NORIYUKI MAKIHARA - Songs From N.Y. (2007)

As requested, here's the other Noriyuki Makihara's 'American WestCoast Ttribute' CD released simultaneously in 2007: "Songs From N.Y.", presented many years ago on this blog.
Again the 'who is who' from the WestCoast / AOR scene were recruited to perform Makihara (Japanese songwriter) songs translated to English, this time arranged with a 'New Yorker feeling'.

Now we have Peter Beckett (PLAYER), Alex Ligertwood (METRO), Kelly Keagy (NIGHT RANGER), Richard Page (Mr. MISTER) and Mark Jordan amongst other lead singers, accompanied by talented session musicians not only from the Californian scene, but also from Nashville and New York.
Production and performances are top notch, a relaxing album to enjoy these gifted voices and light AOR / smooth WestCoast / poppy songs.
Japan release only - Out Of Print


01 - Tom Keane: Star Ferry
02 - Nathan East: 24hr Supermarket
03 - Frankie Jordan: Such A Lovely Place
04 - Alex Ligertwood: Far Away, Far Away
05 - Stephen Bishop: Anytime I Want To
06 - Bill Cantos: Milk
07 - Peter Beckett: Stripe!
08 - Kelly Keagy: Penguin
09 - Mark Jordan: Happy Dance
10 - Richard Page: Tag Team
11 - Jamie Jones: On This Winter Night

Keyboards: Tom Keane, Bob James, Timothy Drury
Guitar: Charlie Mangold, Aaron Fleming, Hiram Bullock
Piano: Don Grusin
Bass: Will Lee, Eric Stern, Nate Brown,
Drums: Omar Hakim, Vinnie Colaiuta
Strings: Matt Funes, Alyssa Park, Eric Hosler
Background Vocals: Jill Dell' Abate, Terry Wood, Bernadetta Barlow, Bill Cantos, Joseph Williams
... and many more




NORIYUKI MAKIHARA Songs From N.Y. (2007)
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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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MARC JORDAN - C.O.W. [Conserve Our World] (1990)

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

I already featured here one album from Canadian singer-songwriter MARC JORDAN, the elegant Talking Through Pictures (1987). While composing, producing or playing as session musician for others, during the Eighties / Nineties Jordan managed to release a solo album every 3 years, more or less.

On his 6th album "C.O.W. [Conserve Our World]" issued in 1990, Jordan changed a little his West Coast smooth melodies in favour to a more poppy, light AOR sound akin Mr. Mister. So between the extensive session musician list it's not strange to see guitarist Steve Farris, drummer Pat Mastelotto and Richard Page doing backing vocals, all from Mr. Mister.
Just check opener "Big Love" or one of my favorites, "Edge Of The World" (featuring a great guitar solo by talented Bruce Gaitsch) and this seems like a Mr. Mister lost record indeed.
Other luminaries appear as guests such as Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon, Timothy B. Schmit, Renee Geyer, Stan Bush and lots more.
There's some Hi-Tech on "Power", suave atmospheres on "Bridges In The Dark", and a nice, West Coast / AORish arranged version of Todd Rundgren's "Can We Still Be Friends?" including a sharp six-string solo by Gene Black (Wild Blue, Device).



While pretty poppy oriented, Jordan's vocal work on this album is one of his best in my opinion.
"C.O.W. [Conserve Our World]" is not easy to find on CD, or a good, high quality CDrip.


01 - Big Love
02 - Edge Of The World
03 - Guns Of Belfast
04 - Burning Down The Amazon
05 - Bridges In The Dark
06 - Silent Night
07 - Inside My Piano
08 - Can We Still Be Friends?
09 - Power
10 - Holding Up The Sky

Vocals, Keyboards: Marc Jordan
Guitar: Steve Farris, Stuart Mathis, Dany Jacob, Bruce Gaitsch, Gene Black, Doug Macaskill
Keyboards, Bass: John Capek
Keyboards, Bass, Producer: Kim Bullard
Mandolin: Eric Williams
Strings: Rick Sailon
Drums: Pat Mastelotto, Billy Ward
Backing Vocals: Stan Bush, Billy Trudel, Amy Sky, Renee Geyer, George Merrill, Richard Page, Shannon Rubicam, Timothy B. Schmit, Mark Lennon, Kevin Cronin




MARC JORDAN - C.O.W. CDrip
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STEPHEN CRANE - Kicks (1984) restored audio

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

STEPHEN CRANE used to play in a band called Baby at the end of the seventies but his opportunity as solo artist arrived in 1984 by the hand of the major MCA label.
Stephen's debut "Kicks" was produced by Jai Winding (Le Roux) who also played keys, and no-other than the great Steve Lukather. In fact, all TOTO guys were involved in the recording including groove master Jeff Porcaro on drums.
We also find Richard Page (Mr. Mister, Pages) and AOR guru Tom Kelly (I-Ten, Van Stephenson, Survivor) doing backing vocals, together with brilliant session guitar players such as Duane Sciacqua, Joey Brasler and Ray Pannell.

The multitude of guitarists has an explanation; "Kicks" for the most part is a guitar driven AOR / Melodic Rock album with a 1984's radio friendly sound. And on most tracks, we found three different six-string axeman playing together in the same song.
Crane's pumping bass lines add even more muscle to the tunes, and his sometimes raspy but melodic vocals reminds you a cross of a young Brock Walsh, Van Stephenson on the calmer moments and Paul Sabu on the edgy.
There's not a single weak track here, going from hooky and catchy numbers like "Headed For A Heartbreak", "Joanne" or the urgent "Victims Of Love", to more AORish cuts such as the Toto-esque "Back On My Feet Again" (featuring a killer Lukather solo) and the Van Stephenson sounding "I'll Take Care Of You".



Criminally ignored not only by MR / AOR fans in general - but also by the industry as it never was released on CD - "Kicks" is one of the best records in the genre from that era.
This is my own vinyl-rip with restored audio done by myself, including artwork. I humbly think you won't find a better rip of this one anywhere.


01 - Headed For A Heartbreak
02 - Joanne
03 - Kicks
04 - All My Love
05 - Victims Of Love
06 - I Can't Wait
07 - Back On My Feet Again
08 - I'll Take Care For You
09 - Sooner Or Later
10 - Crying Don't Look Good On You

Stephen Crane - Vocals, Bass
Steve Lukather - Guitar, Farfisa Organ, Backing Vocals
Duane Sciacqua, Joey Brasler, Ray Pannell - Guitar
Jeff Porcaro, David Crockett, Jody Cortez - Drums
Jai Winding, James Newton Howard - Keyboards
Steve Porcaro - Synthesizer, Programming
Tom Kelly, Richard Page - Backing Vocals
Produced by Jai Winding & Steve Lukather




STEPHEN CRANE Kicks - restored audio
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RICHARD PAGE - Acoustic EP (1996)

Requested in "Request & Fill Corner" section...

The talented Richard Page was the soul (and founder member) of 80's favorites Mr. Mister.
Earlier, he was part of the now classic Westcoast AOR duo Pages, and wrote & backed up vocals for REO Speedwagon, Survivor, Rick Springfield, to name a few.
After Mr. Mister, Page even where offered to be lead singer in Toto and Chicago, but decided to pursue a solo career, releasing his first solo recording in 1996, the critically acclaimed 'Shelter Me', which contains terrific elegant AOR songs.

As promotion for the release, a limited edition free CD including a bunch of acoustic versions from the album (plus a new, personal version of Mr. Mister's classic "Broken "Wings") was given to customers who bought 'Shelter Me'.
The recording company put a scratch mark thru the barcode, to note which ones were to be given away. Customers were allowed to purchase copies which weren't marked.



Over the years, this "Acoustic EP" has become a collector's item.
But apart from its rarity status, the good thing about these acoustic versions is their quality.
Trust me, Richard Page's velvety vocals never sounded better than here. All tracks are pure AOR heaven, perfectly performed & recorded.
Uber Rare, and of course, A Must Have.


01 - Broken Wings (Acoustic)
02 - The Best Thing (Acoustic)
03 - A Simple Life (Acoustic)
04 - Even The Pain (Acoustic)
05 - Shelter Me (Acoustic)


Richard Page: vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, lyrics
James Harrah: guitar
John Pierce: bass
Denny Fongheiser: drums, percussion
Kim Bullard: producer / engineer
Steve George, John Lang: lyrics (1)
Marc Jordan: lyrics (2)
Jon Lind: lyrics (3)
GRP Records - BTDM-3095
Packaging: Paper Sleeve



RICHARD PAGE - Acoustic EP 1996