“Welcome To The Show” is the 3rd single from Alice’s forthcoming studio album – Road. It’s a fast paced rocker, written for and about the live show, clocking in at just over 3 and a half minutes. My favorite of the 3 new tunes! Road was produced by Bob Ezrin, and features Alice’s touring band, including co-writing. Check it out –
Links:
https://alicecooper.lnk.to/show
https://alicecooper.lnk.to/road
While checking out Canadian LPs from 1978, I got to revisiting this favorite, released in the summer of that year, Streetheart’s debut, and best album! Streetheart was originally based in Regina, Saskatchewan, and fronted by Kenny Shileds, and joined by Daryl Gutheil (keys), Matt Frenette (drums), Ken Sinnaeve (bass), and Paul Dean (guitar). Meanwhile Back In Paris‘ LP title was taken from the opening line in the first cut “Action” – the band’s best known classic, and the one Streetheart tune most likely to still be played on Canadian radio. The album though was preceded by a limited edition 12 inch single titled The 12 Incher!!!, and featured 3 tracks from the upcoming album – “Just For You”, “Action”, and “Can You Feel It”. The 12 Incher!!! was released in limited numbers (3500), on red vinyl (I have a white-label promo copy). Meanwhile Back In Paris featured 9 songs, all of which rock, making for a solid album of cool Canadian hard-rock. Aside from the obvious classic “Action”, favorites include “Pressure”, “Street Walker”, “Look At Me” (the single) and “Just For You”. “Action” – I can’t help to draw comparisons to the 1980 Loverboy hit “Turn Me Loose”, both with the longer keyboard in the intro, as well as each singer hitting that big note in similar style – with the word “crazy” on “Action” and “fly my way” on the Loverboy tune, and both featuring stand-out bass lines. Sinnaeve’s bass playing throughout this is a big part of the sound, driving a number of songs, such as “Can You Feel It”.
This album has a much more energy to it, more guitar heavy hard-rock than later Streetheart albums, which went in a more AOR style and production (though the follow-up Under Heaven, Over Hell is a fine album). Streetheart (and Shields) initially drew comparisons to Steve Marriott and The Faces and Meanwhile Back In Paris was hailed as “the greatest debut by a Canadian R&R band”. It would sell over 100 000 copies in Canada, earning a Platinum award, but would not get a US release (tho’ it would be the reason for the band getting a US deal for future albums). It did get released in a number of European countries (Germany, etc..) as well as South Africa! Classic album cover shot by Myron Zabol who would be credited on a few other Streetheart albums, as well as albums by The Dudes and Shania Twain.
Paul Dean, who co-wrote most of the album would leave after this album to form Loverboy, and was joined by Matt Frenette (after another Streetheart LP). Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve would go on to work with numerous Canadian acts, and later joined Loverboy as well. Four songs from Meanwhile Back In Paris would feature on the 1981 compilation LP Action – The Best Of Streetheart, and Paul Dean would include a new version of “Action” on his 1988 solo album – Hard Core. The original Streetheart reunited in August of 1993, and a live recording from this was later released as One Night One Take. Streetheart carried on after the passing of Kenny Shields in 2017 (RIP), with founding members Sinnaeve and Gutheil, along with longtime guitarist Jeff Neil and drummer Chris Sutherland, and singer Paul McNair (Harlequin).
Streetheart With WEA
Gary Muth has announced the signing of Regina -based group Streetheart to WEA Canada for a long-term recording agreement.
In conjunction with the signing, it was announced that Don Valley Music Ltd. will be the sole publisher of all compositions written and recorded by the band, who will enter the studios shortly to record their first
album, with George Semkiw producing. (CashBox, 10, 08, 77)
MEANWHILE BACK IN CALGARY: Streetheart must be one of the
brightest lights to shine here in the north. The act is currently in the midst of a cross country tour to promote their debut album, “Meanwhile Back In Paris.” Their 12″ EP, with slick cover art and even slicker HM licks inside, managed to turn some heads and airplay on this act is a natural. Contained in “Just For You” is the sound of a beer bottle smashing, captured so well that heads invariably turn to spot the clumsy goof who dropped it. Worth hunting for. – (Record World, 07,01,78)
STREETHEART MEANWHILE BACK IN PARIS/Atlantic KCA 92002
A beat set in a drone stresses the bottomy nature of Streetheart. Their tunes are O.K., the best of them being ” Pressure.” Streetheart rocks steadily. A fine instrumental called “Captain Rhythm” graces side two. Merit. (Walrus Magazine, 03,12,79)
HOW DO YOU CALL YOUR LOVER BOY: Paul Dean has been carving an excellent reputation as a guitarist on the prairies with his contributions to both Scrubbalo Caine and Streetheart. Now comes news that he’s teamed up with former Hammersmith and Moxy vocalist Mike Reno for a new hard rock act, Lover Boy. Teaming up to handle management are Bruce Allen (of BTO and Prism fame), who runs a west coast booking agency, and Lou Blair, owner of the Calgary club, The Refinery, where Doucette recorded a live number for his latest album. Blair also handled management for former CBS act Fosterchild. (RecordWorld, 07, 28, 79)
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/streetheartofficial/
http://www.twitter.com/Streetheartband
https://www.kenspidersinnaeve.com/
HURRICANE were a short-lived ’80s band, known for featuring members with more famous brothers at the time (Robert Sarzo and Tony Cavazo, who both had brothers in Quiet Riot). Hurricane also featured 2 others who would be much more known years later – Kelly Hansen and Jay Schellen. They recorded an EP, and 2 LPs, the first LP Over The Edge being somewhat successful with the hit “I’m On To You”, as well as a cover of Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen”, with the album being produced by Bob Ezrin! The band’s 1990 follow-up featured Doug Aldrich on guitar (replacing Sarzo). The band split, with Hansen joining Schellen for one Unruly Child album in 1998, as well as singing on Stuart Smith’s debut Heaven And Earth, and then collaborating on an album with Tim Donahue (Into The Light, 2000). In 2001 Hansen and Schellen recorded a new album under the Hurricane name, but without Sarzo or Cavazo, instead using bass player Larry Antonino (Unruly Child) and a number of guitar players, mostly Sean Manning. With all the hoopla over Kelly Hansen’s time with Foreigner coming to an end with the ‘farewell tour’, I pulled this out a while back and had it in the car. I forgot just how good this album was!
Certainly better than the previous Hurricane album, and more guitar heavy, less polished, with lots of really good songs on it. Liquifury opens with what sounds like a guy driving in the rain and flipping radio channels – of which each is playing an old Hurricane song, before tuning to the next one and the rocking opener “River Gold” kicks in. A shame this album likely didn’t get a lot of attention at the time, tracks like “Heart Made Of Stone”, “New God”, and “Torn” are some of the best songs ever released under the Hurricane name. This album definitely sounds more ‘live’ than the previous ones. Best pick for a hit single here is the heavy power ballad “Happy To Be Your Fool”. A solid album, well worth revisiting if you can find it.
Soon after this Hansen would go on to join Foreigner and sang on the Can’t Slow Down album, which I don’t think is as good as Liquifury! Schellen went on to work with Asia (featuring John Payne), GPS, Unruly Child, and eventually YES. Sarzo and Cavazo have recently resurrected Hurricane with a new singer and drummer (and the drummer’s last name is Hansen!). I imagine due to Kelly Hansen’s commitments to Foreigner and Schellen’s commitments to YES, neither were available for this, a shame I guess as I think of Hansen’s vocals when I think of Hurricane… (the same way some may think of Lou Gramm and Foreigner 😉 ). But anyway, the new Hurricane album is called Reconnected and is out this month, so I’ll be checking that out soon.
As a fan, I very much looking forward to this release – a 2CD compilation of John Lawton recordings. John was a great singer, and a great person. This first review of this album was posted by Richard Wagner – a fan and friend of John’s. With Richard’s permission I am sharing it here, along with a few images. Enjoy, and check out this release at the link below…
I’m a lucky guy who received a copy of the “Celebrating the Life of John Lawton” double-CD at the CD-launch party last Sunday (July 9).
And I must say I love it!
There are 33 songs on the two CDs which Iris Lawton personally selected. And don’t expect the typical Best Of. Far from that. There are songs which I never heard, some of them Iris found on old cassette tapes. All the music was beautifully mastered and sounds really good indeed.
The songs show John’s versatility, feeling and huge talent. His name really should be mentioned with the best of the best.
There are funny moments too, e.g. the Colgate toothpaste jingles sung in German or the impromptu “Mamma Lou” jam at a concert in Hamburg.
The front cover design and booklet paintings by Polish artist Damian Bydlinski are outstanding.
The booklet designed and put together by Iris has 15 pages and holds a lot of information and quite a number of photos. It is fun reading through the booklet like it was a vinyl cover in the old days 
. Iris tells where the songs originate from and also why she selected them.
I can only guess how hard and difficult it must have been for her to go through all these songs and hear John’s voice.
Thank you, Iris, you really did John proud.
A must have for those who know John and definitely a must have for those who are not so familiar with his voice and work.
To order: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/john-lawton-celebrating-the-life-of-john-lawton-2cd/
John Wetton’s solo catalogue is being released in box set format in November. This comes after the book An Extraordinary Life, as well as the John Wetton Tribute concert this week (August 3), which can also be live-streamed! Check out all the info below on the box set.
On 24th November the first in a series of box sets commemorating the life and music of one of the UK`s most extraordinary and prolific musicians, John Wetton, will be released.
The An Extraordinary Life box set contains 8 newly remastered CDs, featuring the six solo albums Wetton released between 1980 and 2011. Each album now includes special bonus tracks. Additionally, two further discs are included which feature a gold mine of rare, live and unreleased material from the vaults, compiled by John`s archivist, Rick Nelson.
*Check out trailer for the box set here:
Housed in a sumptuous 12” by 12” box, this set includes a 64-page book with an introduction by legendary artist, Roger Dean and contains comprehensive sleeve notes by Nick Shilton, author of Wetton’s biography, ‘An Extraordinary Life’, published earlier this year. The book also features a raft of photographs taken from the Wetton archive and has been designed by John’s long-time friend, Michael Inns.
This whole project has been lovingly crafted and compiled with the full blessing of John`s son Dylan and his wife Lisa and is endorsed by the Wetton estate.
With a career spanning more than four decades, John Wetton`s rich baritone voice and accomplished bass playing has adorned many recordings. In this ‘An Extraordinary Life’ his extensive solo career is captured for posterity all in one sumptuous box set, making this a fitting tribute to one of the UK most loved and respected artists.
An Extraordinary Life
DISC 1: Caught in The Crossfire (1980)
DISC 2: Battle Lines (1994)
DISC 3: Arkangel (1997)
DISC 4: Welcome to Heaven (2000)
DISC 5: Rock of Faith (2003)
DISC 6: Raised in Captivity (2011)
DISC 7: New Live and Unreleased Tracks
DISC 8: New Live and Unreleased Tracks
Pre-Order link:
LINKS:
In this latest post of Story Behind The Album Cover, artist Andrej Bartulović (All Things Rotten) discusses the cover art for the brand new RAVEN album All Hell’s Breaking Loose. Andrej has done numerous album covers for the likes of Mortis, Nocturnal Breed, and the latest from Alcatrazz! Enjoy the read, and check out the links below for more on Andrej Bartulović’s work.
First, can you give me a bit of background on yourself, how you got into art (different media’s) and in particular, album art?
I got into art while I was practically a kid. Got more involved into band stuff in high school and started working for bands around 2000. – the great time of MySpace. Awesome times!
Do you have favorite artists, and particular rock album artists, any favorite album covers (by other artists) from your youth?
Always loved Ed Repka, we all grew up with his covers. But artists I admired were regular metal fanboy list artists, starting with Giger then Cappullo. Grew up with Italian comics, not American. Dylan Dog was my fave comic and for many years Corrado Roi was my fave artist back then. Today I worship Riccardo Federici, an absolute beast and God (for me at least).
You’ve done the latest Raven album (did you happen to do the previous one?) Can you tell me a bit about your connection to the band?
If you are referring to “Metal City” as the previous one, then no. I didn’t do that. I did their “Leave ’em Bleeding” EP. I started working for the band years before on some shirts. I think Mike Heller just posted on Facebook that he needed artsy/graphic guy and I answered. He checked my page and I think that’s how it all started, that was years before. Working with Mike since. We toss ideas around, I do sketches, brothers are deciding is it a go or no. They’re all cool guys. I’m honored for a chance to work with them.
What inspired the whole idea and drawing for the All Hell’s Breaking Loose cover? Were there ideas put forth from the band or drawn from the music?
I think the idea came from the album directly, it’s actually all hell’s breaking loose on that record. It’s mayhem of an album (in a good way). Guys wanted madness, monsters, basically Metal City on steroids on steroids on steroids (yes, I wrote that 3 times haha).
Can you detail how you created the artwork for AHBL – techniques, materials,… It is a very detailed piece. Excellent
Thank you for your kind words, appreciated! It was hand drawn on tablet, colored and textured too. There were many changes concerning poses and faces, kinda tricky to pull those out. I used reference photos, of course. Monsters were the easy part haha. Also drew the logo by hand to fit the aesthetics of the cover and get more comic book feel. And yes, would use this opportunity (thank you again) to say loud and not so proud – bass guitar has 2 extra tuning machines. It’s a honest mistake we’ve all overseen. Super weird! But we were busy adding all those laser spiders. So yeah, shit does happen but I think it doesn’t ruin anything, just adding bit of charm.
Anything else you can tell about this cover, and how well it turned out?
The answer is below the previous answer, basically. But I’m happy how it turned out, guys love it and people seem to dig it too. So it’s win-win-win.
You’ve done a number of other covers, notably the last 2 Alcatrazz albums. What are some of your favorite covers you designed, with a line or 2 about them?
Yes, I did the last 2 Alcatrazz covers, gotta thanks to Giles (for the opportunity and trust) and Silver Lining Music for patience. Some of my faves? Bah, I always think the last thing is the best thing. I’m super critical about stuff I do so I really can’t decide about faves. I like the last Nocturnal Breed stuff I did.
What sort of music do you listen to? And any favorite tracks from the new Raven album?
At this exact moment as I write this I have Dissection playing through the speakers. It’s usually death and black metal, but I also love Arjen Lucassen stuff too… weird heavy stuff like Lost Horizon, Laibach, EMF, ABBA…hahah. Last few years I’m mad about video game soundtracks… nostalgia all the way.
My fave Raven track from the new album would proly be “The Far Side”, but the whole album is absolute batshit crazy and young bands should take some notes.
What other projects are you working on (music related or otherwise)?
Just finished some book cover illustrations; but generally it’s more or less about music – shirt designs, banners, whatever the band needs. But whenever someone needs any art done I’m around, like a sleazy weirdo hiding in the bushes.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/AllThingsRottenOfficial
Finnish hard/classic/blues rock band MOUNT MARY has a new single out – ”Color of My Tear” (see new lyric video below), from their upcoming 2nd album Diamonds of a Fool (to be released Aug18th). The band has a very ’70s feel, with big riffs, and strong melodies. Well produced guitar heavy songs, which should appeal to fans of Led Zeppelin, Cactus, Mountain (hey, Corky Laing guests on 3 tracks here!), as well as modern day bands like Rival Sons, Dirty Honey, and The Damn Truth. Maria Hanninen’s vocals remind me (at times) of Sass Jordan. A solid album of 9 rockin’ songs, that doesn’t lighten up much, with fave picks being “Diamonds Of A Fool”, “Tohu Bohu” (I like the Hammond organ here), and “Heart’s Astray”. *For more info, credits, and links – see below!
MM released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut 2021.
With their new album “Diamonds of a Fool” Mount Mary continues rockin’ in the atmosphere of 70’s hard rock.
The band offers “healing organic rasp, unrestrainedly.”
“Diamonds of a Fool” will be released AUg18th,2023, via Emsalö Music
Members of Mount Mary have worked together with many international artists including Ken Hensley, Corky Laing, Billy Cobham, Hanoi Rocks, Michael Monroe , Bob Margolin, Franz Ferdinand, Johnny Bolin, Conny Bloom, Wigwam, Kingston Wall, Dave Lindholm….just to mention a few
Arranged and produced by Mount Mary
Recorded, mixed, mastered by Petri Majuri
Maria Hänninen – vocals, guitar
Petri Majuri – guitar
Jukka Jylli – bass
Otto Haapanen – drums
*Special guests :
-Corky Laing (Mountain, West, Bruce & Laing)
-Remu Aaltonen (Hurriganes)
-Per Wiberg ( Kamchatka, Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Candlemass)
-Mother Joonas
To Order: Diamonds Of A Fool:
LP : http://äx.fi/P846872
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/mountmaryband
Arguably Genesis finest album, Foxtrot was released in 1972. It is now being celebrated by former guitarist Steve Hackett, who’s latest tour has included performing the album with his band. Hackett in recent years has toured, performed and released a series of ‘Genesis Revisited‘ live albums celebrating the classic ’70s era of Genesis with Selling England By The Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live At Hammersmith (2020), and last year’s Seconds Out And More. Hackett’s band features singer Nad Sylvan, who does a remarkable job with the Peter Gabriel era songs. Check out the clip of “Wacther Of The Skies” below! Steve Hackett is coming to North America in the fall to perform Foxtrot at 50, looking forward to it. *See dates below. *For more on the upcoming Live release see the press info below….
Legendary guitarist Steve Hackett presents his brand-new live audio/visual extravaganza, with the release of ‘Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton’, set for release on the 15th September 2023.
Filmed & recorded live on his 2022 UK tour, in the coastal city of Brighton, UK, this release documents Steve and his band celebrating the 50th anniversary of the much-loved Genesis album ‘Foxtrot’. Played in full, this album features fan favorites including ‘Watcher Of The Skies’ and ‘Supper’s Ready’. The show also features a set of Hackett solo material, including ‘The Devil’s Cathedral’ from his latest studio album ‘Surrender of Silence’, and the powerful ‘Ace of Wands’.
Shot by long time collaborator Paul Green, you can now watch the band perform ‘Watcher of the Skies’ –
Mixed by Chris Lord-Alge & mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, the album is now available to pre-order on Ltd 2CD+Blu-ray & Ltd 2CD+2DVD, both including bonus behind the scenes interviews, as well as 5.1 surround sound. A Ltd Deluxe 180g 4LP edition will also be available, and you can pre-order now here: https://stevehackett.lnk.to/FoxtrotAtFiftyHackettHighlights-LiveInBrighton
Track-listing:
1. Intro / Ace of Wands
2. The Devil’s Cathedral
3. Spectral Mornings
4. Every Day
5. A Tower Struck Down
6. Basic Instincts
7. Camino Royale
8. Shadow of the Hierophant
9. Watcher of the Skies
10. Time Table
11. Get ‘Em Out by Friday
12. Can Utility and the Coastliners
13. Horizons
14. Supper’s Ready
15. Firth of Fifth
16. Los Endos
Steve Hackett & band continue their busy touring schedule with further “Foxtrot At Fifty & Hackett Highlights” dates in North America beginning in October. For the full list of dates, head to: http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html
Steve Hackett is joined live by Roger King, Rob Townsend, Nad Sylvan, Craig Blundell & Jonas Reingold, as well as on occasion special guest Amanda Lehmann.
LINKS:
www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Hackett/123101228589
www.twitter.com/HackettOfficial
http://hackettsongs.com/tour.htm
http://www.youtube.com/InsideOutMusicTV
www.facebook.com/InsideOutMusic
DIAMONDS ON THE ROAD – LIVE 2023 to be released October 6
Internationally acclaimed guitarist and singer songwriter Erja Lyytinen will release her highly anticipated fourth live album Diamonds On The Road – Live 2023 via Tuohi Records on Friday 6th October 2023.
The album is available to pre-order on Double CD, vinyl and digital HERE.
The first single “You Talk Dirty” has been accompanied with a music video and will be released and is out now! The single will be available to stream and download from HERE.
Some may argue that music is born in the studio, but it comes to life and evolves when performed live on stage. With a live album, there is no safety net. You get one shot at capturing those perfect moments and preserving them forever.
With the pandemic now firmly in our rear-view mirror Erja Lyytinen and her band have been touring relentlessly. With the high-flying Finn in top form, the artist decided to capture the magic of their live performances on their new concert album, Diamonds on the Road – Live 2023.
Speaking about the new live album, Lyytinen said: “When playing live, you’ve got one moment to get it right, and then the moment is gone. There is no correcting stuff later. It is very raw and exciting to play and sing at the same time. The adrenaline runs through your body, and everything around you affects your performance.”
The release marks Erja Lyytinen’s fourth live album, and follows on from Songs from the Road, Live in London, and Lockdown Live.
“Diamonds on the Road was recorded towards the end of our Spring tour in March 2023,” says Erja. “We played ten shows in a row, of which eight were sold out. The band had a good flow going, and the songs were rolling nicely.”
TRACKLISTING:
CD 1
1. Diamonds On The Road 4:48
2. Rocking Chair 4:00
3. Bad Seed 5:26
4. Black Ocean 7:13
5. Waiting For The Daylight 6:40
6. Väinämöinen Tuonelassa 5:42
7. Last Girl 5:42
8. Never Really Had You 6:32
CD 2
1. You Talk Dirty 6:49
2. Lover´s Novels 5:13
3. Wedding Day 11:35
4. Crosstown Traffic 4:26
5. The End Of Music 10:54
Since pandemic restrictions were lifted, the artist has graced the stages of venues and festivals across Europe and beyond. Unlike Lockdown Live, which captured a key moment in time during the pandemic, Erja Lyytinen’s new double live album highlights the joys of once again being able to perform in front of a sold-out crowd.
“Compared to our previous live recording Lockdown Live, which was filmed and recorded as a streaming gig without an actual audience during the first two months of the pandemic in 2020, this was quite different with an interactive crowd,” reflects Erja. “The show took place at Rytmikorjaamo, Seinäjoki, in the Western part of Finland. On the night of the recording, people were enjoying the live performance, cheering to the solos, dancing, and having a good time together next to each other.”
The first single to be released from the new live album is You Talk Dirty. Speaking about the track Erja said: “You Talk Dirty was originally released for the first time 20 years ago on my first recording.” The song was given a new lease of life on the artist’s last studio album Waiting for The Daylight. However, the track has become a live favorite also for the Queen of the Slide Guitar. “It is my favorite live track. I get to play loud guitar, using my Whammy up and down a whole step-up in the most critical places, to create this heavy doom effect. My guitar playing has gotten heavier since Lockdown Live,” she says.
Over the years, Erja Lyytinen’s sound has evolved dramatically. Beginning with her traditional blues roots, Lyytinen has been simultaneously pushing forward with a hard rock-orientated style of play whilst always keeping that blues sound at the core of everything she does. “My sound has changed since the last live recording. My playing has more of a hard-rock element and edge,” says Erja.
Erja attributes some of those changes to her equipment and repertoire of trusty axes. “Since my last live recording, my live guitar arsenal has grown quite a bit. I have five to six guitars, from Strats and Teles to custom-made guitars, on stage with me. It´s quite cool to dig out the different characteristics of each guitar. I´m using my road-worn Fender Custom Shop guitar on the songs ‘Black Ocean’ and ‘Never Really Had You’. I had the guitar fine-tuned right before the tour and added it to my live arsenal. I feel as though it has been a sin to keep this Strat as my sofa guitar for years!”
The songs featured on Diamonds On The Road showcase the old, the new, the borrowed and the blues. “For the set list of the live album, we had a mixture of my favorite old songs and then a selection of the songs from my latest studio album, Waiting for The Daylight,” explains Erja. “We also recorded a Jimi Hendrix classic, Crosstown Traffic. I made my own version of it by playing the song using slide! It is so cool to play the song, and, on the recording, it is our first encore.”
Diamonds on the Road – Live 2023 includes an exclusive feature not found in the artist’s previous concert albums. “I wrote a song based on artwork by famous Finnish artist Pekka Halonen´s painting ‘Väinämöinen Tuonelassa’. The piece tells the story of the Finnish epic saga, Kalevala, where a shaman called Väinämöinen goes to the Underworld. The song is slightly folk metal and sung in Finnish. It is a cool addition to the set list, making this live recording my first to have a song sung in Finnish,” explains Lyytinen.
The new live album showcases Erja and the band doing what they do best, playing concerts for their fans. “I have always loved performing live, but now, I enjoy playing even more and saying this on behalf of my band; I think they do, too. Performing live is stronger, more relaxed, and empowering. I´m grateful to be a guitarist and singer who is giving her best for the audience each night. It’s the best thing you can do with your pants on,” concludes Erja.
*For further information and an up-to-date touring schedule, please visit erjalyytinen.com/tour.
Production Credits
Erja Lyytinen: Guitar, Vocals
Petri Rahikkala: Keyboards
Tatu Back: Bass, Backing vocals
Iiro Laitinen: Drums
Olli Huttunen: FOH, Mixing Engineer
Hertta Hynninen: Tour Assistant
Helmi Lind: Production Manager
Recorded by Olli Huttunen at Rytmikorjaamo, Seinäjoki Finland 11th of March 2023
Mixed by Matias Kiiveri in Hollywood House, Helsinki Finland
Mastered by Svante Forsbäck, Chartmakers, Espoo Finland
Graphic design by Jan Yrlund, Darkgrove Design
Cover photography by Denis Carpentier
Executive producer Erja Lyytinen for Bluesland Productions
All songs by Erja Lyytinen, except “Crosstown Traffic” by Jimi Hendrix,
Published by Universal/MCA Music Scand Ab.
Tuohi Records
DIAMONDS ON THE ROAD – NOVEMBER 2023 UK TOUR
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM ERJALYYTINEN.COM/TOUR
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/erjalyytinen
The Phenomena projects albums in the ’80s (and ’90s) were created by brothers Tom and Mel Galley (Whitesnake). These albums featured numerous British players and singers (John Wetton, Glenn Hughes, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray, and Brian May (among others). Merv Spence had joined a reformed (and short-lived) Trapeze following Peter Goalby’s departure and recorded an album with the band, which remains unreleased. He then went on to replace Trevor Bolder in Wishbone Ash for 1985’s Raw To The Bone, playing bass and singing. He would be credited as Executive Producer on the third Phenomena album Innervision (1992), as well as playing bass & vocals (under the name O’Ryan); he also featured on 1997’a Project X: 1985-1996 (compilation. tracks here were later used as bonus tracks that came with reissues of the first 2 albums). So, this 13 song release features 10 tracks that Merv Spence had recorded & issued under the name O’Ryan in the mid ’90s on the CD Initiate, as well as a few brand new recordings. Hearing these recordings makes me wonder why we haven’t heard more from Spence; these recordings and vocals are excellent, and I gotta think the guy would’ve been a great vocalist in a number of classic British bands. Well worth checking out! For more info check out the press release below, as well as the links to order.
Merv Spence is an Irish musician and former member of Wishbone Ash and Trapeze, as well as an established solo artist. He will be touring to support the release and this album features all of Merv Spence’s covers of the Phenomena tracks, both previously released and newly recorded.
Phenomena is an all-star series of albums created by Tom Galley which saw its debut album sell 1.2 million copies, and its follow-up deliver a #1 hit single ‘Did It All For Love’. Merv Spence is the former rights owner of the Phenomena albums and previously recorded his own renditions of the best-known songs.
Lead singer, musician & music producer Merv Spence said of the release: “‘Phenomena Recovered’ is a very important album for me. A lot of creative blood, sweat and tears went into producing these songs and the results make me feel incredibly proud. I embraced the challenge, and gave it my own signature. I hope ‘Phenomena’ fans will also embrace this production, and I look forward to performing these great songs live, both in a band capacity and solo, acoustically”.
Phenomena Recovered is OUT NOW and available from:
Amazon CD: https://geni.us/PhenReCoCD
Apple Music: https://geni.us/PhenReCoAM
Spotify: https://geni.us/PhenReCoSP
*To order directly from Cherry Red Records – https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/merv-spence-phenomena-recovered-cd/
MERV SPENCE LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/Mervspencemusic
https://www.facebook.com/Phenomenaproject
Outsider Rock 