,Bob Jackson of BADFINGER shared the following news on December 12 regarding a new digital album release coming of Pete Ham songs. This is a follow up to the album ‘Misunderstood‘, released earlier this year. Check out Bob’s post for all the details below, as well as the first track released from it.
I’m very honored and thrilled to announce the release of a brand new Pete Ham digital album release, titled “Gwent Gardens.” This is the follow-up to “Misunderstood” and the first new release since the passing of producer/engineer Dan Matovina. This is being released with the full support of the Ham Estate. The album is full of the beautiful melodies and universal lyrics that Pete is well known for, composed on either guitar or piano/keyboards. Most of the songs on this new collection have never been heard before by the public, however there are still some demo versions of his well known tunes. This release will be different from previous ones; None of the songs will include posthumous overdubs. Dan would be very pleased to know that his desire to get all of Pete’s unreleased songs out for the public to enjoy is being fulfilled by his team of close friends and associates. One of the last things he told me was, “I can’t believe there are still so many great Pete Ham songs that no one has heard yet.”
The digital album of “Gwent Gardens” can be pre-ordered from Apple Music starting on December 10 and will be released for streaming and downloading on December 21, 2023. A preview song, “Love Will Be” will be available as a YouTube lyrics video starting December 10.
In addition, there will be a special album preview event on the BadfingerIveysOfficial YouTube channel on Friday, December 15 from 9:00-10:00pm EST.
Steve Hackett has released a new single/video from his forthcoming album The Circus and the Nightwhale which will be released on 16th February.
Steve says of the track: “People of the Smoke spins us all back in time to 1950, when bustling post-war London was stifled with smog from trains, chimneys, industry and smokers. I was born into that world! This song kicks off an album following my life’s journey both literally and metaphorically…”
The new album is available to pre-order on several different formats, including a Limited CD+Blu-ray mediabook (including 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit high resolution stereo mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180g Vinyl LP & as Digital Album. All feature the stunning cover painting by Denise Marsh. Pre-order now here: https://stevehackett.lnk.to/TheCircusAndTheNightwhale
Steve will celebrate the release of his new album with two HMV instore events in London & Birmingham, where he will be taking part in a Q&A and signing albums. Find out more details on those here: https://ow.ly/HUaT50Q7paJ
TRAPEZE was a British band, perhaps better remembered for the players that were in it and went on to bigger success with other acts, instead of the of excellent albums they made in the ’70s. The band existed from 1969 til 1981 (or 82), and seems to be best known as the band that Glenn Hughes got his recording start in. But, TRAPEZE was not particularly just Hughes’ band; in fact the band based around the guitar sound of Mel Galley carried on well after Hughes left to join Deep Purple in 1973, and released a few very good albums in the latter ’70s. The band also featured (drummer) Dave Holland before he joined Judas Priest, and their last recording line-up – Peter Goalby, before he joined Uriah Heep. Mel Galley was there beginning to end ’til he had an offer to join Whitesnake, so I think it’s safe to say that Trapeze was Mel’s band.
This 14 track album of previously unreleased and unheard material is a most welcomed addition to the band’s catalogue, which in recent years has been reissued in expanded versions, compilations and live releases, undoubtedly bringing back the name Trapeze to many who previously may not have been very familiar, myself included! My initial interest years back was the Hughes-Deep Purple connection, and the Peter Goalby connection (being a Heep fan), and Hold On (the band’s last studio album) remains my favorite. The band’s debut featured a 5 piece band that was signed to the Moody Blues label, but Trapeze seemed to be best remembered as the short-lived trio that released the 2 classic albums Medusa and You Are The Music…We’re Just The Band. After Hughes left, Mel Galley took on lead vocals as well, and added guitarist Rob Kendrick and bass player Peter Wright, and recorded the classic Hot Wire (love that album cover), followed by Trapeze (self-titled), Running/Hold On (with Peter Goalby), and the Live in Texas: Dead Armadillos. Lost Tapes Vol. 1 features tracks from the band’s early days right through to the end with Goalby, and a few from the band’s short-lived reunion in the ’90s. Though the songs aren’t in chronological order, this album features a pile of outstanding Trapeze tunes that might make you wonder why this stuff has never surfaced before. Trapeze was known for their funk-rock style, something that made them a fairly unique band in the ’70s, though often lumped in with early ‘heavy metal’ acts, they were far from it, though they could deliver some heavy hard rockers, and here we get standouts like the heavy Hughes’ sang “Breakdown” – which sounds so fresh one could easily mistaken this for a much more modern recording. There’s the ’80s production sound of “Destiny”, the funkier “Lover”, and closing track “Going Home” (which is a heavier take of the song that appeared on 1974’s Hot Wire).
Lost Tapes also features 3 tracks with Goalby on vocals, including the first one “Cool Water”, an excellent catchy feel-good rock tune, and one of many to feature a memorable guitar riff/intro from Galley, who also doubles up on the vocals on this, with a solid drum performance from Dave Holland (RIP). There’s also the memorable “You’ve Got It” from this era, featuring some excellent slide guitar as well. But my favorite track here is Goalby’s “Who Do You Run To” (the one song written by PG, himself here), absolutely outstanding late ’70s hard rock with influences from the period, a killer little intro and chorus. (Maybe someone can explain how this chorus and similar title ended up on the 1982 Hughes-Thrall album!?).
This makes a great addition to the Trapeze catalogue for fans of the band. The 14 tracks here are all well worth hearing; this is no exercise in ‘cleaning out the vaults’ of anything and everything, this was properly put together for fans to enjoy, and a tribute / reminder of this great band. One of my favorite releases of 2023! I am curious and looking forward to a Volume 2 (presumably there will be!?) Lost Tapes Vol. 1 can be purchased in digital form, CD, and limited orange vinyl (which I am awaiting!)
A sad day for Canadian music with the passing of APRIL WINE founding member, guitarist, singer, and songwriter – Myles Goodwyn. This one hits hard because being Canadian, April Wine was one of the first bands I ever saw live, and the band was a regular on Canadian radio. The band was formed out east in 1969, relocated to Montreal and signed to Aquarius Records, where they would go on to be the label’s biggest band. By the time of the band’s third studio album, Electric Jewels, Goodwyn would be the sole remaining founding member, and would go on to guide the band to huge success, particularly in the early late 70s -80s with the albums First Glance, Harder…Faster, Nature Of The Beast and Powerplay. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Goodwyn wrote, sang, and produced a steady string of singles and hits for the band, even before the band became a hit in the US. Anyone growing up in Canada could not turn on the radio here without hearing an April Wine song at some point. Many of the band’s favorites still feature on FM radio here, whether it’s the early ones like “You Could Have Been A Lady” or late 70s-80s classics like “Say Hello”, “Just Between You And Me”, or the band’s epic take on Lorence Hud’s “Sign Of The Gypsy Queen”. Not to mention “Roller” , the band’s breakthrough US hit, which can still be heard not only on radio, but at arenas during hockey games (Junior & pro…). Being Canadian, if you grew up in the 70s or 80s — you had heard Myles with April Wine; the band played high schools and arenas across the country in the 70s, and was a staple of Canadian radio.
Earlier this year Myles announced his retirement from touring with the band and selected his own replacement (Marc Parent). In the last few years, Goodwyn recorded and released his own solo albums Myles Goodwyn and Friends Of The Blues (1 & 2) , as well as his 2016 autobiography Just Between You and Me. RIP Myles, a Canadian rock n roll legend.
Below are 10 classics April Wine tracks written and sang by Myles Goodwyn.
Roller
from the band’s 1978 breakthrough (US) single and album (First Glance).
Rock N Roll Is A Vicious Game
Also from First Glance. A classic April Wine number, once tributed to Bon Scott (AC/DC) ; nicely covered by Sebastien Bach of Skid Row.
Comin’ Right Down On Top Of Me – also fromFirst Glance
Say Hello – from 1979’sHarder…Faster
Also from Harder…Faster
Just Between You And Me
From the band’s biggest album Nature Of The Beast
Sign Of The Gypsy Queen
Enough Is Enough
The first single from 1982’s Powerplay
Anything You Want You Want It
Also from Powerplay, a great opening number.
This Could Be The Right One
The first single and only track play played live from 1984’s Animal Grace.
Sons Of The Pioneers
Another single and great track from the underrated Animal Grace album. This would mark the end of the band’s most successful line-up and era.
Love Has Remembered Me
the hit single from the 1985 album Walking Through Fire
If You Believe In Me
In 1993 April Wine returned with the album Attitude, which was ful of Myles Goodwyn gems, and April Wine favorites.
Also from Attitude
Look Into The Sun
From 1994’s Frigate album. Perhaps the heaviest thing Myles and AW ever recorded. The best track on the album!
Originally released in 1973 these 2 Beatles ‘hits’ packages consisted of2-LP sets of the band’s best known songs, in gatefold covers, along with lyric sleeves. Sparked by a bootleg 4-LP collection of the band’s hits titled ‘Alpha Omega‘ (Using the Greek letters), which were released by a small New Jersey company, who even used TV adverts to sell them! The Beatles 1962-1966 came in the red framed sleeve, while The Beatles 1967-1970 came in blue. The ‘red’ and ‘blue’ Beatles albums would be huge sellers, and continued to sell well for years, as the 2 sets – which came 3 years after the band broke up, would make for great introduction albums for many new fans discovering the band. Anyway, the newly released versions of these classic compilations include more songs, including the new track “Now And Then”. Available in multiple formats. Check out the info below, and the links.
The Beatles 1962-1966 (Red) and The Beatles 1967-1970 (Blue) collections are out now, featuring an expanded tracklist that includes the last Beatles song ‘Now And Then’.Available in a number of collectable formats including 4CD, 3LP, digital formats, and as a 6LP vinyl collection pairing the albums in slip-cased sets.
These landmark compilations have introduced generations of fans to the incredible history of the most storied band in music. For its 50th anniversary, the collections have been expanded: ‘Red’ has 12 additional tracks, including for the first time some of George Harrison’s earliest songs and some classic Beatles versions of R&B and rock ‘n’ roll hits that were so influential on the band. ‘Blue’ has 9 additional tracks including “Blackbird” and “Glass Onion” including the last new Beatles song, “Now And Then” for a total of 21 new additions which are all compiled onto the 3rd disc, effectively creating a ‘new’ LP for each set.
Together the 6LP’s contain 75 tracks, 36 of which have new mixes for 2023. The inserts contains new sleeve notes by journalist and author John Harris. For current fans and future generations alike, the new 1962 – 1966 & 1967 – 1970 collections are a joyous celebration of The Beatles’ timeless musical legacy.
FROM THE PRESS (1973)
Beatles Era On 2 Double Pack Albums NEW YORK – “The History of the Beatles,” will be issued by Apple on two separate double disk LP sets in the near future. The first two-disker will feature the works of the Beatles covering 1962-1966 and the second double pack will cover 1967-1972. The two sets will be issued simultaneously and will feature many of the group’s singles smashes that were never made available in LP form. The cover art for the two packages will feature a photo of the Beatles taken shortly after the boy; signed with EMI in the EMI offices in England. The photo has the four boys leaning over a banister, all sporting short hair cuts. This photo will be used on the 1962-1966 LP. For the later set, the photo to be used is one in the identical pose but featuring the boys in long hair. John Lennon brought the Beatles together to the exact same banister in 1970 at the EMI building for a duplicate photo showing the change in the group’s look. Each two disk set will have a suggested $9.98 retail p
Beatles Gold NEW YORK -The two Apple retrospective Beatles albums. “The Beatles, 1962-1966″ and `The Beatles, ‘1967 -1970″ have each been certified gold by the RIRA.
British rock icons MAGNUM share “Blue Tango”, the first single from their upcoming studio album, ‘Here Comes the Rain’, out January 12th, 2024 via Steamhammer / SPV (Pre-OrderHERE) . The track is accompanied by a new lyric video.
Tony Clarkin had this to say about “Blue Tango,” : “Apart from MAGNUM’s typical trademarks, ‘Here Comes The Rain’ also holds a number of thoroughly pleasant surprises in store, such as ‘Blue Tango’, which is a real riff-rock number that makes you want to move your feet.”
There are few great bands on our planet that can be infallibly identified within the first few bars of one of their songs. With unique melodic skill, tasteful instrumentation, an amazing balance of depth and catchiness, and, of course, that charismatic voice: MAGNUM are Magnum!
The same can be said of their latest studio album ‘Here Comes The Rain’, which will be released via CD + DVD, double vinyl LP, as a box set and for digital download, proving once again that classic rock music could hardly sound more atmospheric.
The album’s highly inspired artwork is once more designed by the great Rodney Matthews, who has already created a number of MAGNUM sleeves to support the band’s atmospherically dense music. Says Tony Clarkin: “The back cover features a kind of avian battalion in attack mode, which I think is a great allegory!”
Apart from MAGNUM’s typical trademarks, ‘Here Comes The Rain’ also holds a number of thoroughly pleasant surprises. First single, “Blue Tango”, is a catchy, guitar rock groover while “The Seventh Darkness”, is filled with awesome brass sections courtesy of guest musicians Chris ‘BeeBe’ Aldridge (saxophone) and Nick Dewhurst (trumpet), which lend the song brilliance and shape.
There is no doubt about it: ‘Here Comes The Rain’ sees the MAGNUM line-up consisting of Catley, Clarkin, keyboardist Rick Benton, bassist Dennis Ward and drummer Lee Morris, once again succeed in creating an outstanding, colorful, varied and inspired new studio album. “Everyone played their part without me dictating anything,” Clarkin enthuses, “everyone just instinctively played what their inspiration told them.”
Canadian rock writer Robert Lawson penned the rock biography Wheatfield Empire: The Listener’s Guide To The Guess Who . The band was Canada’s biggest in the late ’60s-early 70s, with a steady flow of hit singles and albums, before splitting in ’75. They were a huge impact on many acts in Canada and elsewhere, including Alice Cooper (the original), who searched out The Guess Who’s production company (Nimbus 9) to work with, in hopes of catching some of that single’ success. Wheatfield Empire includes interviews with key Guess Who figures like Burton Cummings, Dale Peterson, Donnie MacDougall, Bill Wallace, and numerous others in and connected to the band. * For more info on this book (which was released late in 2020) – check out the press info below and links. Robert Lawson has previously penned books on Nazareth and Cheap Trick.
Winnipeg’s The Guess Who are Canada’s original rock n’ roll superstars. But despite the band’s enduring popularity, no one has assembled a comprehensive history of their recording career…until now.
In exquisite detail, that serious fans will appreciate, Wheatfield Empire: The Listener’s Guide to The Guess Who goes through the band’s evolution, album by album and song by song. Nothing is left out. Wheatfield Empire covers the complete discography, singles chart action, radiobroadcasts and even a selection of unofficial live bootlegs. The book also discusses the solo careers of both frontman Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman.
Written in clear prose with a touch of humor, the book’s encyclopedic detail is supported with excerpts from first-hand interviews with band members and input from top authorities on the Canadian music industry.
Looking beyond the radio hits, Wheatfield Empire documents The Guess Who’s musical output with the loving attention they deserve as Canada’s first band to achieve major international success. This book is a must-have for any serious Guess Who fan.
Legendary rock guitarist Steve Hackett will release his new studio album ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’ on 16th February 2024, via InsideOut Music. A rite-of-passage concept album with a young character called Travla at the centre of it, ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’s’ 13 tracks have an autobiographical angle for the musician who says about his 30th solo release: “I love this album. It says the things I’ve been wanting to say for a very long time.”
‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’ is Steve’s first new music in over two years. It follows the beautiful acoustic LP ‘Under A Mediterranean Sky’ from January 2021 – which rose to No 2 in the UK Classical chart – and, in September of that year, his metallic masterpiece Surrender Of Silence, which hit the UK Top 40. His 2023 live album, ‘Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton’, reached No 2 in the Rock & Metal Chart. Steve’s new LP promises ballads, blues, blistering progressive rock… and healthy measures of theatre and fantasia.
Recorded between tours in 2022 and 2023 at Siren studio in the UK – with guest parts beamed in from Sweden, Austria, the US, Azerbaijan and Denmark, the line-up for ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’ includes some familiar faces alongside Steve on electric and acoustic guitars, 12-string, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass and vocals. Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Craig Blundell (drums) and Amanda Lehmann on vocals. Nick D’Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt return as guests on the drumstool, engineer extraordinaire Benedict Fenner appears on keyboards and Malik Mansurov is back with the tar. Finally, Steve’s brother John Hackett is present once more on flute.
The new album will be available to pre-order from the 1st December 2023 on several different formats, including a Limited CD+Blu-ray mediabook (including 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit high resolution stereo mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180g Vinyl LP & as Digital Album. All feature the stunning cover painting by Denise Marsh.
Tracklisting:
1. People Of The Smoke
2. These Passing Clouds
3. Taking You Down
4. Found And Lost
5. Enter The Ring
6. Get Me Out!
7. Ghost Moon and Living Love
8. Circo Inferno
9. Breakout
10. All At Sea
11. Into The Nightwhale
12. Wherever You Are
13. White Dove
Summing up ‘The Circus And The Nightwhale’, Steve says: “It’s a lovely journey that starts dirty, scratchy and smoky and becomes heavenly and divine. How can you resist it?”
Steve is currently on tour in North America, continuing his ‘Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights’ run. Next year he will tour the world extensively, including a brand-new UK tour under the name ‘Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo’, and that will see him return to the legendary Royal Albert Hall. For the full list of dates, head to: http://hackettsongs.com/tour.html
Irish singer & bass player Merv Spence more recently released Phenomena Recovered. A solo project that saw him revisiting many of the Phenomena tracks from the 80s & 90s. Phenomena was project in that was conceived by producer Tom Galley and his brother, guitarist – Mel (Trapeze, Whitesnake). In this interview, Merv details his involvement in Phenomena, his new release, as well as talks about his time with Trapeze and Wishbone Ash, other recordings, and what else he’s been up to in recent years, *For more on Phenomena Recovered see my previous post on it’s release, and check out the links below.
How did you originally get involved with the Phenomena project? (You were first involved as Exec Producer on the Inner vision album, correct?)
I knew Tom Galley (the creator of Phenomena) from when I was in the band Trapeze. While recording songs for a new Trapeze album (circa1982) unbeknown to me we also started recording some pre-production song ideas on what would become the birth of the debut Phenomena album. The Trapeze album was never completed as Mel Galley was offered Whitesnake and I then went on to join Wishbone Ash. It was many years later (circa 1990) while working on an album in Switzerland; I got a call from Tom who had just completed recording Phenomena III. He basically told me that BMG rejected the album and asked if I could help place the album with a new record company in Europe. To cut a long story short no major label wanted to get involved due to legal issues between Tom and BMG, so he asked if I would be interested in acquiring Phenomena and offered to sell the entire Phenomena concept and copyright to me, which I accepted. To secure a commercial release, I first had to clear a backlog of debts built up on the production of Phenomena III. This included unpaid studio fees, musicians, engineers etc. as well as negotiating and reaching an acceptable agreement with BMG to release the Master Tapes. It was a nightmare to sort out but I managed to resolve things. I managed to secure a successful release in Sweden with Phenomena III (Inner Vision) reaching no12 in the album charts. After that other territories approached me to license the project.
This new release includes the tracks (remastered!?) that you originally recorded in 1995 for the Initiate album. How did that album come about? Why the recordings of Phenomena tracks then, as well as under the name of O’Ryan?
Around 1994, a copy of my first solo album O’Ryan “Something Strong” fell into the hands of AVA Aura Ltd., a new Japanese music & media company who had set up offices in London. They had major investment for acquiring new media and music projects in the UK and when the MD heard my debut album, he contacted my solicitor to set up a meeting. They wanted to work with me on a new album and offered me a deal I could not refuse. I already had my own studio and I was given full creative control. MD of AVA Aura Hisa Seki selected all the songs he wanted me to re-record for the Initiate album and even though it was kind of a weird concept? I accepted the challenge. I installed an old 24track 2-inch Soundcraft analogue recorder in the studio with a Mackie 48 cannel desk and the entire album was produced using this format. My main objective was to try and arrange and produce the songs with a different interpretation to the originals, which was no easy feat. Engineer/Producer Simon Hanhart, Co-producer Jason Fillingham, and myself mixed the album at PUK Studios in Denmark. The name O’Ryan was an Irish pseudonym I choose to use rather than my birth name but with the Phenomena Recovered reissue I choose to put it out under Merv Spence.
How was the reaction to Initiate? It was only released in a few territories!?
I think it was received very well but like any album everyone has an opinion, some people will love it and some will not. When I finish an album I tend to let it go and I really will not listen to it again for a long time. I had no control over the release or the distribution in other territories but I did travel to Japan several times for promotion. Also one of the songs (Emer May) was used on a TV advert in Japan for a sports car which helped. The people at AVA Aura were great to work with and very enthusiastic but had no real experience of the Music Industry and doing music business in the UK and Japan is so different. They took up the option to record another album with me that I started recording in 1996. Unfortunately due to ill heath with the MD, the relationship with AVA regrettably terminated.
How did this new release (to remaster, reissue, and record) the Phenomena songs come about?
Explore Rights Management Ltd. approached me and put the suggestion of remarketing and reissuing the Phenomena tracks on “Initiate”. They also asked if I would be prepared to record a couple of additional bonus songs. The song “Slave” that is also an additional track has a strong connection to the visionary/artist William Blake and inspired me to use one of his paintings for the front cover. “Slave” was originally written and used on a film called “The Gnostics” (circa 1987) which I updated it for a new Phenomena album. The lyrics are a combination of a William Blake poem and additional lyrics I added to enhance the song commercially.
There are 2 brand new recordings on this release – what inspired those, and can you tell me details about recording them (who else is involved, etc..)?
I wanted to keep the continuity of the Phenomena theme so I picked “Rock My Soul” & “Dance With The Devil” to record as the additional bonus tracks. I originally was going to record the songs acoustically but I kind of got carried away creatively with the arrangements in the studio. Like most musicians or producers I have a small writing setup at home and the majority of the material was recorded and produced there. I did record acoustic guitars and some live vocals on “Rock My Soul” in Donegal on the West coast of Ireland, which are the main template of that song. You never know how things will transpire which is part of the magic.
Going back to the beginning, can you tell us a bit about your beginning in music – influences, earliest bands…?
Being born and brought up on the East Coast of Ireland I had and still have a really strong connection with traditional Irish and country music. Artists like Neil Young, America, Horslips, Eagles heavily influenced me, as well as a great Irish songwriter called Jonathan Kelly. I first heard Led Zeppelin II at my grandparents, a copy that my uncle had bought before immigrating to Canada. From listening to that I got into more progressive acts such as Pink Floyd, Yes, Deep Purple and Rush. I got my first guitar at aged 13 (a 6 string Eko Ranger acoustic) and the first song I ever wrote was entitled “Money Man”. I left Ireland for UK mainland when I was sixteen to train as an engineer but it also gave me the opportunity to get closer to the UK Music Industry. I qualified after four years and by this time I was already playing bass and singing lead vox in local bands in and around The Midlands (The birthplace of heavy metal). I was in a three-piece band called Big Daisy & later Jury with musicians Degg Newman (Drums) Roger Fox (1st Guitarist) Tim Rowe (2nd Guitar) and we recorded our first single at Woodbine Street Studios in Leamington with Producer Johnny Rivers. We continued to record a lot of material, which eventually was released on the Big Daisy debut album on both 12” vinyl and CD on German label HR Records (circa 2014)
How did you get involved with Trapeze? Can you give details on that period – who else was in the band still, how long and (roughly) how many gigs this was?
Some people recommended me to Mel Galley and he just turned up at some of the Big Daisy gigs. Trapeze (circa 1982) was made up of Mel Galley (Guitars & Vocals) Richard Bailey (Keyboards) Steve Bray (Drums) Kex Gorin (Drums) and myself (Bass & Vocals). We went into rehearsals at the Managers nightclub/music venue in Wolverhampton and performed a few warm-up shows round the Midlands before embarking on a UK tour supporting Edgar Winter in 1982. It was a very short period of this line-up before Mel left to join Whitesnake.
Trapeze ended when Mel joined Whitesnake(!?) But had the band recorded an album while you were there? And what became of these recordings?
I have a live cassette recording of 2 shows in 1982 (Oxford & London) from the Edgar Winter tour, which was taken off the out front mixing console. Some of the new songs were included in the live set. I also have a cassette copy of several recordings from the unfinished studio sessions before Mel Galley joined Whitesnake.
You also joined Wishbone Ash for the Raw To The Bone album. How did the WA gig come about?
I got a call from a musician friend who told me bass player Trevor Bolder had left Wishbone Ash and that the band was after a replacement bass player. I put a call into their manager John Sherry and an hour later I was asked if I could come to London the next day as the band were in rehearsals. I turned up and did about three/four songs and went home. I got a call from Andy Powell about 11.pm that night and the following week I was off on a 6-week tour of America. I then went on to take front of stage as bass player/lead singer and I was actually in the band for about a year before we started recording Raw to the Bone. We recorded the album at Surrey Sound with Producer Nigel Grey and I continued to tour with the band internationally for about four years. Touring is an amazing life if you have no ties but I left after my first daughter was born.
Raw To The Bone was a more hard-rock (for the times) Ash album, and you are credited as a co-writer throughout. What are your thoughts on this album and your contributions to it? Did any tracks come directly from you?
When I joined WA I think the band were at a crossroads in they’re career needing a bit of enlightenment in finding a fresh direction and I do not think the guys would disagree with me on this. After a very successful career with MCA Records and headline tours in America the guys were slightly lost and without a record deal. When we went into the studio to start work on Raw To The Bone I did bring a lot of new song ideas but everything was democratic and it was agreed we all have an equal split, no matter who contributed the ideas. As a lead singer my vocal style would obviously give the songs a slightly heavier edge and I respect the guys for giving me the opportunity without manipulating this. But we must also appreciate that WA is predominately a highly respected guitar band who were responsible for creating that classic twin lead guitar technique and the band still continues to pack audiences in all over the globe. As a musician, songwriter and producer I do not create music or compositions to please fans, I just do what I do as a creator and if the fans like it great if not tough. Again I did not listen to the album for a long time but, when I have done guest appearances with the band, the fans demand certain songs off that album. I am very proud of it.
Any other ‘name’ band offers over the years?
Yes, I have worked on a number of albums in Europe and have been in rehearsals with various named musicians for new and existing projects but I would rather not say who they were. Some times the chemistry is just not right or I was not really interested. One project that was fantastic came about when I started writing songs with a partner in Germany. The songs were so good and we both signed an amazing deal with Warner Brothers International. We recorded the album in Germany and mixed it in Nashville with Producer John Guess. We delivered what I believed was a great album but some at Warner’s thought different. To this day I am not sure why Warner’s had an issue but through the grapevine I was told someone felt my lyrics were too political for the label? In the end they paid us off and I demanded that they also sign the Master tapes over to us. This album ended up being my debut solo album O’Ryan “Something Strong”. When rock music went through that “Dinosaur” period (circa 2000) of not being cool I got more involved in Artist Development, Artist Management and promoting major outdoor Events.
What else are you currently up to — any recordings, live gigs?
I relocated back to my native Ireland in 2016 and as well as continuing to write and produce music, I embarked on a DL Masters Degree in Music Composition at Bath Spa University qualifying in 2019, I am also in the first stages of a PHD. Pre Covid I was in discussions with musicians and Management in Sweden to record a new album with the objective of touring in 2020 but covid unfortunately terminated that idea. The pandemic was a really difficult time especially for the creative industries with an unknown resolve but I tried to keep busy working on songs and developing projects. I currently have two albums that I am updating for reissue with additional tracks and new artwork. The first is my debut solo album “Something Strong” (circa 1987) and the other with the working title (Insurrection) has never been released, I have also written about 20 new songs for an acoustic album that I hope to start working on in December 2023. There are various other ideas in the pipeline and since the release of Phenomena Recovered; several labels in the UK, Europe & Japan have approached to get involved. My plan at the moment is to just get the product right and after that I will make a decision about releasing and possibly doing some acoustic live shows. I have no rules when it comes to the creative process and started creative writing and script writing during lockdown. I have a film script in development entitled “The Maidens” that I hope to produce as a film short but the logistics are a bit difficult as the story is based around two abandoned lighthouses off the East coast of Ireland.
Trapeze albums’s “Medusa” and “You Are The Music…We’re Just The Band” are now available for pre-order on Limited Edition Vinyl (250 copies of each) for the first time in over 40 years! Also Limited Bundles (100 copies of each) with a signed flat by Glenn Hughes.
Outsider Rock 