MAIN STAGE 2008
| Thursday July 3rd | Friday July 4th | Saturday July 5th |
| Dennis DeYoung with Special Guest Glen Burtnik |
Blackhawk / Restless Heart | Blue Oyster Cult with Special Guest The Shadows of Knight |
Dennis DeYoung
The Music of Styx
Dennis DeYoung is a founding member of the rock group Styx. The Chicago-based band originated in 1962 when 14 year old DeYoung and brothers John and Chuck Panozzo joined Dennis in the basement of his childhood home to form one of America's most successful and enduring bands. Styx has sold over 35 million albums worldwide and DeYoung has written eight of their nine top ten singles. Styx was the only band to ever record four consecutive triple platinum albums.
For over four decades, DeYoung has been a singer, songwriter, keyboardist and record producer. He wrote and sang several classics including: Lady, Come Sail Away, Best of Times, Mr. Roboto, Show Me the Way, Desert Moon, Don't Let It End, and the 1979 Peoples Choice Award winner, Babe. His singing talents have made his voice one of the most recognizable in the world. DeYoung has recorded 7 solo albums including Desert Moon, whose title track achieved Top Ten status. DeYoung continues to tour with his rock band around the world.
In 2007, DeYoung recorded his seventh solo album for DEP Universal Canada. The title track for this CD, One Hundred Years From Now was released as a single and reached #1 on the Pop, Rock and AC charts in Quebec. In 2008, this CD will be released in the The United States on Rounder Records and will feature two additional tracks. In May of 2008 DeYoung's musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame will be staged in Chicago at the Bailiwick Repertory Theater.
In 2006, DeYoung performed live on CANADIAN IDOL. DeYoung also performed live on three episodes of the Fox Network's CELEBRITY DUETS with celebrity duet partner Hal Sparks and was selected as one of three artists along with legends Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight for the finale. DeYoung was also selected to perform live on VH1's BIG IN 06 Awards show along with THE KILLERS, THE FRAY, FERGIE, and WEIRD AL.
In 2003, DeYoung performed and recorded an expanded version of his Rock Symphony show at the historic Chicago Theater. This CD, Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx Live with Symphony Orchestra, has been certified platinum in Canada.
In 2002, WTTW PBS Chicago taped DeYoung performing with his rock band and 50 piece symphony orchestra with The Chicago's Children's Choir for the pilot of the PBS' Soundstage series. The Soundstage pledge program is currently airing nationwide on PBS stations around the country and have raised in excess of two million dollars. The Soundstage DVD, DENNIS DEYOUNG AND THE MUSIC OF STYX LIVE WITH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA has been certified triple platinum in Canada. Both the CD and DVD are available at www.dennisdeyoung.com.
In recent years DeYoung's songs have continued to enjoy remarkable popularity. His compositions have been featured in over 30 television shows including: The Simpson's, Freeks & Geeks, Dharma and Gregg, E.R., King of Queens, Sex in the City, Will and Grace, Las Vegas, Cold Case, That 70's Show, Saturday Night Live and numerous others. The piece de resistance however was when Cartman sang Come Sail Away on the groundbreaking series South Park.
DeYoung's songs have been featured in 15 major motion pictures including; Virgin Suicides, Big Daddy, Detroit Rock City, Disney's Atlantis, and The Wild, The Karate Kid II, the Shrek II DVD, Mr. Woodcock, , Underdog and Fun With Dick and Jane etc. Four songs of DeYoung's were used in The Perfect Man in which he also made a cameo appearance.
Volkswagen turned Mr. Roboto into a hit national commercial, featuring two Wayne's World like guys jamming to the words "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto." In 1999, Hippo Records released The Ultimate Collection, a compilation of select songs from DeYoung's solo albums Desert Moon, Back to the Word and Boomchild. In 2005, Universal Music Group re-released Desert Moon on CD and a DVD of DeYoung's videos entitled, The Best Of Dennis DeYoung, The 20th Century Masters.
DeYoung made his Broadway debut in 1993, starring as Pontius Pilate in Andrew Lloyd Weber's Jesus Christ Superstar's 25th Anniversary Reunion Tour. His performance earned a Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for best supporting actor in a musical. While performing in Superstar, DeYoung was approached by Atlantic Records to sing and produce 10 On Broadway, a compilation of his favorite Broadway songs.
Deyoung's passion for American musical theater and composers like George Gershwin and Lerner and Lowe inspired him to write a musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Nashville Tennessee Repertory Theater mounted a full production of Hunchback in the fall of 1997 to glowing reviews. In 2006 DeYoung received the Just Plain Folks Music Awards for Best Theater Album, The Hunchback of Notre Dame...A Musical, and for Best Contemporary Song, Who Will Love This Child.
DeYoung is a native of Chicago. In January of 2008 DeYoung will celebrate 38 years of marriage to his high school sweetheart Suzanne. He and Suzanne have raised two children and continue to live in the Chicago area.
11/19/2007
GLEN BURTNIK
Glen Burtnik should have always known that he would forge a career in music. His parents tell him that even as an infant in Irvington, New Jersey, before he could talk (when he was Learning To Crawl), that he had a very emotional reaction to music. Born Glenn Burtnick, April 8, 1955, the youngest of three brothers, he was "forced" at an early age by his brothers into singing harmonies with them. Glen says his brothers would terrorize him if he didn't sing his part correctly. When Glen was in the second grade, his family decided to move to the New Brunswick area of New Jersey, and by the time he was twelve, Glen already had ideas about his future. He was undecided as to whether to pursue art, music, or film as a career, but he knew that he needed to be 'creating.' He was leaning towards film at the time, but sometime in junior high, he realized that he had been writing songs in his head, and music became topmost in his heart. In late 1967 or early 1968, he attended a "Be-In" in Johnson's Park, where he played his guitar and sang his one song to anyone who would listen. This was his first gig ever. He later played at the New Jersey Teen Arts Festival at the N.J. State Museum Auditorium. At 15, "I was certain I was the next Bob Dylan," says Glen. After high school, Glen wrote and performed a rock opera called "The Walls Of Walden" with his band, Albatross.
He then answered a classified ad in the Village Voice seeking Beatle sound-alikes and look-alikes for the show Beatlemania. He became a part of the west coast cast of the show, playing Paul McCartney. During his tenure in Beatlemania, he forged a lasting friendship with Marshall Crenshaw, who played John Lennon. Glen and Marshall recorded a single, "I HATE DISCO MUSIC," as The Sides. This friendship has endured through the years, with the two still working together whenever time allows. Glen sometimes appears with Marshall during his live shows, and Marshall regularly appears in Glen's Christmas Extravaganza.
While still appearing in Beatlemania, Glen answered another ad in the Village Voice and was hired by Jan Hammer to be the singer for his band, Hammer. They recorded an album, and toured in support of it. Through his involvement with Jan Hammer, Glen also formed a friendship with Neal Schon, later of Santana and Journey. The song, "NO MORE LIES," was a collaboration written by Burtnick, Schon, and Hammer.
"That trip to California really made up my mind! I turned around and headed home to Exit Number Nine.."
One of the other Beatlemania cast members then was given a record deal by Elektra Records for his band, Helmet Boy, and asked Glen to join the band. He did so, and the album, Helmet Boy, was released. After the album was basically ignored by the music industry, Glen returned to New Brunswick and married his high school sweetheart, RoseMary Giglio. Glen then began playing with local bands in the Asbury Park music scene. One of the bands, Cats On A Smooth Surface, was the house band for the famed Stone Pony club. Almost every Sunday night, Bruce Springsteen would come to the Pony and perform with the band. This band had a lot of talent even without the appearances of The Boss. The band consisted of Glen, Fran Smith (The Hooters), Bobby Bandiera (The Asbury Jukes), and Ray Anderson (Blue Van Gogh), so it is interesting to speculate what this lineup could've accomplished with a bit more exposure.
During this time, Glen also became acquainted with another New Jersey musician named Jon Bongiovi (later to become Jon Bon Jovi). When Jon decided to form a band, he asked Glen to join. Glen declined, but the two have remained good friends throughout the years, and have appeared together from time to time. It was about this time that he decided to drop his first letter, shortening Glenn to Glen.
"It seemed like the perfect arrangement..."
In 1984, a demo that Glen had recorded, "HERE COMES SALLY" came to the attention of an executive at A&M Records, and he was offered a recording contract with that record company. He recorded two albums for A&M, 1986's "Talking In Code" and 1987's "Heroes and Zeros," which featured the charted single "FOLLOW YOU." About this time, the philosophy at A&M began to change, and Glen found himself unable to submit any music that the A&R people wanted him to record.
"Ain't it funny when you find how wrong you can be?....."
After a couple of frustrating years dealing with A&M Records to no avail, Glen was surprised to get a message from Dennis DeYoung one day on his answering machine, asking him if he would like to audition for the band Styx. Since Tommy Shaw was out touring with Damn Yankees, they needed a second guitarist and an additional songwriter. It seemed that this role was tailor-made for Glen, and he flew to Chicago to audition. Once there, he met with Dennis, James Young, and the Panozzo brothers, and the five played and sang some of the Styx standards. The auditions were then closed, as far as the band was concerned.
"And I HEARD IT ON THE RADIO...."
Styx fans were excited to hear that 'their' band was regrouping, but were perplexed as to who the fifth member would be. It was known that Tommy Shaw was not available, so there had to be a new member, and for a long while, no one knew his identity. On an interesting side note, after the identity of the mysterious "Number Five" had been learned, the ladies who published the Styx newsletter at that time, 976-STYX, made a couple of trips to New Jersey to see Glen perform. On the second trip that they made, when they arrived at the Stone Pony, the marquee simply read "Glen." No additional information was neccessary to his New Jersey fans.
Styx, with Glen, did go on to record "Edge Of The Century", which was released in 1990, and a tour followed in 1991. There were five Burtnik-penned tunes on the album, "LOVE IS THE RITUAL," "WORLD TONITE," "LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT," "ALL IN A DAY'S WORK," and the title track, "EDGE OF THE CENTURY." The album was certified Gold, but Styx realized that A&M just wasn't interested in promoting them any longer, and the band went on hiatus for a period of time.
While working on the recording of "Edge Of The Century," a slightly homesick Glen found himself writing songs about New Brunswick. After the completion of the 1991 tour, he and sixty of his closest friends recorded the album "Slaves Of New Brunswick," a collection of songs about the New Jersey city. Although this album was only marketed in the New York/New Jersey area, the general buzz about it was extremely favorable, and copies have managed to make their way all across the country.
"There are no folk singers from New Brunswick, so I figured that was kinda my job." - GB
"On the street below, we see life as a show, where everyone's playing a part..."
Glen continued with his songwriting, and in 1992, a song that he and Patty Smyth had co-written, "SOMETIMES LOVE JUST AIN'T ENOUGH," recorded by Patty and Don Henley, reached number one on the pop charts. Glen made several promotional appearances with Patty, which prompted some Styx fans to question whether or not there was still a Styx. Glen answered these questions by direct responses to the 976-STYX newsletter.
During this time, Glen continued to write for other artists, but he chiefly confined his own performing to appearances with the Slaves Of New Brunswick, or with good friends like Marshall Crenshaw or John Waite. In 1994, tracks were recorded for the "Live Christmas Extravaganza" CD at Glen's annual Christmas show, which benefits the New York and New Jersey food banks. This Christmas tradition has a cast of characters which changes from year to year, but has included such luminaries as Patty Smyth, Phoebe Snow, Marshall Crenshaw, Patti Smith, as well as many of Glen's fellow "Slaves." This show has its roots in the late 80s J.A.M. (Jersey Artists for Mankind) recordings. It has grown from one show on one night to four shows over two nights, and all shows have been sold out for the past five years running.
Finally, in 1996, Glen released another album of solo work, "Palookaville," on Deko Records. A brilliant collection of tunes, it is the artist's favorite of his works thus far. The cover features the Burtnik's youngest daughter, Sally, who was born during the tour for "Edge Of The Century." Although this is another work that has not been marketed nationwide, it has garnered critical acclaim from all across the globe, as well as right here in the United States. The same year, MTM Records, a German record company, convinced Glen to release some of his older work (including those that had been rejected by A&M) on the album "Retrospectacle." Another gem, this work includes his original version of "LOVE IS THE RITUAL," and all Styx fans can certainly listen to this song and see that VERY little was changed from the Styx album version. "Retrospecacle" also includes some very Beatle-esque work, and some songs that were written for other artists. All in all, another Burtnik triumph.
In 1998, Glen had his second chart-topper when Randy Travis took his song "SPIRIT OF A BOY, WISDOM OF A MAN" to number one on the Country Singles chart. It was actually the third release of the song, having been previously recorded by Mark Collie, and by Glen himself on his "Palookaville" album.
"Well, I've been around the world, and I've seen it all before...."
In 1999, with Glen at work on a new solo album, he received yet another cryptic phone call from a Styx member, James Young this time. Setting aside his personal work in order to do a favor for an old friend, Glen accepted the offer to tour with Styx. Together, along with James Young, Tommy Shaw, Todd Sucherman, and Lawrence Gowan, have now completed hundreds of dates in their never-ending quest to bring live Styx music to every corner of the globe. They have released a live double CD (along with REO Speedwagon) called "Arch Allies," and in 2003 released the studio album "Cyclorama", which featured Glen on lead vocals, backing vocals, bass, and 12-string acoustic guitar.
Early 2004 saw the release of Glen's newest solo album, "Welcome To Hollywood."
Geri Lame
BlackHawk is a meeting place for many musical journeys.
Henry Paul has been a part of three great bands,
The Outlaws, The Henry Paul Band, and BlackHawk.
These share three common denominators: harmony, melody, and lyrical integrity.
Henry Paul - Born on a farm in Kingston, New York, Henry moved to central Florida as a young boy. In 1966, He played his first music gig in a coffee house in St. Petersburg, Fla. In 1969, Henry moved to Greenwhich Village, New York, to pursue a career in music. While living in New York he retraced the footsteps of his hero Bob Dylan and played on the streets to make a living while cutting demos for Epic Records. With an invitation to play a concert in his hometown, he returned to Tampa in 1971. There, Henry and Jim Fish formed the country rock group Sienna with future Outlaw members Monty Yoho and Frank O'Keefe.
In 1972 Sienna disbanded and the Outlaws were formed with Frank, Monty, and Hughie Thomasson. They started playing clubs and added Billy Jones. By 1974 they were on the road opening shows for several estblished groups including Lynyrd Skynyrd. Clive Davis of Arista Records discovered them and signed the group to their first record deal; they became the new label's first rock band. Their self-titled debut album quickly went gold on the success of hits like "Green Grass and High Tides," and "There Goes Another Love Song." In 1977, after recording two more albums with the Outlaws, Henry left to pursue a solo career.
The Henry Paul Band recorded four albums for Atlantic Records. Their 1979 debut Grey Ghost included songs such as "So Long," and "Grey Ghost," which was dedicated to the memory of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant. The second album, Feel The Heat, had more of a rock edge and included the title track, as well as "Whiskey Talkin." Their third album, Anytime, included the top-40 hit "Living Without Your Love" and live show highlight "Crazy Eyes." Henry's last, self-titled album with the Henry Paul Band featured the haunting song "Tragedy."
In 1983 Henry disbanded the Henry Paul Band and reunited with Hughie Thomasson of the Outlaws. Their collaboration lead to the 1986 release of the Outlaws Soldiers of Fortune. He remained with the band until 1989, when he left again to start a new career in country music.
In 1991, Henry formed the group BlackHawk with the successful songwriting team of Van Stephenson and Dave Robbins. Together they added a new musical dimension to country music with their three-part vocal harmonies and introspective songs.
The Flight of BlackHawk...
1972 - The Outlaws are a local southern rock band in Tampa, Florida, fronted by singer-songwriters Henry Paul and Hughie Thomasson.
1974 - The Outlaws open for Lynyrd Skynyrd at Mother's Music Emporium in Nashville; Ronnie Van Zant gives the band their first big break. Opening act Billy & Tommy Crain are later to play a significant role. Also present is Skynyrd's producer Al Kooper, keyboardist on Bob Dylan's seminal Highway 61 Revisited and Bringin' it all Back Home.
1975 - Clive Davis at Arista Records signs The Outlaws as the new label's first rock band. The Outlaws is released in August, and the band goes on tour opening for the Doobie Brothers. The album peaks at number 13 on Billboard.
1976 - The Outlaws' second record Lady In Waiting is released, featuring a version of Bill Monroe's "Freeborn Man"; the band plays a number of concerts for Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign.
1977 - The Outlaws work with Eagles producer Bill Scymczyk for their Hurry Sundown album; the band tours with The Allman Brothers. In August, Henry Paul leaves the Outlaws to front his own band.
1979 - Van Stephenson begins to make a name as a Nashville songwriter when Crystal Gayle cuts "Your Kisses Will". Dave Robbins moves to Nashville from Atlanta. The Henry Paul Band releases Grey Ghost on Atlantic Records; the album receives critical praise for the title track, dedicated to Skynyrd's fallen frontman.
1980 - Van Stephenson records China Girl for Handshake Records. Van meets Dave Robbins; the two become co-writers. The Henry Paul Band releases Feel The Heat, featuring the songwriting collaboration of Henry and Jim Peterik. Dave Robbins tours Scandanavia with Van Stephenson and Bobby Springfield.
1981 - The Henry Paul Band releases its third album, Anytime.
1982 - the Henry Paul Band releases its self-titled final album. Henry and Van are in Miami, Florida, recording at the same time and know of each other's music, but their paths won't cross for several years. Kenny Rogers records two Robbins/Stephenson songs. Two Robbins/Stephenson songs, "All My Life" by Rogers and "Everybody’s Dream Girl" by Dan Seals, bow on the country chart the same week.
1983 - Henry Paul rejoins Hughie Thomasson for a new Outlaws reunion.
1984 - A new band produced by Tim Dubois cuts several Stephenson/Robbins songs for its debut album and takes their name - Restless Heart - from one of the songs. Van Stephenson's album Righteous Anger is released on MCA; "Modern Day Delilah" becomes a Top 20 hit.
1985 - Restless Heart debuts on the country charts with two singles written by Robbins & Stephenson - "Let the Heartache Ride" and "(Back to the) Heartbreak Kid."
1986 - The reunited Outlaws release Soldiers of Fortune.
1987 - Dave Robbins tours Australia with popular act Ferrell & Ferrell
1988 - The Outlaws play Nashville, where Henry Paul meets Van Stephenson; the Outlaws have recorded two of Stephenson's songs. Restless Heart scores the two biggest hits of their career with the Robbins/Stephenson songs, "Bluest Eyes In Texas" and "Big Dreams in a Small Town." Henry begins making regular trips to Nashville to write songs. Dave Robbins tours Russia with Wings drummer Joe English for a U.S. State Department sponsored series called The Peace Committee.
1989 - Henry leaves the Outlaws and begins commuting to Nashville to write songs and pursue a record contract as a country artist. At this point he's cowriting with Van Stephenson.
1990 - Henry is introduced to Dave Robbins by Van Stephenson; the three begin writing songs and performing as a trio around Nashville.
1992 - The trio Of Henry, Van, and Dave is signed to Arista Nashville by new label president Tim Dubois, longtime writing partner of Stephenson and Robbins.
1993 - BlackHawk debuts on the country charts in late October with "Goodbye Says It All," which would quickly become the band's first Top 10 hit.
1994 - The debut album is released in February and is quickly certified gold; the band tours with Little Texas and Tim McGraw; all four singles that follow are Top 10. "Every Once In A While" goes to number one.
1995 - BlackHawk is certified platinum. In February, the band helps launch Country in the Rockies, which becomes an annual event to raise money for the TJ Martell Foundation. In June the band is honored with the fan-voted "Best New Group" award at the TNN/Music City News Awards. Their sophomore album I'm Not Strong Enough to Say No is released in September; the title track goes to number one, followed by three more Top 10's. The album is certified gold two months after its release. The band plays Farm Aid in October to a crowd of 50,000.
1996 - BlackHawk debuts on the Grand Ole Opry in February; "Big Guitar" is a summertime hit. The band tours with Wynonna while working on their third album. They receive both ACM and CMA nominations. BlackHawk is certified double platinum in August.
1997 - Love & Gravity is released in July. The album debuts in Billboard's Top 10, but the label's choice as a first single doesn't crack the Top 20. The band headlines a tour of fairs and festivals and is nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite Band.
1998 - "Postmarked Birmingham" peaks on the chart in February. The band goes into the studio to work on a fourth album and tours across the US and Canada. The Sky's the Limit is released in September. The album yields the top 5 single "There You Have It" and will sell near gold.
1999 - Van Stephenson is diagnosed with melanoma in January. He joins the band for a performance on the Grand Ole Opry, but he will be off the road until April for treatment. "Your Own Little Corner of My Heart" is released in February and later peaks at number 19. The band acts as celebrity sponsors for the Run on the Row 5K during Fan Fair week and plays an acoustic concert after the run. Stephenson's health forces him to leave the road again in late June.
2000 - Van announces his official retirement from touring in February. Henry and Dave vow to continue, promoting bassist Randy Threet to high harmony vocalist and going on a radio tour to promote their Greatest Hits album. "I Need You All the Time" is released in March; Greatest Hits is released in May. BlackHawk leaves Arista in June when the label consolidates. The band tours through the rest of the year and writes material for a new album.
2001 - Van Stephenson loses his battle with cancer in April.
2002 - BlackHawk is signed to Sony Nashville, and their album Spirit Dancer is released. It marks a shift in their creative agenda and becomes one of their most popular records. The first single "Days of America" is chosen for its reflection of the American spirit and becomes BlackHawk's 15th song to hit the Billboard Top 40. "I Will" gains attention on the video charts.
2003 - BlackHawk's performances become legendary, and their position in popular music is assured.
2004 - BlackHawk scales its lineup down to five. While keeping its agressive performance style intact, the sound becomes acoustic-driven, revealing the true power of three-part vocal harmony and the virtuosity of their musicianship. By autumn a new album was started for a 2005 release.
2005 - Finding a home for the new album at Rust Records, progress continues on the recording. After trying a few approaches, the label and BlackHawk agree that the group would self-produce the album.
2006 - In January the first half of the new album is handed in for mixing by acclaimed engineer/producer Kevin Beamish (REO Speedwagon, Reba McEntire, Clint Black, Kenny Chesney). The single will be introduced at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville and a live showcase on February 15 will mark the return of BlackHawk to the country music mainstream. The single will be released March 1, with the album to follow in early June. The group will continue recording the second half of the record in January and February.
When Restless Heart parted ways for what they believed to be the last time in 1994, they were leaving behind a true musical legacy, a decade of fulfilled dreams that most aspiring artists barely dare to hope for, a blazing trail of hit songs that any band would die for and a crown as one of country music’s most elite groups of an era.
Today, driven by the musical force that brought them together in the first place 20 years ago, the reunited quintet has risen from the ashes of its own demise stronger, wiser and with a rush of creative energy and diversity that has manifested itself on Restless Heart’s first studio release together in 14 years, Still Restless.
In the modern era of country music groups, where MTV-looking boy bands with angel-voiced crooners and slinging guitar players vie for platinum albums alongside more traditional-sounding groups with layered harmonies, there is a shadow of the past and future in each of them, and they know and profess it – the shadow of Restless Heart. The tones of songs like Rascal Flatts’ “I’m Movin’ On” resonate with a contemporary sound that was introduced some 15 years ago to country listeners with the resounding acceptance of hits such as “Long Lost Friend” and “I’ll Still Be Loving You. And Diamond Rio built their own unique harmony, as tight as a clenched fist, in their hits such as “Meet in the Middle” and “Beautiful Mess” on the echoes of an earlier sound found originally in the vocal laces of Restless Heart songs like “Why Does It Have to Be Wrong or Right” and “Dancy’s Dream.” These and other artists, including solo acts like Brad Paisley, credit Restless Heart and the legacy they created for their own success.
With such widespread influence, it seems undeniable that as certain as Alabama left its mark as the voice of Southern country music of the 80’s, it is Restless Heart that has earned the right to claim its title as the forebear of contemporary country music with a pop flavor, and it dominated the charts with that sound from 1985 – 1994. From “Let the Heartache Ride” to “When She Cries” and “Tell Me What You Dream,” no other band was able to so consistently turn out a string of hits so instantly identifiable – the intertwining vocal blend led by Larry Stewart, the deftly sweeping keyboards of David Innis in concert with the masterful guitar of Greg Jennings, all backed by the steady rhythm section of drummer John Dittrich and Paul Gregg on bass.
Today, as the quintet comes together for the release of Still Restless, they continue to lead the pack by choosing songs of conviction and maturity and recording with innovative creativity. Working for the first time with producers Kyle Lehning (Randy Travis) and Mac McAnally (Jimmy Buffett), the group has once again forged new musical paths for themselves. There are more acoustic instruments here, as in the Dobro and fiddle heard in the cover of The Beatles classic, “The Night Before.” Other surprises include the dance-beat, pounding vibe of “Yesterday’s News,” while “Same Boat Now” shows an upbeat social consciousness. “Makin’ Hay” is the rocking burner of the collection, with a short but no-questions-asked guitar solo from Greg that lights a fire under the driving keyboards from David.
As always, Restless Heart offers ballads as few artists can, and the ballads on Still Restless are no exception. “And More,” “Every Fire,” “Down the Road” and “Miracle” all tell of love in its many, sometimes complex versions with stirring emotion and great compassion. John takes over the lead vocals on the haunting “Looking Back,” the story of woman who lives a reckless life with disastrous results even though “she never saw it coming.”
It’s possible that the same thing happened to Restless Heart in their earlier days. Creating a new sound in a music genre and basking in their enormous success led to pressures and excesses the five men didn’t expect. The popularity that came with four gold albums and 15 Top Ten hits, including “The Bluest Eyes in Texas,” “A Tender Lie” and “Heartbreak Kid” insisted on the group’s constant attention, and the band found themselves endlessly on the concert trail and in demand for interviews and appearances. The constraints began to wear on the men.
“We didn’t handle our successes as well as we could have and should have,” remembers Larry. “We were out on the road constantly and the atmosphere was less than appealing to go to work in every day.”
“I wasn’t prepared for the music business – none of us were,” admits David. “I took it all completely for granted. I really thought I was God’s gift. Restless Heart had records in the charts. I had written ‘Dare Me’ as a [1985] hit for The Pointer Sisters. Heart and George Benson and Peter Cetera had my tunes. I was clicking as a writer, clicking as a session player. I had an enormous ego. I thought I was really on fire.”
After a while, it became too much. Larry left the band for a solo career in 1992. With John on lead vocals, the release of Big Iron Horses that same year led to one of Restless Heart’s biggest singles ever. “When She Cries” was a winner for both country and crossover audiences and remains a fan favorite. Although they continued to have commercial success, the group eventually disbanded after the release of 1994’s Matters of the Heart, emotionally used up from ten years of the unrelenting pressures of superstardom.
Everyone took their own paths. Larry had a Top Ten hit with “Alright Already” in his solo career. John joined The Buffalo Club, which had a 1997 Top Ten hit titled “If She Don’t Love You.” Dave joined pop star Richard Marx (“Right Here Waiting,” “Hold on to the Nights”) for a world tour in 1995, while Greg joined Vince Gill’s band. Paul “swore off the music business forever” and went into business as the owner of a chain of car washes.
Ultimately, however, it was music and love for each other that brought the five men back together - wiser, stronger and Still Restless for what they had and what they could do when they were a unified force.
The closing song on the new album, “What We Know Now,” takes the opportunity to look back at all the band has been through, put it behind them and move forward into a future full of optimism and opportunity.
“We were reckless, young and proud/We had the whole thing figured out,” they chorus. “We never saw the writing on the wall/Even though we thought we knew it all/Oh my friend, if we knew then what we know now.”
So then, knowing what they know now, what is the Restless Heart legacy, and where do they go from here?
“What we were able to accomplish when the odds were against us, in a way, just by the nature of our music and where we were coming from,” says Larry of that earlier time. “We just went and made music, and it took off from there and somehow we had success. Looking back, we go, ‘Wow, we did do that!’”
“Let’s just start from square one, you know, let’s start over and look forward,” adds Greg. “We appreciate what we had, and we’d love to keep doing it.”
CHARTS
Below are the album and singles charts from the band's career.
Top Album Charts
Year Album Chart Peak
1985 Restless Heart Top Country Albums 10
1986 Wheels Top Country Albums 1
1987 Wheels Top 200 73
1988 Big Dreams In A Small Town Top 200 114
1988 Big Dreams In A Small Town Top Country Albums 4
1990 Fast Movin' Train Top 200 78
1990 Fast Movin' Train Top Country Albums 6
1991 The Best Of Restless Heart Top 200 144
1991 The Best Of Restless Heart Top Country Albums 25
1992 Big Iron Horses Top 200 116
1992 Big Iron Horses Top Country Albums 26
1998 Greatest Hits Top Country Albums 47
Singles Charts
Year Single Chart Peak
1985 (Back To The) Heartbreak Kid Hot Country Singles 7
1985 I Want Everyone To Cry Hot Country Singles 10
1985 Let The Heartache Ride Hot Country Singles 23
1986 Till I Loved You Hot Country Singles 10
1986 That Rock Won't Roll Hot Country Singles 1
1986 I'll Still Be Loving You Hot Country Singles 1
1987 I'll Still Be Loving You Adult Contemporary 3
1987 I'll Still Be Loving You Hot 100 33
1987 Wheels Hot Country Singles 1
1987 Why Does It Have To Be Wrong Or Right Hot Country Singles 1
1987 Why Does It Have To Be Wrong Or Right Adult Contemporary 11
1988 The Bluest Eyes In Texas Hot Country Singles 1
1988 A Tender Lie Hot Country Singles 1
1989 Big Dreams In A Small Town Hot Country Singles 3
1989 Say What's In Your Heart Hot Country Singles 4
1989 Fast Movin' Train Hot Country Singles 4
1990 Dancy's Dream Hot Country Singles 5
1990 Long Lost Friend Hot Country Singles 16
1990 When Somebody Loves You Hot Country Singles 21
1991 You Can Depend On Me Hot Country Singles 3
1992 Familiar Pain Hot Country Singles 40
1992 When She Cries Hot Country Singles 9
1992 When She Cries Adult Contemporary 2
1992 When She Cries Hot 100 11
1992 When She Cries Top40 Mainstream 4
1993 Big Iron Horses Hot Country Singles 74
1993 Mending Fences Hot Country Singles 13
1993 We Got The Love Hot Country Singles 11
1998 No End To This Road Hot Country Singles 33
Spanning three decades, Blue Öyster Cult has a long and storied history. The band got its start in the late ’60s on Long Island, New York, as the Soft White Underbelly, but each member had been involved in bands previously in high school and college, before ending up in the “right place at the right time” to create the beginnings of Blue Öyster Cult.
The threads that eventually wove together to create Blue Öyster Cult got their start in upstate New York.
Long Island native Donald Roeser and Albert Bouchard (of Watertown, New York) met at Clarkson College, in Potsdam, NY. The two were introduced by a mutual friend, Bruce Abbott (who later co-authored “Golden Age of Leather” with Donald). With Abbott and two other friends, they formed “The Disciples” and played college parties and local beer halls. The next year, the band reformed and played the same circuits as “Travesty” (named after the Blues Project album). Through all this, their studies fell by the wayside, and both Albert and Donald decided to quit college to concentrate on playing music full-time.
Eventually “Travesty” broke up, Donald and Albert took seperate paths for a while. Donald went back to Long Island, and Albert took a musical opportunity in Chicago. After moving there, though, the band fizzled, and Albert returned to NY and joined Donald. In the meantime, Donald had been jamming with local musicians, and had met a person that would become very influential in their future: Sandy Pearlman.
Sandy Pearlman became interested in rock music around the time of the British Invasion, and was a pioneering voice of rock criticism, opening a new field for creative writers like Lester Bangs. Both Pearlman and his friend Richard Meltzer were contributors for seminal magazine “Crawdaddy!,” the first magazine that dedicated itself to analysis of rock music and its culture.
Allen Lanier came into the fold by way of guitarist John Wiesenthal. Allen had accepted employment at a film company at which Wiesenthal was also an employee. After becoming acquainted, Wiesenthal invited Allen out to Long Island to meet and jam with the loose group of musicians he played with, and Allen began to regularly jam with them.
An old house near Stony Brook College became ground zero for the formative band, and casual jams with whomever happened to be hanging around began to turn into rehearsals with a core band, which included Wiesenthal, Donald, Albert, Allen and Andrew Winters, a school friend of Donald. It was 1967.
Pearlman (along with Meltzer and Wiesenthal) had been a student at Stony Brook, and was becoming increasingly involved in the music scene. When he heard the formative combo, he instantly recognized the talent at work. He had an idea for a band, and thought that this group of musicians had the chops to put that idea into play. The musicians saw that Pearlman’s contacts and stature in the local (and increasingly national) scene could help them spawn a career as well, and an alliance was formed.
Dubbed “the American Rolling Stones”, the Shadows of Knight shot to the top of the music charts in 1966 with the rock anthem “GLORIA”.
Over 8 million copies later, those three famous chords and that unashamed mating chant has found immortality among fraternities, presidents, wanna-be’s, rock stars and the rest of the nubile world. “GLORIA” has become the party song of generations and the Shadows of Knight have become the legendary messengers.
Chicago’s “golden boys of pop” released four subsequent hits,"I Got My Mojo Workin", “Bad Little Woman”, “I’m Gonna Make You Mine”, and the much lauded version of the Muddy Waters tune, “Oh Yeah”. In late 1968, the band left Dunwich Records (Atlantic) to sign with Team Records (Buddah) and the ” bubble gum” empire of Jerry Kasentz and Jeff Katz. They recorded anonymously on tracks such as “Quick Joey Small”, “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy (I’ve Got Love In My Tummy)”, “Chewy, Chewy” and many more hit records. The Shadows of Knight then released their final chart hit, “Shake !” culminating in another million seller.
In 2001, VH-1 Music Television voted The Shadows of Knight hit "GLORIA"
#81 Best Rock Song of Rock'n'Roll !
Today, brings original vocalists, Jimy Sohns and veteran bassist, Lee Brovitz, full circle. Sundazed Records has re-released the "Gloria" and "Back Door Men" albums to critical acclaim. The Band has embarked on a reunion tour aptly name "Gloria's Back!" and has reclaimed the title of America's premier party band, performing the creme of their '60's hit's and a host of enthusiastic new material.
Their 2006 release is "A Knight To Remember." They also headlined the Rolling Rock & Roll Show (sponsored by Rolling Rock beer) for Little Steven's Underground Garage in October 2006. The final night of The Underground Garage Tour, The Shadows shared the stage with Cheap Trick, Little Steven, The Romantics, and The Charms for an all-star version of "Gloria!" This show has aired on VH-1 Classic dozens of times as "Cheap Trick and Treats Concert."
British rock magazine, “Melody Maker” claims that “ the Shadows of Knight belong in the ranks of the Beatles, The Who, and the Rolling Stones” ...... encore! ...... encore!
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