What a Day , album cover photo by Bob Combs
and an engineer , Gary Hedden , in the studio . He was an engineer in Cleveland , Ohio and at Motion Picture Sound Studios there . A friend loaned me the money to make the What a Day album . The album was recorded over a six-day period . We would record a song or two in one day and mix it that day . And not long after the sessions , Gary gave his heart to the Lord , so did his wife Lynn .
[ Bruce ] Amazing …
[ Phil ] We ’ ve been friends ever since . And he lives not that far from me here in Tennessee . And we ’ ve gotten together just recently , and we did an interview with him sharing his part of the story . We made this record together , just he and I . I played all the instruments and sang all the vocals , and it turned out real nice . There was a new Christian record company just starting about that time in 1971 . I didn ’ t know anybody at any Christian record labels at all .
So , one of the managers of Glass Harp , we were still friends even though I left the band . He said , “ Hey , I ’ d love to shop your What a Day album ?” And I said , “ Sure . Yeah , go ahead .” So he approached the label and they turned down the album , saying , “ It ’ s not the style of music we ’ re doing .” And I was thinking , “ My goodness ”. It was such a gentle , sweet record . Larry Norman wanted to release on his label . He called me and said , “ I ’ d like to showcase your album on my label ”, but I didn ’ t go with him . And it was probably for the best at that time . We always remained friends .
[ Bruce ] Exactly .
[ Phil ] I still do have a lot of respect for Larry Norman as an artist and as a friend , God rest his soul . He had a great voice . There were few artists like him .
[ Bruce ] Oh , definitely .
[ Phil ] I actually met Larry and Randy Stonehill on the same day around May 1972 in Cincinnati , Ohio . And we ’ ve all remained friends over the years .
So we put out What A Day independently through this small fellowship that I was a part of in 1974 , though it was recorded in ‘ 73 , but didn ’ t come out on record , on a vinyl until a year and a half later . Eventually , I signed with Sparrow in 1979 , and the first album I did for them was called Ph ’ lip Side . So all things