Andy Griffiths explained that for Christians the week from Palm Sunday to Easter day is the most important week in the billions of years of history of the world. He noted that there are obviously many things that are wrong with the world. Jesus being born was like the director of a film coming onto the set because so much had gone wrong in order to put things right. Entering Jerusalem on a donkey showed that, fulfilling an ancient prophecy, he was a king, but a humble one. He had not come to throw out the Romans, but to change people’s hearts. All that happened to Jesus at Easter was a demonstration of just how much God loves everyone and that there is nothing anyone can do to make God love them more and nothing they can do to make him love them less. Jesus dying and resurrecting demonstrates that death does not need to be feared as an end. The first Easter Day is a pivotal moment for the world, after which nothing would be the same again. If the history of the world could be described as a five act play, Easter day marks the beginning of the final act.
Playlist
Jon Batiste – Freedom. Grammy award winner this week for the best music video. A track from We are, The Grammy album of the year. In December 2021 I chose this as my Presenter Pick album of the year. In total Jon won five awards at the ceremony in Las Vegas.
Stevie Wonder – Master blaster – from the 1980 album Hotter than July.
U2 – Pride in the name of love – chosen by Andy who stated that the band produced this track with a specific religious connotation.
Maxwell – Wherever, whatever, whenever – chosen by Andy to show that nothing we do can change God’s attitude of love towards us.
Taylor Swift – Change – chosen by Andy because Jesus came to bring change to the world.
Friday Teaser
Above, Tony Orlando in 1973.
Below Tony Orlando on 2022.
Tony Orlando celebrated his 78th birthday. We played his 1973 recording with Dawn – Tie a yellow ribbon round the ole oak tree. This was a no 1 in the UK, USA and 10 more countries. At one point the 45 rpm sold 3 million copies in 3 weeks in the USA. The song is about a USA army soldier returning home after the Vietnam war.
Magnus Sveningsson is the bassist for Swedish rock band , The Cardigans. Their 6 albums have sold over 15 million copies world wide. We heard Sick and tired from their 1995 album Life. Magnus is 50 years old.
Pharrell Williams celebrated his 49th birthday. In his career he has won 13 Grammy Awards. We heard his 2013 track Happy, a number 1 in 30 countries.
Patrick in Ingatestone returned to winning ways, with having the correct aged for Pharrell Williams, and giving the closest answer for Tony Orlando, and Magnus Sveningsson.
Thanks to Andy in the studio and Chris in Harlow for both taking part.
Shea Rafferty – Out of the blue
The Plan – Save me. Check out last week’s showblog on how to get tickets for their event for young adults at Trinity Church, Brentwood, on April 23rd.
Carrie Underwood – Let their be peace – from here 2020 album, My gift.
Chart this week in
No 1. Nilsson – Without you. UK, USA, Australia, Canada and Ireland no 1.
no 5. Argent – Hold your head up – peaked at no 5 in UK and USA.
No 14. Paul Simon – Mother and child re-union. Top 5 single in 8 countries, including no 1 in South Africa.
Neil Diamond – Solitary man – requested by competition winner, Patrick.
Ten Fields – Butterfly. From their 2022 album Change in the light.
Jon Batiste – Tell the truth. Ending as we began, with a track from the Grammy award Album of 2021, We are.