Crowd shot masthead ApologetiX Logo Keith Haynie plays bassBill Hubauer plays lead guitarJ. Jackson sings leadJimmy Vegas Tanner plays drums
59,731
as of March 19, 2024

<< Back to the fan club


Search Past News:

Sort by Relevance Date

Yesterday's News:

03.18.24Get Multiple Downloads for One Donation
03.18.24USBs Include New Single & Next CD
03.18.24How to Donate Online or by Mail
03.18.24Over 1650 Tracks for $100
03.16.24Influential Albums: 1402-1408
03.16.24New CD Slightly Delayed, BOGO Continues
03.16.24How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
03.16.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
03.16.24Easter Season Playlist 2024
03.12.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.09.24Influential Albums: 1395-1401
03.09.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
03.09.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
03.05.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.03.24New Single: '74 Solo Smashes
03.01.24A Serious Problem We're Trying to Address
02.29.24All About Our Next CD
02.29.24Influential Albums: 1388-1394
02.29.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.29.24Clues for 2024 Single #5
02.25.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.22.24Get Ready for Our Next CD
02.22.24Influential Albums: 1381-1387
02.22.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.22.24Wayne Is Retiring, What's Next for Him and Us?
02.22.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
02.19.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.19.24New Single: Billy & The Beach
02.16.24Influential Albums: 1374-1380
02.16.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.16.24Remembering ApX Friend Paul "Doc" Nigh (1956-2024)
02.16.24Clues for 2024 Single #4
02.10.24Influential Albums: 1367-1373
02.10.24Fans Making Plans to Attend Our Big Show September 1
02.10.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.10.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
02.06.24This Week's News Bulletin
02.06.24New Single: '74 & '83
02.03.24ApX Lead Singer/Lyricist Shares His Testimony 36 Years Later
02.03.24Influential Albums: 1360-1366
02.03.24This Week's Bible Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
02.03.24Latest CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
02.02.24Clues for 2024 Single #3
01.29.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.26.24Influential Albums: 1353-1359
01.26.24How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
01.26.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
01.26.24Flashback: J.'s Vision for ApologetiX in 2014
01.26.24J.'s Vision for ApologetiX in 2024
01.26.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
01.24.24Checking in With ApX Alum Drummer Fred Behanna
01.22.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.22.24New Single: '70s #1 Hits That Remade '60s Top 10 Hits
01.19.24Influential Albums: 1346-1352
01.19.24Encouraging Message from Longtime Fan in Oklahoma
01.19.24This Week's Bible-Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
01.15.24This Week's News Bulletin
01.12.24Influential Albums: 1339-1346
01.12.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
01.12.24Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
01.12.24New Testament Reading Started Wednesday
01.11.24New Worship Songs Available from ApX Alum Bill Rieger
01.08.24New Single: '81 & '83
01.08.24New CD BOGO Ends Sunday
01.08.24New USB Thumb Drives on the Way
01.05.24Clues for 2024 Single #1
01.05.24Influential Albums: 1332-1338
01.05.24Have You Heard About the Other Music City Miracle?
01.05.24This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.29.23Influential Albums: 1325-1331
12.29.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.28.232023: A Record-Breaking Record-Making Year
12.28.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.26.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.26.23New Single: 1974 & 2008
12.23.23Influential Albums: 1318-1324
12.23.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.23.23ApologetiX Updated Christmas Playlist
12.18.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.18.23New Samson CD Mailed to Fans, New Orders Sent as They Come In
12.16.23Influential Albums: 1311-1317
12.16.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
12.16.23New Story
12.16.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.11.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.11.23New Single: '83 & '84
12.11.23ApX Apparel: Order by Tuesday with Express Shipping
12.07.23New ApX Apparel and More: Order Soon for Christmas
12.07.23Influential Albums: 1304-1310
12.07.23Just Reword CD Added to iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Etc.
12.07.23Clues for 2023 Single #25
12.04.23This Week's News Bulletin
12.02.23Influential Albums: 1297-1303
12.02.23This Week's Bible Reading & Rock Thru the Bible
12.02.23The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
12.02.23New Shirts & Other ApX Merch Coming Soon
12.02.23Rock Thru the Bible with ApX This Week
11.28.23This Week's News Bulletin
11.28.23New Christmas Single: All '80s
11.24.23Influential Albums: 1290-1296

The Stories Behind the Songs on Our 21st Single
Sat., Dec. 18. 2021 2:13pm EST

J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.

Here are the stories behind the songs on our 21st single of 2021:

EGO SCUFFLE

Man, Jesus was the coolest — tender and merciful with the downtrodden, yet brutally honest and even sarcastic with the proud. Skeptics who complain about hypocrisy in the church ought to read what He had to say to the religious elite of His day in Luke 11:37-54.

I'd been wanting to spoof "Lido Shuffle" for quite some time. Then, on November 30, 2020, I got a text from Rich Mannion asking if we'd ever done it. Since much of the instrumentation would be his responsibility, I started considering it more seriously. Later, I discovered I'd already emailed Rich over two years earlier to ask if "Lido Shuffle" was feasible; we both had just forgotten.

I finally put it on a big list of potential songs for Jimmy to pick from on October 4, 2021. I got the idea and a bunch of words for "Ego Scuffle" 15 days later, while driving to Red Apple Audio Workshop to sing "Runnin' Down the Drain." When I got to the studio, I told Jimmy about the lyrical breakthrough I'd just had for "Lido Shuffle," and he excitedly told me he'd been planning to record drums for that song next. In fact, he'd already set up his kit specifically for it!

The original was played on a Fender Telecaster bass, which has a distinct sound, so I emailed George Elliott and asked if he could do that part. He replied and said he already knew the bass line, because he'd played it another band many times.

We finally released the song on December 12, 2021. As Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith used to say on The A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together!"

LORD IS ALIVE (PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA)

I think I got the "my Lord is alive" part of this parody in early 2020, but I didn't get the rest of the lyrics until November 2021. Obviously, you can't overstate the importance of Christ's resurrection, but I was looking for something to differentiate this song from others we'd done about the topic.

When the line "I have been on a path to where I am" came to me, I thought of the Apostle Paul. When I got the line "If someone thinks Christ is making me crazy," it reminded me of of his enthusiastic defense before King Agrippa in Acts 26, which prompted Governor Festus to shout, "You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane."

The rest of the lyrics fell into place very quickly after that. It was all so perfect, because the fact that Jesus rose from the dead was the crux of Paul's theology and testimony what he described as "of first importance" in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.

Even when he talked to Agrippa, Queen Bernice, and Festus, he said, "Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?" (Acts 26:8) and "But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen — that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23).

But I also like the fact that, aside from Paul mentioning Agrippa's name, the words are all things I and other Christians could and might say to unbelievers and skeptics today.