A Flock of Seagulls - Britsh New Wave

A Flock of Seagulls é uma banda de new wave britânica formada em Liverpool, Inglaterra, em 1979 por Mike Score, o seu irmão Ali Score e os amigos Frank Maudsley e Paul Reynolds. Ganhou popularidade na Europa e nos Estados Unidos no início dos anos 80. O single “I Ran (So Far Away)” está no Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. Este single - “I Ran (So Far Away)” - rendeu à banda a 2 posição na lista "Top 100 One Hit Wonder Of The 80′s (100 melhores bandas de um hit só dos anos 80)" do canal VH1. Esta lista foi feita em 2009. A Flock of Seagulls iniciou-se com Mike Score e seu irmão Ali Score em 1979, em Liverpool. O nome do grupo surgiu a partir de um trecho da canção "Toiler on the Sea", da banda The Stranglers, de acordo com Mike Score. Mike, que havia previsto ser um cabeleireiro, tocava teclado, guitarra e cantava, enquanto Ali tocava bateria e Frank Maudsley, amigo dos irmãos, tocava baixo. O guitarrista original da banda, Willie Woo, saiu e foi substituído por Paul Reynolds, do grupo Cindysbeentrippin. A banda começou a tocar em clubes e em breve conseguiu contrato com uma gravadora. Sob a direção de Tommy Crossan e Mick Rossi (Checkmount Limited), começaram a lançar singles através da Jive Records. O grupo lançou um EP, "Telecommunication", e dois singles, "It's Not Me Talking" e "Telecommunication" (ambos produzidos por Bill Nelson). O sucesso deste último single deu-lhes um contrato com uma grande gravadora. Em 1982, o terceiro single do grupo, "I Ran (So Far Away), produzido por Mike Howlett, ex-baixista da banda Gong, tornou-se um sucesso mundial, alcançando o número 1 na Austrália e o Top 10 nos Estados Unidos e na Nova Zelândia. Também fizeram sucesso o álbum de estreia " A Flock of Seagulls" e outro single, "Space Age Love Song".[6] Ao final de 1982, a banda encontrou o maior sucesso em seu país com "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)", o primeiro single de seu próximo álbum, "Listen", e que alcançou o Top 10. 1982 foi o ápice do sucesso crítico e comercial do grupo. Mais três singles foram lançados para o álbum " Listen" em 1983, mas tiveram apenas um pequeno sucesso no Reino Unido e no exterior. Encarados com desapontamento, o grupo produziu um terceiro álbum em 1984 chamado "The Story of a Young Heart", com "The More You Live, The More You Love" como o single principal. Este teve um sucesso moderado, mas os outros dois singles do álbum, "Never Again (The Dancer)" e "Remember David", não fizeram nenhum progresso. Encarados com vendas decrescentes e uma perda de direção, o grupo se mudou para a Filadélfia, Pensilvânia, exceto Paul Reynolds, que então havia deixado a banda. Em 1986, o grupo lançou um novo álbum, " Dream Come True", que recebeu uma crítica não muito boa e acabou por fracassar comercialmente. A fim de promover Dream Come True, dois vídeos (para os singles "Who's That Girl" e "Heartbeat Like a Drum") foram gravados em rápida sucessão, sendo esta a última vez que os três membros restantes estiveram juntos em uma gravação até 2003. Pelos dezoito anos seguintes, Mike Score trabalhou com diversos músicos sob o nome A Flock of Seagulls, fazendo apresentações ao vivo e eventualmente lançando materiais. Em 1989, o grupo lançou um single chamado "Magic", que não fez sucesso. O álbum de sequência, " The Light at The End of the World", que incluía o single, foi lançado apenas em 1995, e tampouco fez sucesso. Em 1999, a banda regravou uma canção de Madonna, This Used to Be My Playground, para o álbum de tributo a Madonna The World's Greatest 80s Tribute to Madonna. Em novembro de 2003, a formação original (Mike e Ali Score, Frank Maudsley e Paul Reynolds) se reuniu para uma apresentação, na série "Bands Reunited" do canal VH1. Em setembro de 2004 eles se reuniram novamente e fizeram alguns shows nos Estados Unidos, mas acabaram por se separar logo em seguida. Mike Score continua a fazer turnês com Joe Rodriguez (1999), Pando (2003), e Michael Brahm (2003), como a formação atual do A Flock of Seagulls. Em 4 de fevereiro de 2013, Mike Score afirmou, por meio de sua conta do YouTube, que também estava fazendo carreira solo. Ele lançou o single "All I Wanna Do" em fevereiro de 2013, e "Somebody Like You" em janeiro de 2014. Em 1º de março de 2014, Score lançou seu álbum solo, "Zeebratta".

A Flock of Seagulls - The Best Of (1991)

George McCrae - Soul Pop

George Warren McCrae, Jr. (born October 19, 1944) is an American soul and disco singer, most famous for his 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby".

Diamond Touch (1976)

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Chatelaine - Pop Disco (Canada)

Chatelaine was a canadian singer. This album includes her biggest hit "corps à corps" that was well known in Europe and South America with the titles "A far l'amore comincia tu" "En el amor todo es empezar" "Si tu l'aimes dis le lui" "Liebelei" all sung by the italian diva Raffaella Carrà.

Chatelaine (1978)

Producer – Lee Gagnon, Pete Tessier

Tracklist  :

A1  Corps A Corps In Love We'll Be 

A2  Je Vis Ma Vie

A3  Je N'ai Que Toi

A4  I Wouldn't Give You Up

B1  Je Me Sens Bien Pasta Fagioli

B2  C'est Ma Vie 

B3  Jack Et Jill 

B4  Je Vois Ma Vie Qui Change
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Cher - Pop Ballads (USA)

Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian; Armenian: May 20, 1946) is an American singer and actress. Commonly referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she is described as embodying female autonomy in a male-dominated industry. She is known for her distinctive contralto singing voice and for having worked in numerous areas of entertainment, as well as adopting a variety of styles and appearances during her five-decade-long career. Cher has won a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Cannes Film Festival Award, and a special CFDA Fashion Award, among several other honors. Throughout her career, she has sold 100 million records worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling music artists in the music history. She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in each decade from the 1960s to the 2010s. Outside of her music and acting, she is noted for her political views, philanthropic endeavors and social activism, including LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS prevention.

Take Me Home (1979)

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Cissy Houston - Pop Disco (USA)

Emily "Cissy" Houston (née Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin she embarked on a solo career, winning two Grammy Awards for her work. She is the mother of singer Whitney Houston, grandmother of Whitney's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, aunt of singers Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, and a cousin of opera singer Leontyne Price.

Warning - Danger (1979)

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Aeron - Rare 1979 Mystic-Elven-Psych Original Out Of San Francisco

Personnel: 

Bass, Acoustic Guitar – Andy Sinor

Cello, Congas, Percussion – John Carr

Drums, Percussion – David Nelson

Keyboards, Synthesizer – Elanor Tooke

Lead Guitar, Vocals – Arwen Tooke

Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Loriel Tooke

Paltareon The Far Memory of the Elves (1979)

Aerial - Melodic Hard Rock (Canada)

Aerial was a Canadian pop and rock band from Toronto, Ontario during the 1970s. Liverpool was launched in 1973 as a Beatles tribute act, with Brian Miessner on lead vocal and bass, Laurie Currie on vocals and drums, David Moyles on guitar and Rick Pearson on vocals and guitar.This original version of the band played the first ever "Beatles Festival" in New York City in 1974. The group also played the famed "Whiskey A Go Go Club" in Los Angeles the same year. As Liverpool they had a Canadian top 25 hit with "Dolly" written by Brian Miessner and produced by Ian Thomas. The band toured in Canada and the U.S. as a four piece until 1975 when Malcolm Buchanan was brought on board to play multiple keyboards allowing the group to play songs from Sgt. Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour for their growing fan base. Further personnel changes occurred in 1976 when Gary O'Conner (Gary O') was added on guitar and vocals. It was at this time that original members Dave Moyles and Rick Pearson left the group. The band changed their name in 1977 to Aerial as they were anxious to get on with their recording career as a group.

For their first album release "In The Middle Of The Night" Aerial were signed to Capital records in the U.S. and Toronto-based record label Anthem Records, along with notable label-mates Rush. Their second release on Anthem "Manueuvers" saw Gary O'Conner replaced on guitiar with Tim White on guitar and vocals.

The band had a top-40 hit in Canada with "Easy Love". The song made #92 on the national RPM Magazine charts in 1978.

As 'Liverpool', two songs made the national charts. 'Dolly' hit #24 and 'Down To Liverpool' made #69, both in 1976.

In The Middle Of The Night (1978)

Aera - Jazz Rock Fusion (Germany)

Aera biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1022)

AERA is a band from Germany who performs progressive fusion in the style of NUCLEUS, EMBRYO and DZYAN. Spacey guitar passages are the strongest characteristic in their music, as well as good flute and saxophone passages. They have 6 albums, of which "Humanum Est" is considered their best effort.

- Bruno Aun

Turkis (1979)

AELIAN Neo-Prog • Italy

Aelian biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=740)

This Italian band with a Celtic name got together in 1992 when they signed up with Musea for the first of two albums (a third, live album was also released). Their music belies their origins as they don't sound at all like your traditional Italian prog band. Their style hovers somewhere between Prog, Neo-Prog and high-end AOR. The original line-up was: Maurizio Antognoli (keyboards and vocals), Max (?) (guitars and vocals), Paolo Negroni (drums, drum machine programming) and Mark Aixer (lead vocals and bass guitar and bass pedal) who sings in English without a trace of an accent. 

Their debut album "The Watcher" shows their prog side and is somewhat reminiscent of the more commercial era of YES ("Drama" period). The sound is crystal clear, the musicians skillful and the album has its share of strong emotional moments. However, it is with the 2000 release of "A Tree Under the Colours" that the band truly found their niche, taking on a more AOR direction with surprisingly good results. In a similar vein as SAGA, ASIA or TOTO, the music is more direct and features spiralling musical flights, loads of melodic vocal harmonies and catchy choruses with crisp, clean arrangements, clearly favouring an overall effect over individual soloing. The mood is uplifting (no angst-ridden overtones here), the vocals strong and powerful, the musicianship excellent, at times technically incisive, and the production top notch. To quote Musea: "Imagine YES vocals and structures (from the eighties era), mixed with MARILLION's guitar, and a strong FM touch ala FOREIGNER, STYX, SAGA or JOURNEY, and you'll have a good idea of this excellent music, enhanced by a very professional production".

Good clean fun. Recommended for those who enjoy radio-friendly yet tasteful, up-beat rock.

: : : Lise (Hibou), CANADA : : :

The Watcher (1992)

Aeba - Black Metal (Germany)

Aeba are one of the first pioneers of the second generation of Black Metal in Germany. They were founded in 1992 and were named Eternal Suffer. In 1994 they renamed the bandname to Aeba. It's a buildup from the four archdemons Astaroth, Eurynome, Bael and Amducias who brought the Apocalypse. The lyrics are mostly satanic but the band insists that they are not a NSBM band.

Aeba (Im Schattenreich)

Blink 182 - Rock USA

Blink-182 (often stylized as blink-182; pronounced "blink one eighty two") is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. The band currently consists of bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus, drummer Travis Barker, and guitarist and vocalist Matt Skiba. Founded by guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge, bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus and drummer Scott Raynor, the band emerged from the Southern California punk scene of the early 1990s and first gained notoriety for high-energy live shows and irreverent lyrical toilet humor. Blink-182 was initially known as Blink until an Irish band of the same name threatened legal action; in response, the band appended the meaningless number "-182".

Dogs Eating Dogs

California

LINKS

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Bernard Allison

Bernard Allison (born November 26, 1965) is an American blues guitarist, based out of Paris, France. Guitar-slinging progeny of the great Chicago bluesman Luther Allison, Bernard Allison has proved that great music runs in the blood with a series of high power urban blues albums. Beginning with the viciously funky title track, CHILLS & THRILLS immediately kicks the party into overdrive, briefly letting up only to get a bit jammy (“So Devine”) or momentarily reflective (“Compromising for Your Needs”).

2007 - Chills & Thrills

After Dark - UK Pop Rock

LINK

A.C.T Eclectic Prog • Sweden

A.C.T biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=424)

A.C.T is a very popular and well-known modern progressive rock band from Sweden, having released music since 1999. They have evolved into a respectable band that has had more than a decent impact; more impressive, however, it how their songwriting and style gets better with every album. The band's musical style is eclectic, but also keen to a lot of influences, some (like QUEEN, SAGA, SUPERTRAMP, MUSE, RUSH, DREAM THEATER or ELO) being largely accepted, others (like IT BITES, ZAPPA or STYX) being more particular, and some (like GENESIS, KANSAS, JETHRO TULL, TOTO or the BEATLES) being much superficial.

The band, initially under Ola ANDERSSON on guitars, Tomas ERLANDSSON on drums, Jens APPELGREN on vocals and Jerry SAHLIN on both keyboards and drums, was created out of friendly discussions and leisure musical sessions and was named FAIRYLAND. During the entire rehearsals and the eventful years of playing and discovering their outfit, the line-up saw some changes, APPELGREN departing and three new musicians joining in: Simon NIKLASSON on bass and dynamic writing, later Peter ASP as guitarist/bassist, and Herman SAMING as vocalist, often leading the charm and lucky good impression of A.C.T's clear crystal voice. In 1995, at the suggestion of Jerry SAHLIN, FAIRYLAND finally changed into A.C.T, both in name and in perspective. Taking on a new musical direction, A.C.T went all the way to a finale at a local competition, "Musik Direkt" - which gave them the opportunity to make some demos. The next year, they were favorites all the way to the grand finale in Stockholm, where losing the competition was a small setback compared to the fame and good spirit they've witnessed since. 

A.C.T are as good and exciting on stage as they are profound in the studio. They opened for a lot of good artists, like Yngwie MALMSTEEN, FISH or SAGA. Their modern or progressive relation is stable both in a popular and well-supported way. 

As for their music, A.C.T themselves call it a mix of melodic, progressive rock, pomp or pop elements, but the evolution is straightforward maturity with every album. Being highly proud of their sound and their songs, the mutual feeling is making music of a noteworthy production and an intense popular complexity. Silence (released 2006) is, most specially, a very brave and complete album of the band's expression and work, comprising melodic or upbeat progressive rock, metal bits or classic rock interpretations, songwriting deluxe shape or complex rhythm arrangements. As already mentioned, the classic, popular or notoriously more easy progressive influences are a large idea, but A.C.T also discovers its own skill mystery and individuality experience, most notably on Silence.

After the release of their fourth album, the band went into a semi-hiatus while working on their fifth album. On December 24th, 2013, A.C.T announced that their fifth album, titled Circus Pandemonium, will be released in early 2014.

From Swedish Modern Prog to Progressive New Music, A.C.T are stable, artistic and recommended.

(some notes adapted after the band's website biography or other bio sources, such as www.progrock.ro)

:::Ricochet (Victor "Philip" Parau):::

Last Epic (2003)

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CLIFFHANGER Neo-Prog • Netherlands

Cliffhanger biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=63)

CLIFFHANGER's music combines busy and intricate playing with subtle melodic moments. The band interplay is very well worked out and tasteful. The sound is not typical symphonic prog but their influences are from that direction. 

In 1996 the band released "Not to Be Or Not To Be" which I considered one of the best CDs of that year and one that should be come a real present-day masterpiece of Classic Progressive Rock. An excellent surprise happened in 2001: CLIFFHANGER got together again. Just enough time to record an excellent rating to "Circle".

Mirror Site (1998)

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