Year : 1982 (MTM Classix Edition 2004)
Style : Melodic Rock , AOR
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 139 mb
Bio:
RPM, a successful melodic rock band formed in the early 80's started with Robert (lead vocals, main co-writer) and Jimmy Lee Sloas. (bass,keyboards, bgvs, writer) . Soon Mark Gendel from Canada (guitars, main co-writer) and Tommy Wells (drums) joined to complete the group.Originally signed by DonGrierson, VP of EMI America Records of Los Angeles, the band enjoyed an AOR hit "A Legend Never Dies". Their very first "real" gig was for KLOL Radio in Houston to headline for their "Rockfest" at the Astrodome Complex. 20,000 people showed up for the concert and RPM was called back for 4 encores! Soon after, Grierson left EMI and the group lost their key man but soon found a new record deal with Warner Bros in Burbank via new manager, Jerry Schilling (Elvis, Carl Wilson, Beach Boys) and high powered LA attorney, Peter Paterno. Their first abum, simply titled "RPM" was produced by Nashville great, Brent Maher who also helped the guys develop their songwriting chops. Four songs from their first record were released, in time, by other artists, including: Johnny VanZant (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), Blackfoot and Tygers of Pantang(successful English rock band).The second record for Warners saw the band wanted to take more creative control as well as push the musical boundaries. Once the band heard an advance release of the album "90125" by YES, (featuring the worldwide hit "Owner of a Lonely Heart" they knew without question who they wanted to work with next. It would be Gary Langan, engineer to producer Trevor Horn who was one of the hottest musical commodities in the world at the time. The band spent 5 months in London at Trevor's studio, SARM with Gary at the helm co-producing with the band. The project ultimately took on a more British feel and attitude. While critically acclaimed around the world "Phonogenic" didn't produce any hits at radio as timing would have it, Warners was busy promoting more established projects: "1984" by VanHalen, "Eliminator" by ZZTop, "Purple Rain" by Prince just to name a few. The band shot a video in support of the project and performed on hit TV series "Solid Gold Hits" (Episode 30), but it was not meant to be. After 6 years the group disbanded. It was however an amazing creative opportunity for Robert and all involved, getting to work with some of the greastest names/acts in the entire recording world.RPM's two albums have been recently released on CD due to popular demand from AOR enthusiasts around the world.
Album:
2004 CD Reissue of the original 1982 album.Tracks 11 to 15 are unreleased bonus tracks.Here’s an album considered as one of the best American Melodic Rock AOR records from the first half of the ’80s: RPM self titled from 1982. This is the MTM Classix series reissue, including 5 bonus tracks that are even better than the already great originals.Co-produced by Brent Maher (Tygers Of Pan Tang, Blackfoot) it’s not surprising to find here songs recorded before or later by these bands: ‘Legend Never Dies’ (Blackfoot), ‘Rendezvous’ (Tygers Of Pan Tang), and with lead vocalist Robert White Johnson having worked with the Van Zant family, RPM did a verion of their awesome song ‘2+2’.‘RPM’ is plenty of melodic rocking songs, with that 1982 magic. And things get better with this reissue including 5 previously unreleased tracks recorded later, with a more mid-80s AOR sound production.RPM formed in the early ’80s, started with Robert (lead vocals, main co-writer) and Jimmy Lee Sloas (bass, keyboards, vocals, writer). Soon Mark Gendel from Canada (guitars, main co-writer) and Tommy Wells (drums, vocals) joined to complete the group.Originally signed by Don Grierson, VP of EMI America Records of Los Angeles, the band enjoyed an AOR hit “A Legend Never Dies”. Their very first “real” gig was for KLOL Radio in Houston to headline for their “Rockfest” at the Astrodome Complex. 20,000 people showed up for the concert and RPM was called back for 4 encores.Soon after, Grierson left EMI and the group lost their key man but soon found a new record deal with Warner Bros in Burbank via new manager, Jerry Schilling (Elvis, Carl Wilson, Beach Boys) and high powered LA attorney, Peter Paterno.Their first album, simply titled “RPM” was produced by Nashville great Brent Maher who also helped the guys develop their songwriting chops. Four songs from their first record were released, in time, by other artists, including: Johnny Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Mark Farner (Grand Funk Railroad), Blackfoot and Tygers of Pan Tang.The bonuses ‘On Again, Off Again’, ‘Oh, Oh Pamela’, ‘Every Heart You Break’ are very good too, more polished in sound with nice keyboards into the mix.Fans of Van Stephenson, Van Zant, early Survivor, i-Ten, etc – classic American stuff, need this album in your collection.
Line-Up:
Robert White Johnson - Lead Vocals
Mark Gendel - Guitar, Synthesizer, Vocals
Jimmie Lee Sloas - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Tommy Wells - Drums, Vocals
Tracklist:
01. A Legend Never Dies
02. 2+2
03. I Don’t Feel The Same
04. Rendezvouz
05. Envy
06. You
07. Firestarter
08. Don’t Make It Hard
09. Video Games
10. I’m A Wreck
11. On Again, Off Again (Bonus track)
12. Oh, Oh Pamela (Bonus track)
13. Deeper Than Love (Bonus track)
14. Hands (Bonus track)
15. Every Heart You Break (Bonus track)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
