Joker (USA)

[Horex]

Joker - Joker (1990)















Year : 1990
Style : Glam Hard Rock
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 119 mb

Bio:

Joker got their start in 1986. Mike and Joey were together jamming in a garage on 79th street on the Southwest side of Chicago. Tony was invited to a rehearsal to just hang out. There was a singer there that was not very good and was forgetting the lyrics. They asked Tony to sing a few tunes and sucked him back in. Tony was previously playing drums and was looking to start an all original band.From there Joker moved their headquarters to 55th & Christiana (The Garage). The name Joker was coined there in that Garage. Over the next 3 years, the band spent many days and nights perfecting the trademark guitars and vocals. It wasn’t until 1988 that Joker went through some member changes. The band was contacted by Red Light Records about a record deal that ushered in the change in the lineup to include the powerhouse of Nick and Brian. In 1989, Joker finished recording what would be the self-titled record “Joker.”Nick and Brian brought in a fresh perspective to songwriting. It was a very natural and creative process. In 1990, Joker moved their headquarters to Wheeler Studio, in Orland Park. That is where the 5-days-a-week rehearsals took place and the ground work for Cool Deal was written.Red Light secured a distribution deal with BMG, and Joker headed back to the Studio to record “Cool Deal.” They spent the summer of 1991 in Pumpkin Studios recording Cool Deal. Following the recording, Joker took the show on the road to LA to master the CD and play the Sunset Strip circuit that had been so famous. Unfortunately, this was right when music was going grunge. The Strip wasn’t anything it had been throughout the 80s.

Album:

Chicago melodic hard rockers first album “Joker”.Joker first self-titled album delivers all that polished late ’80s US melodic hard rock we love, feel good songs with a positive vibe.Fronted by versatile singer Tony Ingala (who recorded in the Blue Öyster Cult album Bad Channels), the style of “Joker” is pure American Melodic Rock driven by sharp guitars and terrific five-part harmonies from all members on the catchy choruses.Their sound reminds you the commercial, Americanized-era of Norwegians TNT circa ‘Intuition’ and Warrant. Therefore is not surprising that Ingala was once the front-runner to replace singer Jani Lane during the Nineties.You can’t go wrong with titles like the sexy ‘I Want Love’, the hair metal glory of ‘Party For Your Life’, the killer ‘She Wants Vengeance’ (with some Keel on it), ‘Change’, or the Poison-like power ballad ‘Lorraine’.At the beginning of the current decade, Joker reunited with all original members and there’s an album in the making.Meanwhile, they unearthed previously unreleased recordings and released them under the title “Last Hand”. These songs were taped in the Summer of ’93, professionally produced and with the same style & sound of both Joker official albums.At the time, they were shopping a new record deal but the scene was changing and the band split in 1994.“Joker” is plenty of great stuff, the type of album that basically you enjoy from head to toe.Joker is a very cool and highly sought melodic hard rock band with infectious melodies, shreddin’ guitar, hooks and catchy choruses, all played to perfection. One of the rarest and finest indie MHR bands out there.

Line Up:

Tony Ingala - lead vocals
Joe Miro - guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Nick Sikich - guitar, backing vocals
Brian Smolar - bass, backing vocals
Mike Stone - drums, backing vocals

production:

Recorded At – Hair Bear Studio
Recorded At – Tone Zone Studios
Mixed At – Hair Bear Studio
Mastered At – SAE Mastering
Co-producer – Lenny Moore
Cover, Design, Artwork By – Mitch Nawara
Engineer – Jeff Islinger, Roger Heiss
Mastered By – Roger Seibel
Photography By – Scholl/Turek Photographics
Producer – Mark Nawara

Tracklist:

01. I Want Love
02. Say Yeah
03. Lorraine
04. Party for your Life
05. Somewhere in Time
06. She Wants Vengeance
07. Pledge an Allegiance
08. Remember
09. Change
10. Hey Salesman




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Joker - Cool Deal (1992) (Red Light Records Edition 2017)















Year : 1992 (Red Light Records Remastered Edition 2017)
Style : Glam Hard Rock
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 122 mb

Bio:

Joker got their start in 1986. Mike and Joey were together jamming in a garage on 79th street on the Southwest side of Chicago. Tony was invited to a rehearsal to just hang out. There was a singer there that was not very good and was forgetting the lyrics. They asked Tony to sing a few tunes and sucked him back in. Tony was previously playing drums and was looking to start an all original band.From there Joker moved their headquarters to 55th & Christiana (The Garage). The name Joker was coined there in that Garage. Over the next 3 years, the band spent many days and nights perfecting the trademark guitars and vocals. It wasn’t until 1988 that Joker went through some member changes. The band was contacted by Red Light Records about a record deal that ushered in the change in the lineup to include the powerhouse of Nick and Brian. In 1989, Joker finished recording what would be the self-titled record “Joker.”Nick and Brian brought in a fresh perspective to songwriting. It was a very natural and creative process. In 1990, Joker moved their headquarters to Wheeler Studio, in Orland Park. That is where the 5-days-a-week rehearsals took place and the ground work for Cool Deal was written.Red Light secured a distribution deal with BMG, and Joker headed back to the Studio to record “Cool Deal.” They spent the summer of 1991 in Pumpkin Studios recording Cool Deal. Following the recording, Joker took the show on the road to LA to master the CD and play the Sunset Strip circuit that had been so famous. Unfortunately, this was right when music was going grunge. The Strip wasn’t anything it had been throughout the 80s.

Album:

For years impossible to find except expensive used copies, the second and final album “Cool Deal” from Chicago-based melodic hard rockers JOKER has been reissued / remastered not so long ago.Originally released in 1992, “Cool Deal” is one of the best indie released from the genre you can find, not only including a great set of songs but also a superb, first class production.Joker made a name for themselves on the local circuit, but despite having the looks and sound that was perfect for early ’90s MTV, they never quite made the jump to the next level.“Cool Deal” is a pretty strong example of what US melodic hard rock sounded like in 1992. Not quite as sleazy as the Hollywood hair metal of the late ‘80s, but with that scene’s rocking energy and some AOR-worthy melodies.Given Tony Ingala’s vocal style, comparisons to Slaughter and Realized Fantasies-era TNT make sense, but Joker also has similarities to Wildside, XYZ and at times Lillian Axe.Album opener “Stand Up, Shout It Out” could easily pass for a Slaughter anthem, and “Dry Your Eyes” has a great TNT vibe. Even their cover of The Sweet’s “Little Willy” is fun.You know how this story ends. Despite having the talent and putting out good music, 1992 was just not a good time for a melodic hard rock band in America. The grunge scene pushed bands like Joker right out the door.“Cool Deal” remains a terrific reminder of what made the late ‘80s and early ‘90s melodic hard rock sound so much fun though, and it’s an album fans of bands like Slaughter, Firehouse, Trixter, TNT, XYZ and Warrant ought to check out.After a long time out of print and commanding crazy aftermarket prices, we finally got an official reissue of “Cool Deal”, remastered and with new artwork. Be aware there’s fake versions floating around, this is the real one. (thanks to Cray for it).As said, production was first class, with that ‘major label’ huge polished sound I love. And the songs rocks, hooky n’ catchy.

Line Up:

Tony Ingala – Lead Vocals
Joe Miro – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Nick Sikich – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Brian Smolar – Bass, Backing Vocals
Mike Stone – Drums, Backing Vocals

Tracklist:

01. Stand Up, Shout It Out
02. Little Willy
03. Little Bit Of Heaven
04. To The Bone
05. Don’t Turn Away
06. Stealth
07. Dry Your Eyes
08. October Wind
09. Mackinaw Avenue
10. Love Keeps
11. Rock Tonight




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/