Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Coming up to summer in 1987, Chalice bass player Keith Francis wrote a bassline and, in the collective songwriting process that's a hallmark of the Jamaican music business, handed it over to fellow 'Chaliceite' Wayne Armond.

It was the beginning of a process that ended up in Revival Time, which tapped into the enduring religious tradition and itself has endured, remaining extremely popular at retro parties - 'tun yu roll' and all.

It opens with the combination of invitation and command "children, children run to the river, I want to born again, I want to feel brand new". There is the total rejection of materialism and distraction ("no video, colour TV"). And the chorus, with a hallelujah, celebrates "come mek we jump it in revival time".

However, if Francis had not stuck to what he thought was appropriate and what Armond called an "unusual bassline", Revival Time would never have been written.

Chief songwriter

Armond told The Sunday Gleaner: "I was probably the chief songwriter in Chalice. I wrote a song about AIDS for the first draft, which had nothing to do with Revival Time. Keith said he did not like the subject matter. He wanted something more joyous, because of the nature of the bassline." It is played almost in double time to how a normal bassline is played.

And Armond went back to his school days, to a song from the 1960s he had heard at a concert held at Holy Childhood High. He did not remember the title, but "I remember Dobby Dobson singing it live. It is one of those moments that stays with you". The standout line from the song was "I just want to testify".

"I started to hum something with that 'testify' to the bassline. I said if I say 'testify' it is going to sound too close," Armond said. He hit on 'sanctify', then the line "raise you hand if you want to be sanctified came to me".

From there, Armond worked backwards, as "I thought how people get sanctified". That involved dipping in water, so he started with "children, children, run to the river". And, Armond said, "the rest was pretty easy".

So it was on to Dynamic Sounds, where Revival Time was laid down at a day recording session, with Chalice playing everything live. The song was mixed by David Rowe.

"We were all excited about it, because it was different. I never thought we would have a hit with it until we did the video," Armond said.

That video was shot at Castleton Gardens in the hills of St Andrew. On the shoot, "a young lady started a dance and people do it to this day".

Apart from the dance, though, Armond said "when I saw the reaction of the people as they played it over and over as we did shot after shot, I thought 'wow!'"

Hit the charts quickly

Revival Time was realised through Harry J and was on Chalice's fourth album, Crossfire. It was on the charts within a month of being released, and it hit number one in short order, staying in the top position for about four weeks. And the late summer release, Armond said, was the song which ruled that Christmas season.

Chalice first performed it live at a concert by the Hilton's poolside, which Beres Hammond opened. In true dramatic Chalice fashion, lead singer Trevor Roper changed into a red turban and white shirt, then moving between the stage and a roof-top bar area. There could have been more, as a laughing Armond said "we thought about sanctifying people in the pool, but it didn't get that far".

"The response was overwhelming," he said.

And, played live or on record, it continues to be so to this day.