As the Bishops continued racking up hit songs, they released “Once in a Lifetime” in the summer of 1991, which would garner the Bishops their very first #1 song. “Once in a Lifetime” was slightly different for the Bishops, as the album had a unique vibe to it, with a slightly more rustic, country feel, which was an intentional effort by the Bishops, as they wanted to stretch themselves a bit. Offering songs that had that classic “Bishops” sound, there are also some tunes that stretched them, along with some really cool surprises mixed in as well.

As the Bishops continued blazing trails, changes were taking place within the group, as their piano player, Danny Napier, soon realized that the hard road life wasn’t for him, and he eventually bowed out of the group. Enter, an outstanding pianist named Johnny Sansom, who had just previously played with the Paynes, as they had come off the road at the end of 1990. Johnny would remain with the group for a couple of years before leaving, but he would return for another stint with the group a couple of years later.

“Once in a Lifetime” was produced by Eddie Crook, with orchestrations arranged and conducted by Steve Mauldin. As the Bishops were being intentional with the sound of this recording, they decided to use a different studio than they had been using (Reflections Studio in Nashville, Tennessee), and they utilized some different musicians to give them the sound they were looking for, and this recording features an exciting array of musicians including Dirk Johnson, Roger Morris, John Gardner, Larry Paxton, Kelly Back, Sonny Garrish and others. The cover shot of the group was taken in a back alley somewhere in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The brick wall had lots of graffiti painted on it, but thanks to modern early 90’s technology, they were able to edit that out, creating a cool shot of the Bishops. Released in July 1991, much like the Inspirations, who always released a new album in time for their annual Singing in the Smokies, the Bishops started doing the same thing and would typically release their latest recordings in time for their annual Kentucky homecoming in July.

With nice, warm strings and steel guitar highlights, giving the song an almost “Goodman” feel, the recording kicks off with the medium tempo, “He’s in the Midst”, which features both Mark and Kenny. Written by husband-and-wife team, Dee & Danny Kramer, and published through Chestnut Mound Music, this was the only single release from this recording, and it eventually became the Bishops’ very first #1 song for 3 months in a row, from February to April 1992. Dee & Danny sang in a group called the Encouragers out of Savannah, Georgia (who also recorded for Eddie Crook), and they were a dynamic songwriting team back in the 1990’s, writing hit songs mostly for their own group, as well as the Bishops and a handful of others.

Slowing the pace down and featuring a nice acoustic track, Mark does a great job singing his heartfelt, thought-provoking tune, “When They Finally Made it Home”. This is a unique song that speaks the sentiment of many of our hearts upon the death of a loved one, asking the question, “how did it feel when they finally made it Home?”, before the tempo picks up for the enjoyable, “I Know the Man”, which was written by a gentleman named Randy Lee, and published through Chestnut Mound Music. Featuring Kenny, the song features some fun piano, guitar and harmonica highlights, and was a nice throwback to the early sound of the Bishops.

Slowing the pace back down, we come to the warm glow of the Larry Petree penned tune, “We Need to Build a Fire”, which also features some nice orchestrations. With Kenny taking the verses and Mark picking up the lead on the chorus, the guys do a great job on this jazz infused tune that is a real highlight of the recording, with a solid challenge for the Church…“we need to build a fire, build a fire and fan the flame, not just a passing ember, but one our churches can’t contain…”. I’d love it if someone would bring this song back, as it’s a timely message that needs to be sung again!

With some really cool piano and guitar work, the Bishops pay homage to one of their early influences, the Swanee River Boys, as the guys render an outstanding version of the classic hymn, “Unclouded Day”, which the Swanee River Boys recorded on their 1969 album, “I’m Building a Bridge” (an album the Bishops grew up listening to). I first saw the Bishops in June 1991, which was about a month before this recording came out, and they opened the concert with this song. At the time, I had no clue who the Swanee River Boys were, and thought it was a very cool jazz arrangement of this classic tune. It wouldn’t be until years later that I learned that the Bishops adapted their arrangement from that group, and I have since gained a huge appreciation for the music of the Swanee River Boys!

Speaking of the Swanee River Boys, the easy flowing feel of the Dee Gaskin penned, “Whosoever Will”, definitely has that sweet Swanee River vibe, as I easily hear that group tackling this song. Dee Gaskin is a wonderful writer whose songs tend to lean more towards the rustic, country feel, and several groups have recorded her songs over the years, including the Inspirations, Singing Cookes, McKameys, Nelons, Wendy Bagwell & the Sunliters, Hoppers and many others. In fact, Gaskin personally pitched this particular song to the Bishops, and they did an excellent job on the song.

One thing I always loved about the Bishops were these little “surprises” that would show up on their recordings from time to time, which typically ended up being their acapella tunes. They usually didn’t just randomly pick a song and throw together some bland acapella arrangement for it and call it a day, but they were intentional about it, and “Waitin’ for the Master to Come” was one such gem! This spectacular tune was written by Judy Marshall, of the famed bluegrass family, the Marshall Family, who originally recorded the song on their 1975 album, “Come Springtime”. Mark was a big fan of the Marshall Family (the Bishops had already recorded several tunes written by David Marshall), so he pitched this song to the group, creating their own unique arrangement, with Mark providing the finger snaps and bass vocal, and it was one of the coolest “Front Porch” tunes the Bishops ever recorded.

Picking up the tempo, we come to the strong country feel of, “Follow Your Heart”, which was written by and features Mark, before the tempo remains upbeat for the song, “Lord Leave Your Light On”. Featuring a dominant electric guitar track and a strong beat, this country sounding tune features Mark on the first verse and Kenny on the second verse, and was written by Steve Wood, who was the piano player for the Dixie Melody Boys at the time. Along with the Bishops and Dixie Melody Boys, other groups have gone on to record some of Steve’s songs over the years including the Anchormen/Florida Boys, “Just as Sure as the Son Shines” and the Hoppers, “Heavenly Sunrise”. As an additional side note, Steve has gone on to enjoy his own successful career singing positive country/country gospel, and is quite the singer, musician and songwriter! (Yes, I’m a fan, so check him out at www.stevenwoodmusic.com!)

Elegantly and tastefully orchestrated, the recording concludes with the beautiful ballad, “More Love Than I Ever Imagined”, which is one of my favorites from this recording. Written by Jerry Salley and Don Koch (both of whom are exceptional songwriters in their own right), the song features an excellent performance by Kenny, bringing the recording to a solemn and reflective close.

Living up to its title, “Once in a Lifetime” was truly a “Once in a Lifetime” recording! This was a 7-year culmination of labor for the Bishops, and it was an outstanding piece of work. Once again, the Bishops seemed to stretch themselves further than any of their previous works, and “Once in a Lifetime” proved to be a pretty diverse recording, as the group showcases a bit more “grit” than what we had heard on previous recordings. Even so, “Once in a Lifetime” is very easy on the ears, yet it’s an exciting piece of work that is very enjoyable to listen to, containing a good mix of songs from lighthearted and fun, to very honest and serious.

As the group continued to build on the success they had enjoyed, the Bishops released their Christmas recording, “Christmas with Family and Friends”, just in time for the National Quartet Convention in the fall of 1991. This was a unique Christmas recording that featured many of their immediate family members, along with Herman Harper, Barbara Fairchild, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Spencers, McKameys and longtime friends, the Isaacs. Featuring mostly classic Christmas tunes such as “Do You Hear What I Hear” and “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”, it also featured a few medleys encompassing several favorite Christmas carols including “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Joy to the World”, “White Christmas”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Away in a Manger” and many others. The recording also includes one song that Mark wrote entitled, “Spend a Little More Love” (which Mark would later include on his 2005 solo Christmas recording, “Christmas Time is Here”). Interesting side note, the “cool” cover shot for the recording was taken back during the heat of summer in July!

At this point, we’re almost halfway through this series on the Bishops, as the next article and recording will be the mid-point. We’re coming up to some exciting times for the Bishops, as they continue to enjoy more hit songs (including a few more #1 tunes), pick up a few fan awards (even a Dove Award!) and expand the overall reach of their music. The Bishops will also eventually leave the ECC nest to explore exciting and creative sounds under the guidance of other record companies, and Mark’s songwriting will become a greater creative force on the Bishops’ sound and style. The Bishops were a “Once in a Lifetime” group, who over the forthcoming 10 years, would continue to broaden and strengthen their influence as trailblazers and ministers of the gospel through music! It’s no wonder we’re still talking about them 25 years after they came off the road!

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