Was There EVER A Worse 70's Record Label Than Lifesong?

Christian was born and grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia. After graduating from the University of North Carolina with a double major in English and music, she briefly returned to her hometown but moved to Washington, D. C. in 1969 to perform in the city's nightclubs.

While there she had an epiphany. Watching an appearance by feminists Ti Grace Atkinson and Robin Morgan on the David Frost Show, she was appalled by the host's disrespectful treatment of the women, which caused them to walk off the set. Christian was sufficiently incensed to write a letter to Frost, a move that she called "my first political act."

As a result of her newfound political consciousness Christian drastically changed her repertoire. She began to write her own music and to sing the songs of Cris Williamson in order to speak about women in "a loving, honest, positive way."

Her new focus made her show less commercially viable. Nightclub owners did not want a performer who attracted a mostly female audience, and especially not one that included a growing contingent of lesbian fans. Christian therefore took to appearing at alternative venues such as coffeehouses and spaces in women's centers.

Participating in the feminist movement gave a sense of empowerment and inclusion to Christian, who commented in a 1981 interview, "I certainly thought that I was 'the only one' in about 400 categories until I found the women's movement."

At that time Christian embraced the idea of separatism. She joined a women's collective and preferred to play concerts before women-only audiences.

In 1973 she met and befriended Cris Williamson. Together with a group of others they founded an all-woman business, Olivia Records. The company's first album was Christian's I Know You Know (1975). Over the next decade she put out three more, Face the Music (1977), Turning It Over (1981), and From the Heart (1984). Olivia also released a compilation album, The Best of Meg Christian, in 1990.

After several years of operation in Washington, D. C. the collective moved Olivia to Oakland, California. The company did so well that Stephen Holden of the New York Times wrote in 1983 that Olivia was "one of the record industry's most solid success stories of the last decade."

Christian played an important role in Olivia's success. Her early hits such as "Ode to a Gym Teacher," which affirmed the value of a role model "who taught me being female meant you could still be strong," quickly won her fans, whose numbers just kept growing.

Other musicians were admirers as well, and many eagerly joined Christian on Turning It Over. In reviewing the album, Deborah Weiner commented on Christian's "impressive skills as a guitarist, singer, and songwriter" and also cited the "facility and expression of subtle shadings and dramatic textures" of her guitar technique. She praised Christian's contributions to lesbian music, writing, "we . . . need the intelligence, sensitivity, and humor" of Christian's work.

In addition to recording, Christian toured extensively, playing at music festivals and in concert. She sometimes appeared with Holly Near, with whom she had a three-year love affair in the late 1970s. She also performed with Cris Williamson, notably at a Carnegie Hall concert to celebrate Olivia's tenth anniversary.

Christian put tremendous energy into working for both professional success and political causes, but still felt that she "wasn't being good enough, that there was so much to be done." Under stress she turned to alcohol. Eventually she recognized the need to get help and enrolled in several recovery programs. At the same time she became interested in exploring spirituality and began studying Siddha Yoga.

In 1984 she decided to leave the music scene and devote herself entirely to the spiritual life. After traveling to ashrams (religious communities) throughout the world, Christian, who had adopted the first name Shambhavi, settled in one in upstate New York.

Through Siddha Yoga, Christian studied Indian music and instruments. As a result she produced two CDs, Fire of My Love (1986) and Songs of Ecstasy (1995). The collections include both traditional religious songs and compositions by Christian.

Christian's departure from Olivia had been completely amicable, and she remained on excellent terms with the women there. She was reunited with the organization in 2002, when she performed on a cruise ship for Olivia, which now offers vacation packages for lesbians and their families and friends. Her first public performance in almost twenty years was warmly received. She has returned in subsequent years, giving delighted fans the opportunity to enjoy her artistry and her affirming voice for women once again.

Track Listing:
1) HIGH WIRE
2) PETER STAYS AND SPIDER-MAN® GOES
3) SQUARE BOY
4) NEW POINT OF VIEW
5) SPIDER-MAN®
6) NO ONE'S GOT A CRUSH ON PETER
7) GWENDOLYN®
8) COUNT ON ME
9) DR. OCTOPUS ® (PT. 1 & 2)
10) GREEN GOBLIN®
11) A SOLDIER STARTS TO BLEED
12) TIME WILL SHOW THE WAY
13) PLUS: ORIGINAL NARRATIONS BY THE
CREATOR OF SPIDER-MAN®, STAN LEE

Click on the blue link above to listen to the song.

The Album:

There's never been a more perfect time than now for the re-emergence of one of the most requested albums at virtually every reissue label. Originally released 25 years ago, Lifesong Records teamed with Marvel® Comics for a critically-acclaimed and very musical LP that explored the life of America's favorite superhero, Spider-Man®. Scoff if you must, but it wasn't just kid stuff! Any 8 to 18 year-old fanboy worth his weight in webbing agreed it was one of the coolest records in their collection, and college radio was all over its myriad of musical styles that included pop, rock, reggae, swing and doo-wop. It retold the origin of Spider-Man®, his encounters with Dr. Octopus® and The Green Goblin®, and his romance with girlfriend Gwen Stacey® with narration by Marvel®'s own Stan Lee, cover artwork by famed Spidey-artist John Romita and a musical bed that included the likes of Rolling Stone Magazine darlings Crack The Sky, and super-saxophonist David Sanborn. As a special treat to fans, NO ONE'S GOT A CRUSH ON PETER has been restored to full track status from its original use as incidental music. What a bargain! But wait, it gets better...also added is the closing narration by Lee. Excelsior! For anyone who grew up watching the original cartoons of the '60s, owned this album in the '70s, read the comics through the '80s, watched the '90s animated upgrade, or are kids of the new Millennium, this CD becomes the perfect souvenir of a childhood that, for many, will continue as long as there's a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man®!

The Artist:

We all know about the radioactive spider that bit Peter Parker® and turned him into Spider-Man®, so we won't go into that here. A Marvel® Comics exec saw Spider-Man®'s musical potential and sold Lifesong Records' Terry Cashman, Tommy West (both Jim Croce's producers and the vocal duo Cashman & West) and Phil Kurnit on the merits of a pop-rock approach to the superhero. The label's own highly creative roster of producers, recording artists and songwriters immediately pitched-in, including jingle singer Marty Nelson whose vocals were on almost every other commercial in the '70s. Nelson became the singing voice for Spider-Man®, and was able to handle the psuedo-rock opera's vocal demands as well as co-produce the ambitious project. The icing on the cake was narration by comicdom's crowned king, Stan Lee. Since the day it was taken out of circulation, the album has become a valued collector's item that reportedly has sold for $500 on eBay this past year.