Are You Ready - Pacific Gas and Electric (1970) 5/6/23

In the early '70s, there were a number of "Pop Gospel" hits, many of which were certainly "Great Songs." Examples include "Spirit in the Sky," "Day by Day," and "Put Your Hand in the Hand." There were even hit versions of standard hymns like "Amazing Grace" and "Song of Joy (Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee").

So far, I've covered all of those songs...but there was one Gospel Song that caused more controversy than all the rest--even if you toss the entire album of Jesus Christ Superstar into the mix.

The song was "Are You Ready" by Pacific Gas and Electric.

I'm calling it a "Great Song" because it was different, but also because it took a hard rock deep dive into the topic of the Rapture--pretty much where no other Pop/Gospel song dared to tread.

And it got pretty dark.

The opening line, "There's rumors of war," is a reference to Matthew 24:4. The promise that "He'll carry you home" is a shout-out to the spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

Taken as a whole, the song is 5-plus minutes of Rock & Roll about getting ready for the end of the world, and it was so controversial at the time, a large number of radio stations in the Bible belt refused to play it--even after it was cut down to 3 minutes.

Either it was too rock...too preachy...or both.

Still, the song received enough airplay to reach #14 on Billboard's Hot 100. Elsewhere in the world, however, it became a Top 10 hit, reaching (for example) #1 in Belgium and #2 in The Netherlands.

Perhaps it was all the controversy, but "Are You Ready" pretty much made Pacific Gas & Electric a one -hit wonder.

But again, in my opinion, the fact that it was SO different than the norm, makes it a "Great Song of 1970." Your mileage may vary.

Long version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MR1LBEJ-ok

Edited version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWOMFNsZ3u0

Tomorrow: The Jackson Five? Nope. Coming Soon: Great Songs of the '80s!