Icon [An even more perfect union - 1987]

 

Icon [An even more perfect union - 1987]

Origin: Phoenix, Arizona (USA)

Take a listen on Odysee

Take a listen on youtube

Line-up:

Jerry Harrison - Vocals
Dan Wexler - Guitar
John Aquilino - Guitar
Tracy Wallach - Bass, backing vocals
Pat Dixon - Drums, percussion

Additional musicians:

Mark Seagraves - Keyboards

Mark Prentice - Keyboards

Kevin Stoller - Synthesizers

Steven Escallier - Tambourine, handclaps

Tracks:

1. In Your Eyes lyrics

2. Local Heroes lyrics

3. One Step Behind lyrics

4. Walk Away lyrics

5. Forever Young lyrics

6. Lost Love lyrics

7. Eyes of a Prisoner lyrics

8. Better Left Unsaid lyrics

9. Left to Be Alone lyrics

10. Hold On

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Icon [st - 1984]

 

Icon [st - 1984]

Origin: Phoenix, Arizona (USA)

Take a listen on Odysee

Take a listen on youtube

Line-up:

Stephen Clifford - Vocals
Dan Wexler - Guitar
John Aquilino - Guitar
Tracy Wallach - Bass, backing vocals
Pat Dixon - Drums, percussion


Tracks:

1. (Rock On) Through the Night lyrics

2. Killer Machine lyrics

3. On Your Feet lyrics

4. World War lyrics

5. Hot Desert Night lyrics

6. Under My Gun lyrics

7. Iconoclast (instrumental)

8. Rock 'n Roll Maniac lyrics

9. I'm Alive lyrics

10. It's up to You lyrics

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Orphan [Lonely at night - 1983]

 Orphan [Lonely at night - 1983]

Origin: Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada)

Take a listen on youtube

Line-up:

Chris Burke-Gaffney - Vocals, bass
Steve McGovern - Guitar, backing vocals
Ron Boisvenue - Drums, percussion, backing vocals
Brent Diamond - Keyboards, backing vocals


Tracks:

1. Lonely at Night

2. What Kind of Love Is This

3. Miracle

4. She Told Me

5. Saved By the Bell

6. Any Time at All

7. Hello

8. All Over the World

9. Night Parade

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Airkraft [st- 1989]

 

Airkraft [st- 1989]

Origin: Eau Claire, Wisconsin (USA)

Take a listen on youtube

Line-up:

Dave Saindon - Vocals, guitar
Mitch "The V" Viegut - Guitar, backing vocals
Peter Phippen - Bass, backing vocals
"Gyro" - Drums, percussion
Jon Doughlas Dixon "Okoboji" - Keyboards, backing vocals


Tracks:

1. Thief in the night
2. Footsteps
3. Make believe
4. Rock city
5. Midnight confessions
6. One of a kind
7. Trapped in a barrier
8. Completely to you
9. Giving up on love

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Peter Cupples

Origin: Melbourne (Australia)

PETER CUPPLES

Peter Cupples

Discography:

Half the effort, twice the effect - 1984

Notes:

- Peter Cupples has been delighting Australian audiences for three decades. Originally with ‘Stylus’ in the late 70’s, then through the 80’s with the Peter Cupples Band featuring the likes of ‘David Hirshfelder’, ‘Virgil Donati’, ‘Ross Ingles’ and ‘Rob Little’.
Cupples is known by most singers as ‘the singers singer’ and is widely respected by his peers.
Some of his biggest fans come from far and wide ‘Bill Schnee’ producer of ‘Boz Scaggs’ Amy Grant’and ‘Huey Lewis and the News’, ‘legendary horn arranger ‘Gerry Hay ’ and ‘Harvey Mason’ to name a few.
He was the first white singer to sing on the Motown label with ‘Stylus’ and has always maintained a deep respect for soul music.

The band played the Melbourne pub band circuit in the early 80's when pub rock was big business around town. We loved what we were doing, and we felt that we were forging ahead and defining new trends in music. We had a decent publicity machine behind us, and generated a good amount of interest in Australia and overseas. We supported some top overseas artists and received critical acclaim. The album and singles sold well, particularly in Melbourne, but we never received the commercial success that we needed to take the band to the next level.

We never managed to put together the sound that was needed for a big Aussie hit. Maybe we were a bit too different, maybe the timing wasn't right.. - it's hard to say - but we were playing the music we loved playing, and our loyal fans followed us around the circuit as we continued in our pursuit of success.
We started working towards the second album "Half The Effort Twice The Effect". The songs had already become part of our set, and the fans had received them well. We had enough material to put down a follow up to 'Fear Of Thunder'. It was just a matter of working out with the record company which direction the album would take.

Louie Shelton, who is a legendary guitar player from America, came to Australia to produce ‘Half the Effort, Twice the Effect’ back in 1983.  That’s when I first met Louie.  Louie was inducted into America’s Musician’s Hall of Fame in 2009. He played on all The Monkees’ stuff. He has also played with The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye, Boz Scaggs, Lionel Ritchie, Barbra Streisand.

'Half The Effort' was recorded for the American market and as good a recording as it is it is a bit of an orphan. It was never really given its chance to find a place in the local market and suffered from a lack of marketing. It was never even released in the U.S… Locally it was labelled as an American recording and in America it sounded like too many other American bands.  That being said,it was a beautiful album and I loved the music on it. Louis managed to get the legendary Gerry Hey to provide the horns section when he mixed it in the U.S.

"Love Of Another World" was the first single and features that horn section.

"Party Lights" was a poppy song that got some airplay.. Probably the peoples favourite song on the album was a little ballad called "Sitting Here".. Whilst being slightly departed from our rock 'n' roll roots it never failed to bring the house down when played live. We finished it with a little three part harmony that still sounds wonderful today. People still come up to me today and mention that little number,20 years on.

However, for the second time in my career I had reached a stage where the constant drain and grind of touring had worn me down. Similar to the end of the Stylus years, this period in the Peter Cupples Band signaled to me that it was time for a new direction in life.


In an interview with Peter Cupples, conducted by Sharyn Hamey at RockClub40, Cupples talks about his musical inspirations:

Peter has drawn his musical inspiration from a variety of artists.
“James Taylor, for one.  I met James Taylor in Melbourne many years ago. We got to have a beer together and a bit of a chit chat for half an hour. I’d been to see his concert actually and, after his concert, his manager brought him to the night club owned by my manager and I was there and we just sat down and had a few beers. The two managers went off and James and I were sitting at the bar, having a beer and talking about growing up in the country. He was very affable, very quiet in a way and very humble. It was one of the great thrills for me.  I was a massive Taylor fan.  I also admire Stevie Wonder as a complete package… as a musician, as a writer and as a singer - just awesome! I’ve always loved soul singers. The real soul singers like Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Levi Stubbs from the original ‘Four Tops’, ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’ – I’m a big fan of ‘Earth, Wind and Fire.’ That’s from a singer’s point of view. From a musician’s point of view, I love guitar players like Larry Cahill. Love Sting as a poet, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan… as writers.  And I really admire Neil Finn.”I point out that there are probably a lot of people who draw inspiration from Peter Cupples as well. “Actually,” he admits, rather reluctantly, “I had an email the other day from a bass player who is playing with Billy Joel and has played with Madonna and he grew up in Melbourne, following my band, and he drew inspiration from there and he said ‘If it wasn’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have pursued music.’ So he’s making a fortune out of it,”  Peter laughs  “and I’m making nothing! Seriously, though, it certainly is wonderful when someone takes the time out to let you know about it. It gives you a certain amount of satisfaction, I suppose. We all like to think that we’re doing something good.”

Peter is still gigging these days doing mostly solo stuff but has recently tied up with the legendary Jon English to form "Uncorked". They have embarked on producing a lifestyle type program based around our music, wine, food and travel, all rolled in together. We have played together at a number of vineyards, and have filmed a pilot special in Tasmania earlier this year. They are hoping to expand the show, to cover the other parts of Australia, when they secure a network deal. -

(http://rockonvinyl.blogspot.com/2015/10/peter-cupples-half-effort-twice-effect.html)




- PETER CUPPLES is the former lead singer and songwriter of ‘STYLUS’ – the Australian blue-eyed soul band who became the first ‘all white band’ to be signed by the US Motown label, Tamala.
Peter first came to prominence with Stylus in 1975, releasing four albums with hits such as ‘Summer Breeze’ and ‘World of Make Believe’ before the band split in 1980.

A successful solo career followed throughout the 80’s, with a top 20 hit for his first release, ‘Fear of Thunder’, and success with the song ‘Blame it on the Weather’ – not only for Peter but also for John Farnham, whose voice, incidentally, Peter’s soaring vocals are often compared to. Peter also became a regular on TV shows such as The Midday Show, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Tonight Live, and Carols by Candlelight at the Myer Music Bowl.

Other albums released include ‘Still Alive’ (with a reformed Stylus); ‘Changes’, ‘Bac2basix’ – a roots album filled with wonderful storytelling songs such as ‘Pioneers’, ‘Family’ and the ‘Poor Man’s Al Jolson; a jazz standards album, ‘About Time’; and ‘Home Grown’ – Peter’s own tribute to some of his favourite Aussie artists.

Over the last decade, Peter has toured both solo and with Stylus, and with his close friend, Australian rock legend, the late Jon English. Their collaborative show, Uncorked’, filled with nostalgia and good humoured banter, delighted audiences everywhere throughout Australia.

Peter works with many charities and has written songs for the ‘Make a Wish Foundation’ and the ‘Sacred Heart Foundation’.


His latest album, ‘OBSERVATIONS’ – which he describes as ‘a collection of songs that look at the heart of our everyday existence, some personal, some not’ – was released in October 2016. “I am extremely proud of this album,’ says Cupples. “I truly believe it is probably one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

Peter will be touring nationally following the album launch date. Don’t miss your chance to see this great Australian talent perform his extensive repertoire of old and new! -

(http://www.petercupples.com/bio/bio_growingup.htm)

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Peter Cupples [Half the effort, twice the effect - 1984]

Peter Cupples [Half the effort, twice the effect - 1984]

Origin: Melbourne (Australia)

Take a listen on youtube

Line-up:

Peter Cupples - Vocals, backing vocals

Ross Inglis - Guitar, backing vocals
Louie Shelton - Guitar
Brian Hamilton - Bass
Virgil Donati - Drums, percussion
Mike Fisher - Percussion
David Hirschfelder - Keyboards, synthesizers
Cory Fite - Synthesizers, backing vocals
Christopher Bogan - Synthesizers
Jerry Hey - Trumpet
Chuck Findley - Trumpet
Larry Williams - Saxophone
Bill Reichenback - Trombone
Dan Higgins - Saxophone
Dario D'Angelo Bidino - Backing vocals
Adrian Campbell - Backing vocals
Petsye Powell - Backing vocals
Dani Micormick - Backing vocals
Nancye Buche - Backing vocals


Tracks:

1. Don't You Leave Me Now
2. Let Me Crawl
3. Love Of Another World
4. Just Can't Live
5. Never Mind
6. Party Lights
7. In The Pitts
8. Sitting Here
9. Do You Still Remember Me
10. On The Run

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Michael McDonald

Origin: St. Louis, Missouri (USA)

MICHAEL McDONALD

Michael McDonald

Discography:

No lookin' back - 1985 (with lyrics)

Notes:

- Michael McDonald (born February 12, 1952) is an American singer, songwriter, keyboardist and record producer.

McDonald's music career spans more than 45 years. His early career included singing with Steely Dan. He joined the Doobie Brothers in 1976 and remained an integral member until 1982, after which he released the first of nine solo albums. During his career, he has collaborated with a number of other artists, including Kenny Loggins, David Cassidy, Van Halen, Patti LaBelle, the Winans, Aretha Franklin, Toto, Grizzly Bear and Thundercat. He has also recorded for television and film soundtracks. During his career, McDonald has won five Grammy Awards.

Michael McDonald was born on February 12, 1952, into an Irish American Catholic family in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. McDonald attended McCluer High School where he played in local bands including Mike and the Majestics, Jerry Jay and the Sheratons, the Reeb-Toors/Younger Brothers and the Guild. He was 'discovered' while playing with a band called Blue and moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1970 to pursue a career in music.
In 1974, McDonald became a member of Steely Dan's touring band, singing lead and backing vocals. He also became one of the many in-studio adjunct members of the band, providing backing vocals on tracks for 1975's Katy Lied. He appeared on subsequent Steely Dan recordings including 1976's The Royal Scam and 1977's Aja. He also played keyboards on some Steely Dan tracks.

McDonald continued to provide backing vocals for Steely Dan through their 1980 release, Gaucho. In 2006, he joined Steely Dan on the band's summer tour, both as the opening act and as part of the band.

McDonald was recruited by the rock band the Doobie Brothers in April 1975, initially as a temporary replacement for their lead vocalist Tom Johnston after he had become ill during a national tour, but his work with the band proved so successful that they decided to retain him as a full-time member.

As a member of the Doobie Brothers, McDonald sang the lead vocals on some of the band's best-known songs such as "Real Love", "Takin' It to the Streets", "Little Darling (I Need You)", "It Keeps You Runnin'", "Minute by Minute", and "What a Fool Believes" (which became a No. 1 single in the U.S. and earned him a 1980 Grammy Award for Song of the Year along with co-writer Kenny Loggins). At the same time, McDonald appeared as a session vocalist and keyboardist for various artists, including Christopher Cross, Stephen Bishop, Jack Jones, Bonnie Raitt, the rock band Toto and Kenny Loggins. McDonald co-wrote "You Belong to Me" with Carly Simon, which appeared on the album Livin' on the Fault Line.

McDonald reunited as a guest performer with the Doobie Brothers several times since the band's initial dissolution in 1982. He re-teamed with the Doobie Brothers for the track "Don't Say Goodbye" on the band's thirteenth studio album, World Gone Crazy. In March 2014, he reunited with the Doobie Brothers to record a brand-new album featuring the greatest hits of the Doobies' 40-plus-year career. This project was completed in conjunction with Sony Music Nashville. On the album, McDonald shares lead vocals with Sara Evans for "What a Fool Believes", Love and Theft for "Takin' it to the Streets", and Amanda Sudano-Ramirez for "You Belong to Me". The album, titled Southbound, was released on November 4, 2014, as the Doobie Brothers' fourteenth studio album.

On November 5, 2014, McDonald and the Doobie Brothers were featured musical guests on the 47th annual CMA Awards to celebrate the release of Southbound. They were joined by Hunter Hayes, Jennifer Nettles and Hillary Scott in their performance of "Listen to the Music." At the end of the awards ceremony, they were also joined by host Brad Paisley for "Takin' It to the Streets".

After the Doobie Brothers' first farewell tour, McDonald released his first solo studio album, If That's What It Takes, in 1982 on the label Warner Bros. The album featured the hit singles "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)", a duet with his sisters Kathy and Maureen, and "I Gotta Try", a song co-written with Kenny Loggins, who also recorded in that same year for his fourth album High Adventure.

He continued to collaborate with other artists during this period. McDonald co-wrote Van Halen's Top 20 hit "I'll Wait", from their biggest-selling album 1984. "Yah Mo B There", a duet with James Ingram, won the 27th Annual Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In 1985, he released his second studio album No Lookin' Back, which for the first time, he co-produced, as well as wrote or co-wrote all of the tracks and featured a minor hit with the title-track, co-written by Kenny Loggins. By June 1986, the album had met little success, but McDonald then had a huge boost with the release of the single "Sweet Freedom", which appeared on the soundtrack to the Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines film Running Scared, and was McDonald's last Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The No Lookin' Back album was then re-released in some markets with the new hit single included, as well as a few songs remixed. The single "On My Own", a duet with Patti LaBelle, reached No. 1 on the U.S. charts in 1986. Later that year, he would perform as a backing vocalist on Toto's album Fahrenheit, appearing on the hit single "I'll Be Over You", as well its accompanying video. On August 22, 1986, McDonald appeared in an episode of The Young and the Restless. Also in 1987, McDonald did a featured collaboration with gospel quartet the Winans from their Decisions album titled "Love Has No Color".

In 1990, McDonald released his third studio album, Take It to Heart, which featured a minor hit with the title-track, co-written by Diane Warren. The following year he joined the New York Rock and Soul Revue, put together by Steely Dan's lead vocalist Donald Fagen and featuring other artists such as Boz Scaggs and Phoebe Snow. In 1991, he released the single "Ever Changing Times", a duet with Aretha Franklin.

In 1999, McDonald recorded the song "Eyes of a Child" for the South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which is a comedic ballad written by Trey Parker. It was also used at the ending credits for the movie. The same year, he sang backing vocals on the Warren Brothers' single "Better Man", from their album Beautiful Day in the Cold Cruel World. He also provided lead vocals for one of three studio tracks on Chicago XXVI: Live in Concert.

In 2003, he earned two Grammy nominations for his album Motown, a tribute to the Motown sound. A year later, Motown Two was released. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated, "The album follows the same blueprint as the first record, offering highly polished, professionally produced, expertly performed interpretations of gems from the Motown vaults."

In 2008, McDonald released his album Soul Speak, which includes three new songs penned by McDonald, and covers of songs by Dionne Warwick ("Walk On By"), Stevie Wonder ("Living for the City"), Van Morrison ("Into the Mystic"), Tyrone Davis ("Baby Can I Change My Mind") and others.

In 2000, McDonald, along with partners Chris Pelonis and actor Jeff Bridges, founded the independent recording label Rampe St. Louis Walk of Fame. McDonald recorded a duet with Ray Charles on Charles' 2004 Genius Loves Company. In 2007, McDonald helped judge the sixth annual Independent Music Awards. In 2006, McDonald sang as a guest singer in the jazz quartet Fourplay from the album X, in a cover of Steve Winwood's song "My Love's Leavin'".

In 2009, McDonald, along with the West Angeles COGIC Mass Choir, released the song "Storm Before the Calm" on the compilation album Oh Happy Day. McDonald also contributed an alternate lead vocal track for "While You Wait for the Others", a single by the indie rock band Grizzly Bear, which released as a 7-inch single.

In December 2009, McDonald donated his performance to Keep the Beat in Santa Barbara, California, where he played to a capacity crowd at the newly renovated Granada Theater. Harry Rabin, producer and head of Keep the Beat, an initiative of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, produced the show, including two video productions and worked with student choral groups from primary and secondary schools as well as a brass section so they could perform in the show with McDonald and his band.

In 2009, McDonald appeared on the satirical television sitcom 30 Rock as one of the benefit singers in the season finale episode "Kidney Now!". McDonald performed the national anthem before the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl between the Boise State Broncos and TCU Horned Frogs at the University of Phoenix Stadium on January 4, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. McDonald sang "Takin' It to the Streets" on the American Idol, season nine finale, in 2010.

In 2010, McDonald teamed up again with Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs to form The Dukes of September. In June 2012, the supergroup performed on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to promote their tour. The group also played at Lincoln Center, a performance which was then broadcast as a PBS special and later released on DVD.

In 2013, McDonald settled a $500,000 breach-of-contract suit (out of court) with Warner Music over underpayment of royalties of online sales. In the summer of 2014, he co-headlined a U.S. tour with the band Toto.

In 2017, McDonald was featured together with Kenny Loggins on Thundercat's single "Show You the Way", included on the latter's album Drunk. In June 2017, McDonald, Loggins and Thundercat performed the song together on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

McDonald has been married to singer Amy Holland since 1983 and they have two children, Dylan (born 1987) and Scarlett (born 1991). He moved with his family to Santa Barbara, in the late 1990s. -

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_McDonald_(musician))





- With his husky, soulful baritone, Michael McDonald became one of the most distinctive and popular vocalists to emerge from the laid-back California pop/rock scene of the late '70s. McDonald found the middle ground between blue-eyed soul and smooth, soft rock, a sound that made him a star. He initially essayed his signature style with the Doobie Brothers, ushering in the group's most popular period with hits like "What a Fool Believes" and "Taking It to the Streets." McDonald disbanded the group in 1982 to pursue a solo career, which was initially quite successful, but by the end of the decade his popularity had faded away, since he was reluctant to work regularly and hesitant to update his sound to suit shifting popular tastes.

After singing backup on several Steely Dan albums in the mid-'70s, Michael McDonald joined the Doobie Brothers in 1977. He was largely responsible for moving the group away from boogie rock and toward polished, jazzy blue-eyed soul. Prior to the Doobies' farewell tour in 1982, he sang harmony on several hit singles, including tracks by Donna Summer, Toto, Kenny Loggins, and Christopher Cross. As it turned out, McDonald's solo work was a cross between the Doobie Brothers' white-bread soul and Cross' adult contemporary ballads.

McDonald released his solo debut, If That's What It Takes, in 1982. The record climbed to number six on the strength of the number four single "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)," which also crossed over into the R&B Top Ten. In 1983, he had another Top 20 pop hit (and a Top Ten R&B hit) with his duet with James Ingram, "Yah Mo B There." McDonald didn't deliver his second solo album, No Lookin' Back, until 1985. The record wasn't as successful as its predecessor, producing only one moderate hit in its title track. He bounced back the following year, when his duet with Patti LaBelle, "On My Own," shot to number one and "Sweet Freedom," his theme for the Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines comedy Running Scared, climbed into the Top Ten.

Instead of capitalizing on his revitalized success, McDonald didn't release another album until 1990. The resulting Take It to Heart was a bomb, peaking at number 110. Two years later, his fortunes were revived somewhat when he sang on Aretha Franklin's minor hit "Ever Changing Times" and toured with Donald Fagen's New York Rock and Soul Revue. The following year, he released Blink of an Eye, which was ignored. In 1994, "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" was sampled heavily in Warren G's smash hit "Regulate." By 1996, McDonald had returned to the Doobie Brothers, touring the oldies circuit with the reunited group. The following year, he released Blue Obsession, his first album of new material in three years. He released a Christmas album, In the Spirit: A Christmas Album, in 2001, and began a series of recordings devoted to the Motown catalog with 2003's Motown. Motown Two and Soul Speak followed in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Tribute to Motown Live followed in 2009.

McDonald spent the first half of the 2010s touring, both on his own and as part of the Dukes of September revue featuring Boz Scaggs and Donald Fagen. He also became a hip name to drop among younger musicians, appearing on records by Grizzly Bear and Thundercat. In 2017, McDonald returned to recording with Wide Open, his first album of original material in 17 years. -

(https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michael-mcdonald-mn0000459616/biography)

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Michael McDonald [No lookin' back - 1985]

Michael McDonald [No lookin' back - 1985]

Origin: St. Louis, Missouri (USA)

Take a listen on youtube

Line-up:

Michael McDonald - Vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, organ

David Pack - Guitar, synthesizers
Robben Ford - Guitar
Joe Walsh - Guitar
Nathan East - Bass
Willie Weeks - Bass
George Perilli - Drums, drum programming
Jeff Porcaro- Drums, cymbal
"Roger" - Drums
Staff Fieldhouse - Drums
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion
Brian Mann - Synthesizers
Chuck Sabatino - Synthesizers
Rick DePiro - Synthesizers
Randy Goodrum - Synthesizers
Mike Hanna - Synthesizers
Scott Plunkett - Synthesizers
Cornelius Bumpus - Tenor Saxophone
Chris Pelonis - Programming
Chuck Sabatino - Backing vocals


Tracks:

1. No Lookin' Back lyrics
2. Bad Times lyrics
3. (I'll Be Your) Angel lyrics
4. By Heart lyrics
5. Any Foolish Thing lyrics
6. Our Love lyrics
7. (I Hang) On Your Every Word lyrics
8. Lost In The Parade lyrics
9. Don't Let Me Down lyrics

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Greg Guidry

Origin: St. Louis, Missouri (USA)

GREG GUIDRY

Greg Guidry

Discography:

Over the line - 1982

Notes:

- Gregory M. Guidry (January 23, 1954 – July 28, 2003), better known as Greg Guidry was an American singer-songwriter.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he played piano and sang gospel as a child, and sang in a band with future Doobie Brother Michael McDonald as a teenager. With quite a bit of help from Rich Lang, friend and fellow multi-talented musician, they wrote and recorded several demos, drove to New York from St.Louis and signed a publishing contract with CBS Records in 1977 and wrote songs for Climax Blues Band, Robbie Dupree, Exile, Johnny Taylor, Sawyer Brown, and Reba McEntire. In 1981 he sang as a backing vocalist for the Allman Brothers Band on their 1981 album Brothers of the Road. He signed with Columbia in 1982 and released an album, Over the Line, which produced two hit singles, "Goin' Down" (US #17, US AC #11) and a duet with his sister Sandy, "Into My Love" (US #92).[1]

While he continued to do songwriting work later in the 1980s, he did not issue a follow-up album until 2000, when Soul'd Out and Private Session were released, and his debut album was re-released.

On July 28, 2003, Guidry died in a fire at age 53. His charred body was found in a car parked in his garage in Fairview, Tennessee. His death was ruled a suicide. -

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Guidry)

- Singer/songwriter Greg Guidry was born in St. Louis, MO on January 23, 1954, and started out singing gospel music as a child. He remained active with music growing up and sang in bands through high school and college, including several with future Doobie Brother (and St. Louis native) Michael McDonald. He signed a publishing deal in 1977, spending the next several years writing for other artists and even singing backup for the Allman Brothers Band in 1981. Columbia Records signed Guidry as an artist in 1982 and issued his debut, Over the Line. With its adult pop sound, Over the Line produced a hit with the first single culled from it, "Goin' Down." The song peaked at number 17 in the spring of 1982 and managed to do even better on the adult contemporary charts, where it reached Top Ten status. The follow-up track, a duet with sister Sandy Guidry, failed to duplicate the success of "Goin' Down" and spent a mere two weeks on the charts. Guidry would continue to write for others, but it would be nearly 20 years before he would issue additional material, with 2000's self-released Soul'd Out and Private Session. Guidry died on July 28, 2003 at his home in Fairview, TN. His burned body was found in a car parked in his garage, and his death was ruled a suicide. He was 49 years old. -

(https://www.allmusic.com/artist/greg-guidry-mn0000192370)

- Gregory M. Guidry was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Greg is a singer-songwriter-pianist who had 2 A.C./A.O.R. hit singles in the US Pop Charts in 1982, one of which, Goin’ Down, reached the Top 10. Greg began singing Gospel as a child and by his teens had taken piano lessons and was playing and singing in local bands throughout high school and college. He was also lead singer of some of the same bands in St. Louis as his good friend, Michael McDonald.

In 1977, he signed a deal with CBS Songs Publishing. He started writing songs and played with various bands during that time. In 1981, he got a gig as a background singer on the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND’s Brothers Of The Road (for Arista Records). His songs were used on albums by such great artists like Climax Blues Band, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Robbie Dupree, Exile, Johnny Taylor, Sawyer Brown and Reba McEntire.

Greg signed to Columbia Records in 1982 and released his first solo LP Over The Line that same year. Over The Line featured David Hungate (TOTO), Dan Huff, Bobby LaKind, David Sanborn, William Page, and Dennis Henson (Fools Gold).

The single Goin’ Down, also written by Guidry, was taken from the album and reached #17 in the Billboard Top 40 (also #10 on Radio and Records Pop Charts and #10 on Radio and Records Adult Contemporary Charts). Only one follow-up single Into My Love (a duet with his sister Sandy), made the Charts. During the ’80s, Greg worked a lot as a songwriter (in particular for EMI Music Publishing), and collaborating with songwriters like Bill LaBounty, Steve Kipner and Jeff Silbar. He has also his own publishing company called “Send Us Music, Inc.”

Greg has worked with a lot of artists: The Allman Brothers Band, Johnny Cobb, Charlie Daniels, James Ingram, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Robbie Dupree, Bill Champlain, Keith Thomas, David Goldfiles, Randall Hart, Dennis Henson, Marguerite Luciani, Joe Pizzulo, John Ryan, Jeff Silverman, Dan Toler, David Frankie Toler, Butch Trucks, and Chip Young.

His credits as background vocalist includes: Allman Brothers Best Of album (1994), Jag Fire In The Temple and The Only World In Town (1991), David Martin Stronger Than The Weight (1994), as well as vocals for The Allman Brothers Brothers Of The Road (1981).

July 28, 2003 Greg Guidry (age 53) died in a fire accident of his residence. A charred body found in a car parked inside the home garage were identified as that of singer-songwriter Greg Guidry. -

(https://www.westcoast.dk/artists/g/greg-guidry/)

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Greg Guidry [Over the line - 1982]

Greg Guidry [Over the line - 1982]

Origin: St. Louis, Missouri (USA)

Take a listen on youtube

Line-up:

Greg Guidry - Vocals, piano, backing vocals
Sandy Guidry - Vocals (duet), backing vocals
Dann Huff - Guitar
David Hungate - Bass
Gary Lunn - Bass
Larry Crew - Bass
James Stroud - Drums
Mark Hammond - Drums
Mike Psanos - Drums
Bobby LaKind - Percussion
Gabriel Katona - Synthesizers
Phil Naish - Piano
David Sanborn - Saxophone
William Page - Saxphone
Muscle Shoals Horns - Horns
Cathie Guidry - Backing vocals
Denny Henson - Backing vocals
Randy K. Guidry - Backing vocals


Tracks:

1. Goin' Down
2. (That's) How Long
3. Show Me Your Love
4. If Love Doesn't Find Us
5. Gotta Have More Love
6. Over the Line
7. (I'm) Givin' It Up
8. Are You Ready for Love
9. Into My Love
10. Darlin' It's You

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Jay Gruska

Origin: Brooklyn, New York (USA)

JAY GRUSKA

Jay Gruska

Discography:

Which one of us is me - 1984

Notes:

- Jay Gruska (born April 23, 1952) is an American songwriter and composer best known for his film and television scoring, and for writing hit songs for a variety of artists. He has composed musical scores for dozens of TV dramas, with over 500 hours of shows played internationally.

Gruska has received three Emmy Award nominations, one Genie Award nomination, and nine ASCAP awards. Some of his best-known scores are for the TV shows Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Charmed, and Supernatural.

Gruska started his career as a singer/songwriter. He had recording contracts with ABC Records and Warner Bros. Records with the band MAXUS, for which he was the lead singer and songwriter. Warner Bros. Records later released his solo album Which One of Us Is Me, which Gruska also produced. He was briefly a member of Three Dog Night in 1976, replacing Danny Hutton, until the group disbanded.

Gruska is also known for co-writing the hit duet "Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)" for Jermaine and Michael Jackson; the Gloria Loring/Carl Anderson duet "Friends and Lovers" (also released in a country version under the title "Both To Each Other (Friends and Lovers)," performed by Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt); and Amy Grant's "Good for Me".

In November 2014, the 200th episode of Supernatural, titled "Fan Fiction", aired on The CW. Gruska wrote and produced two songs for the episode (co-writing the lyrics with screenwriter Robbie Thompson). Within 24 hours after the episode aired, one of the songs, "The Road So Far", was #3 on the iTunes soundtrack chart and #57 among all songs on iTunes.

Gruska is the father of Barbara and Ethan Gruska, the members of the pop music duo The Belle Brigade. -

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Gruska)




- Jay Gruska started out with his first recording contract at twenty-one years old. From there he has seamlessly morphed from singer-songwriter to record producer to theatrical music composer to film and television composer–sometimes all at once. He is one of the few composers who has enjoyed a Top Five movie in the country, Mo’ Money, a Top Ten hit on the Pop Charts, "Good For Me", and a hit TV series with an Emmy nominated theme, Lois And Clark, all within the same year. As a result, his composing skills run an unusually diverse range–from Gregorian Chant to World Music-- from Benny Goodman swing to the lyrical soar or crash of an orchestral piece-- from the rawest of Blues to the Avant-Garde and back , again.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y, Gruska lived until the age of nine in Caracas, Venezuela. He then moved to Los Angeles, California . Influenced early on by the Latin rhythms he was surrounded by, and with the Broadway musicals played in his home, he developed a unique sensibility, and a constantly evolving mixture of musical styles and genres.

All this versatility has served him well. Recently, Jay was nominated for two more Emmy’s-- one for his moody, affecting underscore for the highly acclaimed and therefore short-lived television series Falcone, and the second for the gritty main title theme for the same series. During the same period he created a quirky, indigenous score for indie film Par Six, for director Grant Heslov. (Gruska also scored Heslov’s amusing academy short, Waiting For Woody, featuring George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston.)

Staying true to his broad range of interests, he recently scored an NBC Movie of the Week called War Stories, and he is currently writing the music for three television series, Wildfire, a one hour drama for ABC Family, Charmed for the WB and Supernatural for the CW. In addition, he is collaborating on a musical version of The Front (the 1972 movie starring Woody Allen), with Paul Gordon (Tony nominated composer of Jane Eyre). Gruska and Gordon teamed up earlier to create the musical Greetings From Venice Beach. (Gruska and Gordon have written many pop songs together, most notably, Friends And Lovers, which rode to the top of four charts, Pop, AC, Country, and R&B, and for which they received four ASCAP Awards for Among Most Performed Songs two years running.)

While Jay continued to write songs covered by such artists as Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Robert Palmer, Chicago, The Pointer Sisters, Patti LaBelle, and others, he yearned to try something new. Concurrently, he was recording a solo album for Warner Brothers and he decided to include an orchestral instrumental. This in turn inspired him to go back to UCLA to study film composing. He originally broke into film by arranging and producing music for such films as Cocoon, and Commando. He also composed songs for the films Stella (One More Cheer, performed by Bette Midler), Shadow Dancing (his music was nominated for a Genie, the Canadian Oscar), Adventures In Babysitting, and others.

He went on to compose scores for feature films such as The Principal, Shadow Dancing and Mo’ Money. At the same time he has continued composing for television for such shows as Lois And Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sisters, Thirtysomething, Beverly Hills 90210, That’s Life, and The Division.

He is constantly seeking to forge new sounds and master new styles. He is equally at home with a group of live musicians as in front of a bank of electronics, although he says he will always swear by the former... -

(http://www.jaygruska.com/new_site/bio.html)

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Jay Gruska [Which one of us is me - 1984]

Jay Gruska [Which one of us is me - 1984]

Origin: Brooklyn, New York (USA)

Take a listen on youtube

Line-up:

Jay Gruska - Vocals, synthesizers, piano, drum programming, backing vocals
Michael Landau - Guitar
Tony Berg - Guitar
Steve Lukather - Guitar
Nathan East - Bass
Mike Porcaro - Bass
Abraham Laboriel - Bass
Neil Stubenhaus - Bass
John Pierce - Bass
John "JR" Robinson - Drums
Carlos Vega - Drums
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums
Doane Perry - Drums
Michael Fisher - Percussion
Don Williams - Percussion
John Gilston - Drum programming
Gary Chang - Programming
Craig Siegel - Programming
Steve Williams - Programming
Michael Omartian - Synthesizers, drum programming
Randy Kerber - Synthesizers, piano, backing vocals
Chaz Love - Synthesizers
George Englund - Flute
Brock Walsh - Backing vocals
Jermaine Jackson - Backing vocals
Debbie Shapiro - Backing vocals
Michelle Gruska - Backing vocals
Paul Gordon - Backing vocals
Jenny Gruska - Backing vocals
Barbara Gruska - Backing vocals
Bill Mumy - Backing vocals
Tanya Wolf - Backing vocals
Joseph Williams - Backing vocals
Nick Uhrig - Backing vocals


Tracks:

1. Desperate Eyes
2. Atlanta Calling
3. Tattoo
4. The Motion
5. Cancun
6. Which One Of Us Is Me
7. Take a Number
8. Famous
9. Circus
10. Baby Theme

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