Released in the summer of 1983, Line Of Fire was the Headpins 2nd album on Solid Gold Records. Founded a few years prior with (then) Chilliwack members Ab Bryant (bass) and Brian MacLeod. The band went through a few changes, with drummers Matt Frenette (Loverboy) and Bernie Aubin essentially changing places, and singer Denise McCann being replaced by Darby Mills. The band’s debut Turn It Loud, gained a lot of attention and radio play with the hit single “Don’t It Make Ya Feel”, as well as the title track – “Turn It Loud” and “Breakin’ Down”. The Headpins sound centered around MacLeod’s guitar sound and Darby Mills powerful vocals (dubbed the “Queen of scream”). Line Of Fire took on a bit more of a radio friendly approach in the songs and a bit of keyboards on a few tracks. The album’s cover is a photo of the band on and around a motorcycle, with the back cover being another band photo, but geez, the small red lettering on the back, makes a good bit of this hard to read!

Anyway, I saw the Headpins open for Loverboy in August of that year. During their set Darby Mills announced that the new album would be in the shops the next day before the band played “Feel It (Feel My Body)”, which was the only new song included in their set!

Line Of Fire was a very good album, all around. It featured 2 classic dark, hard n heavy side openers in “Mine All Mine” and “Don’t Stand In The Line Of Fire”. Then there was the 3 singles, all melodic rockers – “Celebration”, “Just One More Time” (the band’s only single to crack Billboard in the US, @ #70). The more poppy “Feel It (Feel My Body”) featured a bit more keys and horns, and received a good bit of radio play. “Double Trouble” was another fine rocker. 8 tracks, all written by MacLeod (with Mills co-writing 2, and Ab Bryant another). Line Of Fire gave the band their 2nd platinum album in Canada.

The band’s label Solid Gold went under before the band’s 3rd (and final) album 2 years later. Head Over Heels was recorded for MCA records, a bit lighter, featuring the single “Stayin’ All Night”, as well as favorites “Never Come Down From The Danger Zone” and “Still The One”, but it didn’t fare as well as the previous 2 records. Still well worth checking out. Darby Mills left the band soon after, and released a solo album in 1991 (Never Look Back), while McLeod wrote & recorded with Mike Reno (Loverboy), and recorded an album with Chrissy Steele (Magnet To Steel) in ’91. MacLeod passed away in 1992. The Headpins would eventually reform with a few new players, and still play today (albeit with a different singer as well).