A greatest-hits project usually symbolizes the closing of a chapter in an act's career. Dc Talk's forthcoming package, however, is titled "Intermission: The Greatest Hits" (Forefront Communications).
This year group members Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait have been taking a hiatus from the veteran Christian rock band to work on solo projects and prepare for the release of their hits collection.
"It's just chock-full of fun things," says ForeFront Communications director of marketing Anne Mabry of the release, which will be released Nov. 21. "They've got mixes on there that are a little bit different, just nice surprises all through the project ... I think the guys did a really good job of making sure that the whole thing was entertaining. It's not so much just a marking-time thing. They made it worthwhile."
Since releasing its self-titled debut album in 1989, dc Talk has made a career of creating worthwhile art and developed a reputation for cutting-edge music and videos. It has won numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards and a dozen Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, among them artist of the year in 1996 -- the first time a rock band won that honor.
The group's live album, "Welcome To The Freak Show," was recently certified gold, and its 1995 "Jesus Freak" disc has been certified double-platinum, one of the few Christian releases to hit that mark.
Produced by McKeehan and Mark Heimermann, "Intermission" is nearly 80 minutes in length and includes such dc Talk classics as "Just Between You And Me," "What If I Stumble," "Consume Me," and "Jesus Freak," drawn from their past three studio albums (they have five studio albums and a live project to their credit). Also included are "My Will" from the multi-artist "Exodus" project and two new cuts, "Chance" and "Sugar Coat It."
"[With] 'Sugar Coat It,' we wanted to take a song musically down the history path of dc Talk," says McKeehan. "We tried to bring all elements together there and not sweat the cohesiveness as much but just deliver something that gave you all three vocal styles and at the same time talked about our career from an inside perspective."
On "Intermission" McKeehan says dc Talk opted not to include songs from the first two albums. "We have a plan in place to kind of make a mix tape off those two," says McKeehan. "The first two albums were a lot different, and I think we'd rather go in and create a mix tape and make it a little more current-sounding. [With] those two and some of the hip-hop-oriented things off [the band's 1992 album] 'Free At Last,' we are going to make an old-school record, mixed by a DJ. I don't know when it will be out. We are trying to figure out if we want to schedule it before or after our next album."
For Tait, hearing "Intermission" is an enjoyable stroll down memory lane. "Playing the songs from back then reminds me of the days when 'Love Is A Verb' came out and 'Socially Acceptable.' I listen to them and go, 'Wow!' and smile," says Tait, who adds that dc Talk nearly titled the album "Superfreakin' Hits That Last."
When it came time to do a hits collection, the band felt it seemed too soon. "After having five studio records, a best-of could be considered a little premature," says Tait. "But, hey, I'm happy. It's product out there. It's a good thing. It keeps dc Talk's presence in the marketplace."
"I'm not a big fan of greatest-hits records," admits Max. "I think of it as a retrospective look at an artist, and I think dc Talk is still growing. Dc Talk is still becoming different things, going through an evolution, and I think the solo albums are part of the evolution. It's been a natural process. We've all become artists. We've all become writers."
The band has a history of taking its time and keeping fans clamoring for more, usually waiting two to three years between albums.
"I think if you put your heart and soul into your work, it can breathe for a while -- I really believe that," says McKeehan. "I think you get to know songs better. It's tempting in a marketplace like we have today to put things out quicker, because people forget about you very quickly."
During 2000 dc Talk members only performed two shows -- both Billy Graham crusades -- and spent their time away from the band to work on the hits package and on their solo albums, which reignited rumors that the band was planning to break up. Nevertheless, all three band members adamantly deny any split.
"We are taking a break right now, and we are doing solo records. Then we'll get back together and go at it again," says McKeehan, who has also been spending time working with Gotee Records, the label he founded with Todd Collins and Joey Elwood that has broken such acts as Jennifer Knapp and Grits.
The band plans to put out an EP in April that will include two new cuts from each member's solo project as well as a new dc Talk song. Then, if all goes as planned, Tait's album will be released in July, Max's in August, and McKeehan's in September.
"We decided we were going to approach it together," says McKeehan. "We've worked this platform together for 10 years, and we thought we'd use that to launch these records and then continue to work together."
Dc Talk has long been a favorite among young fans of Christian music, and ForeFront has partnered with Interl'inc to organize what is being promoted as the largest ever "lock-in" (a church-organized overnight event for young people), slated for Nov. 17. The centerpiece of the lock-in activities is a Pax television network special, "Intermission With dc Talk," that will air at midnight.
"It's a 90-minute special that will be a combination of pre-produced as well as live segments," says Mabry. The show is being produced by Chad Hines, formerly of MTV's "House Of Style." The label is also sponsoring radio contests where winners will be flown to Nashville for the live part of the show Nov. 17. There will also be Internet contests that will send winners to the event.