Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: I have family with me on the phone. This is a voice that you know. My Jonathan Nelson. How are you? It's my Jonathan.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: That's my Randy. That's how we do it. How are you?
[00:00:11] Speaker A: I'm doing so well. We have been doing this for years. I just started calling you my Jonathan and you call me my Randy, and it's been like family for us. And I'm so happy to have you hanging out with me today.
[00:00:27] Speaker B: Thank you. I'm honored to hang out with you today. So good to talk to you. You know, it's so good to still be doing this and still be able to talk to all of the great, great, great announcers who supported me throughout the years. And I just want to tell you in advance, thank you so much. You have always supported me, and I'm so grateful for you.
[00:00:42] Speaker A: I am grateful for you as well. Now, you haven't had new music in a minute, so we'll talk about that in a second. But you have been super, super busy, so.
[00:00:54] Speaker B: Yes, yes, I've been busy. Like, ooh, okay, okay. With family. My daughter is in college. Yes. Oh, my goodness. That's crazy. I can't even believe it. Like, okay. A lot of people in the music business have seen her grow up. They're like, excuse me, and. Exactly. So then my son, he's 26 now, he decided he wanted to go ahead and have a baby. Praise God. I'm a grandfather.
My granddaughter is three years old. We just celebrated her birthday. I lead worship, of course, at New Birth in Atlanta with Dr. Jamar Harrison Bryant. I've been there for seven years with him, flying back and forth from Atlanta to Florida. I still live in Florida, commute back and forth every weekend, and then just family, just church and dates and still trying to do like Paul. I become all things that I might win some. I'm trying to win somebody to Jesus. Ooh. Come on.
I knew that.
[00:01:44] Speaker A: I can't believe it's been seven years since Pastor Jamal has been at New Birth and you've been hanging out.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: I've been hanging out with him the entire time. And it's been a great journey, a lot of new learning. You and I were just talking about it offline, about the pandemic. The pandemic taught us new skill sets that I didn't even know that I had. And you applying those pandemic skill sets as you pivot back into the sanctuary and, you know, just adapting and still trying to keep things going. But it's been a wonderful journey. A wonderful journey.
[00:02:16] Speaker A: You Know, it's so funny because back in the day, I literally took a road trip. I had a job interview in the dmv and I went there, to the church there just so I could see him preaching.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: You lead worship back in the day? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. That's where he and I started our journey together. And we're still years later, still rocking and rolling. We, we, we call ourselves partners in ministry. It's just been a blessing. I think sometimes when you find the right voice, the right unit, you know, it just works. You know, I tell people I'm his navigator, I'm. I'm his psalmist, and I know that we give our offering back to the Lord, but I know people understand it in context. I just understand how to navigate service.
[00:03:03] Speaker A: Yes, absolutely. So we're gonna talk about this new single. I need to jump right in with this.
I've got Jonathan, my Jonathan Nelson on the phone with me. And you have a new song out. It's called When I Think I thank.
Woo.
[00:03:19] Speaker B: When I Think I thank.
[00:03:22] Speaker A: It's got lots of energy. It's gonna grab you right away.
I wanna know how this sparked for you. How did you get here?
[00:03:30] Speaker B: So, you know, Detroit is used to great preachers, you know, in the surrounding areas. My father is from Michigan and he's a Pentecostal preacher. And so whenever he would get up, you know, dad has a way of kind of like grabbing the audience, like in the first 30 seconds, he grabs the mic. I mean, he can take him in, you know. And as Pentecostal preacher, when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all is done for me, you know, when I think about it, I praise about it. When I think about it, I think about it. And I've always, like, let that little thing register with me. So when I'm doing a little exhortation moment, I become my dad. Ah. And so I just kind of logged that title. When I think, I think I always, I've always loved saying it. And I was in a service and a preacher's preaching and, you know, preachers, kids, you got to pay attention when the word is going forth, right? So Luke 17, Jesus heals 10 lepers, 10 go. But one comes back to say thank you. Right. So this song is really packaged around the theology of that scripture, but it really is a message branding for everybody. When God does something for you, you thank him. If somebody does something for you, it's proper to say thank you, right? Yeah. So when I think about him waking me up, I say thank you. When I Think about how he kept me safely. I say thank you. Now you put the bop on it and you have the little energy on it.
[00:04:44] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:04:44] Speaker B: Then you really have a moment, and it really takes you to a fun moment. But you really are just telling God, thank you. There's a line in there, Randy says, I'm not one of the nine. When a memory comes to mind for everything you do, I'll tell you, thank you. Because in context of the scripture, the nine did not come back. According to what we read, yes, they could have. But according to what we read, they didn't come back. So I'd say I'm not one of the nine. Like, I have gratitude in my heart. Every time somebody does something for me, specifically God, I'm gonna tell them, thank you. That really is what the song is about.
[00:05:15] Speaker A: I'll be the one to give you glory.
It is my Jonathan Nelson. When I think I thank. Oh, my goodness. How is this song connecting to people right now?
[00:05:27] Speaker B: Randy, let me tell you something.
Everywhere I'm singing it, you know? Okay, so what the interesting thing is an artist understand this. Like, when you're sing a new song in different rooms, you have to kind of work it in a certain way so that people will grab a hold to it. So once I start singing it, it just. I hate to say it like this. It just kind of does its own thing. Yeah, people just grab a hold to it. By the time we get to when I think it makes me think with the loud voice, I'll say, thank you, Lord. They got that. But the part that really, like, grabs the audiences in that vamp. I'm the one to say thank you. Yes, thank you. I'm the one to say bring the mic to the audience. Y' all got it now, right? Church. All right, let's go.
That gives me skills.
[00:06:11] Speaker A: Have you heard it played out loud somewhere yet?
[00:06:14] Speaker B: I have, as a matter of fact, they played it at my church through the speakers as a pre service, like, kind of thing, you know, like when the audience is walking in and people are walking up. Whose song is that? Whose song is that? So that's starting to happen. So that's a great thing. So all of the right elements is beginning to happen, you know, I just can't wait to sing it when the world, like, really fully gets it. And I can't wait to hear choir singing it and praise teams singing it. I can't wait for that. I'm excited about that.
[00:06:43] Speaker A: I am so excited for you as well. It's been a minute since you've been on the radio and creating music that speaks yes to the people. So I am really happy for you in this season right now.
You've always been a blessing to me, Jonathan and you know that your family forever. And I want everybody to make sure that they check check out this brand new single. It's available now.
[00:07:07] Speaker B: It will be available on May 29th. My mom passed last year and in honor of her I just signed the Ty Scott worship yes. And I'm excited about that journey. So in honor of my mom's birthday, we're re releasing it on her birthday when I think I thank so it'll be available on all digital platforms. YouTube, the videos, packaging, everything is going to be available and I am excited.
[00:07:29] Speaker A: I am excited for you. Oh, my goodness. And where does everybody find you on social media?
[00:07:34] Speaker B: I mean, Jonathan Nelson music Tick tock ig and then my website is Jonathan Nelson us. Y' all hit me up. Let's go. I need you to get this on. Make sure you download it. Church.
[00:07:45] Speaker A: I love you, Jonathan.
[00:07:46] Speaker B: I love you, Randy. Thank you so much.
