivets)
- By Mean Jean. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @05:08pm:Mike Myers, Jeremy Piven and Woody Allen. They've gone on to bigger things.
- By Mean Jean. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @05:09pm:On closer inspection I think the one on the right is Alec Guinness.
- By Sheldon. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @05:10pm:Obviously the band broke up because Faith got an offer to perform as a solo act. Francine was the only one with talent (singing talent...)in the group though, so Faith didn't get very far. Her solo album did not take off at all, and she got pregnant by her manager, who fled town shortly after hearing the news. Faith "miscarried" after 3 months of pregnancy. Francine continued to sing and actually did some singing in some local commercials for used cars. She also developed a drinking problem which ended up killing her. Franny did okay. After the band broke up, she quit singing (professionally) got married and had 15 kids (2 of them died in childbirth. Now a days she is a great grandmother to almost 130 children.
- By . Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @05:13pm:Sheldon, you need to write that up for a Wikipedia article. You were a bigger fan than I was.
- By Toad. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @05:36pm:Sorry you didn't care for the bootlegs. I still listen to 'em. The sound quality is actually pretty good for a bootleg recording. After all, they didn't allow you to plug into the soundboard back in those days. I heard the recording was made by a guy who had a crush on Francine. The lack of clarity was, apparently, caused by mayonnaise on the tape recorder's mic. Well, I heard it was mayo, anyway.
As for losing their edge, yeah, they lost that raw sound, but that'll happen to you when Jesus uses you.
Re: Franny, the rumor I heard is that she became Jay Leno. - By Mister E.B.. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @05:45pm:Wonder if iTunes has the Faith Tones. My favorite Faith Tones' song used to be Nearer (OMG!) to Thee. You wouldn't think it possible to combine smoldering sexuality *and* worship but that's what made the Faith Tones special.
- By . Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @05:53pm:"Nearer (OMG!) to Thee" is a good one, but my favorite was the last cut on Side 1: "I Can't Wait." It started out like this:
I can't wait
Till God invents the spreadsheet
I can count my sins
And chart my forgiveness
Powerful. It had a huge impact on my life. - By haywood jablomy. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @06:09pm:Seems like every woman in a Southern gospel group had a Buick-sized bouffant - like Naomi Sego and Vestal Goodman.
- By Bobbeh. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @06:15pm:My eyes---
Kill it, kill it with fire please - By . Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @06:30pm:They just don't make record covers like they used to. It is our lose.
- By . Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @06:32pm:sorry I meant to type our loss but somehow couldn't think of the correct spelling at the time. I am losing my mind...
- By Sereena X. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @06:38pm:This can't be real. There's some subtle joke or pop culture reference I missed here... too obscure. Those are not really women, are they?
- By . Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @06:38pm:
Seems like every woman in a Southern gospel group had a Buick-sized bouffant - like Naomi Sego and Vestal Goodman
Yes, indeed; the men wore a pound of grease on their hair and the women wore a whole can of hair spray on theirs. Those were the days, my friend ... - By reddog. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @06:47pm:I used to have a few more of their albums, in college. Their second effort was called "Come Inside Me, Jesus", critically well received, but not a but not a lot of takers. Another was "Oh Jesus, Don't Stop Now". A lot of their fans rebelled at the use of electric guitars but I thought it was even more joyful and ecstatic than the earlier acoustic offerings. They were ahead of their time.
I lost my copies, you can't keep good albums in a college dorm. Does anybody know if they are in current release? They would be good candidates for a box set. I know I'd snap it up. - By Kashmarek. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @06:48pm:The two in the back look like guys.
- By mmmark. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @07:10pm:Wait a second... I know that one in the middle...

- By . Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @07:32pm:lol.
Why are they wearing the same type of smock that my high school shop teacher wore? - By Dick Kusleika. Comment posted 29-Sep-2008 @09:20pm:
I wonder what became of the Faith Tones?
I assume they died of natural selection. Or perhaps hairspray poisoning.
Does Jesus Use Me have sexual undertones or am I just a perv? - By Kath. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @01:09am:reddog, your post was spot on.
- By Gary. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @04:13am:Us in the The Faith Tones fan club remembered them a little differently than J-Walk. Some like Francis because of that deep baritone voice, others liked Francine because of her haunting come hither look, still others like Franny because, well, they just liked short people.
- By GreenBoy. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @04:52am:reddog - there is a come back album out there, but I don’t know the name of it, but the rumour is it is a complete sell out and was heavily sponsored by Viagra (or possibly Kleenex).
Tracks include a cover of Queens 'don’t stop me now', with vocals by special guest Billy Graham.
An instrumental version of ‘I’m going out and getting hurt tonight’ by the Lazy Cowgirls
And the controversial Down Down Down originally by Tom Waits who complained about the changing of the lyrics to include sexual overtones and more gratuitous references to the devil....
Sorry - but these girls just went bad... my advice - go for something a little more mainstream than supporting this group - those that are left alive will only blow the royalties on booze, drugs and copies of the King James Bible! - By . Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @05:18am:I loved their early stuff, but they jumped the shark on their third release when the went techno. Why can't bands just stay true to their roots?
- By Sheldon. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @05:52am:(apparently it's a popular tune:)
JESUS USE ME
1. DEAR LORD I'LL BE A WITNESS, IF YOU WILL HELP MY WEAKNESS.
I KNOW THAT I'M NOT WORTHY, LORD, OF THEE. BY EYES OF FAITH I SEE THEE, UPON THE CROSS OF CAL-V'RY, DEAR LORD, I CRY, "LET ME THY SERVANT BE"
CHORUS:
JE---SUS. USE ME, AND O LORD, DON'T REFUSE ME, FOR SURELY THERE'S A WORK THAT I CAN DO. AND EVEN THO' IT'S HUMBLE
HELP MY WILL TO CRUMBLE, THO' THE COST BE GREAT, I'LL WORK FOR YOU.
2. I'LL STAND FOR THEE DEAR JESUS, 'THO DEATTH MAY COME MY WAY
I'LL SPREAD THE GOSPEL TO THE FALLEN HERE
BUT IF IT BE THY WILL, TO GO ACROSS THE SEA, LORD, HELP ME TO BE WILLING TO SAY "YES"
REPEAT CHORUS
3. HE'S THE LILY OF THE VALLEY, THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR,
HE'S THE FAIREST OF TEN THOUSAND TO MY SOUL'
HE'S THE BEAUTIFUL ROSE OF SHARON, HE'S ALL THE WORLD TO ME, BUT BEST OF ALL HE IS MY COMING KING
REPEAT CHORUS
WORDS AND MUSIC BY MR JACK CAMPBELL & BILLY CAMPBELL - By Snag. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @05:53am:Thanks mmmark. #16 ... still laughing !
- By Gary. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @07:10am:Shelton, yes, JESUS USE ME is a popular song but they should have never made that video of them actually being used by Jesus. When it hit the internet, their careers took a nosedive (no pun indented).
- By ChrisB. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @08:13am:I heard that Frances (the "cute Faith Tone"), died from a mysterious illness. Doctors later determined the cause of death to hve been the bites of spiders that has taken up residence in her hair.
- By reddog. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @08:54am:Everyone assumes Francine was a lesser talent, since she mostly did back ups. If you've ever heard her lead vocals on "Down On My Knees Before Him", you realize her talents defy categorization. It's an eye opening performance and one not to be missed.
For her, versatility was the name of the game. Unlike Franny, she never cared whether her talent was required out in front or in the rear. She always did what was necessary to please the fans. It's a shame most never appreciated that. It's not surprising she developed a substance abuse problem. - By Stratoblogster. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @09:57am:Jesus probably used them, then forgot to recycle, thus they haven't made it back onto the shelves.
- By Bisbonian. Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @02:41pm:mmmmark...you really hit on something there. I thought the one on the right looks just like my Dad's wife, and I happen to have a current picture of her with Sarah Palin. I just can't figure out how to post the image, since it is embedded in a pdf file.
- By . Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @03:57pm:There's a cute one? The one in the middle looks lika cross between Phillip Seymour Hoffman and John Malkovich...excuse me while I gouge my eyes out.
- By . Comment posted 30-Sep-2008 @04:28pm:Or maybe she looks more like buffalo bill from silence of the lambs..."it put the lotion on its skin or else I'll sing that song again"
DEAR LORD I'LL BE A WITNESS, IF YOU WILL HELP MY WEAKNESS... - By . Comment posted 01-Oct-2008 @03:01pm:No, no...it's: CARSON DALY (Left); "CHIP" from MY THREE SONS (Center); and British Actor/Writer STEPHEN FRY (Right)!
- By . Comment posted 02-Oct-2008 @07:37am:29 - take a screenshot.
- By MrBig. Comment posted 02-Oct-2008 @09:18am:I knew they looked familiar. I woke up with these three one morning after a night of heavy communion wine drinking not so long ago...


