Crowd shot masthead ApologetiX Logo Keith Haynie plays bassBill Hubauer plays lead guitarJ. Jackson sings leadJimmy Vegas Tanner plays drums
59,728
as of March 29, 2024

<< Back to the fan club


Search Past News:

Sort by Relevance Date

Yesterday's News:

03.28.24Easter Season Playlist 2024
03.28.24New CD BOGO Ends Sunday Night
03.28.24Bible-Reading Ends Tuesday, Starts Again Wednesday
03.25.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.22.24Fans Making Plans to Attend Our Big Show September 1
03.22.24How to Donate Online or by Mail
03.22.24How to Get the ApX Library, USBs, Multiple Downloads
03.22.24Get Multiple Downloads for One Donation
03.22.24Influential Albums: 1409-1415
03.22.24This Week's Bible-Reading
03.22.24The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single
03.20.24This Week's News Bulletin
03.20.24New Single: Top-Five Hits by Four-Man Bands
03.20.24Over 1650 Tracks for $100
03.18.24USBs Include New Single & Next CD
03.16.24Influential Albums: 1402-1408
03.16.24This Week's Bible-Reading and Rock Thru the Bible
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
02.10.24This 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

The Stories Behind the Songs on Single #23
Thu., Dec. 8. 2022 2:22pm EST

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

Here are the stories behind the songs on our 23rd single of 2022:

Ezra

I'd been wanting for while to do a parody about the Jewish scribe and priest Ezra and the biblical book that bears his name. By the way, did you know that he doesn't show up until chapter 7? That's the chapter number where he first appears in the Book of Nehemiah, too.

Anyway, on September 28, 2019, I was driving and listening to a sports show on SiriusXM satellite radio, and they used Billy Joel's "Pressure" as bumper music. It brought back fond memories of my freshman year in college, and I suddenly realized I'd stumbled upon the right song for Ezra, so I started a document for it.

Other things came along in the meantime, however, including two additional Billy Joel parodies I wanted to do first. I don't know if I'd ever mentioned my idea to Rich Mannion before, but he brought up "Pressure" as a possibility on September 20, 2022. I wasn't sure the time was right yet, but I finally gave him the green light to do the instrumentation on November 21.

Jimmy was recuperating from his motorcycle accident, and Keith was going to be in Nashville awhile for Thanksgiving and the arrival of his third grandchild. So that meant Rich would be doing keyboards, drums, and bass electronically.

He had all his parts done by November 27 (Tom Tincha did the guitars), and then the pressure was on me to write the lyrics (all I had was "Ezra"), because I had to sing it five days later. As always, God came through, but I was still tweaking the lyrics that morning.

Play Fair Delilah (2022)

I've always loved the audience reaction on our 2009 live rendition of "Play Fair Delilah," the only version available until this one. It was a brand new parody back then, so everybody at that concert was hearing it for the first time, kind of like Johnny Cash's recording of "A Boy Named Sue" at San Quentin State Prison, which was released as single and became the hit version.

However, when I listened to "Play Fair Delilah" a number of years later, I cringed at my vocals. Consequently, when we made the decision in 2022 to do a rock opera about Samson, I was only too glad to have a chance to record a nice studio version with better vocals. Wayne Bartley volunteered to do the guitars this time around.

I then discovered there was a later version of "Hey There Delilah" with added string instrumentation, so we got Rich Mannion to do all that. The whole idea of a rough-and-tumble he-man like Samson singing a tender ballad was already funny enough, but embellishing it with orchestration upped the ante.

I also changed a few lyrics to inject a little more variety into the choruses. It amused me to have Samson use a fancy word like "impunity." Furthermore, I moved things around so his first references to UFC and WWE would be at the very end of the song to maximize comedic effect.

Meanwhile, I eliminated the reference to Halo 3, which was fairly current in 2009 but has since been superseded by Halo 4 (2012), Halo 5 (2015), Halo Infinite (2021), etc.