STOP PRESS…
BEST NEWS OF THE CENTURY: TRIGGER ALBUM TO BE REISSUED
Rock Candy Records is proud to announce that it will reissue the long sought after - and never before available on CD - self titled debut album from cult seventies US rock band Trigger.
Originally issued on the legendary Casablanca label in 1978, this album has been a hard rock collector’s favorite; for years a perennal top 3 title in virtually every reissue wish list published in on-line forums and beyond.
Release date is set for August 2009.
Trigger, a New Jersey based four piece, were discovered by Gene Simmons of Kiss who helped sign them to the Casablanca label.
Their sole major label album was issued slap bang in the middle of the disco era resulting in low sales but attracting huge critical acclaim. As contagious a collection of loud & anthemic, no frills riff rockers you’ll ever likely hear, the bands music combines the the best elements of groups such as Starz, Teaze, Kiss, The Babys and Piper (featuring Billy Squier).
This reissue is also perfectly timed for the band’s recently announced reformation. All three surviving members will be playing a reunion show in New Jersey this August.
As it has become standard with all Rock Candy reissues, ‘Trigger’ will be digitally remastered from original source tapes, contain a 16 page booklet with fresh authorative 4,000 word essay from Dave Reynolds, rare photos and memorabilia with full band involvement.
For more info visit www.myspace.com/triggercasablanca www.triggerrocks.com
Just In…
Sammy Hagar ‘Street Machine’ CANDY052
SAMMY HAGAR, later to make a huge impact in Van Halen, first exploded on the rock scene as the front man of Montrose, playing his part in creating what is unquestionably one of the greatest debut albums of all time.
In 1975, Hagar left Montrose and opted for a solo career, signing to Capitol Records. His first few albums were tentative steps towards a sound and style that would blossom with the recording of ‘Street Machine’, a record that was, for the first time, in the writing and production, completely controlled by Hagar, and with his eyes firmly focussed on the hard rock prize.
Packed with knockout punches, the album showcases one of the world’s greatest showmen, whose voice and song writing ability are captured in pristine clarity. From the anthemic lead track, ‘Growing Pains’, to rough and tumble guitar-fuelled rockers, such as ‘Trans Am’, ‘Feels Like Love’, ‘Plain Jane’, ‘Straight To The Top’ and ‘This Planets On Fire (Burn In Hell)’, the intention is loud and clear; the red rocker is taking no prisoners and laying down the law with all the fury of a man on a life or death mission.
Babys ‘Head First’ CANDY053
COCKY AND full of self confidence the Babys recorded their third album ‘Head First’, produced by Ron Nevison (Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Heart etc), only to be told by their label that it wasn’t, er, ‘what they were expecting’ and could they please go back and take another stab at it. It was a soul destroying moment and one that resulted in major upheaval, with founding member Mike Corby departing the band for good.
Reluctantly, the band re-cut ‘Head First’ and, against all odds, continued their path to fame and fortune by producing yet another sizeable US hit single, with the classic ‘Every Time I Think Of You’, and touring with some of the biggest names in rock.
Fronted by one of the world’s most talented vocalists, John Waite, ‘Head First’ (released in 1978) is a remarkable album, from conception to execution, containing a brace of tracks that builds on the band’s blues rock roots to incorporate melody and sophistication tailor made for American rock radio.
Babys ‘Union Jacks’ CANDY054
‘UNION JACKS’, the Babys fourth album, issued in 1980 and produced by Keith Olsen (Foreigner, Whitesnake etc), heralded a change to not only their sound but also their line-up. Introducing keyboardist Jonathan Cain (later to join Journey and Bad English) and bassist Ricky Phillips (also a future member of Bad English) to the fold, the band tweaked their style, introducing a punchier and dynamic edge. In addition, both of the new members collaborated with song writing, which helped to propel the band into a new, almost more modern, era but that is not to say they left their rockin’ shoes at home. Far from it.
Stuffed full of tough-guy riffs, and brilliantly emotive vocals from John Waite, the album oozes sophistication but retains a rough-hewn urgency that keeps the energy firmly in the red zone. The album birthed yet another top thirty US hit single, the anthemic ‘Back On My Feet Again’, cementing the Babys reputation as one of the greatest melodic hard rock bands of the period.
Babys’ On The Edge’ CANDY055
THE BABYS fifth, and final, album (originally released in 1980) was conceived and executed in an atmosphere of confusion and fatigue. And the fact that it still managed to feature numbers that would be able to muscle their way into any fan’s top twenty Babys tunes is testament to many things. Tenacity, for sure. Bloody-mindedness, certainly. But maybe more than anything, the best moments of ‘On The Edge’ pay tribute to the group’s inherent musicality, and the uncanny way that vocalist John Waite has of pulling unforgettable melodies seemingly from out of nowhere and then imbuing them with a deep sense of raw emotion.
Apart from the music, however, the band was beginning to implode. Chrysalis had gone through an organisational restructure, inter band relationships were at breaking point, Jonathan Cain was about to jump ship and join tour headliners Journey and, at a fateful gig in Cincinnati, John Waite severely injured his knee, forcing the band to cancel all live work. At that point it was all over bar the crying.
Produced, once again, by Keith Olsen (Foreigner, Preview, Fleetwood Mac etc) and recorded in Los Angeles, ‘OTE’ contains ten slices of top class melodic hard rock, with all the accoutrements that you might reasonably expect from such a seasoned band - from lean and mean hard rock to more melodic faire and all points in between. The end, then, to a magnificent career, but at least they went out in style with ‘OTE’ being an essential and fitting finale.
MAJOR LABELS ARE a fickle beast - licensing therefore is pitted with issues that often prevent scheduled release at the very last moment causing great disapointment all round, so we will not attempt to list forthcoming titles in future except in very few circumstances where the signs are all but a whisker away from completion. Just keep an eye on this page for a quick update of what is and what is not on deck. We can confirm however, with 100% accuracy, that the next two RC releases will be two hard rock classics straight out of late 80’s New York City, namely Raging Slab’s explosive debut album and Circus Of Power’s equally incendery debut… both hit the launch pad on June 26th 2009 if not sooner…
Raging Slab ‘S/T’ CANDY056
Circus Of Power ‘S/T’ CANDY057
