2001 The Grace Place

Grace Place, written by Mark Fielding Darden in 2001 in Oxford NC
Recorded at Fishing Creek Studio, NC around 2002
Copyright Jan 18, 2006; #PAu3-019-605
Video created by Mfd in 2024

Great song that appeared on my first CD (In My Father’s House). We recorded this song in the basement studio where Beth and I lived when we got married. We lived in a ten by fifty 1963 singlewide first, then built the home. The home we built had a basement, and that’s where we recorded way back then.

We had both kids in the singlewide. Fishing Creek bordered our 11 acres, given to us by my Aunt Francis Knott. We home-schooled back then, and that’s how we met Kristin and her family. What a blessing she and her voice has been to my life since then and to this day.

As I listen to this song almost two decades later, I am amazed at the sound quality and vocals we were able to achieve. Every single musician was super-talented on this song.

Mick’s keyboard gives this song the perfect river to ride on. I especially love the Hammond B-3 type organ parts.

Chris Kisgen’s bass is right on too, every note. I actually remixed the song just to enhance the bass track. It was too low on the original CD.

Mark Pittman’s guitar playing fills all the gaps. He is such a smooth player. I wish I had created a place in the song for him to shine more than he was allowed to here. He certainly could have done it. Still, what a modest, incredible guitar player he is.

I tried my hardest to find a way to edit and shorten this song (it’s one of my longest) but I honestly could not cut anything out without doing damage to the song and to the extended groove within the song.

Thanks to everyone who added to this song and who has added to my life over all these years.

Mfd: rhythm guitar, harmonica, vocals, song, video
Kristin Kanady: background vocals
Bill McDonald: engineering help
Mark Pittman: lead guitar
Mick Purdy: keyboards
Chris Kisgen: bass