Heed the Call
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Heed the Call
| type = studio
| artist = the Imperials
| cover = Heed The Call.jpg
| alt =
| released = March 1979
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio = Gold Mine Studio, Nashville, Tennessee
| genre =
| length = 39:02
| label = DaySpring/Word Records
| producer = Chris Christian
| prev_title = Imperials Live
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = One More Song for You
| next_year = 1979
}}
{{Music ratings
|rev1 = AllMusic
|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000858949||title=The Imperials – Heed the Call|work=Allmusic}}
}}
Heed the Call is the 25th studio album by Christian music group the Imperials, released in 1979 on DaySpring Records.{{cite book|title=The Imperials: Heed the Call|date=1979|publisher=DaySpring Records}} The group won their third Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary or Inspirational for their album Heed the Call at the 22nd Grammy Awards{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/22nd-annual-grammy-awards |title=22nd Annual Grammy Awards |date=February 27, 1980}} and were named Male Group of the Year at the 11th GMA Dove Awards.{{cite web|url=https://doveawards.com/awards/past-winners/|title=Dove Awards Past Winners|access-date=November 4, 2022}} The track "Praise the Lord" won Song of the Year the following year given to its writers Brown Bannister and Mike Hudson at the 12th GMA Dove Awards. The Imperials were the first group to have a number-one song ("Oh Buddha") on all three of the following charts: Contemporary, Inspirational, and Southern gospel. Heed the Call debuted and peaked at number 3 on Billboard magazine's inaugural Top Inspirational Albums chart on March 29, 1980.
Track listing
{{track listing
|title1 = Overcomer
|writer1 = James Hollihan, Jr.
|length1 = 3:37
|title2 = Praise the Lord
|writer2 = Brown Bannister, Mike Hudson
|length2 = 3:35
|title3 = Oh Buddha
|writer3 = Mark Farrow
|length3 = 3:28
|title4 = Old Man's Rubble
|writer4 = B. Bannister
|length4 = 3:15
|title5 = Heed the Call
|writer5 = Chris Christian, Paul Smith
|length5 = 3:01
|title6 = Let Jesus Do It
|writer6 = Steven Ferguson
|length6 = 3:27
|title7 = Growing Stronger
|writer7 = J. Hollihan, Jr.
|length7 = 3:29
|title8 = First Morning in Heaven
|writer8 = C. Christian
|length8 = 2:41
|title9 = Whenever I Speak His Name
|writer9 = Russ Taff, Tori Taff
|length9 = 4:33
|title10 = My Mind Forgets a Million Things
|writer10 = B. Bannister, M. Hudson
|length10 = 3:48
|title11 = He Didn't Lift Us Up to Let Us Down
|writer11 = Phil Johnson
|length11 = 3:21
}}
Personnel
The Imperials
- Russ Taff – lead vocals
- Jim Murray – tenor, vocals
- David Will – baritone, vocals
- Armond Morales – bass, vocals
Charts
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1980)
!Peak |
|---|
| US Top Inspirational Albums (Billboard){{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1980/BB-1980-03-29.pdf|title=Inspirational LPs|magazine=Billboard|date=March 29, 1980|page=42}}
| style="text-align:center;"|3 |
=Radio singles=
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2"|Year ! rowspan="2"|Singles ! colspan="2"|Peak positions |
| CCM AC{{Cite book |title=CCM Hot Hits: AC Charts 1978 - 2001 |publisher=AuthorHouse |year=2003 |isbn=1-4107-3294-0 |editor-last=Brothers |editor-first=Jeffrey Lee|page=120}} |
|---|
| 1979
| "Praise the Lord" |align="center"|2 |
| 1979
| "Oh Buddha" |align="center"|1 |
| 1979
| "Overcomer" |align="center"|15 |
Accolades
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Winner !Category |
|---|
| 1980
|Heed the Call |
- 1980 Male Group of the Year
References
{{reflist}}
{{The Imperials}}
{{Authority control}}