STUART SMITH - HEAVEN & EARTH OUT NOW FRONTIERS RECORDS EUROPE SAMSUNG KOREA PONY CANYON JAPAN     1. Don't Keep Me Waiting This was written back in 1994 when I had the original Heaven & Earth band together with Kelly Hansen and Jay Schellen. I was sat round messing around with a riff from Deep Purple's, "No No No" off the Fireball album and it gave me the idea for the main riff to this song. I then jammed it with the band and it just progressed into "Don't Keep Me Waiting." The keyboard player, Ray Rodriguez came up with the bridge and Kelly Hansen wrote the lyrics. 2. Heaven & Earth This one was written around the same period as "Don't Keep Me Waiting." I'd gone on a skiing trip in Taos, New Mexico with Kelly Hansen & Jay Schellen. I ended up twisting my knee on the first day so I just hung out at the hotel lamenting about an old girlfriend and came up with the chorus which originally said "I'd move Heaven & Earth to be back by your side" which got changed in recording to "be by your side." Kelly got the plane home and Jay Schellen ...

EXCLUSIVE - HARRY PREVIEWS THE ALBUM!: Harem Scarem's long anticipated return album Weight Of The World has already been confirmed for release February 21 in Japan and March 11 in Europe, via Now & Then / Frontiers Records. Now, I am pleased to offer this exclusive preview of the album's tracks - with descriptions from vocalist Harry Hess. The album is being mastered this week in Toronto. At the start of November, I already detailed the involvement of ex-Harem Scarem drummer and part-time vocalist Darren Smith, who was asked by Harry Hess to supply background vocals for all the songs on the new album. The idea was to have the vocal feel similar to the first two albums. Let's see what Harry thinks of the albums songs. (Comments in Orange) Weight Of The World (Hess/Lesperance) The tittle track of the record. This song encompasses everything that we have done as songwriters in the last 11 years. It's got everything in it. Big guitars, big drums big backing vocals, very melodic and a great solo. Lyrically it is about how the pressures of everyday life can sometimes drag you down, but to always stay positive. We try to convey an uplifting message in all ...

  By Gerry Gittelson Melodicrock.com Los Angeles correspondent   LOS ANGELES -- Tony Lewis, lead singer for well-remembered British classic-rock act The Outfield, is back.   Four years since the death of co-founder/guitarist John Spinks, who was the main songwriter, Lewis just released a new album Out of The Darkness, and he is also among the key figures in the multi-act Retro Futurama tour that is trekking across America from New York to California and lots of cities in-between.   'The response has been really good, really overwhelming -- the crowds still know all the words to the songs,' Lewis said. 'It's kind of weird being out there and not seeing John Spinks next to me, because we had been together so long, but yeah, it's going well.'   Smash-hit 'Your Love,' featuring that infectious opening line 'Josie's on a vacation far away,' was a No. 6 single on Billboard in the 1980s -- among other Outfield hits from triple-platinum debut Play Deep -- and Lewis still loves it, he said.   'That song kind of took on a life of its own. The crazy thing is, John Spinks wrote Your Love in like 20 minutes,' Lewis ...

  Shark Island: It is finally time to gather the faithful. Shark Island was a band that exerted enormous influence on the rock scene. Perhaps more than you realize.  The band was the biggest and best live act in Los Angeles in an era where there were literally hundreds of bands playing the Sunset Strip scene. Shark Island had it over all of them, yet of the bands to break out of LA into international fame, The Sharks had to wait the longest and cruelly never took their renowned charisma to the levels they deserved. Somewhere along the line it all went wrong – or as the band's charismatic frontman would put it, it wasn't ever just one thing. After more than a decade the band are back together and have a new album on the way and finally a home on the web under development - (www.sharkislandmusic.com). Vocalist/frontman Richard Black is a very private person who has kept his silence for many years now, but on the eve of a new Shark Island record, he breaks that silence in this exclusive interview.   Just fantastic to catch up with you Richard, thank ...

  Rick Springfield: Back In Overdrive Rick Springfield doesn't rush his albums out, so when a new one arrives there is always an air of anticipation. With Venus In Overdrive, Rick steps back into the power pop domain he owned in the early 80s, while adding a strong contemporary twist that makes this material some of his most classic and most catchy in a long time. I spoke with Rick a week or so back about the new album, the upcoming tribute album and what keeps him fit and ticking after all these years in the business. Good Morning, Rick! How are ya? I'm good. How ya doing? That's good. I'm ok… You will have to excuse my rough voice though; it's 5 in the morning. Oi. (laughs) But, here we are. Thank you so for the opportunity with Venus in Overdrive with Angelmilk in Europe…we'll do the very best job that we can. Great. I'm actually really excited about this. So why Europe now? Or, why not before? I know you are very proud of this record. Yeah, I think because of this record, the strength of the record and ...

    W.E.T: The downpour has only just begun... Time to talk to the mastermind's behind this year's classic debut album - W.E.T. Jeff Scott Soto, Erik Martensson and Robert Sall.... I guess the starting point of an interview at this stage must be the critical and fan feedback on this amazing album you guys have managed to write and record. You must all be pleasantly surprised with the acclaim? JSS: Well I guess some cheers to you as well as jeers for that, haha. You certainly started an upheaval of opinions on your site which was fun for us to watch on the outside. I get on there once in a while to dig & jab with some of the regulars but this time I decided to watch the debate, it was great fun reading as well as nice to get so much attention, good or bad! We had no idea this thing would get much attention past our individual fans but we've stepped on a landmine here, this thing is outselling a lot of my past endeavours, I guess people really found a click with W.E.T. I am very ...

Kevin Shirley: Distortion To Death Threats - Life In A Producer's Chair Mega-Producer/Mixer/Engineer Kevin Shirley talks direct from THE CAVE about working with some of rock's biggest legends and with acts famous for infighting.   Great to talk to you Kevin. What are you sitting there working on right now? Right now I'm doing a song with Joe Bonamassa with Vince Gill on guitar, and John Hyatt on vocals as well. That's an interesting combo. Yeah - Nashville boys. I'll be doing a new album with him in, I think….coming up soon. Fantastic. So, you're sitting in the cave in Malibu? I'm sitting in the cave in Malibu as we speak. Very good. It's a good place to be. Yeah, yeah. How much time have you put into building that studio now over the years? Um…not that much time. I just did it. I mean, I just built it and then I just update it from time to time. But it's like phenomenal; it's basically a mixing studio but I do vocals and some guitars and things here. But it's basically just a ...

Arnel Pineda: From Dusty Streets To Platinum Records Journey's frontman came from extremely humble beginnings, but his dreams came true thanks to the Internet and a God given gift. Now he's everyman's hero. I talked to the softly spoken frontman during the band's European 2011 tour.   Hey there. You are Andrew from Melodicrock.com. Yes, that 's right, Arnel. How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm good, mate! It's good to finally touch base with you! I know, (laughs) but I feel that I have known you for quite a while now. (laughs) Ok. You are ok to talk, then? Yeah yeah. Don't mind my voice-I'm just tired because the hotel where we checked in—it's not so good. It's so noisy outside and then the room service keeps on knocking on the door and we forgot to put the 'Do Not Disturb' card on the doorknob. Uh-oh. So, they are disturbing you all the time. Yes, but it's ok. It's ok. Have you got a show tonight or are you on a day off? We are on a day off and then…...

  Rik Emmett: No More Pink Elephants. Andrew from MelodicRock.com Rik. Hello Andrew. A great pleasure to talk to you. Well it's nice to talk to you too. It's been too long. We did an email interview about many years ago or several years ago at least, but never a phone interview and I'm really pleased to touch base with you. That's great, it's nice to talk to you too. How are things? Where have I reached you, at home in Canada? Yeah, I'm sitting in my studio and all is right with the world. The Toronto Maple Leaves hockey team has had a lovely victory this evening. Between interviews I was watching them play hockey and it takes me back to my childhood. When they win I feel good, when they lose I feel like something's not right. Where about it Toronto or in the area do you live? I live in Mississauga which is sort of a western bedroom community. It's a city in its own right. Yes, I lived on Queen St. West in Toronto for about a year in '93. Oh yeah? Loved the place. Yeah, Toronto is ...