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California Groove III

Calif-groove
Warner Bros. France just released "California Groove Vol. III" after the success of the 2 previous compilations. The new 4 cd/set includes 73 great moments of what we call in France "Rock Californien" and "Westcoast Music" including Michael Ruff, Bill Cantos, Bobby Caldwell, Marc Jordan, Rick Riso, Toto, Sad Café, Ambrosia, Foreigner, Jeff Larson, Michael Tomlinson, Peter Friestedt, and many others.

The new 4 cd/set includes 73 songs among "Mistery Girl" BUGATTI & MUSKER", 


King Of Hearts - St

Kingofhearts1989eu

The story of KOH by Bruce Gaitsch:

“In 1989 I was working closely with Alan Kovac, Richard Marx's manager at the time. He told me he was releasing a new Poco album and by the next summer the band would need an opening act for their tour. If I wanted to put a band together we could have a deal (he would manage us) and an opening spot on their tour. He knew Kelly Keagy from Night Ranger was available since they had just broken up. So we had our drummer vocalist. George Hawkins Jr. (Kenny Loggins, John Fogerty) joined after Timothy B. Schmit, who played bass and sang on the early King Of Hearts demos, left to rejoin the Eagles. So we had our bass player vocalist. At the time Richard Marx and myself produced the song “(Everybody's Gotta) Face The Music” with Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon on lead vocals for a movie called “Sing”. We were looking for a backing vocalist with a voice that was higher than Richard's, so Tommy Funderburk (Airplay, Boston, The Front) got the job and he delivered an impressive performance. I asked Tommy if he was interested in joining a band and so we had our lead singer and my main writing partner.Tommy and I had also been writing for his solo deal which didn't happen even after an amazing showcase at the Roxy in June.

Tim Pierce on guitar, Randy Jackson on bass, Mike Baird on drums, CJ Vanston on keys and myself. The band was set...we recorded the basic tracks at Capitol Records studio B with David Cole (Bob Seger, Richard Marx, Jamie Kyle) engineering, producing and mixing. We finished the recordings at my home studio Frantic. David mixed at Lion Share in Hollywood and the record was finished. Wally Traugott mastered the record at Tower Mastering...he mastered several vinyl pressings of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" as well as Boston's first two albums and most of Bob Seger's records. Then things started to get exceedingly difficult as personal problems between the band and management caused Alan Kovac to quit, so we lost our manager and Chrysalis who had paid for our recording and signed us based on Alan's involvement backed out of the deal and the record was never released. A year of hard work and deep emotional commitment was thrown away in a minute. I was furious. Kelly and George went on working with other acts touring and Night Ranger eventually got back together.

They both live nearby here in Nashville now and we have started a new band. The Emotional Rex. We are writing our new project now and will record it soon.Tommy Funderburk and I went on to re-record a lot of the record and some new songs and put it out as a duo in Japan, Europe and South Africa. We even played 2 shows with a makeshift band in Stockholm, Sweden. So now we get to re-release the original record and you all get to hear how great the project was.I hope you enjoy the music and can feel how intent we were on making a super high quality project.I still get chills from "King Of Hearts" as well as "Lovin' Arms"...

”King Of Hearts “1989” album is a prime example of great song writing and amazing musiciansship, in addtion to the great talents in the band “1989” includes songs co-written by Amy Sky and Chris Farren and it also features Jeffrey “CJ” Vanston (Richard Marx, Steve Lukather, Peter Cetera), Bill Champlin (Chicago) and the two (former) Eagles members Randy Meisner and Timothy B. Schmit.

After being shelved for almost a decade “1989” was first released in 1999 in Japan only. The Japanese edition is long out of print and has become a sought after item. With the current release through Avenue Of Allies all AOR and Westcoast fans will have the great chance to add the King Of Hearts debut album to their collections. The first pressing comes as a limited Special Edition in a jewel case with an individually numbered additional slipcase and an extensive booklet including lyrics, new liner notes by Bruce Gaitsch and previously unpublished pictures from the recording sessions.

(Words: Bruce Gaitsch & Gregor Klee)


Work Of Art "In Progress"

Workofartcd

Swedish Melodic Rock champions WORK OF ART are « In Progress » on their second album

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of the anticipated second album from the swedish aces of melodic rock WORK OF ART « In Progress » on August 23rd in North America and August 26th in Europe.

Following the much acclaimed debut record « Art Work », WORK OF ART have not been resting on laurels. While main songwriter and guitarist Robert Sall contributed heavily to the success of the W.E.T. project with Jeff Scott Soto and Erik Martensson and singer Lars Safsund kept busy singing on other projects, WORK OF ART have been working hard to create the foundations of another amazing piece of music. « A lot of blood, sweat & tears went into the making of this album and I think it shows. Maybe we didn’t change the formula all that much» tells Robert Sall, «but we certainly made sure to write, perform and produce at our very best and I think we’ve taken a huge step forward on In Progress ». 

And in reality “In Progress” gives the Melodic Rock fans exactly what they’re looking for, with songs that stick in the ears from the first second and amazing musical licks.

The new album shows three musicians who have matured a lot their abilities and gel together in a very natural way, presenting a sound which – still encompassing different influences – is now defined and recognizable as their own. 

“This time we are definitely planning to play live in support of this record and we're set up for our live debut so, the wheels are in motion!” promises Sall. So watch out for further news from the Swedish rockers! 

The first single “The Great Fall” will be exclusively distributed in Sweden through Sweden Rock Magazine in the issue that will hit the streets on July 19th. This special release will include two exclusive acoustic bonus tracks (unavailable elsewhere) : « Once Again » and « Until You Believe ».


La Collection Georges Lang

Nocturnes

Every nighs, on RTL, the number One radio in France, Radio DJ Georges Lang offers us the best of music via his radio show "Les Nocturnes". You'll find the very best of "Les Nocturnes" in this 4 cd set just released this month.

Tracklisting is:

CD1: 01. RUMER / Slow 02. GORDON HASKELL / How Wonderful You Are (Harry’s Bar) 03. BOBBY DARIN / Beyond The Sea 04. DIONNE WARWICK / Don’t Make Me Over 05. GEORGE BENSON / Nature Boy 06. NORAH JONES / Don’t Know Why 07. JAMES TAYLOR / Mexico 08. NATALIE COLE / This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) 09. ZZ TOP / La Grange 10. RICKIE LEE JONES / Young Blood 11. PHILIP BAILEY / Walking On The Chinese Wall 12. CARLY SIMON / You’re So Vain 13. THE POINTER SISTERS / Slow Hand 14. CHRIS REA / On The Beach 15. NIGHTSHIFT / Ocean Bay 16. SEALS & CROFTS / Summer Breeze 17. OTIS REDDING / (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay 18. CHRISTOPHER CROSS / Sailing 19. AL JARREAU / Your Song 20. MICHAEL BUBLE / All Of Me

CD2: 01. CHICAGO / Saturday In The Park 02. THE DOOBIE BROTHERS / It Keeps You Runnin’ 03. RICKIE LEE JONES / Chuck E.’s In Love 04. MICHAEL FRANKS / Jealousy 05. SPINNERS / Could It Be I’m Falling In Love 06. ARETHA FRANKLIN / I Say A Little Prayer 07. AL GREEN / Let’s Stay Together 06. CARMEL / It’s All In The Game 09. DIONNE WARWICK / Walk On By 10. TERRY CALLIER & PAUL WELLER / Brother To Brother 11. DONNY HATHAWAY / The Ghetto 12. ZZ TOP / Blue Jean Blues 13. RANDY NEWMAN / I Love L.A. 14. GEORGE BENSON / Give Me The Night 15. AL JARREAU / Boogie Down 16. LARSEN FEITEN BAND / Who’ll Be The Fool Tonight ? 17. RAY CHARLES / Mess Around 18. WILSON PICKETT / In The Midnight Hour 19. SAM & DAVE / Soul Man

CD3: 01. THE LITTLE RIVER BAND / Reminiscing 02. CULTURE CLUB / Do You Really Want To Hurt Me 03. ALESSI / Oh Lorie 04. BRYAN FERRY / Slave To Love 05. MICHAEL MCDONALD / I Keep Forgettin’ 06. ARETHA FRANKLIN / (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman 07. BEN E. KING / Stand By Me 08. TEN C.C. / I’m Not In Love 09. THE MANHATTANS / Kiss And Say Goodbye 10. SEAL / A Change Is Gonna Come 11. OTIS REDDING / Try A Little Tenderness 12. THE MAR-KEYS / Last Night 13. PERCY SLEDGE / When A Man Loves A Woman 14. PATTI AUSTIN & JAMES INGRAM / Baby, Come To Me 15. EARTH, WIND & FIRE / After The Love Has Gone 16. THE STEVE MILLER BAND / Fly Like An Eagle 17. SEALS AND CROFTS / Get Closer 18. CHICAGO / Hard To Say I’m Sorry/Get Away

CD4: 01. CHRISTOPHER CROSS / Ride Like The Wind 02. BILL LABOUNTY / Livin’ It Up 03. SONY & CHER / I Got You Babe 04. THE DRIFTERS / Under The Boardwalk 05.S THE SPINNER/ I’ll Be Around 06. AVERAGE WHITE BAND / Pick Up The Pieces 07. CHIC / Good Times 08. THE STEVE MILLER BAND / Abracadabra 09. THE DOOBIE BROTHERS / Takin’ It To The Streets 10. CHRIS REA / Fool (If You Think It’s Over) 11. MICHAEL FRANKS / No-Deposit Love 12. DIONNE WARWICK / Anyone Who Had A Heart 13. DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES / Everytime You Go Away 14. DONNY HATHAWAY / Jealous Guy 15. RANDY VANWARMER / Just When I Needed You Most 16. JOE COKER / You Are Beautiful 17. SIMPLY RED / Holding Back The Years 18. WILSON PICKETT / Hey Jude


Chicago "Live in Concert"

Chidvd

One of the most loved bands in rock history, as well as one of the most commercially successful-with 50 hit songs in the U.S. alone, 18 gold records, a Grammy, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame-Chicago have maintained the unflagging devotion of millions of devoted fans throughout their career.

This DVD documents a live show that was broadcast on TV in 1993 where they play many of their hits from throughout their long career, including ""25 or Six to Four,"" ""You're the Inspiration,"" ""Saturday in the Park,"" and ""Beginnings"" among many others.


Toby Hitchcock 'Mercury's down"

Toby_hitchcock_md_cover

Powerhouse Vocalist Toby Hitchcock to debut solo with « Mercury’s Down »

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of Toby Hitchcock’s debut solo album « Mercury’s Down » on August 23rd in North America and August 26th in Europe.

Toby Hitchcock name and abilities came to the attention of Melodic Rock fans when former Survivor founding member Jim Peterik chose him as the lead singer for the band that would mark his return on the scene: Pride of Lions.

With Pride of Lions, Toby had the chance to sing on three studio albums which are considered as true classic among the fans. Toby also appeared live fronting the band and his performances at the Lokerse Feesten in Belgium and at the United Forces of Rock in Germany created a vast consensus about his amazing abilities. Often compared to Bobby Kimball (Toto), Jimi Jamison (Survivor) or Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Hitchockc’s voice has the depth, the feeling and the extension of each of them, still keeping his own identity and trademark.

While Pride of Lions took a small hiatus (but they are already preparing their full comeback album for 2012), Toby took the chance to hook up, under suggestion from Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino, with the Swedish songwriter and producer Erik Martensson (Eclipse), whose name came to prominence when he wrote and produced the very popular W.E.T. album which saw the return of singer Jeff Scott Soto to Melodic Rock.

Erik’s abilities impressed so much Toby that another marriage made in AOR Heaven could not be avoided! Consequently Erik started to write another bunch of amazing songs which have been sung with ability and passion by Toby. “I feel really great about this album release and I am looking forward to it. I can't wait for people to listen and hopefully enjoy the music that Erik and I put our hearts into. I love every song on the album. Every song is filled with passion and emotion. They are all amazing!” says Toby.

« Mercury’s Down » shows and carves in stone the unbelievable talent of two young guns. Toby is definitely a top vocalist and Erik songwriting and producing abilities keep getting better and better. There is no reason to miss this record, which promises to be easily one of the top Melodic Rock debuts of the year !

 


Airrace "Back To The Start"

Airace

Airrace were formed in Londonduring September 1982 by the then-teenaged guitarist Laurie Mansworth after his decision to quit the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band More.

Keen to play a more melodic form of rock music, Mansworth’s formative line-ups briefly featured former Girl singer Philip Lewis, before being joined by singer Keith Murrell, bassist Jim Reid, keyboard player Tony Sadler and drummer Jason Bonham – the latter the son of Led Zeppelin skin-pounder John. Airrace’s ties to Zeppelin were further enhanced when the legendary manager Peter Grant took the young band under his wing, signing them to Atco Records, a subsidiary of the Atlantic Corporation.

Airrace were flown to New York to work with the producer of the moment, Beau Hill, on their debut album. Having manned the faders on Ratt’s ‘Out Of The Cellar’, Hill pushed the band into a lighter direction than they would have wished, but ‘Shaft Of Light’ received rave reviews when released in October 1984. Indeed, its combination of breezy melodies and snappy choruses moved journalist Derek Oliver to pronounce in the pages of Kerrang! that anyone who didn’t like Airrace “ought to be shot”.

Although the band got to play support slots with Queen, AC/DC, Meat Loaf, Ted Nugent and Krokus, they were aggrieved that Atco could have spent more time, money and care promoting them. With Bonham being courted by Roger Taylor to join Virginia Wolf, an act whose album the Queen drummer was producing, the foundations were further undermined, and Airrace crash-landed in the summer of 1985.

It took a 25th anniversary re-issue of ‘Shaft Of Light’ to reunite the band in 2009. To celebrate the record’s expanded re-release, Mansworth, Murrell, Sadler and Bonham recruited two new members – second guitarist Dean Howard(formerly of T’Pau) and bassist Dave Boyce (ex-Samson, among others) – to hit the road, playing gigs with Thunder, Tesla, Winger and more, in addition to headlining their own shows. When Jason Bonham departed, the occupation of his drum stool by The Outfield’s Simon Dawson brought them vital stability.

It was the overwhelmingly positive reaction to an appearance at annual melodic rock all-dayer the Firefest in October 2009 that convinced Airrace to take things more seriously. Describing what the wild scenes of that day, Fireworks magazine proposed the distinct possibility that Airrace were “the best opening band we’ve ever at a Firefest”.

With Toby Sadler, who resides in Germany, unable to commit to playing more regularly, Airrace hired a new keyboard player called Chris Williams, re-recruiting original bass player Jim Reid as a successor to Dave Boyce.

The above grouping can be heard on ‘Back To The Start’, the along-awaited second album from Airrace. Produced by Mansworth, it’s a notch heavier than ‘Shaft Of Light’ yet continues to offer all of the group’s trademarks, including über-memorable hooks and the exquisite singing of Keith Murrell, recently named at #20 in Classic Rock Presents AOR magazine’s list of the Top 40 AOR Vocalists Of All Time.

As good as anything the Yanks have to offer, we think that you’ll agree: ‘Back To The Start’ is well worth the wait.


Yes "Fly From Here"

Yes

Grammy Award winners YES, one of the most influential and ground-breaking progressive rock ‘n’ roll bands ever, are back with their first all original new album in 10 years. As a dominant force for more than four decades, YES has sold more than 33 million albums worldwide. Their symphonic use of sound and innovative musical style has made each of the group’s players virtuosos in their own right.

"Fly From Here" encompasses YES’ signature brand of mysticism and grand-scale compositions. Maintaining a complex, symphonic sound that features the beautiful harmonies and strong heavy riffs they are known for.

"Fly From Here" sees YES teaming up again with legendary, 2-time Grammy Award winning producer, Trevor Horn (Buggles, Tina Turner, Pet Shop Boys, Paul MCCartney, Simple Minds etc). Horn also collaborated with the songwriting and brought in the sessions his former Buggles and Yes partner Geoff Downes (of Asia) on keyboards, thus recreating the creative environment of the “Drama” album. The legendary designed Roger Dean painted once again the cover art.

YES’ powerful compositions influenced a generation of musicians with a hugely successful and indelible catalogue of music with hit albums such as DRAMA, FRAGILE, CLOSE TO THE EDGE and 90125. Classics such as “Roundabout,” a seminal hit which consistently appears on “the best songs of all-time” lists, and the group’s #1 hit “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” which Horn is responsible for. Taken from the YES album 90125, this single would form part of a unique double, which would see YES and Horn top both the UKand US charts simultaneously.


The Doobie Brothers "Live At Greek Theater 1982"

OobieBrothers

Eagle Rock Entertainment just released The Doobie Brothers "Live at Greek Theater 1982". Filmed at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California in 1982, this concert was the last date on the Doobie Brothers’ “Farewell Tour”. It was an emotional night and would be their last gig for 5 years. The band played a set containing all their best loved hits from across their career and were joined by founder member Tom Johnston for the last two tracks, with former members John Hartman (also from the original line-up), Tiran Porter and Michael Hossack coming on stage for the celebratory finale of “Listen To The Music”. The band are in fantastic form and rise to the occasion magnificently, they can rarely have delivered a better performance throughout their distinguished career.