Melodic AOR
25 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingA podcast dedicated to the Melodic AOR sub-genre scene rooted in the late 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s and Today. A proud promoter of obscure highly under-rated Melodic AOR artists! Regular playlist selection and Album recommendations, Interviews, Perspectives and of course...Great Music! (Intro composed by Tom Durr of AOR Gypzy) Contact: [email protected]
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Episodes
Episode 24: Jay Bolan - Jay Bolan (1993)
July 16, 2021 18:00 - 12 minutes - 8.86 MBJay Bolan is a fantastic multi-instrumentalist musician that deserves a place in your music collection! Working in the music industry for well over 40 years (Los Angeles, Las Vegas) Jay has worked with many top notch musicians on many projects including the likes of Gregg and Matt Bisonette (David Lee Roth Band) , Brett Tuggle (David Lee Roth Band), Tony Franklin (The Firm) and Bobby Blotzer (Ratt) amongst many others! Jay's solo album released in 1993 is a fantastic AOR artifact that accom...
Episode 23: Body Electric - Two Worlds (1985)
May 24, 2021 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.85 MBThe Body Electric remains a fantastic hi-tech AOR group with a fresh and modern sound that was undeniably ahead of its time with their first release in 1984. Founded by David Sinclair (Vocals/Guitar), Bob Buckley (Vocals/Keyboards), Ross Friesen (Drums), and Kelly Cook (Bass) the band spawned many early charting singles such as "Somewhere in Time" on the RPM top 100 and the Adult Contemporary charts in 1984. The band followed up their early success with a EP entitled "Two Worlds" in 1985. Re...
Episode 22: Beau Coup - Born And Raised (On Rock and Roll) (1987)
April 15, 2021 20:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBHailing from Cleveland Ohio, Beau Coup (pronounced BO-COO) is a fantastic AOR group that needs a place in your record collection! Founded by Dennis Lewin on keyboards and Frank Amato on Lead Vocals rounded out by his brother Tommy Amato on Vocals/Background vocals and bass player Bill March, the band garnered a lot of initial success on local Cleveland station WGCL with their single "Still In My Heart" earning top 10 extensive local airplay. Other songs such as "Somewhere Out In The Night" g...
Episode 21: Regatta (Revisited) - Standing Alone (1985)
April 05, 2021 01:00 - 6 minutes - 4.8 MBIn episode 3 of my podcast I did a really interesting feature on a fantastic band called Regatta. Hailing from Toronto Canada; Regatta had everything going for them a unique and catchy sound, a professional look, well developed song writing and very strong label to back them. Somehow not all of those "stars" did not align at that moment in time but their only release that came out in 1989 still has a cult following for many AOR listeners which (in my opinion) should hold a special place in y...
Epsiode 20: Douglas - State Of Rock (1987)
March 28, 2021 03:00 - 11 minutes - 7.72 MBWhen you think of Greek AOR music does the name Douglas Come to mind? Douglas is one of the first English speaking AOR rock groups to come out of Greece! Formed in 1984 by Alex on Bass, Elias on Drums, Tony on Guitar, Chris on Keyboards and Cornelius on Vocals the band lineup was set recording their first 2 song single release on virgin records with a cover of the Who's "Baba O' Riley" and their own hard edged song "I'm Free Now". This release and continued hard work landed the band a full l...
Episode 19: Aces Wild - Race (1994)
March 14, 2021 00:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBAces Wild is an amazing band that no-doubt did not get its due with their fantastic release in 1994 entitled "Race". Centered around lead vocalist and guitarist Tim Thompson, Guitarist Aaron Bensette, Bass player Todd James and Drummer Darin Curtis the band infused both a hard rock image combined with pop elements of AOR to create a sound that no doubt was fresh and different from the music at that time. Being passed by Warner, Capitol and Duke Street Records did not stop this band from rele...
Episode 18: Moneytalks - Moneytalks (1990)
February 26, 2021 01:00 - 12 minutes - 8.5 MBWhen you think of Rock/Pop bands from Norway; do groups such as A-Ha and TNT come to mind? while both fantastic examples the group Moneytalks should definitely come to mind! Formed by two brothers Sverre and Harold Wiik in the early 1980's the band moved to Los Angeles in 1986 in search of landing a record deal and eventually found their way with MCA/Sonet/Curb records in 1988. Rounded out on keyboards with co-producer Kim Bullard (Jimi Jamison, Frankie and The Knockouts, Robert Tepper, Stan...
Episode 17: Gilded Cage - Tara (1988)
February 18, 2021 04:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBGilded Cage remains as a fantastic band that definitely didn't get their exposure when various singles were released back in the 1980s. Formed with Bill Lamont of Monkey See (Guitars and Keyboards) and John Berkmortel (Bass and Vocals); the group worked together initially on Bill Lamont's side solo project with his hit radio song on FM96 in London called "City Lights" which was rotated heavily locally . Produced by Peter Brennan and signed to Auto Records; The duo recognized that with this n...
Episode 16: Hit The Ground Runnin' - Sudden Impact (1989)
February 11, 2021 15:00 - 17 minutes - 12.4 MBSome bands really get that close to "making it big". Where it is a lack of promotion, or a music video for MTV/Much Music or single released or a tour that should of happened; the possible causes of a bands lack of commercial success are undeniably different and unique to every situation. Has your fate ever been determined by a "flip of a coin?" it is the most unreal story that I have ever encountered on this podcast. It is amazing how close this band got to sign with one of the largest mana...
Episode 15: Champion - Champion (1984)
February 07, 2021 05:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBChampion remains as a fantastic AOR inspired group with excellent production, songwriting and musicianship that was undeniably cut short by their label going into bankruptcy shortly after their release in 1984. Formed by Robin Rabbins (Bob Seeger and The Silver Bullet Band) and Lead by front man Alex Machin (A Foot In Coldwater) the band over a four year period had all the stars aligned for success. Starting off with small venues in Michigan and Canada the band was soon joined by supporting ...
Episode 14: Rio - Borderland (1985)
January 30, 2021 15:00 - 11 minutes - 7.89 MBRio remains a really interesting group that is a rarity within the AOR scene as they were a duo. Formed by Steve Rodford (son of Jim Rodford of the band The Zombies) and Jon Neill (Jon Willoughby) the band started their early material in a group called Bombay with a small 2 track EP released in 1984. Steve took on Drums, Bass and backup vocals, while Jon focused on lead vocals and guitar. The band got signed by Warner communications in 1985 with a release on Elektra, Music For Nations, Victo...
Episode 13: Ya Ya - II (1988)
January 25, 2021 02:00 - 10 minutes - 7.02 MBYa Ya remains as an obscure British AOR group you may not be familiar of but you definitely should! The band centered around Guitarist and Vocalist Lea Heart (Fastway, Lea Hart), Ray Calcutt on Guitars, Graham Garrett on Drums and Terry Stevens the band iself began under The Lea Hart Band and reinvented themselves under a new name Ya Ya. That eventually led the group to being signed to Rock N Roll Records which got eventually picked up by Scotti Brothers Records - Famous for the band Survivo...
Episode 12: Jato - Jato (1987)
January 18, 2021 03:00 - 10 minutes - 7.31 MBJato may not be a familiar name to you but in my mind remains as a fantastic relatively unknown group and product of the 1980's AOR scene that was cut way to short by a label; Parallel One records that folded shortly after its release in 1988. With the original band formed in the early 70s under the monkier Tacoy Ryde - A Reggae inspired/Allman Brothers/Grateful Dead inspired group rebranded themselves in the early 1980's with their failure to land a record deal. Signed to Parallel One Recor...
Episode 11: Korea - Korea (1992)
January 14, 2021 16:00 - 8 minutes - 5.92 MB1992 was a great year for music but a bad year for new AOR bands in achieving success within a changing music market towards grunge music. Korea remains as a big standout for Canadian AOR music at this time. The group compromised of Gino Lionessa on Vocals and Guitar; his brother Anthony Lionessa on Guitar, Tony "T-Bone" Botelho on bass, Sylvain Beauchamp on Keyboards and Henry "Chuck" Torrossian on drums, the lineup was set in 1990 with signing to MCA/Rammit BMI Records in 1992. Produced an...
Episode 10: QWest - Dream Zone (1984)
January 12, 2021 15:00 - 7 minutes - 5.35 MBQWest (Pronounced Quest) is a fantastic AOR group out of Alberta Canada that really didn't get the success they deserved as recognized by their fantastic production, lyrics and music they created over a course of two releases. While their first release in 1981 entitled Tampico Gold it was more of a Pomp, New Wave sound (Duran Duran, The Cars, Chilliwack, Heart) that wasn't really polished until 1984 when the band worked fully with Dan Lowe (Boulevard, Brian Island, White Wolf, Prototype) to ...
Episode 9: Young Saints - Young Saints (1991)
January 10, 2021 19:00 - 7 minutes - 5.4 MBThe Young Saints remains a band that was given a lot of support from their label Polydor and remains as a group that was very successful for a 1991 AOR release. From Newfoundland and Labrador; the band relocated and started their beginnings featured on the Homegrown IV Vancouver album in 1990, the band was able to work with renowned producer/musician Corky Laing (Mountain, Mahogany Rush, Bo Diddley, Men Without Hats) and Studio Engineer Mike Scott (Men Without Hats, Ian Hunter, Peter Frampto...
Episode 8: White Heat - We Never Heard Of You Either (1989)
January 10, 2021 04:00 - 8 minutes - 5.62 MBHave you ever found a band with so many successful creative minds working on the production side of a project but yet the album wasn't that commercially successful? Well that is the story of the band White Heat. Signed by CBS Records in 1989 and appearances by well known musicians such as Gil Moore (Triumph) and Rick Santers (Santers) and produced by Terry Brown (Rush, Dream Theater, Cutting Crew, Eye Eye, Blue Rodeo), Steve Webster (Billy Idol, Strange Advance, Parachute Club, Honeymoon Sui...
Episode 7: Brian Island - Brian Island (1989)
January 07, 2021 02:00 - 13 minutes - 9.19 MBIt is really rare to find an artist and album not signed to any major or small labels that really blows your socks off! The Brian Island solo album released in 1989 is a fantastic album that the labels at the time did not give a serious look. Rounded out by Jerry Adolphe and Brad Steckel - his bandmates from Canadian group - Prototype and produced by Dan Lowe (Boulevard, Pretty Rough, White Wolf) the production side was set. While the labels did not have the money available to take on the gr...
Episode 6: Greenway - Serious Business (1988)
January 05, 2021 18:00 - 7 minutes - 4.94 MBIf you really think about it: In a lot of rock bands many of the members may eventually embark on a solo career. Bands like Journey (Steve Perry), Loverboy (Paul Dean), Kiss (Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley), Rush (Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson) are some that I know well. But not all are widely known or successful. Brian Greenway who made a career working with April Wine had extra time during the "Walking Through Fire" album sessions in 1986 in the Bahamas. Through this extra session time he recruited ...
Episode 5: Boulevard - BLVD (1988)
January 03, 2021 17:00 - 10 minutes - 7.46 MBBoulevard is a fantastic melodic AOR band that you should definitely become familiar with! Starting its roots in 1984 with their first single "Another Rainy Day In London" the band had early success in Germany that helped propel their band to an American 7 album MCA record contract! Produced by Pierre Bazinet (Sass Jordan, Paradox, Celine Dion); their first release was in 1988. The titled album "Boulevard" had tremendous national success with an opening slot act with bands such as Glass Tige...
Episode 4: Worrall - Worrall (1991)
December 20, 2020 02:00 - 8 minutes - 6.05 MBThink about some of the big AOR artists you know of. How many of the groups have a brother in the band? Not many. Bands like FM (UK), Giant and Hardline are a few AOR specific bands that I can think of where two brothers share the same studio, stage and band identity together to make great music! Founded by Steve and Rick Worrall in the mid 1980's both musicians had both the talent, record label support (Spy Records /A&M), producer Jim Gaines (Steve Miller, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Journey, Doobi...
Episode 3: Regatta - Regatta (1989)
December 17, 2020 04:00 - 7 minutes - 5.2 MBRegatta remains another amazing AOR "Power Trio" band that really did not get to hit their full potential due to the inability of their label to sell and promote the material extensively before the "Grunge Revolution" of 1991. Winners of the Q107 Homegrown Band contest in 1987 with their single "Standing Alone" the band was off to a good start and eventually lead to a signing with BMG records. There first and only full length album made available in 1989; exceptional song writing, musiciansh...
Episode 2: Eye Eye - Just In Time To Be Late (1986)
December 16, 2020 01:00 - 8 minutes - 5.7 MBEye Eye is a fantastic Canadian hi-tech AOR, new wave group that should not be an oversight for any AOR fan. The Duo Of Andy Ryan and Bill Wood played an important part in the band's musical direction and song writing. Catchy lyrics you want to dance to, great production, instruments and vocals are shining examples of this amazing release. This band had tremendous initial success with two finals appearances on CBC's Rock Wars and Much Music's Talent Search. Tracks such as "Out On A Limb" and...
Episode 1: Beau Geste - Another Night In The City (1986)
December 11, 2020 20:00 - 12 minutes - 8.67 MBIn the first MelodicAOR podcast we analyze and examine the history, musicianship and unrecognized song writing and talent of the Montreal based group Beau Geste as possessed in their 1986 Release, Another Night In The City. Being one of the first English Quebec rock groups; the band garnered a lot of airplay locally and provincially. Assisted by producer Aldo Nova - The incredibly talented Bryan Hughes (Bryan Hughes Group, Devay) drastically made a profound positive impact on the bands overa...
MelodicAOR Podcast Episode 1: Beau Geste - Another Night In The City (1986)
December 11, 2020 20:00 - 10 minutes - 7.58 MBIn this podcast we analyze and examine the history, musicianship and unrecognized song writing and talent the Montreal based group Beau Geste possessed in their 1986 Release, Another Night In The City. The incredibly talented Bryan Hughes drastically made a profound positive impact on the bands overall production and was released with significant quality music that did not garner the attention it should have. Highly recommended album and group!