Singing for suppers, on new Carter CD

SALISBURY — Parishioners at St. John’s Episcopal Church might be surprised to know that their minister, the Rev. John Carter, could have been a contender in the protest song genre.At least that’s the sense one gets after listening to “Capital Soup,” one of the tracks on the reissued album “Carry the Dream: Songs for Bread and Love To Help End Hunger.”Carter said the album was recorded in the spring of 1981 and released in 1982. “The studio was called ‘Splice of Life,’” he said. “I think it was in Boston area.”Carter and his wife, Deborah, were living in Boston at the time. Carter was preparing to go to seminary, doing odd jobs, and both Carters were “involved in hunger issues.”Carter sings lead on all the tracks, and the musicians were put together by producer Willie Sordill and engineer Karen Kane.As far as “Capital Soup” goes, the song berates “multi-nationals” and CEOs for earning a “quarter-of-a-million base salary.”Carter laughed when reminded of this. “It’s a funny thing; $250,000 as a base salary was a lot of money then.”He didn’t see any need to rewrite it, though. “I think the songs are just as on-target as they were 30 years ago.”He said the CD release was part of “thinking it was time to put the educational and fundraising aspects of the project back to work.”“Hunger is still a big issue, maybe more so. I see it firsthand. I just got a call for a food voucher from a man who is homeless. I see it on a regular basis.“That reality nudged me toward rereleasing” the album.Proceeds from CD sales go to hunger relief. Carter said he had just delivered a check for $200 to OWL’s Kitchen, a Lakeville food bank.The disc costs $18 and is available from Carter or at Oblong Books in Millerton.