DaySpring was released in late 1974 on the MorningStar Records label. The so-called label was actually a design and a name created by the then 18 year old musician and songwriter Patric Calfee (his given name is Patrick Calfee, but he thought it looked cooler to drop the 'k' from the end of his first name).
Patric had been perfoming and writing Christian music for about 3 years at that time. The songs on DaySpring had been road tested before audiences throughout the Akron Ohio area. Performing in "Jesus Movement" coffehouses, concerts, churches and gatherings, the teenage Calfee had unknowingly become one of the acknowledged "Fathers" of the still developing Jesus Music scene. Jesus Music bands from Ohio and western Pennsylvania were creating inspired expressions of devotion in the context of the current Rock music, without much of an eye for commerce or self promotion. In fact, at the time DaySpring came out it was considered a mainstream Rock record by area radio stations and listeners; the segregation of Jesus Music from the mainstream rock scene had not yet happened.
Prior to going into the studio for DaySpring Patric performed only by himself with just an acoustic guitar or a piano. He was friends with several other local Christian musicians who came into the studio to help him out. Al Montgomery (on Bass) was with another local Christian Band and attended the same fellowship in Akron, the Avalon. Al also added some arrangement ideas - and it's him that you hear singing at the end of "Eyes Of The Lord". Don Pleskach (aka Cab Jenkins) had his own Christian band and contributed Bass, Drums, created the bass and drum parts for Gospel Ship, as well as contributing the wah-wah solo in "Eyes Of The Lord". Unknown to most listeners, the wah-wah solo was created by Don singing the part into a mic, no instuments or effects were used 
. The 2 Sax players on Gospel Ship were a pair of brothers, Gary and Jeff Schneider, who were friends of Don's.
Dayspring was recorded on a 4 channel tape recorder, and the mixing board was handmade by the engineer, Tom Krieger. The recording process was much the same as was used by the Beatles and other bands in the previous decade. Instruments were recorded to the 4 channels. Then the 4 channels were mixed down to 2 tracks and 'bounced' (transferred) to a 2 channel tape recorder. The 2 channels were then bounced back to 2 channels on the 4 channel. The 2 open channels on the 4 channel were then recorded, and finally it was all bounced again to the final 2 channel stereo mix. On each of the transfers another track could be recorded, so potentially you could record up to 8 separate parts.
The total recording costs were $315, paid for by Paul Tell, a friend to many ministries in NE Ohio and throughout the world. A large part of the manufacturing costs were paid for by another friend, Mike Giannone.
The album name, Dayspring, and the label name, Morningstar, were chosen because they were names for Jesus. When the record was recorded and manufactured there was never any thought that 35 years later there would still be interest in it. But the expression of delight and freedom in the Lord heard in this record will be appreciated by listeners for years to come.
