Requested in "Request & Fill Corner" section...
MARINER hails from Michigan, where they started as a band in the seventies founded by guitar player Bob Okonowski.
The beginning of the eighties would find the act beating out 700 groups from around the U.S. in a battle of the bands, their prize for victory was a two month gig in Osaka, Japan.
Shortly upon returning to the States they would enter Multi-Trac Recording Studios in Livonia, MI, to record their first album. Mariner had various major labels interested but nothing panned out so 1981's 'Sweet Horizon' would be released on the independent Tidal Wave Records. The album featured an excellent cover of the Chilliwack song 'Fly At Night'.
In 1983 Mariner released a self-titled four song EP, again as indie on Tidal Wave Records, which would see the band's music headed in a more Melodic Rock direction.
Tracks like the atmospheric mid-tempo AOR "Don't Get Fooled Again", the radio friendly "Make Me Baby" with its irresistible chorus, and the bouncy "Lady's Touch" were excellent rockers which would once more find major labels interested, but again nothing transpired.
What has to make one scratch one's head is the other cut on the EP, "Let Your Love Show Thru", and surely "Make Me Baby" as well, were a sure fired hits that would have gone over well with the MTV crowd from that time period.
Mariner remained active during the nineties playing in small venues and releasing a couple of albums, even re-recording all the tracks from this cool mini-LP, but the original versions featured here are much better, capturing the first half of the '80s essence.
I have added as bonus one track from each of the nineties albums plus one rare track; "You Can't Out Your Love Forever". Additionally, you can listen the long demo version of "Make Me Baby" included in my AOR TREASURES - Demo Projekt Vol.2.
"MARINER mini LP" is a fine representation of early U.S. '80s Melodic Rock, really well played and produced.
Vinyl-rip restored by me.
01 - Don't Get Fooled Again
02 - Make Me Baby
03 - Let Your Love Show Thru
04 - Lady's Touch
+
05 - You Can't Out Your Love Forever (bonus)
06 - Emotional Breakdown (bonus)
07 - Welcome Back To Detroit (bonus)
Pat Mezza: bass, lead vocals
Jimmy Henterly: keyboards, lead vocals
Bob Okonowski: guitar, backing vocals
Mike Smyt: guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Block: guitar, backing vocals
Gordie Roedding: drums
MARINER - mini LP '83
Awesome eightis stuff. thank you!
ReplyDeleteAwesome eightis stuff. thank you!
ReplyDeletethanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteOkay, this is too weird to be a coincidence. Either those are my images of the record sleeve, or we had similar fates with it. I uploaded the images to the now sadly defunct motorcityrock.com but not the audio. The album was damaged when I had a leak in my roof, and I had to dispose of all my vinyl due to mold. I did try to clean up the images a bit, but they still looked very similar to these.
ReplyDelete