Archive

4.12.2005

Patch the Pirate: Promoter of Sleaze

oy vey, I was searching Google and came across this article, it's old but worth the read... I've inserted comments, which are in orange lettering...apparently, Patch the Pirate's new material is too hardcore for his mainstream audience.

from http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/becarefulabout.htm

"BE CAREFUL ABOUT NEWER
PATCH THE PIRATE TAPES"
June 14, 2000 -- While most of the music produced by Majesty Music of Greenville, South Carolina (headed up by Ron and Shelly Hamilton), is excellent, we must warn that some of the newer recordings are moving in a contemporary direction. This is particularly true of the newer Patch the Pirate children’s tapes.
"The Mount Zion Marathon" tape for example, has a song titled "Lazy Bones," which is certainly akin to rock music. It uses a syncopated rhythm with a heavy, synthesized bass Synth bass?! ROCKIN!. The music would be right at home in a nightclub or a sleazy Broadway play and could easily conjure up such unwholesome images as that of a saucy woman sauntering across a stage. Well, now that you mention it, the lyrics "get up and serve the Lord" are rather 'saucy'! Yowzaaa! But I'm still skeptical, I need more examples, conjure me up some more images please! "Weaaeell, the song could make one think of scantily clad co-eds on the beaches of Cancun during spring break and...yeah that's enough. Though it is tame compared to much of the standard CCM fare today, Patch the Pirate’s "Lazy Bones" will help develop an appetite in children for worldly music and sleaze Other examples of this can be found on their new tapes.
Some will doubtless protest that I have no right to judge Majesty Music by my own opinion of what is or is not worldly, that they themselves see absolutely nothing wrong with the new Patch tapes. I readily admit that there is much that is subjective about music, BINGO! and that it is sometimes difficult to nail down precisely what is and is not wholesome. This being the case, isn’t the wisest approach to avoid all appearance of evil, to be certain that we offend in nothing? Instead of taking this wise path of avoiding every semblance of worldliness and maintaining only the most unquestionable standard for music, though, Majesty Music is pushing the musical boundaries for the fundamentalist and Bible-believing Baptist churches that use the Patch tapes, subtly and gradually moving them into the CCM sphere.
Books published by Ron Hamilton’s father-in-law, Frank Garlock, plainly condemn the use of worldly music to serve a holy God. Dr. Garlock observes: "It is absurd to think that one can unite Christian lyrics with the medium of the world (rock music) and expect the meaning and communication to remain the same" (Music in the Balance, 1992, p. 31). Yet this is exactly what Patch the Pirate is doing with songs such as "Lazy Bones." Dr. Garlock says it is absolutely untrue to claim that music is simply a matter of personal taste (p. 7). He carefully describes the characteristics of worldly music. He defines rock music by its rhythm and quotes British sociologist Simon Frith, "The sexuality of music is usually referred to in terms of its rhythm--it is the beat that commands a directly physical response." That is why rock music is so incredibly popular. It literally feels good; it affects people on a sensual level. And let us be reminded that rock music is not defined by how fast the rhythm moves. Rock music comes in a wide variety of speeds, but the slow or soft rock of "Lazy Bones" is just as much rock music as the soft rock of many of the Beatles tunes. Cue record burning
Consider the following warning by Dr. H.T. Spence, president of Foundations Bible College & Seminary. Dr. Spence is a fundamentalist historian and teacher who has taught music, history, and theology for 25 years. He received part of his music training at Bob Jones University: "The simple, soft music of Patch the Pirate Goes in Space has mutated into an eclectic fashion of contemporary sounds in The Misterslippi River Race (the first of the recordings which caused much alarm from many Fundamentalists) ... the next recording in the series, The Calliope Capers, literally increased the eclectic approach to the music, with just about every song written in a different style of contemporary music" at least there's no rap (Dr. H.T. Spence, Confronting Contemporary).
Don Jasmin, editor of the Fundamentalist Digest, adds this warning: "The Fundamentalist Digest editor firmly believes that children who become ‘addicted’ to ‘Patch’s’ music could develop a light frivolous approach to Holy Scripture and sacred Biblical truth. This does not mean that he believes Bible truth must be presented in a boring and dull manner! He believes that the strategy of Bill Mason and the Children’s Bible Clubs in Greenville, SC, is vastly superior in both its Scriptural teaching approach and musical methodology to that of Ron Hamilton and the ‘Patch the Pirate’ clubs" (Don Jasmin, Fundamentalist Digest).

Interesting. The song "Lazy Bones" is actually inspired by Native American music.
Anyheeewwww. These kind of arguments always make me wonder...
1) do they condemn African and other various converted tribes who worship God by rhythm and beat driven music?
and 2) THE ONLY way rhythmic music "conjures" up "saucy" or "racy" or "scandalous" images is if someone WANTS us to see it (I.E. rap videos) or HAS TO REMIND OF THE FACT (I.E. THIS ARTICLE)
But really, stuff like this inspires me by how trivial it is and how there's a world full of people who need our help.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:14 PM

    You must be out of your mind! I truly hope that since the posting of this material that you have become a little bit more open minded.

    You don't want to offend in anything? Why don't you try not offending people who are great Christians, but have a different take on this matter.

    I grew up listening to Patch the Pirate. He played a big part in my becoming a great Christian parent. Now I WANT my kids to learn the songs and music. It is people like you who turn others away from the faith. You claim to be so holy. I guess you would even be too good for Jesus himself. Jesus went where the sinners were.

    Why don't you try showing some appreciation for the work that Patch has done. He probally has touched more lives with his "rock" music than you have with your judgemental attitude.

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  2. Dear anonymous, Thank you for preaching to the choir.

    If you read my post with a little more care you might notice that I quoted the article from wayoflife.org and am satirizing it.

    And yes, I also grew up listening to ol' Patch and love him!

    Have a great day.

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  3. Anonymous7:06 PM

    "They Sold their Souls for Rock n Roll" have a look at these videos Brett if you think you're so open minded, you might learn you don't know everything there is to know about music and how it is used in witch craft. The Druids used tonal music to raise welts and sores on the Roman Army when they invaded. Occultic Music was considered the 3rd level of witchcraft practice and still is. No-it-alls and mockers are always the same ever learning but never coming to an understanding of the truth. I hope you get saved but judging from your intolerance to any other opinion but your own it will take an act of God, here's praying for it.

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