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Ocean

OCEAN
 
 
Ocean  was a gospel rock band formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  They are best known for their million-selling 1971 single “Put Your Hand in the Hand”, penned by Gene MacLellan.  The album was recorded in Toronto in 1970 and originally released on the highly collectable Yorkville label in Canada.  The album was picked up in the U.S. by the Kama Sutra label that also released the band’s second album in both the U.S. and Canada.  Ocean managed other hits in Canada with the songs “We’ve Got a Dream” and “One More Chance” written by the British songwriting team of Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, but they failed to make any impact in the U.S., and Ocean disbanded in 1975 after only two albums.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
Two of the earliest Christian contemporary hit songs came out in the same year (1971) as “Lions Christians” by Bang:  “Signs” by Five Man Electrical Band and “Put Your Hand in the Hand” by Ocean.  Interestingly, both are Canadian bands. 
 
(March 2010)
 
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I think of “Put Your Hand in the Hand” as the quintessential early Christian contemporary song.  The best known version is by Ocean (from Canada), who reached #2 on the charts with the song in 1971; others who have recorded the song include Elvis Presley, Joan Baez, Frankie Laine, and Loretta Lynn.  Evangelist Garner Ted Armstrong performed “Put Your Hand in the Hand” on Hee Haw in early 1976.  

 
(July 2014)