Album Oriented Rock (AOR)--A dying radio format.

[westofyou]

Who else remembers the band Jellyfish out of San Francisco? They released two excellent albums in the '90s, "Bellybutton" and "Spilt Milk", then went their separate ways. We had a station here called 93.7 The Coast that used to play all kinds of great stuff, and that's where I first heard these guys.



And speaking of Cheap Trick, Roger Manning, Jr. and Jason Falkner of Jellyfish are credited on CT's 2009 album, "The Latest," and Manning has played with them on tour.



Here are a few of my Jellyfish favorites:

I lived in the area then and they were big in the neo psychedelic pop if that era

The king is undressed

http://youtu.be/AgdgptaBma8

[Revering4Blue]

AC/DC to Record New Album and Tour in 2014.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/acdc-...bum-tour-2014/


Robert Plant’s New Album Is ‘Almost Complete’.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rober...ew-album-2013/


Metallica, Rob Halford, Motorhead Lead All-Star Ronnie James Dio Tribute Album.

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/dio-tribute-album/

[Revering4Blue]

Brian May says Queen have found further unreleased Freddie Mercury material

http://www.nme.com/news/queen/74152

[Revering4Blue]

As promised, here's an all 80's edition of lost AOR radio hits.

Danny Wilde - Isn't It Enough (1986)
Album: The Boyfriend

Danny Wilde - Time Runs Wild (1988)
Album: Any Man's Hunger

Presented here in chronological order are the only two AOR hits -- referred by yours truly as a two-and-through -- for the former lead singer of both Great Buildings and the Rembrandts. The former, referred to earlier, was later covered by Patty Smyth. The latter, Wilde's biggest AOR hit, was also featured in a memorable scene from the movie "Dream A Little Dream" , starring the Corey's - Haim and Feldman - and Jason Robarbs Jr.







Inxs - This Time (1985)
Album: Listen Like Thieves

This track, one of my favorites from the late Michael Hutchence and company, was the long-forgotten lead-off single from the enormously popular Listen Like Thieves album. Just as many tracks from the era, it bombed on Billboard's Hot 100 (Pop) Chart, yet both Rock Radio and MTV --back when they actually played music -- thank goodness, embraced it.




Van Stephenson - Modern Day Delilah (1984)
Album: Righteous Anger

This is another one-hit-wonder, of which I've become famous (or infamous) for. This recognizable track, however, was a crossover (#22 Pop, #9 Rock) hit. The video was also in high MTV rotation. Stephenson, an accomplished songwriter for various formats, later became a member of the Country music band Blackhawk, but there's nothing "country" at all about this track with a catchy riff.

Guitarist Dan Huff and Keyboardist Alan Pasqua went on to form the band Giant. Sadly, Van Stephenson's life came to an untimely end in '01 at the age of 47 due to Melanoma.



Adieu from R4Blue.

[Dom Heffner]

Van Stephenson....

Later a country star....in Blackhawk...wrote for Restless Heart....passed away far too young.

[Revering4Blue]

Van Stephenson also co-wrote "It's Not You, It's Not Me" for the KBC Band (See post #419). I have to admit that upon learning of his death in '01 that I only remembered him for "Modern Day Delilah", and had no idea about Blackhawk or his successful songwriting. He passed away far too young, no doubt.

[marcshoe]

Since I posted about The Move on the other thread:

"California Man"



"Hello Susie"



"Brontosaurus"

[marcshoe]

I lived in the area then and they were big in the neo psychedelic pop if that era

The king is undressed

http://youtu.be/AgdgptaBma8

I've been known to listen to Falkner's solo stuff from time to time.

[klw]

A re-edit of Springsteen recent cover of "Stayin Alive"

[gilpdawg]

I'm bringing this thread back from the dead. Good song. No one remembers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4ghMBgR0ao

In case the embed doesn't work.

[Revering4Blue]

Nice find.

The vocalist is Stephen Pearcy, formerly of Ratt.

[Revering4Blue]

Life has, and continues to get in the way of me posting here or anywhere on Redszone, for that matter. But for now, here a couple from a 90's band which looked like the next big thing at the time, but quickly broke up and faded from view. They did, however, release an album last year which Mainstream Rock stations ignored because, as we all know, FM Rock Radio isn't what it used to be.

Toad The Wet Sprocket - Come Down (1997)

Album: Coil

Harder-edged than most of their work, this was the last AOR hit for the band before they broke up in early '98.




Toad The Wet Sprocket - Something's Always Wrong (1994)

Album: Dulcinea

Still my all-time favorite Toad track and, IMO, it still holds up much better than the band's better known crossover hits "All I want", "Walk On The Ocean" and "Fall Down".



Adieu from R4Blue.

[Revering4Blue]

Do not adjust your sets, fellow Redzoners, as I will now resume hosting a weekly trip down memory lane, as we revisit AOR Radio playlists of the past.

Ugly Kid Joe - Everything About You (1992)

Album: America's Least Wanted

This is, most likely, the most easily recognizable track that I've posted in this series, but I cannot, as popular as it was, recall the last time that I heard it on terrestrial Rock Radio. This track, not the remake of Harry Chapin's "Cats In The Cradle" -- which I didn't particularly care for -- will forever remain the Band's signature track, IMHO. As with several bands that peaked in the early-to-mid '90's, commercial success was fleeting.




Humble Pie - Fool For A Pretty Face (Hurt By Love) (1980)

Album: On To Victory

Yes, I did previously post this track in an earlier thread, but this track is too damn good to not feature here. Plus, given that it is Valentine's Day, a love-based track is warranted here. Do not be fooled by the title, though, as this a b*lls-out rocker, not a cheesy ballad.

This proved to be the last AOR hit for the late Steve Marriott and company and remains my all-time favorite Humble Pie track. Alas, commercial terrestrial Classic rock radio continues to ignore it, as if we wish to hear "Thirty days In The Hole" for the zillionth time.



We'll do this again next week.

Adieu from R4Blue.

[Roy Tucker]

Hearing the name Humble Pie made me go visit the Roy wax museum.

Searching the stacks, I have "Town and Country", "Humble Pie", and "Rockin' the Fillmore". If I recall correctly, Town and Country was pretty good albeit softer record, Humble Pie was harder edged, and the Fillmore album gave us I Dont Need No Doctor and lots of endless jams. Wasn't a fan of that one with its noodling and boogying and I lost interest.

I instead went on and followed the Peter Frampton thread and his solo and band career. "Wind of Change" was a nice start.

[Revering4Blue]

Hearing the name Humble Pie made me go visit the Roy wax museum.

Searching the stacks, I have "Town and Country", "Humble Pie", and "Rockin' the Fillmore". If I recall correctly, Town and Country was pretty good albeit softer record, Humble Pie was harder edged, and the Fillmore album gave us I Dont Need No Doctor and lots of endless jams. Wasn't a fan of that one with its noodling and boogying and I lost interest.

I instead went on and followed the Peter Frampton thread and his solo and band career. "Wind of Change" was a nice start.

"I don't need no doctor" is another Humble Pie track of which Classic Rock stations today continue to ignore. I'm certain that there were more FM Rock Humble Pie hits, but I'll leave that up to those of you that actually remember early-to-late '70's AOR radio. Anyway, the track that I posted has an early-to-mid '70's feel to it, as I was kind of surprised that it was released in 1980.

As for Frampton, he certainly is a candidate for future editions of lost AOR entries in this series. Other than the usual suspects from Frampton Comes Alive and, on occasion, the crossover hit "I'm In You" -- which, believe it or not was his highest charting pop single -- Frampton gets the shaft from today's Rock radio programmers, as I can think of two or three former AOR hits of his that garner no airplay today.