Undercover

Undercover is a Christian music group from Orange County, California, led by Joey “Ojo” Taylor. It forms in southern California in the early 1980s and develops a punk-influenced sound within Contemporary Christian music, setting itself apart from the Christian rock and Christian metal acts of the period.

Line-up and identity

The band goes through several personnel changes over more than two decades. Taylor says that after the 1994 album Forum, the band is effectively “Ojo, Gym, Sim, and Gary,” and that any different configuration would use another name. The verified membership for this group includes Gym Nicholson and Bill Walden.

Albums and releases

Undercover releases eight studio albums and two live albums in its main run. The studio albums are Undercover (1982), God Rules (1983), Boys and Girls Renounce the World (1984), Branded (1986), Balance of Power (1990), Devotion (1992), Forum (1994) and I Rose Falling (2002). The live albums are 3-28-87 and Live at Cornerstone 2000.

Two compilation sets collect the early albums: Anthology 1 covers the first four original releases, and Anthology 2 covers the next four. The band also issues Volume 1, combining Undercover and God Rules, and Volume 2, combining Boys and Girls Renounce the World and Branded. Cornerstone 2000 is later reissued.

Activity and legacy

Undercover plays reunion shows in California in August 2005. It is described as one of the pioneering acts in Christian music and as an early influence on what later becomes known as alternative music in the Christian scene.