MelodicRock Classics is thrilled to partner with LITTLE AMERICA, one of the label's favourite American rock acts of the late 80s, to deliver a career spanning release simply titled 'Anthology'. Featuring all the songs from their two acclaimed studio albums, the set also includes a whole range of previously unreleased tracks - several live tracks from the band's first tour; 3 Alt-Versions of tracks from the debut and a handful of unreleased tracks from the band's second album recording sessions. The complete Little America recording sessions in one place for the first time. Little America, a four-piece group from Los Angeles, cranked out two of the best AOR albums of the eighties: The self-titled “Little America”, which had the top-ten hit “Walk On Fire”, and their second album, “Fairgrounds”, which also yielded a top-ten track “Where Were You”.
Aretha Franklin has simply been one of the greatest singers of the modern generation, and whether bringing her powerful, passionate voice to bear on gospel standards, songs from the Great American Songbook, jazz standards, pop ditties, or deep Southern soul and R&B, she has always had the presence – much like Ray Charles – to make anything she touches unmistakably hers. Franklin began her career in gospel when she was still a teenager, and her amazing vocal talents, coupled with her fine piano playing, marked her as a once-in-a-lifetime kind of artist, qualities very apparent to legendary talent scout John Hammond, who signed her to Columbia Records.
British AOR outfit has been away for quite some time but now guitar player Vince O’Reagan (BOB CATLEY, LEGION) starts a new version of the band including a new line-up. It’s a collection of re-recorded and freshly produced songs from earlier ESCAPE records and some of his solo stuff as well as two songs previously recorded by BOB CATLEY but written by O’Reagan (“Blinded By A Lie“ and “Walk On Water“). Everything is typical British AOR with lots of majestic keyboards but also with balls or in other words, sharp guitars. If you dig the likes of TEN, NEWMAN or SERPENTINE, you can’t go wrong here.
Craig Chaquico, platinum-selling guitarist with Jefferson Starship and chart-topping Smooth Jazz solo artist, takes a walk on the bluesier side of the street with the release of his Blind Pig Records debut, Fire Red Moon.From the radio-friendly opening track, Lie To Me, (with vocal by Noah Hunt of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band) to the thunderous conclusion of Robert Johnson s Crossroads, Chaquico explores the thoroughfares and backalleys where blues and rock intersect…..