Isabel Baker: The Missouri teenager who invented Christian rock
At the time of its rise in popularity, rock and roll was seen by the Christian church as being an unholy racket that promoted promiscuity, rebellion and countercultural ideals that devalued the word of God. While ‘thou shalt not rock’ isn’t listed as one of the Ten Commandments in the Bible, it was certainly frowned upon by the most pious individuals in society, and while the country and gospel music they preferred would indirectly influence rock music, it was most definitely preaching His word, unlike the Satanic alternative that was seen to be corrupting the youth.
This was definitely the case in 1965; moral panic was at its peak, and rock music certainly wouldn’t have been favoured in the conservative South of the USA, yet the ubiquitous nature of rock music was creeping into the lives of many youngsters. While many might consider the first Christian rock album ever to have come from California group the Crusaders’ Make a Joyful Noise with Drums and Guitars in 1966, the actual first instance came from an unlikely source the year before.
In Kansas City, Missouri, a 16-year-old named Isabel Baker was developing an aptitude for writing songs in a gospel style. With the help and financial support of her evangelist father George, she would end up with some studio time alongside some local musicians at High Fidelity Studios in Wichita, Kansas. Armed with her holy weapon, a Fender Jaguar guitar, she would record the very first Christian rock album over the course of two days, entitled I Like God’s Style.
However passionate about music she might have been, Baker had had zero formal training in music, and as you might expect from a naive teenager, she arrived at the studio with nothing written down for the hired session musicians and came equipped with little understanding of the musical theory required to lead the band through her compositions.
During the sessions, the piano player, Joe Utterback, would recall that “she did not know about keys, time signatures or chord names” but that she was “a colourful, high energy youngster” with “a big pair of lungs”. While her rudimentary understanding of music theory might have proven an obstacle for the band, they guided her through the session as she ferociously belted her contemporary sermons.
She might well have imagined the songs as being in a country or gospel style originally, but the way they were delivered was more akin to rockabilly than anything else, which would almost certainly have been seen as sinful in the eyes of her religious peers.
However, the charming songs of praise that came through in her lyrics seemed to be a perfect fit for the rousing, uptempo music that was recorded with the rest of the band, and the fervour that she sang with was enough evidence that Baker was not being corrupted by the evil forces of rock and roll, but she was softening the spirits with the teachings of Christ. Isabel was on a mission to establish herself as the Lord’s answer to Link Wray.
While the album never received a widespread release, with large amounts of the copies in circulation being a 2016 re-pressing by Harkit Records, it can still lay claim to being the earliest known example of a Christian rock album, whether it intended to be or not. Her mission was to spread the word of God through joyful music, and the sheer enthusiasm felt throughout the 12 tracks on I Like God’s Style is testament to her faith in the Lord.
The liner notes of the vinyl release state: “Knowing Isabel is only sixteen years old with her deep consecrated life is an inspiration in itself. Her emphatic delivery, both in ministry and song, is a real challenge to teenagers as she sings them into the Kingdom on the silver strains of love.”
It isn’t known what happened to Baker in the years after, and whether she continued to preach like her father or pursue any form of musical career, but if there was ever a sign that God gave rock and roll to us, it lies deep within this peculiar and charming hidden gem of an album from a 16-year old worshipper.
