Loverboy

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Interviews

This interview was conducted before the untimely death of Loverboy bassist Scott Smith. It's an interveiw that unfortunately didn't get aired at the time, but is still highly relevent today. Hope you enjoy it. I hope to follow up the interview with some new comments from Mike shortly....

Thank you for calling Mike...
My pleasure.

That's great. I must confess, I'm a longtime fan - since about '85 I guess.
Yeah. Great.

How are things?
Things are great. Busy, working hard. Lots of concerts, you know, traveling around.

Loverboy have been on the road haven't they?
Yeah.

Who have you been touring with? Just yourselves?
Yeah.

OK. What do you see the recording status of Loverboy right now? Is there anything planned?
We just finished a live album. (Live, Loud & Loose - OUT NOW!)

Oh you've done that, great.
We just mixed it; it'll be out soon. Sony Records is handling it.

Oh, great!
We will be touring to go along with it, as usual, but we thought we'd try something that's interesting. We're going to play live just like the CD is recorded, so we're going to come bang right out of the box just like the CD. Just for fun. We've got about 80-100 shows; they just keep piling in. We've been having a lot of fun.
We just recorded a few new ballads. We wanted to record some ballads that we'd written, just to get them recorded. It was kind of fun, we had Phil Collen, the guitar player from Def Leppard, help us produce one of these songs and it turned out great. It was that Diane Warren composition, so it can't be all bad.

Wow. OK.
That just got finished, and maybe we'll place them in soundtracks or something.

Yeah, you guys have had a long history with soundtracks and you as solo as well haven't you?
Absolutely.

It's a great medium to get a song out there, I think.
Sure it is.

OK. So you're back on Sony for the live album. Is that because they own the songs or are they just interested for a change?
They liked it. We'd run it past them a few times. We went out and recorded a bunch of stuff from the last few seasons on the road.
We sent it to them and they said, "You know what, this is a good idea." But then they wanted to try something different, of course, to throw a little bit of a pain in the ass back in there.
They said, "Instead of releasing this newly recorded live record, let's go back to the vault and find the old King Biscuit Flower Hour, Westwood One, Rockline type shows and release those." So we found those tapes in the vault and we spent 3 weeks mixing them. So we've got live from Dallas, live from Vancouver, live from Cleveland, live from Kansas. You know, a mixture of live from everywhere and a little story to go along with each song. Nina Blackwood from MTV fame, she did our biography on it, or our liner notes.

Right.
She talked about the '80s and stuff, so it was kind of a good package. I just OK'd the thing three days ago, I checked it all out, checked out the artwork, and said, "Just go to press."

Sounds interesting. Is there anything off the latest tour on there then, or is it all classic?
It's going to be classic.

Right.
We pushed to put a few new songs on it, and we had a meeting with the record company and the guy said, "If you want me to be perfectly candid with you, your new songs are going to get buried, because it's going to be sold as a live album with classic hits on it; nobody's going to push the new singles, so you're wasting your time. Let me just look around and find a soundtrack for the two new songs." Because they really like the new songs.

Oh good.
But they didn't want to waste it putting it on an album that won't be promoted as…you know, they won't send it to radio and they won't do the promotions on it.

Sure.
Lazy bastards.

Typical!
I saw your web site by the way.

Thank you. You did? Excellent.
I saw your web site through a friend of mine, Brad Gillis.

Oh Brad? Excellent!
A friend of his and a friend of mine. I was down in San Jose doing a show and we were hanging in my hotel room, and he says, "Pump this on," so I pumped your web site up and I went through the whole thing and I said, "This is great!" I get home 10 days later and my manager, Gail at the office, says "This guy wants to talk to you," and I said, "I know that web site!" It's a small world huh?

It is a small world. In fact, I've been trying on and off to get an interview probably for 12 months, but I guess I just struck it, last time I called, Gail wasn't working there or something and I kind of got the right channels this time I guess, so I'm really pleased.

<Mike talking to someone in the background: It picks up again. It picks up again on the other end of that area. No. Go up the street, past the school, take a left, go up through the stop sign and back around the other side. OK.>
Sorry about that.

No problem, no problem. So do you guys maybe do a studio album sometime soon?
We're looking forward to it. We've got some new songs and we've got the creative juices flowing.

Excellent. How did you perceive the success of Loverboy VI? Were you happy with that?
No.

It got buried a little bit by CMC, or whatever, in the States?
Yeah, there's no hard feelings. What it is, is it's a small record company that kind of has a certain amount of exposure in a certain amount of area. They're very limited. We knew it going in, but we had all these songs that we'd recorded and we wanted to put them out. Sony wasn't interested at the time. Of course, Carlos Santana comes along and now Sony's interested in everything, right?

Yeah <laughs>.
They're just a bunch of fuckin' idiots. But the only thing is, they're our idiots, right? So you've gotta go with the flow.

They're a major label, they're all the same aren't they?
And consequently, we did what we did and we're proud of it; it's just something that's there and we move on and forward and sideways and wherever we move. Just keep movin' baby.

It was a different style, the rest of that catalog, wasn't it?
You know what we did? We just recorded a bunch of eclectic tracks and we had fun experimenting with things, and we did it all in-house just down the street at Paul Dean's house, and we just had a ball.

Awesome. I love "Big Picture" that's my favorite track. I think it's a smokin' track, great vocal to it.
Appreciate it.

I did hear rumors or a suggestion that you guys might do a box set either live or studio or both or unreleased or everything or…Has that been thought of?
Well we've just finished digging up some tracks from two different eras; from the Get Lucky era and from the Lovin' Every Minute Of It era. What these tracks are, are tracks that didn't, for some reason or another, didn't make the cut. And if you recall, back then they didn't want more than 10, 11 songs on an album because it would make the album sound too thin.

Yes.
So a lot of times, we'd cut 16, 17 songs for these albums, and then we'd pick from…get the top 10 or top 11 songs. Well, what Sony wanted, and we just finished getting, for those 2 eras that I mentioned, the Get Lucky and the Lovin' Every Minute of It, we found tracks that didn't make the cut for those various reasons, and we're remastering them, and they're going to be re-releasing Get Lucky and Lovin' Every Minute Of It with maybe 3, 4 new tracks on each CD.

Sony's going to do that?
Yeah.

Killer. I'd love to get that. I've got the old CD's but they could use remastering. You know what I'm a big fan of is your…not the official big remastered Best Of album you did, but the Big Ones you did from earlier, the three Bob Rock tracks.
Right.

They were a killer sound, a big sound.
Yeah, thank you man. That was a lot of fun doing that.

It sounds like you were having fun actually, kind of loose and rocking.
Well we went back in to Little Mountain Sounds, the infamous little studio that started it all for us, and we went in with Bob Rock and Mike Frazier and all these guys we work with, and they've all gone on to become super-huge producers in their own right, and we had fun.

Did those three tracks get a little lost, you think?
Absolutely. They got totally lost. It's the old same old, same old.
What do you do when you live in a shoe, huh?

<laughs> Employ a record label, I don't know.
You just go for it and you hope everybody does the right thing. Nine times out of ten, somebody drops the ball. I don't harbor any grudges or keep clinging on too much to negativity; just let it go, if it happens it happens if it doesn't, oh what the fuck.

Cool.
That's what you've gotta do, I think.

Yeah, otherwise you'd kill yourself almost wouldn't you?
Absolutely.

You know what I've got a rough copy of here, it's not A grade, but it's not bad either, it's a copy of your as yet unreleased solo album from…I don't even know when your recorded it. When did you record this one?
1991

Is it that old?
And, I'm trying to find out how people get copies of the goddamn thing; it's driving me crazy because I just got the tapes back from Sony who said they couldn't find them, and when we were gathering tapes from the archives to remix these live broadcasts, the archivist did me a favor and looked around for my solo album and he found the tapes, which they said they had lost. So now I have those tapes back and I'm just in the process of remixing it and putting in some better sounding drums and things.

OK. So you're still working on it; that's great.
It's a work in progress, and I will probably be putting it out on this company I'm involved with right now called Rockforever.com.

Sure...
We're setting up to do MP3 downloads and we do as of now…it's a little thing I do on the side, with a bunch of my singer friends from The Cars and Survivor and John Cafferty.

Right! I was just recently talking to Jimi....
Yeah, well, did he talk to you about that Voices of Classic Rock thing we're doing?

No.
We just do stuff that's private and it's usually involved with corporations or the Army bases of America all over the world, and/or things that usually surround fun stuff like we'll go golfing for a few days, play a concert and it's with Ben Orr from the Cars, Mickey Thomas from Starship, Mike Reno, John Cafferty, Jimi Jamison.

Mickey Thomas is a particular favorite of mine.
Yep. I'll see him tomorrow.

Oh really? Tell him to make a solo record already.
OK. Will do.

<laughs>. He's a great singer.
Yeah, he is.

This is a very classic solo album, I must say.
You like it?

I love it.
I should put it out then?

Oh, absolutely, yeah.
How did you get it, just out of curiosity?

<censored!>
Well, when we formed this company Rockforever.com, I decided that might be a better place for it so I kind of cut all ties thinking that maybe this might be a better place for it, and since I've done that they've given me a bunch to remix it and remaster it so I'm going for it.

I know MTM was interested at one stage, are they not part of it anymore?
Not so far. So far it didn't work out that way.

OK. I'm sure they'd still be keen to release it though. It's a great album.
Some guy in Statton Island was printing copies off and selling them on the web.

Oh shit, really?
And it's really hard to track this guy down because it's all postbox and stuff.

Statton Island, OK.
It was a Statton Island post office box. It was Vinnie Carmosy or something, I don't know. It was an Italian name, but his first name was Vinnie, I know that for sure. From looking in the files I can remember that much.

If I hear anything, I can pass it on I guess!
I just find it a little unfair that some guy can beat you to the gun on your own music.

Oh sure, absolutely. That's why when I got a copy of this I kept it to myself!
What song should I release as my first single?

Well. Let me see. "Still in Love" is such a huge ballad, which is fantastic. But I really like "Take Me Back" though. That's a fantastic track. And "Affection" is obviously a killer rock radio song I would think.
Yeah. I agree with you on all three of those.
"New Messiah" kind of catches you off guard, but it's pretty weird.

It is actually....it's different. Absolutely different, and "Guilty As Charged" is a good up-tempo track. "I Say Go Again" is another good value track.
I guess I should release it.

Yeah. Absolutely. I think you'll get a great response from it personally.
Yeah. I was recently in Japan and Korea.

OK. What were you doing down there?
We were doing shows for the U.S. Army bases, for the, once again it was The Voices of Classic Rock.

Oh really?
We were hired to play a series of Army bases in Japan and Korea. We were over there for eight days.

Oh, wow. Damn, I wish you had an Army base down here. You could fly over… <laughs> That's a great collection of voices you wouldn't see in your average day concert is it?
You know what, it's really a fun thing to play because you get to hear all the singers singing their hit songs and the band doesn't change; it's Mickey Thomas's band. He's got a cookin' band, right?

Really?
So it's one band playing all the music and the singers change. You get 3-4 songs from one guy, then the next guy comes up and so on and so forth, so it makes for a real fun night.

Damn, that would be….You should record that.
Well, we do uplinks, so if you want to keep on track of that, try to get Rockforever.com up on your computer and just follow it a little bit. I know we're doing a show pretty soon. I think it would be half a week past Easter Sunday from Euro-Disney; it's going to be a live uplink.

Oh. Wow.
That'll be with Rockforever.com, and I think it's be sponsored by Yahoo! and/or one of those companies like that, or maybe even a company called, oh gee I'm trying to think because we just did a big concert for this corporation, all these young geeky looking guys from these computer companies, they're all billionaires and they hire us to come down and play concerts for them. Oh, Pulver, pulver.com.

OK.
Pulver.com. You can find out about it from either that or…

I'll give you a huge plug on my site, you'll probably get some extra traffic through there.
Yeah, so the company that we formed, all the partners, and all the band mates that I told you that I was singing with…we all formed a little company so we can release new songs and we don't need a record company and kiss their ass.
We can release new songs and we can uplink live concerts all over the world, and we can have chat lines, and special events and things. So that's at Rockforever.com. And, that's going to be a good thing for us, because we can almost feel like we're in control of our own destiny a little more so than we have been in the past.

Hey look, whatever my site can do, please let me know...
That's a fantastic site you've got.

Thank you. Great.
Get the challenge going. All these corporations that want to have staff parties. Put the challenge out. Bring Loverboy over.

Fantastic. I'd love to see it. That'd be great. Tell me, I must ask you while I'm here, I'm a big fan of the Just-If-I album.
That was…when did you record that? That must've been '92 or something.
Yeah, '92-'93. It's tough to remember exactly, because I do things for the love of the art. I don't necessarily get locked into what the hell it was and when it was.

Yeah, it was such a small label wasn't it?
Well what it was, was there was a bunch of guys that got together for recording's sake and then put it out and then we never really found a label, we just found some people in town that wanted to run with it a little bit.
We let them run with it, but it was very limited. But one of the songs, "Cindy's Song", actually ended up being on a Movie of the Week thing over here and it got a lot of attention.

OK. There's some really pretty deep songs on there wasn't there?
Yeah, it was pretty cool.

Yeah, it was a side step for you I thought.
Well, that happens. You work a certain venue all your whole life and you really have fun if you get to go out of it a little bit.

Was it good fun working with Neal Schon?
Yeah it was. It's always fun working with him. He's a high energy guy, you know. A really great musician. A good friend. He's touring with Journey again.....

He is indeed.
I was actually working in a CD store in Canada when Just-If-I came out and I nearly fell over when I saw it. Otherwise, I don't think I ever would've heard of it.
What part of Canada were you working in?

I was in Toronto.
Oh yeah.

You're in Vancouver, right?
Yeah.

Unfortunately, you guys didn't tour there that summer.
I guess not. We used to play the CNE quite a bit, but it kind of died down. We were at the Juno awards this year.

Oh really?
For a tribute to Bruce Fairbairn who passed away untimely.

Yeah, that was sad.
And his wife... they were inducting him into the Hall of Fame, posthumously.
And his family was asked to come out and receive the award. And she asked if Loverboy would give the award rather than the person they had chosen. For some reason, even though we've won more Juno's than anybody else in one year, I think they harbor some kind of grudge; I think it's because we like to tell jokes and go off the script.

<laughs> You know you can't go off the script on awards shows.
Piss on them, I say.

<laughs> Good idea. You've had a lot of solo stuff yourself, not only…well you haven't had a solo album have you, but you've had Just.if.i and several soundtrack tunes, there's almost enough there for you to do a solo sort of collection, best of, yourself.
OK, I'll do it.

Yeah! <laughs>
Send me the budget, and I'll get it done for you.

Yeah, I wish.
See how it works?

Absolutely. You'd like to do something like that?
You know what? All I do is sing, tour, and write. Nothing's changed for me. What's changed is the record business because all the old guys have retired and all the young guys are trying to find new bands.
We get left in the lurch; nobody gives a shit about us, so it's really a tough situation. Hence, I feel…that's why I feel so happy about having the Rockforever.com thing in place because it's giving me the chance to do whatever I want. And sure as shit, if it starts to catch on, record companies will come up and say, "Gee, we really love you. We were wondering if we could make some money off of you."
You know how they are; they're just a bunch of fuckin' idiots. I don't know what else to say, because it's the truth. I have very little use for these pigs; however, there's no hard feelings.

<laughs> I do like that. Can I ask you about a couple of other songs that you've sung?
Sure.

How did you get involved with the David Foster album, the track, "All I Ever Needed"?
That's a song that's going to end up on my solo album.

Oh really?
I have a version of it with me and David writing the song. Just him at the piano and me on vocals. It's killer.

It is a killer song. Yeah.
He asked me to come down to do the backing tracks for his solo album. And while we were there, he asked me to come over early one day and see if we couldn't write a song and that night I had a dream. I dreamt all the lyrics and I woke up and wrote them down and I hummed into my tape recorder the melody. And I went over and he said, "Do you have any idea what we can do?" and I started him off on this thing. And he started playing it and it developed in about an hour into that song.

That's a killer song. So you're going to add that to the solo album?
Yeah.

That makes the solo album even more amazing.
I got the OK on that one, because it was a 50/50 co-write, so it's OK for me to go ahead and put that on; I talked to Foster about it.

Brilliant.
That was a cool fun thing, because we were recording down in his Malibu place and some of the other singers that were there were Bill Champlin from Chicago and a couple of girls, and we were just doing the backing tracks and having fun. You know, singing a few songs and then standing outside and soaking in the sun. It was really awesome. That was a fun trip.

It sounds hard!
Well it's not hard when you're with all those pros, you know. You start singing and WHAM.

Absolutely. Another track I love is the Dream a Little Dream track, "Whenever There's a Night".
I forgot about that one!

Yeah, that's another killer ballad eh?
I should put that one on the solo album too.

Oh yeah.
<starts singing: Whenever there's a night I need love …>

I must say, that is one of my all-time favorite ballads.
Really? What is it on? How do you get that? I don't even know where that is.

I actually got it when I toured the States from a second-hand store. I finally got the CD of it from a cut-out bin or something.
I'd love to get a copy of that one.

The Dream a Little Dream soundtrack? Do you want me to burn off a copy for you?
That would be awesome!

Yeah. I can do that.
That would be awesome.

Give me your mailing address Mike, and I'll burn one off for you.
<Mike gives his address>

Done!
That would be awesome dude.

Easily done. No worries at all. That's just such a great track. The other one that's a favorite of mine, is from Iron Eagle, "Chasing the Angels".
I forgot about that one too.

Did you really? <laughs> Yeah, that's a big rocker.
Oh that is a big…oh just hang on half a second <pause>

Sure.
The kids are just running in from school and I have to let them know that mom is not home

Very cool.
<To his kids: Hey, mom's not home and I'm on the phone, so you guys just come in and settle down, get something to eat if you want.....I don't know, we've got company> <to Andrew: my brother's here>.

Oh really.
We've got three kids.

Fantastic.
When Uncle Steve shows up, everybody likes to Rock and Roll.

Oh Party Time?
Well, kid's party time, you know.

Fantastic.
Jumping on Uncle Steve.

Keeping you busy.
Oh yeah.

Yeah, I've been to Vancouver, just for a week; I enjoyed it a lot.
We're getting the early summer here, it's like 80 degrees and sunny and beautiful out.
What part of Australia are you in?

I'm in Hobart, Tasmania believe it or not.
You're in Tazmania down by the devil.

Yeah, with the devil, that's right <laughs>
How do you get over there? Do you take a ferry?

Ferry and fly, yeah.
It's got to be pretty over there.

Well, that's about all I had for you I think Mike.
Well, if you plop me a line on the e-mail I gave you once in a while, I'll fill you in on some of the latest.

That'd be great, and I'll continue to plug and look for Rockforever.com and see if I can send some people your way.
I appreciate it.

I will burn off a couple of tracks and send them to you, I guess.
You are awesome.

A pleasure, a pleasure. Absolutely anything I can do. And I expect to see this solo album released shortly. <laughs>
Right on.

All right. That's great. Thanks Mike.
All right Andrew.

Good talking to you.
Nice talking to you.

You too. Take care.
Bye now.

Say hi to Mickey for me.
Will do.

Thanks mate.
Bye now.

Bye, bye.

Tags:

2001

Tue

Jun

Rock Talk with Mitch Lafon - MIKE RENO (Loverboy)

Artist:

LINK: https://omny.fm/shows/rock-talk-with-mitch-lafon-1/iconic-canadian-singer-mike-reno-from-loverboy-may

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Podcasts & Radio

In this episode of ROCK TALK WITH MITCH LAFON, I sit down with ICONIC Canadian singer MIKE RENO from Loverboy. We discuss the band's non-stop touring schedule, putting out new music including the great new song Without A Bullet Being Fired (with Jim Peterik), work on the new LOVERBOY album, experimenting with new music, Farewell tour, opening for KISS in 1979, their Lovin' Every Minute Of It album and working with Judas Priest producer Tom Allom, Canadian content rules (CanCon), his solo album Renovation, Get Lucky, MOXY, and more.Â

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Thu

Mar

PAUL DEAN Debuts New Solo Single 'Be With You'

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LOVERBOY guitarist PAUL DEAN starts Spring with his own renewal, digitally releasing a new song and accompanying video, 'Be With You' his first solo material in more than 20 years, since 1994’s album, Machine. The single will be available digitally on March 21st for streaming at all major sites, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and Deezer, as well as for download on iTunes and Amazon Music and viewing on YouTube.

“Be With You” is based on a song Paul reveals “has been kicking around since Loverboy’s “Just Getting Started” album, but its current iteration offers a “mariachi, south-of-the-border Mexicali blues” flavor, marked by Dean’s acoustic and twangy electric guitars – in large part thanks to his trusty Floyd Rose whammy bar. The result sounds like it could have come straight from a Traveling Wilburys’ album, or a Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez movie. “It was originally intended as part of a soundtrack to a screenplay I’m working on”, says Dean. It is the first of 11 new songs, many recorded at co-producer Mike Pisterzi’s Dallas-based Maximedia Studios with Loverboy mates Matt Frenette and Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve. Loverboy singer Mike Reno even contributes lyrics to one track.

“It’s a huge change musically for me from what I do with the band,” said Dean. “It reminds me of Loverboy’s debut album in its stylistic diversity, because each of the songs is so different. I just wrote what I was feeling and what I loved to hear and perform. It’s totally meant to be danced to, especially ‘Be With You’.”

Indeed, the video is a “celebration” of Loverboy and its fans, featuring Dean today (“My wife talked me into being real, owning up to who I am,” he says) playing over footage shot more than three decades ago with the band. The object of desire is an alluring woman, (who is featured in the cover band at the beginning of the band’s “Lovin’ Every Minute” video), whooping it up on stage in a display of self-empowerment, the unaware object of the narrator’s obsession.

“I like that kind of juxtaposition of really positive music with ambiguous lyrics,” says Dean, referencing such Loverboy classics as “Turn Me Loose” and “The Kid Is Hot Tonight,” the latter warning about the perils of fame. “Taken at face value, you could say “Be With You” is simply a love song.”

The new video comes on the heels of last year’s digital release of Dean’s 1989 solo debut, Hard Core, with it’s accompanying re-released videos of “Sword In Stone”, and “Draw The Line.” Dean says, “This is not a break from Loverboy. It’s meant to augment what we do as a band - to continue the dialogue, the conversation, with our fans, and keep them invested in us, individually and collectively.”

LOVERBOY's four-decade-long career began in Calgary when vocalist Mike Reno was introduced to guitar legend Paul Dean, the two eventually joined by keyboardist Doug Johnson, drummer Matt Frenette and bassist Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve, who replaced the late Scott Smith in 2000. The band’s releases include the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and three double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983's Keep It Up and 1985's Lovin' Every Minute of It, including the hits "Working for the Weekend," "Lovin' Every Minute of It.

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Wed

Feb

Rock Talk with Mitch Lafon - JOHN 5 & LOVERBOY

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Podcasts & Radio

On this episode of Westwood One's ROCK TALK WITH MITCH LAFON:

Mitch welcomes Rob Zombie guitarist JOHN 5. The pair discuss his great new live album It's Alive, progress on the new Rob Zombie album, his friendship with original KISS drummer PETER CRISS, writing with Desmond Child, his work with the SCORPIONS & Lynyrd Skynyrd, guitarist Rickey Medlocke and more.

Our second interview is with guitarist PAUL DEAN from multi-platinum recording artist LOVERBOY. The band is best known for their iconic mega-hits Working For The Weekend, Lovin' Every Minute Of It & When It's Over. Paul & Mitch discuss the band's history, Canadian artist Bryan Adams, KISS frontman Paul Stanley and the much talked about band's first ever live show - which just happened to be opening for KISS in Vancouver in 1979. Paul also mentions his upcoming solo album.

Follow Mitch on Twitter: @mitchlafon

And on facebook: facebook.com/RockTalkMitchLafon

WEB LINK: https://omny.fm/shows/rock-talk-with-mitch-lafon/rob-zombies-john-5-loverboy-guitarist-paul-dean

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Tue

Nov

PAUL DEAN's 'Hardcore' Solo Album Arrives At Digital

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Paul Dean's debut solo album, Hard Core, originally released in 1989 on Columbia Records, is now available for the first time digitally on all major online streaming outlets, including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and Google Play, among others.

Hard Core spotlights Dean's fiercely distinctive guitar work on a series of songs that rock hard and show off classic influences like Duane Eddy, Luther Perkins, Hank Marvin, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix. The album's first single, "Sword & Stone," a mythic tale of King Arthur and Excalibur written by Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick and Desmond Child, was originally slated for KISS' Crazy Nights album. The video for the track can still be seen on YouTube. Desmond originally pitched the song to Dean during the New Jersey sessions where Paul co-wrote "Notorious" with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, (with additional contributions from Mike Reno and the late Todd Cerney), which appeared on Loverboy's Wildside album in 1987.

Another track on the album, "Under the Gun," features a Jon Bon Jovi harmonica solo, which took place while Dean was mixing his album at Vancouver's Little Mountain Sound Studios with Bob Rock, while Bon Jovi were making New Jersey in an adjacent room with producer Bruce Fairbairn. "Draw the Line," written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, was previously recorded by Ted Nugent for his 1984 Penetrator album, with vocals by Brian Howe, who was Paul Rodgers' replacement as lead singer in Bad Company. Coincidentally, when Dean went out on tour to promote Hard Core, his band opened for the same Bad Company, fronted by Howe. Other tracks include the rocking, self-penned "Doctor," the raucous fan favorite "Black Sheep", "Action" (co-written with Loverboy rhythm section, drummer Matt Frenette and bassist Kenneth "Spider" Sinnaeve and dedicated to Kenny Shields, who recently passed away) and the very timely "Politics," which was originally a stab at a well-known Canadian pop singer's hypocritical stance. With a grin, it is still someone Dean still refuses to identify by name.

After Hard Core, Dean went on to record two more "solo" albums, including Machine, released in 1995 by Strawberry Records in Canada, and Blackstone, featuring singer Marc LaFrance, in 1997.

"Hard Core" was produced by Dean's pal, Chilliwack/Headpins member, Brian "Too Loud" MacLeod, who died just over three years after its release. "What an amazing cat," Dean reminisces. "He was so high-energy, always up. I never heard a negative word from him about anyone. He was a total recording nerd, a pioneer at splicing together different bits from the multi-track."

The digital release of Hard Core is just a prelude for Paul Dean's long-awaited new material, which he has been working on, promising an ongoing series of single releases described as "pop tunes, a couple of ballads and some 'balls to the wall' metal stuff."

LOVERBOY's almost four-decade-long career began in Calgary when Paul met vocalist Mike Reno, with the two eventually joined by keyboardist Doug Johnson, drummer Matt Frenette and bassist Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve, who replaced the late founding member Scott Smith in 2000. The band has four multi-platinum albums, including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983's Keep It Up and 1985's Lovin' Every Minute of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the arena-rock anthem "Working for the Weekend," such staples as "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "This Could Be the Night," "Hot Girls in Love," "Heaven In Your Eyes," "Turn Me Loose," "When It's Over" and "Queen of the Broken Hearts."

LISTEN TO PAUL DEAN'S "HARD CORE" DIGITALLY HERE:

Spotify

Apple Music

iTunes

Google Play

LOVERBOY TOUR DATES

November 11- 18 - "80's In The Sand" / Breathless Resort & Spa - Punta Cana, DR

November 24 - F.M. Kirby Center - Wilkes Barre, PA

November 25 - State Theater Center For The Arts - Easton, PA

December 3 - Riptide Music Festival - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

December 8 - Treasure Island Resort & Casino - Welch, MN

December 29 - Golden Nugget - Las Vegas, NV

December 31 - Emerald Queen Casino - Tacoma, WA

February 16 - Thunder Valley Casino - Lincoln, CA

March 8 - Colosseum at Ceasar's Windsor - Windsor, ON

March 17-24 - The 80's Cruise - Fort Lauderdale, FL

Tags:

Hardcore

Tue

Mar

LOVERBOY 'Stop The Rain' Fan Video Winner

Artist:

Categories:

News Feed

When LOVERBOY fan David Napolillo first heard the band's new single, "Stop the Rain," and decided to enter the contest to make the best official video for the song, he interpreted the title in a very unique way.

"I knew the most obvious theme would be lots of rain, but I didn't want to do what other entries might do," he explained. "So, instead of using the literal image of rain, I had aliens 'raining down' on Earth in search of this awesome band they recently discovered."

That unusual approach was enough to make his video the winning entry in the contest on LOVERBOY's website, with the auteur receiving a black Fender Squire guitar autographed by the entire band. His clip is now the official music video for the single, which can be downloaded for free on the LOVERBOY site (www.loverboyband.com), and is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Tunecore and Deezer, among others. The new official fan-made video for "Stop the Rain" can be seen HERE.

The band's guitarist, Paul Dean, who helped spearhead the contest, was impressed with all the results, but was most pleased with Napolillo's winner. "My bucket list always contained my wish that we, as a species, would contact extraterrestrials in my lifetime," he said. "Well, wish granted. Congratulations to David Napolillo of Spring, TX, for abducting LOVERBOY into the 'Alien Hall of Fame' "

"Stop the Rain" represents the latest previously unreleased Loverboy song following the country-flavored "Hurtin'" and "Some Like It Hot" - described by Paul Dean as "the first and only shuffle LOVERBOY has ever done" -- last year. Doug Johnson wrote "Stop the Rain," explaining it was inspired by living in Vancouver, where there is plenty of precipitation, but no known sighting of extraterrestrials.

Said Johnson: "I loved David's interpretation. It just goes to show how a song can work on any number of different levels."

LOVERBOY continues to work, not just for the weekend but every day of the week, offering a free download of their brand new single, "Stop the Rain," as well as the opportunity for their fans to produce their own video for the track, with the winning entry earning a black Fender Squire guitar (seen below) autographed by the entire band. The single is now online (February 9) at the Loverboy website (www.loverboyband.com), where it can be downloaded for free, then will be available tomorrow, February 10, for streaming at all major sites, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Tunecore and Deezer, among others.

The video entries can be submitted by e-mail to loverboymusicofficial@gmail.com and shared on Facebook tagging Loverboy. The deadline is February 24, after which the contest will be closed. The band will announce the winner, which will then become the official YouTube video for the song.

"Stop the Rain" represents the latest previously unreleased Loverboy song following last year's, "Some Like It Hot."

Doug Johnson, who wrote the new song, says it was inspired by living in Vancouver. "The wet weather was the original inspiration, but on a deeper level it's about perseverance and hope," says the band's longtime keyboardist. "I hope it inspires some excellent contest entries."

"It's the kind of hopeful song I could never write before, about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... Mike really sings the sh*t out of it."

Added Reno about the single: "Coming from a city like Vancouver, 'stop the rain' means... 'stop the rain.'"

The band is hoping the guitar giveaway motivates the fans to put their best filmmaking foot forward.

"We're excited to see who makes the best video for the song," says Paul Dean. "We've seen a few of our songs get the fan 'treatment' over the years, but this is the first time we've had a contest. Just download the song from our website and happy editing!"

Loverboy's almost four-decade-long career began in Calgary when vocalist Mike Reno was introduced to local guitar legend Paul Dean, with the two eventually joined by keyboardist Doug Johnson, drummer Matt Frenette and bassist Kenneth "Spider" Sinnaeve, who replaced the late founding member Scott Smith in 2000.

LOVERBOY has four multi-platinum albums, including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983's Keep It Up and 1985's Lovin' Every Minute of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the arena-rock anthem "Working for the Weekend," such staples as "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "This Could Be the Night," "Hot Girls in Love," "Heaven In Your Eyes," "Turn Me Loose," "The Kid is Hot Tonite," "When It's Over," and "Queen of the Broken Hearts.

Tags:

Wed

Feb

ROCKINGHAM 2017 Event Press Release

ROCKINGHAM PRESS RELEASE / WE’RE ALL WORKING FOR THIS WEEKEND…

Are you ready, I mean, are you really ready? Well here we go for Rockingham three, so get strapped in as this rollercoaster promises to be a thrill a minute ride. Three days, eighteen bands and more melodic rock than you'll find in one place all year as Rockingham returns to, Trent University, the scene of last year’s crime.

You want big hitters, well step forward Vince Neil, Loverboy, Dave Bickler and Kix, a quartet of bands and artists that would grace any stage. With a supporting cast that includes the likes of Honeymoon Suite, Harem Scarem and Great White how can you go wrong? Throw in some hot new talent along the lines of Cruzh, Maverick and the Amorettes and all the bases are being covered.

With a welcome return from Fortune, one of the best bands from last year’s festival and a first time appearance from Blanc Faces, you can guarantee that the pure AOR fans will be more than happy. .

With English AOR ably represented by the likes Vega, Bailey, Dare, Moritz and Airrace, this is shaping up to be one of the best Festivals of the year.

It’s all set to take place over the weekend of the 2Oth to 22nd of October, at Nottingham’s Trent University.

LINE UP FOR THE WEEKEND

VINCE NEIL

If you’re the kind of person that’s been wandering around with a “Dude! Where’s my Crue?” look upon your face since the demise of the legendary L.A rockers, then fear not as the good folks at Rockingham have it covered. The mighty Vince Neil is about to hit the UK with a solo extravaganza that is sure to dazzle and delight in equal measure. We can only add, Vince, you’re hired!

KIX

Whoa, take it easy, Kix are in town and its woman hunting season. This is one band that will bring the party to Rockingham. Their back catalogue just spells fun, with a capital F.U.N! From Layin’ Rubber, Lie Like A Rug and Atomic Bomb through to Yeah, Yeah, Yeah and Hot Wire, Kix are indeed, for kids. We may just break out a case of cold Heineken and a bottle of Jack Daniels, not a small one, a bloody great big one.

LOVERBOY

For Loverboy this will be their first time back on UK soil since the late eighties when they supported Def Leppard on the second leg of their UK Hysteria tour. I caught them in Birmingham back then and they didn't disappoint, giving a masterclass of songs and stage craft. Their debut is still one of the best in Canadian hard rock history and in my eyes they are up there with the likes of Nightranger and Autograph as one of the finest bands that this genre has ever given us. Their performance will be a bucket list moment for a lot of people, so expect them to bring the house down. You'll love every minute of it!

GREAT WHITE

Great White will need no introduction to the average rock punter. Having toured the U.K with Whitesnake in the early eighties, plus a slew of shows since, they’ve won the hearts of the UK public. This might be the version without Jack Russell, but original member Mark Kendall and Terry Ilous (XYZ) will make sure that this performance will still pack a bite.

DAVE BICKLER

With Nigel Bailey as his master of ceremonies, David Bickler is in safe hands and is sure to rise up and delight all in attendance. As the man at the front of Survivor for many a year, Bickler is no stranger to the big occasion. With a set that is sure to bring all of Survivors best loved songs into one fun packed set, this could be Nigel Baileys biggest task to date.

HONEYMOON SUITE

Maple leaf mayhem, with a soft rocking sheen is what you'll be given from the good ship H.M.S. With a back catalogue to die for, a band tighter than my wallet and a reputation of some repute, the Honeymooners will be welcome back on these shores like long lost heroes. If their past performances in this country are anything to go by, then this could be a must see moment.

HAREM SCAREM

Harem Scarem has been around for nearly thirty years, yes, thirty years! Whilst the rest of us have aged, the only thing that has changed with Harry Hess is the hair; everything else still looks the same. The same can be said about their music, from their AORtastic debut, through to the more modern leanings of their recent output, Harem Scarem have always delivered.

VEGA

With Harry Hess in their corner and one of the finest albums of last year under their belts, Vega will take Rockingham by the scruff of the neck and not let go until it's been thoroughly entertained. With four albums to choose from their only problem will be what songs to leave out of a set that will lift the roof off.

MORITZ

The last time I witnessed these boys at HRH AOR they were one of the bands of that weekend, with Peter Scallan proving why he is regarded as one of the UKs finest vocalists. Sans Greg Hart, the Moritz blitz will be on a roll thanks to a wonderful new album, which should be released imminently, so expect a show stealing festival performance from one of the UKs finest acts.

BLANC FACES

Robbie LeBlanc is a vocalist of some renown, as his brace of Blanc Faces CDswill testify. With a recently reissued CD of his first band Fury in the racks, plus the promise of new material, Robbie will be like watching Michael Bolton in his early days as his perfect AOR vocals deliver the kind of music that is guaranteed to please any aficionado of the genre.

FORTUNE

At last year’s Rockingham Fortune gave a masterclass in perfect AOR, Larry Greene was majestic and the whole performance was in the top three of the weekend. They showed that old AORsters might fade away, but they never lose their ability to impress and that's what Fortune did, in spades. So you don't want to miss what will be one of the sure-fire best sets of the whole weekend.

AIRRACE

And talking of fine UK acts, the wonderful Airrace make a return to U.K. Stages with a revised line up, but minus none of the class associated with their name. With Adam Payne (Serpentine) replacing Keith Murrell, Laurie Mansworth and company will endeavour to make this anything but a brief encounter, more a lasting impression.

BAILEY

Nigel Bailey is fast becoming the go-to guy for long lost AORsters like Stan Bush and Kevin Chalfant, so It'll be good to finally see him front his own band. You can expect a healthy dose of songs from his debut album, with a smattering of Three Lions and Hardline songs thrown in for good measure. With the promise of more double denim on show than there is in Vinny Burns' wardrobe, Nigel Bailey will get the just rewards he deserves.

DARE

With Vinny Burns firmly ensconced back into the Dare fold and their recent album heralding a return to their soft rocking best, the potential for a performance of some magnitude is stacking up nicely. Expect a set of flowing, white shirt toting anthemic AOR from one of the UKs best loved AOR outfits.

MAVERICK

Northern Ireland's answer to Motley Crue, well, the Crue on a budget if I'm honest, will be a hard hitting surprise for many. Two albums into their career, their sophomore release is currently garnering them plenty of support and this live appearance is certain to be incendiary.

THE AMORETTES

Girls with guitars and plenty of attitude, so what's not to like? They've recently tore it up with the likes of The Treatment and the Black Star Riders, coming out the other side with nothing but praise on their side. They’ll be like Girlschool on steroids and will drink you under the table, get ready to party.

CRUZH

Swedish newcomers, Cruzh, will be a soft- rock sensation as they bathe you with their lightweight sounds. They will be the aural equivalent of a pampering spa day, luxurious and stress free. Their debut is one of the best in recent years, they have the ability to impress and this performance will be one not to miss.

BROTHER FIRETRIBE

The Nightwish connection aside, Brother Firetribe is best known for their uncanny ability to pen bombastic AOR tunes. Returning to Rockingham for the second time, Emppu Vuorinen and company will be a welcome addition to this bill as they promote their fabulous new album, “Sunbound”.

I think you’ll all agree that Rockingham Festivals AOR credentials have been fully endorsed by having such an array of talent on show. Fans and ticket buyers would also be wise to watch out for announcements of official pre and after shows in the coming months via the festivals Facebook page.

TICKETING DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE FROM: www.rockinghamlive.com

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Fri

Feb

LOVERBOY 'Stop The Rain' With New Free Single Download

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Categories:

News Feed

"Stop the Rain" represents the latest previously unreleased Loverboy song following last year's, "Some Like It Hot."

"It's the kind of hopeful song I could never write before, about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel... Mike really sings the sh*t out of it."

Added Reno about the single: "Coming from a city like Vancouver, 'stop the rain' means... 'stop the rain.'"

The band is hoping the guitar giveaway motivates the fans to put their best filmmaking foot forward.

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Wed

Sep

Loverboy - "Some Like It Hot"

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Artist:

Tue

Sep

LOVERBOY Raid The Vaults For Single 'Some Like It Hot'

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News Feed

LOVERBOY - NEW SINGLE "Some Like It HOT" NEW NATIONAL CAR RENTAL COMMERCIAL with Patrick Warburton!

LOVERBOY exploded out of Calgary, Canada, 37 years ago -- when vocalist Mike Reno was first introduced to guitar legend Paul Dean, eventually joined by keyboardist Doug Johnson, drummer Matt Frenette and the late bassist Scott Smith (replaced in 2000 by Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve) -- but remain a vital presence among today's rock fans.

With another full calendar of concert dates in 2016 - including several shows reprising last year's successful stint with Rick Springfield - LOVERBOY are releasing a brand-new blues-rock single, "Some Like It Hot," through TuneCore to all digital retailers on September 19, which can be streamed here.

"Some Like It Hot," described by Paul Dean as "the first and only shuffle LOVERBOY has ever done," comes from the same late '70s period as several of the songs found on their previous album, 2014's Unfinished Business. "Giving it all away/Living for today," sings Mike Reno on the track - which originated as a demo, but was later rearranged and augmented by Dean, describing this latest as a "gift" from the band to its fans.

Dean went through more than 230 individual two-inch analog tapes he had transfered to digital, including this "gem" from the band's storied history. It follows the release of "Hurtin'" earlier this year, a current song, written and produced over the past year.

"The beauty of the Internet is the ability to make a song available right away, without waiting until you have the rest of the album done," says Dean. "It's a real boon to creativity. It's total grass roots, DIY. Like the lyrics to 'Some Like It Hot,' we're not living for tomorrow or next year."

The single, artwork and accompanying music video - with a montage of a LOVERBOY program from the band's 1983 Keep It Up tour - prominently features the late bassist Scott Smith. "It was one of the first tunes we ever recorded," he said. "He's playing his ass off on it. I thought it was lost and gone forever. And, I think it would be a really good addition to our set list!"

The commercial and the digital short for National Car Rental that started airing a week ago features the band and major fan Patrick Warburton, best known for his roles as David Puddy in Seinfeld, the title character in The Tick and Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, as well as the voice of Family Guy's paraplegic police officer Joe Swanson. After Warburton touts that four out of five National rentals result in a free upgrade, the group piles into the rental car with Warburton and drives home the commercial's message with the title of one of their many hits, "Lovin' Every Minute of It." There is also a digital short, specifically made available on National Car Rental's YouTube channel, with Warburton having the group autograph their Get Lucky album, and pledging his devotion.

As one of Canada's greatest rock exports, LOVERBOY produced four multi-platinum albums, including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983's Keep It Up and 1985's Lovin' Every Minute of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the arena-rock anthem "Working for the Weekend," such staples as "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "This Could Be the Night," "Hot Girls in Love," "Heaven In Your Eyes," "Turn Me Loose," "The Kid Is Hot Tonight", "When It's Over," and "Queen of the Broken Hearts."

LISTEN HERE

Youtube link
Spotify link
iTunes link
Google Play

Tour Dates

September 23 - Tyson Event Center - Sioux City, IA
September 25 - Toyota Oakdale Theater - Wallingford, CT
September 30 - Mawabou Gardens - Wemindji, QC
October 1 - Mawabou Gardens - Wemindji, QC
October 7 - Seven Feathers Casino Resort - Canyonville, OR
October 13 - Genesse Theatre - Waukegan, IL *
October 14 - Prairie Capital Convention Center - Springfield, IL. *
October 15 - Family Arena - St. Charles, MO *
October 28 - The Golden Nugget - Las Vegas, NV
October 29 - Comerica Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
December 3 - Golden Nugget - Lake Charles, LA *
December 31- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Vancouver, BC
* = with Rick Springfield

"We are definitely 'living for today'. And that's what 'Some Like It Hot' is all about. Being in the moment, which rings true today more than ever." - Paul Dean

Tags:

National Rentals

Thu

Apr

VINCE NEIL, TOM KIEFER, BUCKCHERRY, RATT, LOVERBOY to Headline Rockin’ the Rivers 2016

Categories:

Tour News

This summer the heat will be cranked up under the big skies of Montana as Rockin’ the Rivers marks its 16th year as one of America’s premier 3-day Rock Music Festivals.

Rockin’ the Rivers, taking place August 12th – 14th at The Bridge, near Three Forks Montana, will feature legendary vocalist Vince Neil, the voice of Motley Crue, alongside more than 30 bands on 2 stages.

Other top acts joining Neil at this year’s festival include Cinderella’s Tom Kiefer, Buckcherry, Ratt, Loverboy, Survivor, Firehouse, Steelheart, Royal Bliss, Heart by Heart and many more.

Held annually on the site known as “The Bridge”, Rockin’ the Rivers attendees get the full festival experience with the availability of onsite camping, a vendor midway featuring food trucks, merchandise and multiple bars.

The free Thursday night pre-party, held under the Tito’s Vodka Music Tent, offers attendees the opportunity to start the festival a day early with headliners Bobaflex sharing the stage with Second Sting (Scorpions tribute) and classic rockers Blue Tattoo.

Ticket packages and camping are available for General Admission and VIP purchase starting at $145 for a 3-day GA ticket.

For full details on the Rockin’ the Rivers lineup and tickets, visit www.rockintherivers.com or call the Butte Civic Center box office at (888) 555-8989

Thursday, August 11: Bobaflex, Second Sting (Scorpions tribute) and Blue Tattoo.

Friday, August 12: Vince Neil, Tom Kiefer, Firehouse, Steelheart, Black Powder County, Blistered Earth (Metallica tribute), Nova Rex, Metal Steel, Mabel’s Rage and Shades of Blue.

Saturday, August 13: Buckcherry, Ratt, Royal Bliss, Windowpane, The Nixon Rodeo, Hell’s Belles (AC/DC tribute), Dellacoma, Sixteen Penny, Voodoo Cadillac and Mighty Flix.

Sunday, August 14: Loverboy, Survivor, Heart by Heart, Hotel California (Eagles tribute), Jerry Joseph and the Jack Mormons, Jared Stewart, The Max, Groove Wax and Exit 88.

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Thu

Oct

LOVERBOY Hit And Miss In Los Angeles Concert

Artist:

Release Year:

2015

Categories:

Tour News

By Gerry Gittelson

Melodicrock.com Los Angeles correspondent

LOS ANGELES -- Loverboy does not tour as frequently as fellow Canadian classic-rock acts such as Rush or Bryan Adams, so it was a rare treat when the fivesome performed before a capacity crowd at Canyon Club, one of Southern California's largest clubs.

In past visits, Loverboy has absolutely killed. This time, the group that has been around since 1979 showed their age just a bit, as singer Mike Reno sang well but struggled to hit the high notes, even though most of the songs were tuned down at least a full step.

Not that Loverboy did not succeed. The crowd (consisting of about 75 percent females!) certainly enjoyed the show -- and that's the most important thing -- and the band defintely put in a solid effort with a nearly two-hour set that featured all the big hits.

But because Reno is such a focal point in band that lacks any other real standouts, a lot of the thumbs-up/thumbs-down comes down to him. Not that it matters much anymore because no one would expect him to fit into the red leather pants pictured on the cover of "Get Lucky," but Reno continues to struggle with his weight. Reno does not move much either, pretty much planting himself in front of the mic stand for the duration.

Then again, Loverboy's songs are so effective that all the group really needs to do is execute and turn up the volume, and that's exactly what went down, so most of us left happy.

Put another away, Loverboy was able to afford holding their biggest two songs for the end -- "Turn Me Loose" and "Working For The Weekend" -- and it all worked out.

Spellbinding? No. Worth the money? Yes.

"The Kid Is Hot Tonight" found everyone pushing away their dinner plates and standing up. "Hot Girls in Love" saw the cougars roaring for all they were worth. "Lovin' Every Minute of It" tinged good memories of a lost generation when rock was king and FM radio ruled.

Originals Paul Dean (guitar), Doug Johnson (keyboards) and Matt Frenette (drums) are all still in place, so Loverboy remains more legitimate than a lot of others with only one or two longtimers.

Afterward, the group was in good spirits backstage.

"I do like to play Los Angeles, but then again, I like playing anywhere," Dean said

An unknown act called Crack-In-The-Shell opened. In keeping with the Canuck theme, the power trio wears its Rush influence on its sleeve, and the truth is the band went over very well and proved surprisingly entertaining.

Singer/guitarist Daniel Allen sounded great on "Waiting," bassist/keyboardist James McFadden kicked ass on "Catastrophic," and drummer Jason Russo pounded away with fury on "Hold On."

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Wed

Apr

RICK SPRINGFIELD To Tour With LOVERBOY & THE ROMANTICS

Artist:

Rick Springfield

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Categories:

Tour News

RICK SPRINGFIELD will be on tour this summer along with special guests LOVERBOY and THE ROMANTICS

8/29 – Delta Classic Chastain Park – Atlanta, GA

8/30 – St. Augustine Amphitheatre – St. Augustine, FL

9/2 – Hard Rock Live – Hollywood, FL

9/4 – Red Hat Amphitheater – Raleigh, NC

9/5 – Uptown Amphitheatre – Charlotte, NC

9/10 – First Merit Bank at Northerly Island – Chicago, IL

9/11 – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica – Cleveland, OH*

9/12 – Borgata Event Center – Atlantic City, NJ

9/13 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ

9/16 – NYCB Theater at Westbury – Westbury, NY

9/17 – Sands Event Center – Bethlehem, PA

9/18 – Freedom Hill – Detroit, MI

9/20 – PNC Pavilion – Cincinnati, OH

9/22 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Houston, TX

9/23 – Zoo Amphitheatre – Oklahoma City, OK**

* Rick Springfield, Loverboy, Donnie Iris and The Cruisers

** Rick Springfield, Loverboy

Loverboy Press Release:

Time to haul out those iconic red leather pants and bandanas from mothballs, because Canadian hard-rocking legends Loverboy are ready for a full slate of summer touring, including a run of dates with fellow '80s hitmakers Rick Springfield and The Romantics for one of the season's must-see tripleheader concert events. Loverboy are currently enjoying a cultural renaissance, with major companies such as Taco Bell and RadioShack using the band's image and music to promote their products to the '80s generation which grew up on the group, and others who are just being introduced to their anthems. These days, Loverboy's not just "Working for the Weekend," but "Lovin' Every Minute of It," too, performing for those fans who "Get Lucky" enough to catch one of their shows.

Loverboy's tour starts with headline dates in April 25 in Pompano Beach, FL at the Pompano Beach Seafood Festival, and runs through October 1 at the Central Washington State Fair in Yakima, WA. The band will be joined by Springfield and The Romantics for dates starting August 29 at Atlanta's Chastain Amphitheater, running through September 23 in Oklahoma City, OK. The band will also be playing two shows in the Los Angeles area for the first time in years, including The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA (September 25) and the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills (September 26). A full listing of dates is below.

Loverboy have been delighting audiences around the world since forming back in 1979 when vocalist Mike Reno was introduced to local guitar hot shot Paul Dean in Calgary. The group has four multi-platinum albums, including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983's Keep It Up and 1985's Lovin' Every Minute of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the arena-rock anthem "Working for the Weekend," such staples as "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "This Could Be the Night," "Hot Girls in Love," "The Kid is Hot Tonite," "Turn Me Loose," "When It's Over," "Heaven In Your Eyes" and "Queen of the Broken Hearts." Last July, the band released Unfinished Business, their first collection of previously unreleased material in seven years.

Their summer tour dates are as follows (headliners unless noted) More dates TBA:

** w/ Rick Springfield and The Romantics
* w/ Rick Springfield and Donnie Iris
^ w/ Styx

April 25 - Pompano Beach Seafood Festival - Pompano Beach, FL
June 13 - Sandy Corley Memorial Run - Rothbury, MI
June 20 - PrairieFest - Oswego, IL
June 27 - Lakes Jam - Brainerd, MN
July 3 - 4th Fest - Coralville, IA
July 4 - Heritage Park - Junction City, KS
July 10 - Three Rivers Festival - Ft. Wayne, IN
July 18 - Summerwinds Family Music Festival - Victoria Beach, MB
July 25 - Timberwood Amphitheater - Hot Springs, AR
August 1 - Kenora Harbourfest - Kenora, ON
August 8 - Rock N August - St. Albert, AB
August 9 - Pinewood Bowl Theater - Lincoln, NE ^
August 14 - Pictou County Wellness Centre - New Glasgow, NS
August 15 - Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre - Bridgewater, NS
August 22 - Fallon County Fair - Baker, MT
August 29 - Chastain Amphitheater - Atlanta, GA **
August 30 - St. Augustine Amphitheater - St. Augustine, FL **
September 2 - Hard Rock Casino - Hollywood, FL **
September 4 - Red Hat - Raleigh, NC **
September 5 - Uptown Amphitheater - Charlotte, NC **
September 10 - Northerly Island - Chicago, IL **
September 11 - Jacobs Pavilion - Cleveland, OH *
September 12 - Borgata - Atlantic City, NJ **
September 13 - PNC - Holmdel, NJ **
September 16 - Music Theater - Westbury, NY **
September 17 - Event Center - Bethlehem, PA **
September 18 - Freedom Hill - Detroit, MI **
September 20 - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend - Cincinnati, OH **
September 22 - Cynthia Woods Pavilion - Houston, TX **
September 23 - Zoo Amphitheater - Oklahoma City, OK **
September 25 - Canyon Club - Agoura Hills, CA
September 26 - Saban Theater - Beverly Hills, CA
September 27 - Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA
September 29 - Kern County Fair - Bakersfield, CA
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Rick Springfield

The Romantics

Mon

Jul

LOVERBOY - Unfinished Business (Review)

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BOTTOM LINE

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I’ve heard suggestions of more to come, but I think if you can’t string 10 fantastic archive tracks together the first time around, the chances are that the next batch aren’t going to be any more impressive to warrant another volume.

I hope next time the band delivers an all-new studio album of fresh material. After all, there’s plenty of life left in this band, they defy their age on stage and on record.

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SCORE

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80%

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TRACK LISTING

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Fire Me Up

Countin' The Nights

Ain't Such A Bad Thing

Come Undone

Slave

What Makes You So Special

War Bride

Doin' It the Hard

You Play The Star

Crack of the Whip

Produced By:

Loverboy

Running Time:

Release Date:

2014

Released:

Worldwide

Musical Style:

Melodic Rock

Links:

Label:

Loverboy Music

Artist:

Score:

Monday, July 21, 2014

Categories:

Reviews

Loverboy have decided to turn back time and raid the vaults for their latest studio release. Describing this release as ‘old unfinished tracks dusted off and completed in 2014’, the band has in essence, compiled an album of off-cuts from their classic 80s releases.

I can’t blame them for choosing this route – it’s certainly a more economical solution than getting a new album written, recorded and released and it also covers the ‘fans only want to hear the classic sound’ base.

The only thing is – after the fecking marvelous Just Getting Started masterpiece and two of the three new tracks from Rock N Roll Revival being killer; this does seem as a backwards step.

But, if it’s classic Loverboy the fans want, then feast upon this 10 track release.

There’s everything a fan could want here – aside from a killer production. The songs bask in the band’s glorious sound of the 80s, but the production quality is really pretty bad in places.

The song quality and the production quality vary throughout as the songs are taken from various recording sessions and time frames, meaning that you’ll get snippets of the debut, Keep It Up, Get Lucky and even Lovin’ Every Minute Of It among these songs.

There’s some good stuff on offer here – Fire Me Up is a typically stomping Loverboy rocker, while the song Countin’ The Nights must consider itself unlucky not to have found its way onto an album back in the day.

Ain’t Such A Bad Thing has a good chorus, but a truly dodgy sound, including hiss and crackles from the original recordings. This certainly isn’t a case of the band re-recording old material 100% fresh such as other rock bands have done in recent years.

The only ballad on offer is the crooning Come Undone, which I think is pretty obvious why it hasn’t surfaced before now.

The pounding double time rocker Slave is as heavy as this band get, sounding more like cut from Paul Dean’s solo album Hard Core than a Loverboy track.

What Makes You So Special is driving rock song bathed in keyboards and sounding like really early 80s Loverboy.

The moody War Bride features a good vocal from Mike, but the song fades without any real impact.

Doin’ It The Hard Way is a classic Loverboy bar room bogie number. Clear enough why it wasn’t featured on any album, but it’s a bit of fun.

You Play The Star could have been lifted from the band’s debut album such is its sound and style. Interesting track to hear for someone like myself that’s been a fan since day 1.

Crack Of The Whip is on ok closer, but nothing too special.

As a compilation it works. As an all-new studio album it doesn’t. But there’s some cool tracks on here that show the behind the scenes workings of the band over their long history.

The band has rarely disappointed and die-hards will find some gems here without doubt.

On reflection, I think these songs showcase a grittier side of the band that the powers that be perhaps chose to abandon in the past as the songs weren’t commercial enough in their appeal.

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80%

Thu

Jul

LOVERBOY TAKING CARE OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH FREE AMAZON PRE-STREAM OF NEW ALBUM

Artist:

http://www.amazon.com/Loverboy/e/B000AQ15IA/digital/ref=ntt_mp3_rdr?_encoding=UTF8&sn=d

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Categories:

News Feed

Loverboy Taking Care of

Unfinished Business with

Free Amazon Pre-Stream of

New Album

Los Angeles, July 8, 2014-- Loverboy's Unfinished Business, the multi-platinum Canadian rockers' first new album of all-original studio recordings in seven years will be available as a pre-release stream on Amazon, July 8-14 at

The album, whose title was selected via a Facebook fan vote, comes out in physical and digital form through Redeye Distribution July 15.

Pop Culture Beast says of Unfinished Business: "The majority of the songs on this album are filled with big hooks and catchy choruses [which] succeed in doing exactly what it was meant to do... It gives the hardcore Loverboy fans some songs they have always wanted to hear while reminding everyone else why we loved these leather-clad MTV darlings in the first place."

The band recently appeared as surprise guests at the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show over the July 4th holiday, wowing fans by showing up in a tour bus that opened up to reveal a full stage set-up, performing "Turn Me Loose" and "Working for the Weekend" for a delighted crowd.

"The super-fans up front sang our throats raw and lost our minds when they came out," tweeted Sally Mansour about the unexpected showing.

"They were all unfinished demos we'd recorded over the years, and we just decided to complete the songs and release the album to show our appreciation to the fans for their support," says Dean about Unfinished Business, with the free Amazon stream the band's gift to Loverboy followers, who took their own interactive role in naming the album.

For more information on Loverboy, please visit www.loverboyband.com

Photo Credit: Doug Johnson

For more great photos of Loverboy's surprise encore performance at the Calgary Stampede July 3-5, 2014, visit Loverboy's Facebook page here.

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