John Mandeville - We Belong to Heaven
We Belong to Heaven
"When you get handed a foreclosure notice and an IRS audit while you’re watching your car being repossessed and towed out of the driveway, that’s a pretty bad day," John Mandeville recalls. But before that "bad day" occurred, John was one of the most acclaimed songwriters in gospel music, writing hit singles for the lauded likes of Avalon, 4Him, Point of Grace and Tammy Trent, among many other top artists.
His #1 hits kept accumulating as did his Dove Award nominations, including three nods for Song of the Year honors. He soon found himself on the brink of mainstream success with the backing of some of the top names in secular music. That is, until it all came crashing down around him. And John is the first to admit, he didn’t handle it well. And that "bad day" began a spiral downward that John candidly admits led to enormous frustration and some very ugly manifestations in his life. But it also led to some truly honest songwriting now highlighted in his solo debut CD, We Belong To Heaven.
In a strictly artistic sense, We Belong To Heaven is an ambitious inspirational pop undertaking, that’s just as likely to resonate with fans of Sting as Chris Tomlin or Steven Curtis Chapman, characterized by stirring instrumentation and an even more empowering lyrical undercurrent. And John certainly means every word of his life-changing story. "This project really wrote itself as a result of what I was living through, it was meant to be a monument of change for my family, sort of like David wrote the Psalms," John recalls. "This was the turning point, the line in the sand, to see all the drama come to a close. It was my chance to find my heart and return to a place of hope, while also returning to the heart of who I am as an artist."
John never really intended to release this CD on a national level. He just began writing songs to God rather than about Him, and the honesty shines through. Songs such as "Who Do You Say I Am" and "Free," the former of which discusses humanity’s attempt to live up to Godly standards (with grace bridging that great divide), while the latter speaks of unceasing hope, letting go of past bondage and finding ultimate freedom in Christ. The CD’s first single and music video, "Glorify (already a #2 hit on the national Soft AC charts)," is what has been described as John’s modern-day Psalm.
"’Glorify’ is about a moment of truth before God and my saying, ‘Here, God, this is my life. I wish that it was something worth giving to you, but I’ve made it a total mess. Somehow, if you will, please glorify yourself through it and turn things around.’ There’s a line in the song that says, ‘Jesus, Your heart was breaking for mine,’ and I know that in my darkest moments, He was giving me the grace to stand and face another day. I learned how much He cared about even the smallest needs in my life, and found myself in awe of His faithfulness. When I think about the expansive, seemingly endless universes that God oversees and the fact that he answers our seemingly insignificant prayers in the midst of that reality, it is beyond humbling. Most of the songs on We Belong To Heaven were written in direct response to those impossible circumstance in our life, so there’s a level of honesty on it that has really connected and inspired people who are discovering it."
Ministry Statement:
"So many people are living lives of defeat and have an anemic Christian experience, because we only time they spend directly in the presence of God is for an hour on the weekend, if that," he asserts. "This was true of me. Still we wonder why our lives are incongruent, defeated and not lining up with what we say we believe on Sundays. We are continuously connected to God and His presence is always available. It’s up to us to commit to staying tuned in. Over and over, we have watched as we choose to worship rather than worry-- God has shown up miraculously and continued to transform our lives.
"I just hope that through putting my own failures, my own wrestling with God and myself honestly on the page, that people will find hope in their humanity and comfort in a God who is foreign to the idea of not loving us. It’s been a process of walking step by step to put my marriage back together, coming out of an addictive lifestyle, and giving my family vision and purpose," he adds. "I didn’t really intend to get back into the music business, but after a long detox from the industry, I picked up my guitar and found myself at a keyboard, writing about 35 songs that came down to these, while pulling a few from a catalog I had written previously. For the most part, the songs on We Belong to Heaven were all written in response to impossible circumstances in my life, but God showed up for me and I have no doubt He will for listeners as well."
Song Titles:
Who Is Like You Lord-Intro
Who Is Like You Lord
You’re The Only One
Glorify
You Are
I Want What You Want
We Belong To Heaven
Selah
You Love Me
Who Do You Say I Am
Fire
You Alone
Free
Key Selling Points:
• #2 radio hit on Billboard Soft AC stations with "Glorify" in 2009
• New music video of "Glorify" serviced to major video shows/networks
• Appearance on CBN’s The 700 Club, airing in 96% of television markets in the U.S.
• Original Christmas song, "Christmas Is You," playing across the country during the holidays
• Nominee for Contemporary Christian Album of the Year by 2009 Independent Music Awards
• 6 RIAA-certified gold records in his career; Point of Grace, 4Him, Avalon
• 3 Dove nominations, including Song of the Year for "Jesus Will Still Be There"
• "Jesus Will Still Be There", a Mandeville song, named one of 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music by CCM Magazine
Artist Name: John Mandeville
Album Title: We Belong To Heaven
UPC#: 798304035438
MSRP: $12.99
