REFUGEE - Affairs In Babylon [vinyl rip] (1985)

Thanks to Rocky Birboa for helping me to recover this original vinyl-rip

REFUGEE, the brainchild of Canadian songwriter / vocalist Myles Hunter (RIP), released this LP "Affairs In Babylon" in 1985 after an initial indie release under the moniker MICHAEL FURY.
You can read the story and get the album HERE

REFUGEE's "Affairs In Babylon" wasn't released on CD until 2005 by a German label.
Unfortunately, they didn't take as a source the original master tapes, just a wasted & scratched vinyl, and also gently destroyed the original signal harmonics with a cheap processor.
That CD sounds terrible, a classic album like this deserves a better CD reissue.

From a pretty good vinyl rip (courtesy of troynew, thanks my friend), I've tried to get the best audio quality possible, de-crackling, de-clicking and de-noising the whole thing. To my ears, it sounds far better than the aforementioned German CD.
Tracks 1 & 2 are chained in the vinyl, I have left them as a single track to preserve continuity and avoid the typical mp3 gaps. Anyway, included into the file, are both as separated tracks as well: you choose.
320K including re-worked artwork.


01 - Affairs In Babylon
02 - Thunder Of Another Night
03 - Listen To Your Heart
04 - Hot Words *
05 - Dream On Anastasia
06 - Exiles In The Dark
07 - No Survivors, No Way Out
08 - Body To Body
09 - Here We Go Again *
10 - These Are The Good Times


Myles Hunter : Lead Vocals, Guitar
Rob Kennedy : Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals
Howard Helm : Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Martyn Jones : Bass, Backing Vocals
Brian Doerner : Drums
Greg Bociek : add. Keyboards *



REFUGEE - Affairs In Babylon [restored audio] (1985) HERE
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MICHAEL FURY - Affairs In Babylon (1984) restored audio

Myles Hunter (ex Avalon Canada), bassist Martyn Jones and guitarist Rob Kennedy founded MICHAEL FURY (named after a character in James Joyce's short story, "The Dead") in 1979. They did the predictable round of club gigs throughout Canada until split up in 1983.

Hunter met keyboard wiz Howard Helm (ex Zon) one year later and start to play with him the songs he has been written. Together decided to call Kennedy and Jones back, and with the addition of drummer Dave Mihal reform MICHAEL FURY.
An initial demo was picked up by a local small label and the result is "Affairs In Babylon", released in 1984.

MICHAEL FURY toured constantly throughout the country, but they began getting an identity crisis as people mistook the group name 'Michael Fury' for Myles Hunter himself.
To compound matters the label tried to push the band as a solo act. This didn't sit well to the group (Hunter included), then a major US label offers a deal to the band, they brought back the rights to the album and signed a new contract.
The disc was re-mixed and re-recorded for the most part, and modified with new songs, "Affairs In Babylon" was re-issued under the band name REFUGEE, with new drummer Brian Doerner (Helix).

As REFUGEE, Hunter & Co. released another album in 1987; "Burning From The Inside Out". Both REFUGEE releases are considered classic '80s AOR gems by fans of the genre (I totally agree).

But let's talk about this MICHAEL FURY album.
For the re-release of "Affairs In Babylon" under the Refugee moniker, 5 tracks were replaced by 5 new ones, and what a new songs!, the best they ever recorded in my opinion, the Refugee release is far superior, with an updated remix job and the new tracks getting big production. A classic indeed.

However, the exclusive 5 songs on this LP are very good too, and that's why I am posting here the original MICHAEL FURY recording. Besides, this album is really hard to find.
The sound is not so 'big' (self produced and mixed), and more direct than lush and polished. According to Hunter, he still prefer some of the original FURY's versions instead of the later re-recorded as REFUGEE.
As example; 'These Are The Good Times' (later popularized by Eric Martin, but written by Mr. Hunter) features completely different arrangements here.



Maybe not many readers will be interested in this post (Michael who?) because this album version is unknown and rarely mentioned on some specialized rock magazine / website. Big mistake, since "MICHAEL FURY - Affairs In Babylon" is a collector's item, and contains very good '80s Melodic Rock / AOR music.
Ripped from vinyl (never released on CD), de-crackled and de-clicked by myself, including artwork.


01 - Affairs In Babylon
02 - Through The Thunder Of Another Night
03 - Pictures And Prints *
04 - There's Gonna Be A Fire Tonight *
05 - These Are The Good Times
06 - (Janie) Here We Go Again
07 - Hot Words
08 - ... And We All Go Down To The River *
09 - White Wine And Roses *
10 - Love Comes Down *

Tracks marked with * are exclusive to this LP


Myles Hunter : Lead Vocals, Mustang (¿?)
Martyn Jones : Bass, Vocals
Rob Kennedy : Guitars, Vocals
Howard Helm : Keyboards
Greg Bociek : Keyboards on 6
Dave Mihal : Drums
Bear : Percussion, Noises & Effects




MICHAEL FURY - Affairs In Babylon (1984)
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ORPHAN - Lonely At Night & Salute (1983-1985)

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

Born from the ashes of the Winnipeg, Canada based band The Pumps, ORPHAN was founded by keyboardist Brent Diamond and singer / bass player Chris Burke-Gaffney. The group secured a deal with Columbia Records and soon recorded their debut "Lonely At Night" in 1983, regarded as a classic Canuck AOR album.

This pompy, keyboard filled radio-friendly beauty was recorded at the famous Power Station studios in New York and produced by the afamed Lance Quinn (Arc Angel, Bon Jovi) and Bon's second cousin Tony Bongiovi.
Catchy, plenty of harmony vocals and contagious chrouses, "Lonely At Night" is a must for fans of the genre. Title track owns that unmistakable first half of the '80s feeling akin Honeymoon Suite or Steelheart, followed by the harder and sharp "What Kind Of Love Is This" which remembers Americans Preview.
The atmospheric midtempo "Miracle" recalls the aforementioned Arc Angel, but also has a lovable new wave touch, a characteristic that made Orphan so special. Then on "She Told Me" they sound typically Canadian, ala Loverboy. Those keyboards and chunky melodic guitar riffs... Love it.
"Any Time At All" is another gem in a disc full of them: heavenly synths and vocals to die for. An AOR diamond if you ask me. On the faster "Hello" and the pompy "All Over The World" they sound more Americanized, the latter bringing to mind Giuffria's Angel or New England.



Orphan toured extensively US and Canada, and with former The Pumps bandmate Terry Norman Taylor as new drummer, the group recorded the second and final opus "Salute" in 1985, with Englishman Phil Chapman (Eric Clapton, Corey Hart) & Jon Astley behind the desk.
The style was more mid-eighties, quirky melodic rock oriented here, but still extremely melodious and radio friendly. Awesome numbers such as the ecstatic "Woman In Love" and the fighting "Stand Up" (Refugee comes to mind) are staples of the pure AOR-Rock we all love. "Old Enough To Know" is another instant favorite, just listen these quick guitars and processed drums.
The melodic rock perfection of "Lyin' To Me" combines a sultry refrain with a bombastic chorus, "Steel + Iron" is heavily guitar oriented, while the more poppy "Crazy For The Night" and "A Little Heart + Soul" adds sensibility to a very well balanced recording.

Orphan disbanded in 1986, but Burke-Gaffney and Terry Norman Taylor returned during the nineties with another band; Dead Beat Honeymooners, to be featured soon on this blog.
"Lonely At Night" & "Salute" never were officially pressed on CD until 2003 when a British label picked up both original tapes and released this great 2 in 1 gatefold digipak remastered edition. Sadly, it's out of print now, but occasionally appears on eBay at decent price.
Orphan was a unique AOR/MR act, and both records have magnificently stood the test of time still sounding fresh and vital.
A Must Have.


LONELY AT NIGHT (1983)

01 - Lonely At Night
02 - What Kind Of Love Is This
03 - Miracle
04 - She Told Me
05 - Saved By The Bell
06 - Any Time At All
07 - Hello
08 - All Over The World
09 - Night Parade


SALUTE (1985)

01 - Open Up The Skies
02 - Lyin' To Me
03 - Woman In Love
04 - Crazy For The Night
05 - Stand Up
06 - A Little Heart + Soul
07 - Old Enough To Know
08 - Uncle Sam Wants You
09 - Steel + Iron
10 - The Way It Should Be

Chris Burke-Gaffney - Bass, Lead Vocals
Steve McGovern - Guitar, Vocals
Brent Diamond - Keyboards, Vocals
Ron Boisvenue - Drums, Backing vocals on Lonely At Night
Terry Norman Taylor - Drums, Backing vocals on Salute







ORPHAN Lonely At Night & Salute 2in1
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