Bethlehem Steel

Does anybody remember a "christian" metal band in the 80's called Bethlehem Steel? or maybe a song by that title?

Whatever it is I'm thinking of I vividly remember listening to this (band or song) in the high school shop parking lot, in the 64 1/2 Mustang, on cassette, through twin rear deck 6x9s.

*** MID-POST UPDATE ***

I'm listening to the song Tell The Truth by Philadelphia as I write this and I'm wondering if this is actually what I'm thinking of...

Either way, I still have a strong memory of a band called Bethlehem Steel, but I cant find anything about them online...
How about you?

Bethlehem Steele.  Now there's a name I haven't hear in many, many moons.  I had a copy of their demo that's gotten lost somewhere along the way.  I can't remember the band members' names except for Chris Steel, the vocalist.  They were from Seattle.  The only lyric I remember is:

Lord, I just fell down
Scrapped my spiritual knee along the ground

One of the first bands I was in were going to back Chris and the guitarist up for small gig, but it never came to fruition.  Though we did start rehearsals.

Somebody needs to find there demo of this and let me hear it....sounds like the kind of thing I would have loved.  It's rare for someone to mention a local Seattle area band from the 80's or 90's that I have absolutely no idea even existed.

They didn't do much.  I recorded a copy from a friend who had a copy.  I don't think he even had the actual demo.  He may have.  I do remember it was only 4 songs.

Xid wrote:

They didn't do much.  I recorded a copy from a friend who had a copy.  I don't think he even had the actual demo.  He may have.  I do remember it was only 4 songs.

FIND IT!!!!  
There were probably 50 or 60 Seattle area bands in the 80's and 90's with 4-5 song demos that I never heard.....but it bothers to know of one.  Yes I know I have issues.  

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that tape is long gone.  I don't recall seeing it anywhere in my possession in the last 20 years.  I don't have that many cassettes so if I still had it, I'd know it.

Xid wrote:

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that tape is long gone.  I don't recall seeing it anywhere in my possession in the last 20 years.  I don't have that many cassettes so if I still had it, I'd know it.

Yeah, I totally get it.  I probably only have a dozen cassettes left from the few hundred I used to own.  I've lost or misplaced a few demos myself.  I used to have a cassette demo from Bathtub Gin that I really wish I knew what the heck happened to it (blues-based hardrock band out of Seattle in the 90's).

I remember Bathtub Gin!

I've never heard of Bathtub Gin, either.  I would love to hear that!

alldatndensum wrote:

I've never heard of Bathtub Gin, either.  I would love to hear that!

Not at all a Christian band, but I think you would have liked them.  They did do one independent release that I have on cassette....not sure If I have it ripped to MP3 or not, I will look around and see it I have it.

Hmmm, I wonder if Ryan Jennings would have it.  He's pretty much got and had every metal/hard rock demo at one point.

If we can get decent copies of MP3s, I could remaster the project and send it back out to everyone interested.

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

Hmmm, I wonder if Ryan Jennings would have it.  He's pretty much got and had every metal/hard rock demo at one point.

is that stevegarveyfan? he might have it...

alldatndensum wrote:

If we can get decent copies of MP3s, I could remaster the project and send it back out to everyone interested.

no offense alldat, I would want to hear the unmolested original...hey we could do BOTH versions! 

Yep, it's stevegarveyfan.

crucifyd wrote:

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

Hmmm, I wonder if Ryan Jennings would have it.  He's pretty much got and had every metal/hard rock demo at one point.

is that stevegarveyfan? he might have it...

alldatndensum wrote:

If we can get decent copies of MP3s, I could remaster the project and send it back out to everyone interested.

no offense alldat, I would want to hear the unmolested original...hey we could do BOTH versions! 

Unmolested original?  Ouch!  While I understand not wanting it boosted to today's levels, methinks you underestimate what I would do.  Many of these old demos were recorded but never mastered at all.  That is why they sound like demos.  A little polish can make them sound so much better and bigger.  Of course, you can't make a gem out of something that just isn't there.  If the mix is decent, then you can boost it to make it sound fuller and more radio quality.  If it isn't, then boosting anything will just highlight the flaws even more.

Remastering, if done right, doesn't go to the side of losing the loudness war.  You are just bringing the overall volume to more modern levels.  If you do it right, you EQ it so that the new version just sounds bigger without changing what you know and love.  On some of the remasters I have done, I am hearing things that were covered in the mix.  A proper remaster can make something more clear and not just overly bass heavy (like some reissues I have bought).

yeah I know but I'm a nostalgia nut and, as weird as it probably is, at times I get a kick out of / hankerin' for demo quality...

and now I really want to hear both versions...

crucifyd wrote:

yeah I know but I'm a nostalgia nut and, as weird as it probably is, at times I get a kick out of / hankerin' for demo quality...

and now I really want to hear both versions...

I don't mind demo quality if that is all that exists.  But, if you can take a diamond in the rough and make it more desirable for the listener, then I am all about polishing these old recordings.  I feel that more people would listen to them if the sound quality were made to sound as clear and modern as you can without messing with the overall mix too much.