ollowing its farewell US tour, the UK-based, RIAA Certified Gold-selling, GRAMMY-nominated and Dove Award winning band Delirious? releases its History Makers: Greatest Hits CD Nov. 6 worldwide and Nov. 17 in the US on Kingsway (Survivor) with EMI CMG Distribution.  Known as the forerunners of the modern worship movement and as one of the industry’s best live bands, Delirious? is saying “farewell” throughout the US with a final, two-night event at the Dallas Convention Center Oct. 23-24.
 
History Makers: Greatest Hits is the definitive Delirious? recording, featuring the songs that inspired a generation of worshippers to live life “out loud,” and that continue to be sung today throughout the world by literally millions of people every week.  Included in this collection are such genre defining modern worship classics as “I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever,” “Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble,” “Majesty,” “My Glorious” and “Shout To The North.”
 
As the songs traveled across continents providing the soundtrack for Sunday morning church services, Delirious? was delivering its message to millions of fans through thousands of electrifying concerts in auditoriums, theatres and churches worldwide. And that message was always challenging its audiences to be “history makers,” which the band defines as people who look beyond their own needs to make a tangible difference in the lives of others.
 
“The Delirious? story was only ever about responding to whatever it was God was doing through music that abandoned itself to Him,” says the band members collectively as they call a close to the Delirious? journey while staying ever committed to be history makers in God’s story, carrying individually His soundtrack with them.
 
The full History Makers: Greatest Hits CD track listing follows:
 
History Maker
Deeper
Raindown
Majesty (Here I Am)
I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble
Shout To The North
Revival Town
Find Me In The River
My Soul Sings
Our God Reigns
Obsession
Lord You Have My Heart
My Glorious
 
In addition to the History Makers:  Greatest Hits CD, Delirious? has compiled a Limited Edition two-CD, 30-song collection and a DVD featuring all 13 of the band’s concept music videos.  With both contemporary and worship tracks represented across the two CDs, the band members have also put together a 58-page booklet for History Makers: Greatest Hits (Limited Edition) that charts their journey over the last 16-years.  All wrapped in a cardboard slipcase, only 12,000 copies will be available worldwide.
 
Taking its songs on the road one last time, the band has already sold out concerts across the world.  Following the US dates, Delirious? embarks on its final UK tour, with one last sold out performance at London’s HMV Hammersmith Apollo Nov. 29.
 
Over the last decade, Delirious? touring highlights have included closing for the Pope in front of a million people in Germany, playing in front of hundreds of thousands in India, headlining the 2004 Olympic Celebrations at the Omonia Square in Athens, Greece, touring with Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and Matchbox 20, and headlining at SWR3’s Arena of Sound 2004 music festival, where more than 80,000 fans filled the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart, Germany.  
 
Having released 14 albums and selling nearly three millions recordings, and with seven Top 40 general market UK chart singles and two Top 30 general market UK chart albums, Delirious? grew out of the UK “Cutting Edge” youth meetings in the early 1990s. Regarded internationally as the galvanizing force that changed the face of worship worldwide, Delirious? members currently have 22 songs on the CCLI charts. With its music being played and sold in over 100 countries, the band has also been honored with two Gospel Music Association International Awards.
 
Delirious? is lead vocalist Martin Smith, guitarist Stu G, keyboardist Tim Jupp, bassist Jon Thatcher and drummer Paul Evans, who took over for Delirious? founding member Stew Smith in 2008.  
 

Nashville, TN (March 31, 2008) – The UK-based, RIAA Certified Gold-selling, globally relevant band Delirious? releases tomorrow its widely praised, eleventh studio album, Kingdom of Comfort. Its first new studio album since the acclaimed 2005 release, Mission Bell, Delirious?’s Kingdom of Comfort questions everything, from cancer to consumerism, “five star” dreams to slums and poverty. It is an album that calls for sacrifice, social justice and love.

Delirious? members share their moving experiences that led to the Kingdom of Comfort recording in their newly designed Delirious? Media Player available today at http://delirious.thewidgetplanet.com/delirious_widget.htm.

The player features video of the band talking about the new album along with video of their travels to some of the poorest countries on earth where they faced encounters with life that made poverty personal and forced hard questions to be asked by each member.

Full songs from Kingdom of Comfort featured on the media player include “God Is Smiling” and the current hit radio single, “We Give You Praise.” The player also includes three additional clips: the album’s title track, “Love Will Find A Way” and “Break the Silence.”

For the first time ever, the player gives fans the opportunity to not only see the video and hear songs from the new album, but place the media player on their blog, MySpace or other social network websites to share with their online visitors. Furthermore, fans will be able to purchase Kingdom of Comfort through the player.

As fans discover the new music for the first time, here is what the critics are already saying about the album:

“The group’s finest work to date, Kingdom of Comfort represents a band musically in its prime… The result is a magnum opus reflecting deep introspection as well as a newfound commitment to compassionate outreach and social justice.” – CCM Magazine

“As champions of the modern worship movement, Delirious? scores again…a great listen and great worship experience. It will have the listener flying above the universe and struggling in the depths of poverty with the least of the kingdoms of the earth. It is here hard rocking, there emotive and always vocally powerful.” – CMSpin

“…sonically adventurous…a collection of new vertical classics from the Brit rockers… There are definite possibilities for joining Our God, I Could Sing of Your Love Forever, Majesty and pretty much the rest of the Delirious? catalog as worship classics.” – Lexington Herald-Leader

“…Kingdom Of Comfort makes it easy to see why Delirious? became such a hugely popular group…” – About.com

Following the release of the new album, Delirious? will continue to circumvent the globe to inspire music lovers worldwide and carry on the tradition of spiritually challenging lyrics, while pointing people to see the wonders of what God has done for them. The band has closed for the Pope in front of a million people in Germany, played for 1.2 million in India, toured with Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams and more. Receiving its second Gospel Music Association International Award last year, Delirious? traveled to at least 25 countries in 2007 alone, and will travel to Australia, UK and France before coming back to the US May 15 in Kansas City. In addition to the music, Delirious? frontman Martin Smith founded Compassionart, a charity based in Littlehampton, England and dedicated to seeing works of art generate income for the poorest of the poor. (http://compassionart.co.uk/)

Delirious? Performs for Millions, But Service in Slums Inspires Call for Social Justice, First New Studio Album Since 2005

Nashville, TN (February 22, 2008) – The UK-based, RIAA Certified Gold-selling, globally relevant band Delirious? returns with their eleventh studio album, Kingdom of Comfort, set to release April 1, 2008 on Sparrow Records. Its first new studio album since the acclaimed 2005 release, Mission Bell, Delirious?’s Kingdom of Comfort questions everything, from cancer to consumerism, “five star” dreams to slums and poverty. It is an album that calls for sacrifice, social justice and love.

Recent tours have taken Delirious? to some of the poorest countries on earth where they’ve faced encounters with life that made poverty personal and forced hard questions to be asked by each member of the band. It sparked a newfound commitment to social justice and compassionate ministry as an outworking of their being drawn ever closer to the Kingdom of God, as opposed to the kingdom of comfort.

Taking their renewed faith, thoughts and questions about these journeys into the studio, the band emerged with an album full of songs that encompass every aspect of highs and lows they faced in their travels.

“We just can’t carry on the same way in any sphere of our lives,” says Delirious? frontman, Martin Smith. “Everywhere you go there’s a shift happening. People are evaluating what’s truly important in life, and I think our new album reflects that urgency.”

“Seeing children looking for scraps on the rubbish dump they call homes in Cambodia and the education and feeding projects in the slums of Mumbai [India] really had an impact on us,” adds lead guitarist Stu G. “It wasn’t possible to simply proceed with business as usual. We had to ask ourselves, ‘What am I building? A kingdom of comfort? Or a kingdom of heaven?’”

With the album’s first radio single, “We Give you praise,” Martin confirms that we are to walk on the road of life and not give up. “We blame the devil for a lot of our troubles, but most of my trouble comes from me, my flesh, the old man. We have been saved from ourselves. That’s the most amazing thing. Left to my own devices I would perish.”

Literature also played a big part in the writing of Kingdom of Comfort, inspiring the songs and the mission. In fact, not only did authors inspire the new album, some have also joined the band in the mission writing stories to encourage charity in conjunction with the new album. Delirious? plans to share these stories with their fans as four authors have been confirmed to participate so far: Graham Cray, Bishop of Maidstone and the chair of the working group who published The Mission Shaped Church; Brian McLaren, author of The Secret Message of Jesus; Craig Borlase, author of The Naked Christian: Taking Off Religion To Find True Relationship; and Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution.

“We are made to live for something bigger than ourselves -- this thing we call the Kingdom of God... God's dream for the world,” writes Claiborne. “This is the realm where the last are first and the first are last, where the poor are blessed and the peacemakers are the children of God. This whole Christian thing is not just about going up to heaven after we die, but it is about bringing God’s Kingdom to earth. This is the Gospel that should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”

And Delirious? is comfortable playing in front of over a million people, like they recently did in India. It is not as natural for them to travel to the slums and serve food to the poor, but that’s exactly what they did in India. Afterwards, Delirious? arranged for a bus to bring about 40 of the women and children they served food to in the slums to the concert. As the children and their mothers, who were prostitutes, danced and sang at the concert, the band was inspired to write “All God’s Children (Sing Hallelujah),” which is featured on the new album.

Taking these experiences with him, Martin began considering how he, along with the international Christian music community, could truly make a difference in the world together. After 18 months of prayer, countless business meetings and careful planning, Smith’s dreams were realized when the first annual Compassionart conference met in Perthshire, Scotland. In what he described as a “I-can’t-stop-pinching-myself moment,” Smith, along with Stu G, Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, Darlene Zschech, Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Israel Houghton and other internationally-respected songwriters teamed up to write songs with 100% of the proceeds from the songs and forthcoming album going to the charities of their choice.

As Compassionart stories are told by numerous media globally, from the Associated Press to the Washington Post to Worship Musician, Delirious? will continue to circumvent the globe to inspire music lovers worldwide. The band has closed for the Pope in front of a million people in Germany, played for 1.2 million in India, toured with Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams and more. Receiving its second Gospel Music Association International Award last year, Delirious? traveled to at least 25 countries in 2007 alone, and will hit Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit, Sacramento, Winston-Salem, and many other cities in the US this year as they carry on the tradition of spiritually challenging lyrics, while pointing people to see the wonders of what God has done for them.

More information about the band can be found at the newly designed www.delirious.co.uk, with even more content available by joining the band’s “Living Room” at www.delirious.co.uk/livingroom.

A message from Stew Smith:

A little over twelve years ago Delirious? set sail on what was to be the most adventurous and exciting journey of my life. Five guys from the small town of Littlehampton – a seaside town only ever made famous by ‘The Body Shop’ - dreamt of one day filling stadiums with the ‘sound of Heaven.’

As I sit and replay the past years I have had so many highlights - so many times when a dream has become a reality - that it seems unreal to be thinking of a different future. But I am, and as of the May 1st 2008, I will embark on a new and exciting journey. I will no longer be the drummer who has seen so many things and loved every minute of life within Delirious?. For me and my family, I am excited about starting a new career and a new future; Smeezer the Designologist will come into the world. I’m going to be taking all of the many experiences I’ve had and the skills I’ve picked up to launch a new creative agency.

I can hear you wanting to know the reasons why. Why would I want to move on? I have found the touring an increasing pressure on both me and my family. We function better as a complete unit than when we are separated for so many months of the year, and I wish to be at home, to be around and be far more local. I wish to develop myself further within the design business world allowing all of the gifting that I have been blessed with to explode out of me.

As you know I have had the chance over the last 12 years to continue developing my previous career within design as Creative Director with Delirious? and Furious? Records. I’m also really looking forward to getting stuck into Church life back home - Arun Community Church has been our home for the past 20years and I cannot wait to see what emerges within a vibrant and dynamic Church. I also feel that I need to push myself; I could so easily continue playing drums within Delirious? and I could see myself in ten years time behind the kit continuing to pull the Stew Smee faces, but feel that I need to make myself vulnerable, allowing God to get a hold of me and sharpen me once again.

I am so excited for Delirious?. A fantastic future lies ahead of them and I will continue to be very much involved, both as a friend and creatively.

Please join me at my last UK show on the 29th of March at the Indigo Club in London and celebrate a journey that I would not have missed for the world. [Stew will be touring with Delirious? in the US through May.]

Thank you to my family, Sarah, Abi and Jemimah for your incredible support and devotion. To my four amazing friends Martin [Smith], Stu G, Jon [Thatcher] and Tim [Jupp] for what can only be described as the ride of a lifetime. And all of you around the world that have not only sung the songs but are decided to a life of being true ‘History Makers.’ I am deeply proud to have been a part of this moment in history.

Love,

Stew Smith
Drummer Delirious?



Messages from the band:

• It’s a bittersweet symphony this life. Playing in a band without the legendary Smeezer is the bitter bit; watching a man define his future is the sweet bit. It's time to retune the orchestra for the next movement.
  
  Go forth and prosper.
  
  Jon Thatcher
  
  
• When Stew started talking to us about moving on, I couldn’t imagine having anyone else behind us. Not just for the amazing faces, energetic performances, blood splattered clothing, brilliant drumming and cutting edge design, but also for the stuff you don’t see; the passion, the encouragement, the stamina, the training... also he’s a right laugh!!! He has been the perfect roommate in hotels and the best coffee maker on the tour bus.
  
  I will miss Smeezer! But wholeheartedly support him and wish him every success as he, Sarah and the girls launch into the next phase of life.
  
  Stu G
  
  
• For many years my life has been one of glancing to my left to see my brother in law Stew pulling me a face and egging me to press in more. Writing this seems at least a little strange, and at most quite unbelievable. We have walked this walk and talked the talk together for so many years, and to say I will miss Stew so much would only be a gross understatement. The value he has brought to us all with his playing, his creative input and not least of all his passion for life has been something that has helped us all become who we are today.
  
  Stew, I pray that you will know God’s hand upon your life as you move into your future-with much affection -
  
  Tim Jupp
  
  
• Change is here to stay someone once said... We do it everyday; we choose to change our deodorant or our mobile telephone contract or simply the way we walk to work. But not all change is easy or enjoyable, especially when it's close to home. In this case especially when your drummer decides to leave the band.
  
  It would be somehow easier if there were a fall out, a change of vision or a sense of relief, but there isn't. In fact the opposite. We are coming to terms with the fact that our brother, friend, creative genius is leaving the band to pursue some new territory and it’s a loss. A big loss.
  
  Even though I've tried on several occasions to talk Stew out of it, somehow deep down we've both known that this is the right move for him and his family. Seasons change and it is apparent to us all that Stew is ready to fly into something new, something great and something divine.
  
  I've often wondered what it must have been like for Stew, to spend hours and hours behind the drum kit looking at my back as I rally the troops with a microphone. But that's what Stew does best; he watches my back and helps me see life in a panoramic way. In fact for 15 years he's watched my back, through tears and laughter, through the highs and lows, through top ten singles and feeding slum kids together.
  
  Life will never quite be the same without Stew on the road. I will miss looking behind me to a man killing his drums like he was at war with powers unseen or just running together on a country track trying to keep up or simply sitting in Starbucks hearing him talk about his kids.
  
  Thank you for being on this part of the journey Stew. We have the stories to tell our grand kids and those stories have only been written because you gave your life to something extraordinary. We are proud to know you, proud to have done life with you, now go and shine and turn the world upside down.
  
  Your friend and brother
  
  Martin Smith