PLANET 3 feat JAY GRAYDON - Gems Unearthed [Japan version +3] (2004)

Requested in "REQUEST & FILL CORNER" section...

For any AOR fan, the name JAY GRAYDON needs no introduction. With twelve Grammy nominations (2 wins) this talented songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, producer, arranger and recording engineer is one of the greats from the legendary LA scene.
Graydon also found time for his own projects, like PLANET 3 (featuring as band mates the cream of the genre in Clif Magness and Glen Ballard) releasing a stupendous album in the early '90s.

With such busy personnel, few would have expected a new Planet 3 album, but that happened in 2004 with this "Gems Unearthed" a follow up CD with many previously unreleased songs as well as re-worked, alternate versions of a few songs from the first Planet 3 album.
You have here superb AOR melodies, uptempo / ballad tunes full of elegance and class.
There's irresistible tracks like the lush "Jenny's Still In Love", the '80s synth gem "Push It In", the stratospheric AOR of "Criminal" alongside classy FM ballads such as "I Don't Want To Say Goodnight" or the beauty of "Tonight You're Mine".
You know, classic '80s stuff in the vein of Toto, Chicago, Keane, etc.



This Japanese release features 3 additional tracks, taken from Graydon's solo work: one is the Grammy awarded monster ballad "After the Love Has Gone" (written by Graydon / David Foster / Bill Champlin) in a new version sung by Champlin.
The others are "Roxann" with the unforgettable Warren Wiebe on lead vocals, and "Holdin' On to Love" featuring Sherwood Ball, both excellent cuts as well.
Needless to say, production, mix, mastering, etc. in "Gems Unearthed" is top notch, pristine and clear.
A must.


01 - After the Love Has Gone *
02 - Holdin' On to Love *
03 - Roxann *
04 - Jenny's Still In Love
05 - Modern Girl
06 - Tonight You're Mine
07 - Push It In
08 - Mondo Rock
09 - Criminal
10 - Comin' Together
11 - I Don't Want To Say Goodnight
12 - Make My Day
13 - I Gotta Have It

* Japanese edition extra tracks

Jay Graydon: guitars, keyboards, programming
Clif Magness: vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming
Glen Ballard: keyboards, programming
with:
David Foster, Mark Portman: keyboards
Bill Cantos: keyboards, backing vocals
Kenji Sano: bass
Jerry Hey: horns
Jay Oliver: synths
Bill Champlin: vocals
Sherwood Ball: vocals
Warren Wiebe: vocals




PLANET 3 feat JAY GRAYDON Gems Unearthed [Japan version +3]
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KADOMATSU T's SONGS FROM L.A. - The Ballad Covers Collection (2004)

Requested in "REQUEST & FILL CORNER" section...

Japanese multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and orchestrator Toshiki Kadomatsu has been very popular in Asia since the early '80s creating music for other artists and recording his own albums in a Westcoast / AOR / Pop style, with many American musicians as session players.
During the '90s, and due the musical climate in the US, top artists from the genre found refugee in the Japanese market, always eager for delicate sounds and melodies.

Then Kadomatsu had the idea to re-work his most popular Japanese songs to be performed by US musicians, and moved to California to record this "KADOMATSU T's SONGS FROM L.A. - The Ballad Covers Collection" after the other volume including more poppy songs, previously featured here on the blog.
The best L.A. session cats were part of the project, including superb guitarists Jay Graydon & Michael Landau, alongside other monsters like Brett Raymond, Gino Vannelli, Tom Keane, Abraham Laboriel and more.



As on the previous volume the vocalists involved are top notch too: again Joseph Williams (Toto), Chicago's Jason Scheff and the great Tommy Funderburk, but now featuring the likes of Richard Page (Mr. Mister) and talented Brett Raymond doing lead vocals apart of playing keyboards and programming.
All singers did the lyric adaptation to English language and Kadomatsu the arrangements to fit the new versions. As you could imagine, this is a bunch of excellent material spotlessly clean produced and rich in smooth melodies all over.
Delicious CD only released in Japan, now out of print.


01 - Gino Vanelli - Still I'm In Love With You
02 - Michael North - Midnight Girl
03 - Jessica Sheely - You're My Only Shinin' Star
04 - Richard Page - Desire
05 - Lea Herman - August Rain
06 - Jason Scheff - Distance
07 - Henry Kapono - It's Hard to Say Good-Bye
08 - Presley Tucker - Mermaid Princess
09 - Brett Raymond - Let Me Say...
10 - Tommy Funderburk - Ramp In

Jay Graydon: Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Michael Landau: Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Toshi Onikuza: Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Tak Akimoto: Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Grant Geissman, Abraham Laboriel: Acoustic Guitars
John H. Wayne, Jim Stout: Bass
Todd Sorensen: Drums
Gino Vannelli: Piano
Brett Raymond: Keyboards & Programming
Tom Keane: Keyboards
Michael Binikos, Tak Akimoto: Keyboards, Programming
Marco Tessier: Programming
Richard Beaudette: Sax
Larry Lunetta, Andy Suzuki, Alex Ailes: Horns
Jason Scheff, Joseph Williams, Marilyn Martin, Tom Keane, Margaret Linn, Mary Linn, Michael North: Background vocals


KADOMATSU T's SONGS FROM L.A. Ballad Covers Collection
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JACK WAGNER - All I Need [Japanese Edition '99] (1984)

Requested on previous posts comments:

JACK WAGNER recorded four albums during the '80s / '90s period and three were already posted on the blog, why not complete the circle? And with his more AOR album of all, Wagner's debut "All I Need".
Jack Wagner was always underestimated as musician because of his General Hospital TV Show role as actor. But truth is Wagner has played the guitar and sung since his teens and used the show to launch a musical career, his true passion.

And need to be said, he is a terrific vocalist with a smooth vocal color specially designed for this kind of elegant AOR.
Signed by a major label, Jack Wagner recorded his first album "All I Need" with the help of heavy weights in this matter provided by the record company: songwriting contributions by David Foster, Jay Graydon, Tom Keane, Clif Magness, Glen Ballard (these last too also producing and playing) and superb session musicians such as guitar ace Michael Thompson and exquisite drummer Pat Mastelotto.
With this team you can't fail, and indeed "All I Need" was a total success.

Every track on "All I Need" is a potential single, from the synth-driven "Premonition" opener to the last cut "Lady of My Heart", a piano ballad ready for any movie soundtrack.
More pure '80s AOR is displayed on the uptempo and fun "What You Don't Know" (great Michael Thompson solo), the killer "Fighting The Nights" and "Sneak Attack", the soaring "Make Me Believe It", or the smash hit title track "All I Need", a classic.



The request was about the remaster of "All I Need" appeared seven years ago, but I am more than happy with this Japanese 1999 reissue (AOR 名盤 Selection complete with full artwork) which sounds million bucks.
A must for any '80s AOR fan.


01 - Premonition
02 - What You Don't Know
03 - Whenever Hearts Collide
04 - Fighting The Nights
05 - All I Need
06 - Make Me Believe It
07 - Sneak Attack
08 - After The Fact
09 - Tell Him (That You Won't Go)
10 - Lady Of My Heart

Jack Wagner - vocals
Michael Thompson - guitars
Clif Magness - guitar, backing vocals
Bill Elliott, Pat Mastelotto - drums, percussion
Davey Faragher - bass
Tom Keane - synths, backing vocals
Sam Bryant, Bill Elliott, John Van Tongeren, Mark Vieha - synths, keyboards
Jerry Peterson - sax
Rosemary Butler, Siedah Garrett, Edie Lehmann, Debbie Pearl - backing vocals




JACK WAGNER All I Need [Japanese Edition]
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JAY GRAYDON with K-A-Z - Blazin (2003)

Requested in "REQUEST & FILL CORNER" section...

This a fun request. Super talented L.A. Session god JAY GRAYDON wrote some years ago the theme song for a Japanese popular wrestler, Kenta Kobashi.
The song titled "Blazin" was recorded by Asian guitar wizard K-A-Z, but also by Graydon in California, accompanied by some other luminaries often linked with AOR sounds; keyboard player Bill Cantos, bassist Jimmy Johnson and John Keane on drums.

Used when Kobashi entered into the Pro-Wrestling NOAH arena, the various versions of the song were pressed on CD.
K-A-Z takes are really hard rocking in a Marty Friedman style, while Graydon's and his cats, as you suppose, deliver a very melodic breeze. Jay Graydon shines with a clean yet powerful valvular guitar performance, while Cantos add some synths as embellishment.

The "Blazin" EP is a cool release, many versions of the same song yes, but fun. It's almost like a 'soundtrack type' release.
The CD is a rarity, as far I know out of print and a collectors item.


01 - K-A-Z - Blazin
02 - Ryu Nakata - Ring Announce
03 - K-A-Z - Blazin (Victory Version)
04 - Kenta Kobash - Message
05 - Jay Graydon - Blazin (Original Version)
06 - Jay Graydon - Blazin (Original Long Version)

Tracks 1, 3:
K-A-Z: Guitars, Bass & Programming
Go: Drums
Tracks 5, 6:
Jay Graydon: Guitars, Keyboards, Programming
Bill Cantos: Keyboards
Jimmy Johnson : Bass
John Keane: Drums


JAY GRAYDON with K-A-Z - Blazin
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JAY GRAYDON - Works [Japan only] (2010)

Requested in "REQUEST & FILL CORNER" section...

Talking about JAY GRAYDON is talking about finesse and class.
Called the "producers' producer", the "guitarists' guitarist", Graydon's discography reads like a Who's Who of an entire sector of the US music scene from the last 40+ years.
A double Grammy winner, Jay has been involved on almost all major AOR albums from the '80s. But the sheer volume and diversity of this man's work defies belief.

A few years ago, a compilation including some of the most successful works either produced, composed, arranged or featuring Jay Graydon was released only in Japan under the title... "Works".
We have pure AOR cuts from Bill Champlin, Airplay, Marc Jordan or Pages, but also pop, R&B, jazzy from such diverse artists like Boz Scaggs, Valerie Carter or George Benson. All are refined pieces of music, it doesn't matters the genre.

"Jay Graydon Works" is a pleasure from start to finish to enjoy this consummate studio craftsman.
Japanese exclusive release, not so easy to find. If you see a copy at a reasonable price, buy it with your eyes closed.


01 - Bill Champlin - What Good Is Love
02 - Airplay - Stranded
03 - Manhattan Transfer - Twilight Zone Twilight Tone
04 - Earth, Wind & Fire - After The Love Has Gone
05 - Marc Jordan - I'm A Camera
06 - Boz Scaggs - Then She Walked Away
07 - Al Jarreau - Mornin'
08 - Dionne Warwick - For You
09 - Pages - Fearless
10 - George Benson - Turn Your Love Around
11 - Herbie Hancock - Paradise
12 - Kenny Rogers - This Love We Share
13 - Air Supply - I Can Wait Forever
14 - El Debarge - Someone
15 - Airplay - Should We Carry On
16 - Valerie Carter - What's Become Of Us
17 - Peter Allen - Pass This Time
18 - Steve Kipner - The Ending






JAY GRAYDON Works [Japan only]
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