“We thank God, the father of our Living Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for the privilege of sharing this music with you. Lyrics on side two are taken closely from the King James Version of the Word of God.”
Sleeve Notes
In the late 1960s and early 1970s the Jesus Movement became a cultural phenomenon that started on the west coast of America before spreading widely throughout the US and the western world. This evangelical Protestant movement was typically centred upon a restorationist theology, a return to early teachings and a purer, less materialistic lifestyle often associated with communal living. As such it resonated with the counterculture and its followers – the Jesus People were often ex-hippies, dazed, confused and disillusioned by a hedonistic drug culture and continuous quests to seek different forms of meaning and spiritual enlightenment. A return towards Christianity provided a route to retain some of the ethos and idealism of hippiedom whilst cleaning up and reconnecting with childhood associations of church.
TWI Recruitment, Haight-Ashbury late 1960s
Sue Pierce had followed that path with both herself and Lynn Perringo joining The Way International, (TWI) led by Victor Paul Weirwille. Her journey is described in the feisty Before I Was Born Again Blues, a song that drips with sarky humour and attitude. Pierce recounts days of booze, dope, left-wing protests and flirtations with eastern mysticism in a talking blues style, most likely influenced by the freewheelin' Bob Dylan. With a voice of lived worldly experience, her drawling account of that generational journey feels authentic and engaging.
Lynn and Sue had relocated to the rural H.Q. of TWI, Weirwille’s farm near New Knoxville, Ohio. There they recorded and self-released their sole album of self-written songs - nine by Sue and one by Lynn. Musically the record is a stripped-down slice of folk that showcased both Pierce’s lived in vocals and the contrastingly pure and angelic voice of Perringo. Despite (or perhaps because of) these differences, the close harmonies they created have a wonderfully distinctive dynamic, accompanied by bright, chiming, acoustic guitar.
TWI H.Q. New Knoxville, Ohio
(From Charlene L. Edge)
In 1968 Simon and Garfunkel had sung about the restlessness of looking for America, the literal and metaphorical travels of many of their generation. This related to the semi-mythical ramblin’ men of folk and beat culture; the freedom of the road, as expressed by Jack Elliot, Hank Williams or Woody Guthrie. Four years later, Lynn and Sue also covered that theme, but sang that their personal journey had reached its destination - a place of peace and godliness. Ramblin’, the second track of the album, describes that notion beautifully, combining a gorgeous melody with lyrics that highlighted a newly found, centred serenity.
The more that I listen to the album, the more I get the feeling that Sue was as much convincing herself, as others, that the complete letting go of early dreams and calling time on her wanderlust was the right call. There is an air of gentle melancholy present in the first side of the record. Songs like The Stranger and Childhood Dreams, contain beautiful little details of the Mississippi landscape and descriptions of the clear skies of the open road, imbuing them with nostalgic wistfulness.
Life in Ohio was centred around the doctrine of Wierwille. He claimed that he had received a calling from God to teach the Word – a literal interpretation of ancient texts as it had not been taught since the first century. The followers of TWI researched earliest know scriptures and lived a life of unworldliness – prayer, few possessions, biblical readings, whole foods and athleticism. They were early proponents of the jogging movement – the day would often start with a communal run at dawn.
Weirwille teaching, TWI H.Q. 1972
(Photo from Charlene E. Edge)
The second side of the album quotes closely from the King James Bible and presents an air of settled peace. Beautiful songs like 99 Peter 1, Philippians 1 and the title track, Timothy have a purity and grace that haunts whilst retaining a warm human quality. Music of simplicity, no obvious overdubs, Sue coming out of one speaker, Lynn out of the other, the guitar playing natural and unedited. It is a sound easy to imagine being performed around an intimate camp fire.
The popularity of TWI had spread rapidly amongst young people who had grown up as part of or were influenced by the counterculture. It is perhaps unsurprising that the organisation With ex-hippie followers organised their own music festival – Rock of Ages. More generally, the Jesus Music Movement provided an audience for music and private press records away from the mainstream. Despite the desire of Wierwille to evangelise his cause, Timothy was never sanctioned by TWI and Lynn and Sue appear to have put it out themselves. I haven't found any references to them having played the festival.
As a former member of TWI noted in a forum dedicated to ex-members of the organisation noted:
“Great songs and vocals...but they never "shot it through" the TWI prism of censorship and control and they were pushed out the back door...
...Another example of how Wierwille insisted that everything was to be be controlled by him...I remember his arrogant rhetoric of "teaching" musicians how to be "right on" spiritually. What a crock of sh *t... “
Rock of Ages Festival 1970s
By the mid-80s, revelations about the authoritarian and abusive nature of TWI's leaders started to be revealed. Sue was one of those who called out, claiming that most trustees committed adultery, damaging 100s of women in the process. Joining a break-away fundamentalist group she returned to travelling, spreading the word. I've not managed to discover any biographical details about either her or Lynn since around that time.
The concluding track, of their record Lynn Perrigo's sublime Grace and Peace is eerily spiritual and evocative, bringing a sense of inner calm in times of darkness. The album, created within the confines of a controlling cult, is a singularly moving expression of devotion that retains undiminished personality and compassion. Their lantern continued to shine bright through the night.
Notes
Charlene E. Edge's memoir - Undertow - My escape from the fundamentalism and cult control of the Way International is highly recommended.
A free digital download of the album is available here ---https://music.sogwap.net/lynn-sue/
If anyone has any biographical information about either Lynn or Sue then I would be delighted if you got in touch. I would of course update accordingly.
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