Sass Jordan was born in Birmingham, England in the early '60s to a French professor and an actress/ballet dancer. The family, which also included younger brother Daniel, traveled the world before finally settling in Montreal in the late '60s. Along the way, a particularly memorable voyage on a Russian tramp steamer to India marked the beginning of a young girl's exotic adventure that played out, in part, in Pondicherry where she attended a Catholic girl's school and studied the Tamil language. A very youthful Sass made her screen debut in the subsequent NFB documentary, The India Trip.

Sass Jordan first made her name swingin' a mean bass and singing lead with late '70s Montreal New Wave quartet The Pinups, as she began carving out a reputation as a charismatic and exciting vocalist and performer. She embarked on a solo career in the mid-'80s, biding her time initially as she honed her writing skills by contributing material to recording projects by a number of high profile Quebec artists and by handling backing vocals for a variety of acts, most notably The Box. Between forays to New York to scope out the scene there, she became one of the first veejays in Canada as host and interviewer on a Montreal video show, the precursor to MusiquePlus. Her first album, Tell Somebody, filled with joy and naivete, was released in 1988 and brought with it multiple trophies, a Juno Award in Canada, and her first platinum CD.

It was an impressive debut. Her singing and performing talents were enthusiastically promoted almost from the outset by some of the legends of the music world including Gene Simmons of KISS, members of the bands Cheap Trick and Van Halen and the late chart-topping composer Michael Kamen, whose recommendation led to an audition for a lead role as the terrorist in the film Die Hard 3 opposite Bruce Willis. Along the way, there was also a friendship with late counterculture guru, Dr. Timothy Leary.

Into the '90s, and her sophomore disc Racine found Sass coming to terms with "the recognition factor" and a new lifestyle in the U.S. which, from her new base in Los Angeles, saw her gravitate to the southwest and its musical influences. That, combined with her desire to form a band with the swagger of Rod Stewart and the Faces, came together on Racine, the CD that brought her the title of Album Rock's Top Female Artist for 1992 from Billboard magazine and high praise from Creem magazine: "… she sings balls-out rock with a bluesy twinge that'd make Janis Joplin or Maggie Bell proud." There was also a duet with Joe Cocker on The Bodyguard, one of the biggest selling soundtrack albums of all time, and an acting role on the hit TV series Sisters alongside Sela Ward.

Fast forward to her third CD Rats and Sass is in crisis, though she's touring the world with artists like Aerosmith and Whitesnake with a few side trips of her own to exotic locations like Bali and Indonesia. During a five or six year span that began with her move to Los Angeles, she experienced what she dramatically characterizes as "the spiral downwards into the Black Hole of Calcutta." She fired her manager, weathered the deaths of some close friends, entered a financial crisis and endured a very difficult ending to a very difficult relationship.

By the late '90s, though, she had risen like the Phoenix as she met her future husband, musician/songwriter Derek Sharp, and slowly emerged from the abyss. She moved from Los Angeles to a farmhouse in Ontario and, in November of 1997, she gave birth to daughter Stella. She subsequently recorded two more CDs: Present and Hot Gossip, both of which reflected her lightened mood and changed outlook on life as she began to take an on-going and deepening interest in alternative lifestyles and to broaden her horizons as an artist. As an actress, she was featured in the Toronto and Winnipeg productions of The Vagina Monologues before heading for New York to take on the lead role of Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway hit musical, Love Janis. In 2003, the year she took on duties as a judge on the TV ratings blockbuster, Canadian Idol, Jordan shared the stage with The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and others as part of the history-making SARS relief concert in Toronto.

In 2005, 54-40 returned to the Canadian pop music landscape with a new member, a new label and a brand new album – Yes to Everything. Collectively these developments represent a reminder that this enduring quartet remains one of Canada’s preeminent ambassadors of modern rock.

The new member is veteran guitarist Dave Genn. Although Genn’s musical credits read like a who’s who of Canadian rock — having recorded with and/or toured with the likes of Mathew Good, Holly McNarland, Art Bergmann, Grapes of Wrath and Bif Naked — his presence on the 11 tracks found on Yes To Everything is much more than a grace note. It signals his arrival as a permanent contributing member of the group replacing Phil Comparelli. His entry into the mix was both organic and influential.

“Dave had been on the road with us for well over a year before we engaged him into the writing a new album. That was a very important step.” explains vocalist Neil Osborne. “ When musicians play together consistently they develop a collective rhythm or dance that is unique. Once that was established we started - in earnest - to create. Dave was very present and into it every step of the way.

Osborne also points to the impact concerning the timing of Genn’s arrival. “Dave was instrumental in re-injecting a lot of inspiration into 54-40,” says Osborne. “The guitar work alone is stellar and fits the intention of each new song. I guess that's what pleases me the most - how Dave fit so well into the 54-40 'vibe' in creating new material.”

From Genn’s point of view, joining 54-40 provided more than just a solid professional opportunity. He found himself with a unique offer to collaborate with a group of musicians that he not only respected as peers; but also had been a source of profound inspiration during his formative teenage years on the West Coast.

“My grade 12 year was one I'd like to forget, except for the fact that it was accompanied by a soundtrack that continues to influence my musical output to this day. U2's Joshua Tree, The Cure's The Head at the Door and The Smith's The Queen is Dead were recordings rotated ad nauseam along with 54-40's Green Album,” recalls Genn. ” This early 54-40 album was influential to me on several important levels. Here was a group of guys from just down the way who had proven that by doing something original you could release records, tour and enjoy the recognition that comes with making great music. I quickly honed my embryonic guitar skills on I Go Blind, Baby Ran and Take my Hand. The guys still catch me beaming like a schoolboy living out his fantasy when we perform these songs”

Genn, who has worked with many great artists over the years points out that this situation is different. “ A chance to collaborate with one of my favorite bands in a completely open and supportive creative environment.” says Genn. “Personally, I think the album speaks for itself as some of 54-40's and my best work.”

The new material pumps with the vitality of a mature band of musicians in full stride — vibrant, self-aware and fully completely rock and roll. Lead track Easy to Love serves notice that this version of the group has not only found its groove but is collectively focused to what they do best — consistently creating some of Canada's most recognizable and memorable classic alternative rock. From the driving beat and bass attack of drummer Matt Johnson and Brad Merritt sliding into mondo guitar licks and then Neil Osborne’s ever-distinctive vocal timbre it’s a tightly wrapped, no nonsense package that continues throughout the album: A body of work that also reveals a moveable feast of tasty melodic hooks and a sophisticated range of creative sonic construction that in part, puts the spotlight on the talents of producer of Warne Livesey.

Livesey’s credits (Midnight Oil, Mathew Good Band and The The) speak for themselves but there is something else at work on this project - an intangible empathy that can only be created by an intuitive understanding of the band’s intent and close working relationship with the group.

“Warne and I are very good friends and we've been talking about this record since before the songs were written. About approach, sound and vibe etc, “says Osborne. Warne and Dave are also close pals as well - having worked on six albums together previously. So there was natural unity in place before one song is sung.”

Bassist Brad Merritt echo’s Osborne’s broad stroke and focuses on some of specific creative edge Livsey brought to the project.

“This friendship allowed us to communicate our ideas to each other, and for him to challenge us - like never before, “ says Merritt. Hs emphasis on pre-production was something we hadn't experienced on our other records but was welcomed enthusiastically. He particularly challenged the rhythm section early as players, and emphasized ‘keeping the groove going' through all sections.

Merritt adds that Livesey’s attention to detail and the finer points in preproduction prior to the actual recording was catalytic in providing a solid base for creative flow once in process.

“The sound concepts were all developed well before the first day in the studio. This gave us the confidence to really concentrate on performance and allowed for many spontaneous creative moments which were skillfully captured.”

Skill is a keyword with 54-40. Over time it becomes clear that the group has evolved into a collective of rock craftsmen with an ever-growing portfolio of world-class material. At the core of this creative conspiracy is the lyrical curiosity of group leader Neil Osborne.

On Yes to Everything he extends a muse that was kindled on 2003’s Goodbye Flatland inspired by the writings of humanist Ken Wilber. This, of course, all further filtered through Osborne’s philosophical worldview and knack of conjuring both touching and reaching perspectives on the complexity of the human experience. The back-story to standout track Right Here, Right Now illuminates this creative bridge.

“I went to Boulder Colorado to visit Wilber (along with some other artist types) to discuss various points along the integral process as they pertains to the arts” say’s Osborne. “ There, I befriended (over a couple of Guinness in the hotel lounge) Genpo Roshi - a Zen Roshi. He invited me to a Koan ‘big mind’ intensive weekend in Salt Lake City. At the end of the weekend he asked…you've just had about 30 years of Zen teaching compressed to 72 hours — how do you feel? Like writing a song! I said. The track This is Here, This is Now is based on that first conversation.

“Although each song (lyrically) contains some Buddha nature, each still remains hybrid of various elements of my take on relationships.”

Interesting.

It’s been said that the business of music is very much the business of relationships, which is very much reflected in the creation of Yes To Everything. Moreover, it’s certainly appropriate that the project has found a home with True North Records ¬ Canada’s leading independent label. It’s a positive statement that reflects well on all parties. A hardworking and persistent band who continue to blaze their unique path through our popular culture now supported by a tight cohesive infrastructure that said yes to everything — when it comes to the band’s latest endeavor.

"It began like all the best things, as an attitude rather than an ambition. In addition to leaving behind a rich and distinctive body of work, the Psychedelic Furs occupy a unique and fascinating historical niche. Satisfying a need for new rock in America, The Psychedelic Furs were at the forefront of defining a new genre of music, rebels against the aesthetic narrow-mindedness of punk.

While the band's rise paralleled the first wave of MTV, the Furs had little in common with the prepackaged, fashion-oriented acts who dominated the music video channel for much of the 1980s. Too far ahead of their time to reach a modern-rock audience that didn't really exist yet, the Furs were progenitors of the guitar-based alternative rock that would, ironically, begin to find a mass audience at the same time that the band was winding down. Indeed, one wouldn't be completely off-base describing The Psychedelic Furs as the missing link between the Sex Pistols and Nirvana, bridging the gap between punk and modern rock." -- Excerpt from liners by Scott Schinder

Millions of albums later, Should God Forget: A Retrospective paints a more complete picture of the Furs' career with Columbia Records (1980 - 1991) with 33 songs (8 unreleased, 1 non-LP B-side Included are all the hits one would expect (their first bonafide U.S. hit (1986)-- "Pretty In Pink," "Love My Way," "Heartbreak Beat") plus rare and unreleased treasures, such as stellar performances from the "lost" Midnight To Midnight tour tapes. Tracks have been licensed in from the BBC's John Peel Sessions, as well as from other live shows. Deluxe Collectors' Edition packaging includes authoritative liners by rock maven Scott Schinder, behind-the-scenes song annotations by the band, and rare photos.

The Fixx is a British new wave band formed in 1980. The group was formed by college friends Cy Curnin (vocals) and Adam Woods (drums). The pair placed an ad for additional members. Jamie West-Oram (guitar), Rupert Greenall (keyboards) and Charlie Barret (bass) joined the band as a result. Barret left after the first album and was replaced by Dan K. Brown, who remained with the band until 1994.

They are perhaps best remembered for their song "One Thing Leads To Another", from their most successful album Reach the Beach from 1983. Their other hits are "Red Skies", "Stand or Fall", "Saved by Zero", "Sign of Fire", "Are We Ourselves?", "Secret Separation", "Driven Out", "How Much Is Enough?" and "Deeper and Deeper" which was featured on the soundtrack of Streets of Fire. "A Letter to Both Sides" appears on the Fletch soundtrack.

The Fixx regularly tour the U.S., and recently celebrated 25 years of making music together. Curnin, West-Oram, Greenall and Woods are now joined by bassist Gary Tibbs (formerly Roxy Music, The Vibrators, Adam & The Ants). Cy Curnin can often be found on stage with a glass of wine in his right hand and an egg shaker in the left.

The group is one of the few to have enjoyed significant success outside their country of origin, yet remain almost unknown in their home land.

In 2002 "One Thing Leads To Another" appeared in popular videogame Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, playing on Pop radio station Flash FM. That same year, The Fixx performed an all-new cover version of Nancy Sinatra's 1960s classic "These Boots Are Made for Walking" for a special album called When Pigs Fly, which featured unique remakes of songs from the 1960s through the 1990s. The song was also included as a bonus track on the group's Twentyfifth Anniversary Anthology CD.

With idealistic spirit, a powerhouse live show, and bigger than big hair, the Alarm were part of an early-'80s wave of bands (the Call, Big Country, and the Waterboys among them) who dealt in soaring anthems inspired by the righteous idealism of punk. Clearly influenced by the impassioned political fervor of the Clash, the Alarm also worked in a mostly acoustic, folk-punk vein that provided a counterpoint to their hard-driving guitar rockers. Their stage look was unquestionably a product of the '80s, with enormous spiked-up hair accompanying a cowboy/old-time cavalry wardrobe. Yet the numerous comparisons to U2 in the press were not unfounded; despite a more conservative sonic palette, the Alarm had much the same earnest intensity, the same messianic ambitions, even the same vague spirituality. Likewise, the Alarm seemed to covet a mainstream breakthrough in the vein of The Joshua Tree's conquest of the pop charts, and polished up their sound accordingly, with mixed creative results. The British music press habitually savaged their records as derivative and pretentious, but this meant little to their zealous following who supported the band to the tune of over 5 million sales worldwide and 16 Top 50 UK singles.

The Alarm was formed in Rhyl, Wales in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist Mike Peters, who'd started out in a local punk band called the Toilets along with Alarm drummer Nigel Twist (b. Nigel Buckle). When that band broke up, Peters -- then playing bass -- formed a new outfit called Seventeen (after the Sex Pistols song) with guitarists Eddie MacDonald and Dave Sharp (b. Dave Kitchingman), both local scenesters and longtime friends. Seventeen was initially influenced by the Pistols, the Clash, the mod-revival punk of the Jam, and the punk-pop of ex-Pistol Glen Matlock's Rich Kids. As their songwriting interests grew more socially conscious, and in early 1981, the group reinvented itself as the Alarm, taking the name from a Seventeen song called "Alarm Alarm." Later that year, they moved to London and self-released their debut single, a Peters/MacDonald-penned political rocker called "Unsafe Building," backed with Sharp's folk-punk tune "Up for Murder." By this time, MacDonald and Peters had switched instruments, with Peters taking up rhythm guitar and MacDonald moving to bass.

In 1982, the Alarm signed with IRS and issued another single, "Marching On." On the strength of their live shows, U2 tapped them to open their 1983 supporting tour for War, which helped make the group's next single, the Stephen King retelling "The Stand," into an underground hit. The Alarm's self-titled debut EP appeared later in 1983, compiling previous single releases, and setting the stage for the release of their first proper album, Declaration, in 1984. A Top Ten U.K. hit, Declaration spun off several popular singles, including the Seventeen holdover "Sixty-Eight Guns" (which made the pop Top 20), "Where Were You Hiding When the Storm Broke?" (which just missed), "The Deceiver," and the live staple "Blaze of Glory." Non-LP singles followed in a cover of "The Bells of Rhymney," the new wave dance tune "The Chant (Has Just Begun)," and the British Top 40 hit "Absolute Reality."

The Alarm's sophomore effort, 1985's Strength, was another U.K. success, and brought them into the Top 40 of the U.S. album charts for the first time; additionally, the single "Spirit of '76" was a Top 40 U.K. hit. Strength displayed greater subtlety and maturity in both their songwriting and arrangements, and was often hailed as the group's best overall album. The Alarm took a break after the supporting tour, and returned in 1987 with Eye of the Hurricane, which featured more polished, mainstream production reminiscent of U2. The gambit helped them gain some rock radio play in America with the singles "Presence of Love," "Rescue Me," and especially the more danceable "Rain in the Summertime," and they landed a tour slot supporting Bob Dylan. A concert EP, Electric Folklore: Live, followed in 1988.

1989's Change was an homage to the group's native Wales, and was accompanied by an alternate Welsh-language version, Newid. Produced by Tony Visconti, Change spawned the group's biggest modern rock radio hit in America, the bluesy "Sold Me Down the River," which also put them in the U.S. pop Top 50 for the first and only time. "Devolution Working Man Blues" and "Love Don't Come Easy" also earned radio airplay, and the track "A New South Wales" boasted an appearance by the Welsh Symphony Orchestra. Although it was hugely popular in Wales, it didn't sell as well as the group's earlier works, and internal band dissension -- exacerbated by deaths in both Peters and Twist's families -- made 1991's Raw the original Alarm's final effort. "The Road" was their final radio hit, but with the band's impending breakup, IRS found little reason to promote it.

Mike Peters and Dave Sharp both embarked on solo careers. Sharp issued albums in 1991 and, after relocating to New Orleans, in 1996. Peters, meanwhile, issued his solo debut in 1995 and was subsequently diagnosed with lymphoma; fortunately, the "cancer" turned out to be benign, and Peters completed two more solo records before forming Colorsound with former Cult guitarist Billy Duffy. Peters subsequently reunited the original Alarm lineup for several live appearances, and then formed a new unit consisting of guitarist James Stevenson (Gene Loves Jezebel, Chelsea), bassist Craig Adams (the Cult, the Mission UK, Sisters of Mercy), and drummer Steve Grantley (Stiff Little Fingers). In February 2004, this lineup of the Alarm pulled off a masterful hoax on the British music industry by issuing a garagey punk-pop single, "45 RPM," under the fictitious name the Poppy Fields. Peters, having gotten positive feedback on the song, decided to disassociate it from his veteran band to have it judged on its own merits, and recruited a young Welsh group called the Wayriders to lip-sync the song in the video. The so-called Poppy Fields took "45 RPM" into the U.K. Top 30 before the hoax was revealed, setting the stage for the new Alarm's first album together, In the Poppy Fields. Soon after the album's release, production for a film based on Peters' manipulating of the music industry began with Shrek producer John H. Williams backing the project. ~ Steve Huey

Rik Emmett was a relatively unknown singer / songwriter / guitarist on the local Toronto scene in September of ‘75 when he joined a newly-formed hard rock trio called Triumph. By ‘79 three albums had gone gold and platinum in Canada - two of these charted in the States, receiving serious radio airplay. By ‘81, they were firmly established as one of the premier touring rock acts in North America, with generous FM radio airplay support and heavy rotation on the fledgling MTV cable channel. In the next seven years, Triumph released a total of ten albums, all of which went gold, with four turning platinum, in Canada. In the U.S., two went gold. Emmett's name frequently appeared in guitar magazine polls and he won several prestigious awards, including Best Lead Guitarist nationally in 1981. Rik left the band in ‘88 to fly solo, but as one of the band’s original members, he was inducted into the Canadian Rock Hall of Fame in ‘93.

Rik's solo career spawned three releases for Duke Street/MCA Records in the early ‘90’s. The first album of the three, Absolutely, went gold in 1990, yielding the hits "Saved by Love" and "Big Lie", two songs that provided a transition from arena rock while maintaining a sense of continuity at FM radio. Perhaps a bit more of a surprise was the ballad, "When a Heart Breaks" which crossed a rock guitar hero over into other radio formats and revealed a more sensitive singer/songwriter persona. "World of Wonder" also received substantial airplay and revealed an expanding lyrical and stylistic range. The “Ipso Facto” CD followed in '92, offering up the hits "Out of The Blue" (a jazzy-bluesy tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughn, Hendrix and Wes Montgomery) and "Bang On", a rocking return to one of Rik's personal themes - positive motivation and inspiration. Ipso Facto was a tour-de-force of stylistic versatility, but no surprise to fans who knew the guy who constantly plugged trademark classical guitar pieces or little jazz tunes in between the hard rock anthems, arena blues riffs and progressive flourishes found on past records.

A strong singer/songwriter album called Spiral Notebook followed in '95, which earned notice through airplay of its sensitive balladeer singles "Let Me Be The One" and "The Longing". In ‘96, Emmett began testing the courage of his musical convictions with work in his own digital studio and through his own independent record label. Artistically, following those instincts paid off. The first release was Ten Invitations from the Mistress of Mr E., beautifully realized original instrumentals of classical nylon-string guitar. Critics and fans were reminded that the 'rock guitar god' was not a one-trick pony. Part two of his guitar trilogy, Swing Shift, took a completely different musical direction, featuring jazz, swing and fusion. Again, the CD was well received and piqued the interest of brand-new fans in growing musical circles. Perhaps more importantly, the spirits of diehard supporters were elevated by witnessing an artistic transformation that defied easy classification. Raw Quartet, released in early 1999, became the final CD in the trilogy, displaying Rik's passion and natural affinity for blues. 1999's Live at Berklee (highlights from sold out shows at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston) was followed by a traditional Spirit Of Christmas album, recorded in collaboration with Glass Tiger keyboardist Sam Reid. 2002 brought the release of a “20th Century Masters” “Best of Rik Emmett Collection” through Universal, and another widely-acclaimed instrumental smooth jazz masterpiece CD - Handiwork. In the late summer of 2003, the acoustic singer/songwriter re-emerged with the GOOD FAITH CD, and another new chapter was written in an already storied career.

In 2005, Rik was honored as Jazz Guitarist of the Year at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, and in the summer of 2006, the wide range of Emmett’s abilities went on display - from a smooth jazz festival in Canada to a heavy metal festival in Germany: from Artistic Directing a songwriting workshop to hanging & jamming with Alex Lifeson of Rush at the Guitar Workshop Plus: A guitar magazine once wrote that Rik Emmett was "his own worst enemy. He's one of the only guitarists out there who may be too talented for his own damn good". The quote stuck because it was partly true, in our celebrity/tabloid/sound bite world: but also because it recognized the artist as unique, and provided insight on an 19-year solo career, still going strong, based on being a genuine and loyal friend to his gifts, instead of being a slave to a superficial two dimensional fashion marketplace, with product to match.

Rik has held true to his dreams of the magic power of the music, and he shares that with every audience, of every stripe, every night that he performs. Rik's latest cd is STRUNG OUT TROUBADOURS with Dave Dunlop has just one two awards at Canada's Smooth Jazz Awards for Album of the year and group/duo of the year.-2007.

When Three Dog Night struck gold with "Joy To The World" in 1971, fans worldwide acclaimed their driving pop/rock sound and powerful harmonies. Today Three Dog Night delivers their signature sound to audiences spanning generations. The current Three Dog Night line up features founding members Cory Wells and Danny Hutton on lead vocals as well as original keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon and Michael Allsup (lead guitar). Paul Kingery (bass), and Pat Bautz (drums) have joined the group since it reformed in 1981 after a six-year hiatus.

Brought together originally in 1968 by Danny Hutton, with the novel concept of show casing lead singers who could also harmonize together, the group was enormously successful right from the start. Hutton, who had graduated from loading and unloading records at the Disney studio to recording as a solo artist, had met Cory Wells, while Cory was touring with Sonny and Cher; Danny met Chuck Negron through mutual friends.

The group had no hangups about 'doing only their own songs.' They recorded the best new material from the best new songwriters and wound up with fourteen gold albums, nine gold singles and sold over forty million units. Three Dog Night toured extensively during the seventies, breaking attendance records in venues ranging from concert halls to football stadiums. In 1975, however, the rigors of non-stop roadwork caught up with the group.

"We became disenchanted," Wells says today, "We just quietly backed out of the picture. We have always had a sort of verbal agreement that we were never going to exploit the public for our own gain. We are not going to do four or five 'fairwell tours' just to rake in the money. We had come on the scene quietly and we were going to leave the same way, with dignity."

Hutton, the black-haired Irishman, relaxed awhile at home in Los Angeles, then left for Central America, England, and eventually his home town of Buncrana, Ireland. Danny formed a management/booking agency which thrived. Among those bands he managed was the 'premier punk band' "FEAR" and he booked bands such as the "The Go-Go's" and "X." Recently, he has recorded two songs for motion picture soundtracks albums "Wouldn't It Be Good" for Pretty in Pink and "Brand New Day" for American Flyers.

Wells packed his family into an automobile and leisurely toured the United States. An ardent and expert fisherman, Cory traveled the world -- fishing as he went. He is currently a field editor for "Outdoor Life" magazine and writes articles for various sporting publications. Cory has appeared on various television shows such as "American Sportsman" and recently filmed a "Country Sportsman" episode in New Zealand.

Although each band member needed to 'get away' from the hectic world of pop music, each began, eventually to feel the need to return. From unfinished business involving the original group got them together again. To their surprise, they found they all shared the same feeling, a resurgence of interest in music and a growing desire to try it all over again. As Danny Hutton puts it, "We just had a test rehearsal and discovered the old magic was still their." Three Dog Night was reborn.

Eddie Money arrived in the late '70s at the height of album rock's popularity. While Money didn't have a remarkable voice, he had a knack for catchy, blue-collar rock & roll, which he delivered with a surprising amount of polished, radio-friendly finesse. He was able to survive in the early MTV era by filming a series of funny narrative videos, something his AOR peers were reluctant to due. However, he wasn't able to resist the temptations of a rock & roll lifestyle, and his popularity dipped in the mid-'80s as he struggled with various addictions. Once he sobered up, he made a remarkable comeback in the late '80s, with singles like "Take Me Home Tonight" and "Walk on Water" reaching the Top Ten. It proved to be Money's last string of hits -- during the early '90s, his popularity faded and he retired to the oldies circuit.

Initially, Eddie Mahoney was going to follow in his father's footsteps and become a Brooklyn cop. He attended the New York Police Academy during the early '70s, but at night, he sang in rock & roll bands under the name Eddie Money. After a few years, he decided to pursue rock & roll as a career and quit the academy, moving to Berkeley, CA. Money became a regular at Bay Area clubs, where he eventually got the attention of legendary promoter Bill Graham, who signed the singer to his management company. Graham also secured him a contract with Columbia Records, and Money released his eponymous debut in 1977.

During the late '70s, Eddie Money had a handful of album rock hits and wound up crossing over into the Top 40 with songs like "Baby Hold On" and "Maybe I'm a Fool." During the early '80s, Money began to make funny narrative videos, which became staples on early MTV and made "Shakin'" and "Think I'm in Love" hits. His career hit a slump during the mid-'80s as he struggled with various drug addictions, but he made a comeback in 1986 with Can't Hold Back. Featuring the hit duet with Ronnie Spector "Take Me Home Tonight," as well as the Top 20 "I Wanna Go Back," the album became a Top Ten smash, re-establishing Money as a successful blue-collar rocker. Money followed the album in 1988 with Nothing to Lose, which featured the Top Ten "Walk on Water." Two years later, "Peace in Our Time," taken from the 1989 Greatest Hits: Sound of Money, reached number 11.

"Peace in Our Time" proved to be Money's last big hit. During the early '90s, his audience slowly faded away, as both 1991's Right Here and 1992's Unplug It In were ignored. Columbia dropped him in the mid-'90s, and he spent the remainder of the decade touring the oldies circuit. He returned with a new album, Ready Eddie, in 1999. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Formed back in -72 but was really the result of two bands teaming up, Kansas and White Clover. This first line-up was Steve Walsh, Richard Williams, Robby Steinhardt, Phil Ehart, Dave Hope (bass) and Kerry Livgren (guitar). Kerry and Steve both played keyboards. Kansas signed a record deal with Don Kirscher in -74 after inviting him too their gig at a local bar, and letting in people for free and giving away beer to anyone. The queue was blocks long.......

Created some kind of mega hit with the title "Song For America", and toured endlessly through The States. Kansas was from the beginning just an ordinary rock band, but was quickly compared to other progressive bands in the 70's like Genesis, Yes and King Crimson. With their unique sound and style combining rock music with complex rhytms, but mainly the violin, Kansas is loved all over the world.

In -76 Leftoverture was release with the mighty hit song "Carry On Wayward Son", and with the follow up Point Of Know Return they brought another, "Dust in The Wind".

During the recordings of Vinyl Confessions, Steve Walsh left the band to form Streets, and new singer was the 20-year old John Elefante. According to Kerry the lyrics now got a true meaning as John was a christian, and those kind of topics had increased a lot, since both Kerry and Dave Hope had become christians themselves. Robby left the band after Vinyl Confessions (reason unknown). After the release of Drastic Measures, Kerry too left with Dave to form AD and the band split.

In -86 parts of the band reformed but this time with Billy Greer (bass, ex-Streets) and Steve Morse (guitar). After the release of In The Spirit of Things the band temporarly split to reform later on with the line-up of today. With one exception though, having Robby away and instead there was David Ragsdale on the violin. Just in ahead of the recordings of Always Never The Same, he came back though. The song writing of today is mainly done by Steve Walsh, and the band is really happy with what they're doing.........

"A song is an organism that has a history and has different meanings to many different people," says Rusted Root lead vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Michael Glabicki. "Those people attach themselves to this organism and because of that, it's a ritual, a way to jointly go places." It's funny; the same can be said for Rusted Root.

The Pittsburgh sextet evolved from a single cellæGlabickiæinto a musical organism of quintessential essence, monumental substance and vast appeal. Its fourth record, Welcome To My Party, is a further, astonishing progression; a distillation of chops and songwriting finesse revealing a distinct musical force.

And what is that essence? After a long pause, Glabicki says, "For me, it really comes down to the songs. At this stage of the game, I knew some faults we had in the past. It was a conscious decision to make sure the songs were kept in the forefront and that the band could still do what they do in and around those songs at the right moment."