@45RPM - Fred Armisen, Daniel Smith, Chris White & Mike Norman (on the set of the Come And Save Me film)

On this “Extended Play” 45RPM episode of the show, our good
friend Chris White, writer and director of the romantic
comedy/road picture Electric Jesus, takes us to the set where he
recently directed a short film for the song “Come And Save Me”
starring actor and musician Fred Armisen (SNL, Portlandia) and
our favorite outsider folk-pop band, Danielson. The song started
as an unpublished lyric originally composed by the late Jesus
Rock icon Larry Norman. It was then set to music, with the
blessing of Larry’s estate, by Daniel Smith (of Danielson.) The
resulting song is a complete departure from the tongue-in-cheek
hair-metal Smith composed for the fictional metal band 316 in
Electric Jesus. While “Come and Save Me” was not used in the
film, it did appear on the soundtrack. Now, however, White has
written and directed a special short film for the song, with Fred
Armisen as the starring actor.


 


So, come with us to a film studio in Greenville, South Carolina,
and hear from Chris White, Daniel Smith, Fred Armisen, and Mike
Norman (Larry Norman's son) about how this fantastic project came
together and how each of them approaches and interprets the
meaning of “Come And Save Me.”


 


If you missed these previous episodes, be sure to go back and
find our conversation with Daniel Smith on the topic of outsider
art, join us on the set of Electric Jesus (which includes our
conversation with actor Brian Baumgartner of The Office), and
find our conversation with Chris White and Andy Erwin about the
different ways faith is approached in film. We also released a
very special “From The Vault” episode that included a previously
unheard conversation with Larry Norman and a then-recent
conversation with Michael about their complicated relationship.
And if you would like more info on the Electric Jesus story, seek
out and devour BOTH seasons of their excellent podcast. (You’ll
find us all over them.)


 


We could not have presented this episode to you without the help
of Chris and Emily White. Electric Jesus is available to stream
now. If you have not seen it – please do!


 


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community or drop us a one-time tip and check
out our NEW MERCH!