Ricky Fitzpatrick

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When recording the "Beside Me All Along" album, a lot of times, I would just sit in front of the microphone and ask the Lord to lead me. I'd have no idea what I was going to do or what kind of arrangement I'd be using. And admittedly, a lot of times, the results were, shall we say...less than stellar. :) And that's due, IMO, to my lack of natural ability. But every once in a while, something would happen and I would not be able to stop smiling or crying. I wouldn't sleep a wink, those nights.
For me, this was one of those times. Very raw, one-take, informal. A few technical spots that honestly, could use fixing. Not a pristine recording. But it was perfect for what I believe the Lord had to say to me, this night.
"I Need Thee Every Hour" has always been one of my favorite hymns, anyway. And I'd love to take credit for this, but honestly, I have to attribute this arrangement to something outside of me. I don't know if the Holy Spirit decided to get involved or if it was just a culmination of years of different kinds of music and styles and favorite tunes and such. But regardless, the guitar groove on this is one of my favorites to play.
I admit, this is a pretty far departure from the traditional hymn. But for me, it still pulls at me emotionally. Not the same emotion, though, as the original. But a different kind of longing. To me, that just further amplifies the fact that this hymn has endured, partly because, it is a remarkably written song. No matter how you slice it, dice it or rearrange it, it still gets the job done.
Hope it is a blessing to you!___________________