West Coast Music Releases Highlights from Year 2023
The West Coast AOR music is still popular and new releases, reissues and compilations.
At Blue Desert we always try to write about what is new and interesting and at the same time highlight some of the classic masterpieces. Some years a lot of material is released and other time less.
Here are some of the highlights that was released in the year 2023:
Carrie
Black Lodge Records 2023
Tracks: Carrie, Fly Away Now, The Last Unbroken Heart, Carry On (Demo), Time Never Stops & Pamela (Live).
Musicians on the Carrie album: Bill Champlin, Joseph Wiiliams, Peter Friestedt, Jason Scheff, Tomi Malm, Eirik-Andre Rydningen, Lars Säfsund, Tamara Champlin, Per Lindvall, Johan Granström, Janne Peltoniemi, John 'JR' Robinson, Stefan Gunnarsson, Herman Matthews, Per Mathisen & Anders Öjebo.
1980-2023
Norske Albumklassikere 2023
Tracks: CD1 (Lava): Larry Lee, White Horses, Journey, Anna, So Many Times, Veronica, Rustic & Songs For A Broken Heart. CD2: (Prime Time): Hard Times, Juliet, Empty Shadows, 2.12, Prime Time, Late At Night, Tea Beat & Holiday. CD3 (Crusin´): Take Your Time, Give It Up, Sunday Morning, Hideaway, The Ratter, Crusin´, Easy Come Easy Go, Sky Rocket & Tears In You Eyes. CD4 (Fire): Sophie, Fake, Something, Streetgirl, Loosing You, You, The Woman I Want, Wait For Me, I´m In Love & Indian Summer. CD5 (The Rhythm Of Love): Somebody Like You, You`re Taken My Heart Away, The Rhythm Of Love, Transition Man, Artificial Love, Heartache, Lovers United, Take A Look At These Eyes, She`s The One & I Guess You Broke My Heart. CD6 (Polarity): Aquilo Blow, Fly Like An Arrow, Black Rain, Shine A Little Light, Boogie Down, Another Yesterday, Emergency, So Many Nights, Bit By Bit, Get Somebody, Green Fee & Sometimes. CD7 (Alibi): Closet, Cover Me, Tears Are Not Enough, Alibi, A Matter Of Time, Dangerous Game, Lonely Planet, Change, Breaking Away, Missing You & Wendy´s Paiting Pictures. CD8 (Symphony Journey): Disc 1: Empty Shadows, Closet, The Rhythm Of Love, Cover Me, I Guess You Broke My Heart, Shine A Little Light, Aquilo Blow, Breaking Away, Hard Times, Take Your Time, Losing You, Journey, Transition Man & You. CD9 (Water): Perfect Crime, True Diamond, Double Vision, Water, Falling Down, All Or Nothing, Peter Pan, Velvet Eyes, What Can I Do, Every Beat Of My Heart, Tell Me & Wishing Well. CD10 (X): Somebody Who Knows, Jackie O, In Pieces, Blackbird, We Stand Alone, Drug To Me, Say It Isn't So, As Far As We Can Go, So Strong, Take Your Pride And Run & Adam & Eve. CD11 (Bonus Disc): Rustic (Alternative Mix), D.J. (Short Version), D.J. (Long Version), Hold On, Take Me To The Water, Sophie (Alternative Version), Hold Out For Love, Aquilo Blow, Tears Are Not Enough, Spelemannsblod, Learning Love, Aquilo Blow, Fly Like An Arrow & Sophie.
Musicians to the 1980-2023 Box: Rolf Graf, Per Hillestad, Svein Dag Hauge, Egil Eldøen, Geir Langslet, Per Kolstad, Sigurd Køhn, Kjell Hestetun, Stein Eriksen, Knut Riisnæs, Svein Gundersen, Olav Stedje, Marius Müller, Bruce Rasmussen, Jan Erik Aasland, Nina Askeland, Sidsel Endresen, Terje Bakke, Tor Vister, Torbjørn Sunde, Ole Edvard Antonsen, Jens Petter Antonsen, Petter Kateraas, Jarl Johansen, Arne Frang, Nils Petter Antonsen, Per Lindvall, Randy Crawford, Elisabeth Moberg, Kari Iveland, Eythor Gunnarsson, Ron Rose, Jens Burge Wesseltoft, Robert D, Sigvard Dagsland, Kåre Kolve, Hans Olav Solli, Per Øystein Sørensen, Stein Austrud, Chris Thompson, Jorun Irene Erdal, Åse Karin Hjelen, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Petter Wettre, Jørgen Gjerde, Marius Haltli, Frank Ådahl, Anne Grethe Orvik, Knut Koppang, Marius Haltli, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Mariann Lisland, Jonny Sjo, Frode Østand Mangen, Stian Joneid, Per Christian Indrehus.
Highlights From The Last Parade
MelodicRock Classics 2023
Tracks: Disc 1 (HIGHLIGHTS): Still A Dream Away (Demo Version), Branded, Bad Time For Goodbye (Alt Mix), Crossroads Motel (91-93 Demo), Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of, After The Tears Have Gone, American Dreamer (Rock Version), A Little Too Late, Fools Paradise, Catchin' On, Heaven Stops The Rain, Always A Place, Everything I Want To Do (Piano Ballad Version), Don't Turn Out The Lights (Guitar Mix), On The Train Again, Higher Ground (Revision) & Last Parade. Disc 2 (SPOTLIGHTS) (Previously Unreleased): Midnight Angel (Early Demo), Quicksand (Early Alt Mix), No Reasons Of The Heart (Alt Mix), Living On The Moon (Remix), It's A Good Thing (First Mix), Didn't Mean To Say Goodbye (91-93 Demo), Give A Little Love (91-93 Demo), Don't Mean Much (Demo), A Far Cry From Love (Slower), I Could Be Wrong (Alt. Version), Rain Dance (Alt Mix), Hard Dark Music (Instrumental), It Looks A Lot Like Rain (Instrumental), Don't Come Back Crying, Solo Piano (Freeform 2) & Last Parade (Early Demo).
More To This Life
Benoit Music 2023
Tracks: So Far Back in Time, More To This Life, I'm Givin' My Heart, Who We Long To Be, The Art Of Letting Go, Nothing's Sacred Anymore, Keep On Lovin' You, Lay Down My Arms, Tonight (I Will Dance With You), Hasn't Happened Yet, What You Believe, I Just Don't Get It, If It Was You & Winnie's Song.
Musicians on the More To This Life album: Bernie Chiaravale Dan Needham, Shannon Forrest & Mark Douthit.
It´ll Never Happen Again
Melody Place LLC 2023
Tracks: Reason To Believe, It'll Never Happen Again, If I Were A Carpenter, Don't Make Promises, Mysty Roses & How Can We Hang On.
Musicians on the It´ll Never Happen Again album: Jeff Larson, Gerry BeckleyJonathan Zwartz, Rick Braun, Brian Eichenberger, Joachim Cooder, Matt Combs, Nathaniel Murphy, Matt Beckley, Jim Hoke, Austin Hoke & Kristin Weber.
Waiting For The Sun To Rise
Cafe Records 2023
Tracks: Last Buffalo, Best Day Of My Life, Coltrane Plays The Blues, Waiting For The Sun To Rise, Frontier, Rio Grande, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Tell Me Where It Hurts, The Moon's A Harsh Mistress, Bad Time To Say Goodbye, The Downtown Lights & Cradle To The Grave.
Musicians on the Waiting For The Sun To Rise album: Marc Jordan, Scott Alexander, Bruce Gaitsch, Marc Rogers, Lou Pomanti, Ezra Jordan, Mark Kelso, Paul Leim, Kevan MacKenzie, Doug Yowell, Rory Platt, John Johnson, Prague Smecky Orchestra, William Carn, Randy Brecker & Tony Carlucci.
The Sony BMG A´s and B´s
BGO Records 2023
Tracks: Disc 1: Pickin' Up The Pieces, First Love, My Kind Of Love, Hard Luck, You Better Think Twice, Anyway Bye Bye, Keep On Believin', C'Mon, I Guess You Made It, Just For Me And You, O'l Forgiver, Railroad Days, You Are The One, A Good Feelin' To Know & Early Times. Disc 2: And Settin' Down, Go And Say Goodbye, I Can See Everything, Here We Go Again, Fool's Gold, Magnolia, Blue Water, Faith In The Families, Rocky Mountain Breakdown, High And Dry, Bitter Blue, Call It Love, Lovin' You Every Minute, Nothin' To Hide, If It Wasn't For You, The Nature Of Love & When It All Began.
Musicians on the The Sony BMG A´s and B´s album: Richie Furay, Jim Messina, Randy Meisner, Timothy B. Schmit, Rusty Young, Paul Cotton, George Grantham and others.
Black Swan
Ca Va? Records 2023
Tracks: Black Swan, I Don't Play With Strangers, Ballad Of Birmingham, The Party Is Over, Cool Water, Candy Cigarettes, I Lose You, Provide, Youngblood, I Stopped Breathing, Drag The River & Hold On.
Musicians on the Black Swan album: Larry John McNally, Peter Gallway, Michael Ruff, David Schwartz, Lucy Schwartz, Walter Areia & Ignacio Orona.
Everlasting
Frontiers Records 2023
Tracks: And Now The Magic Is Gone, The Rules Of The Heart, I Won't Walk Away, The Mistakes We Make, These Times Are For Heroes, Your Walls Are Crumbling Down, Everlasting, Falling, Endless Days, Living In Fear & Your Way.
Musicians on the Everlasting album: Joe Vana, Sven Larsson, Mitia Maccaferri, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Jacopo Martignoni, Tommy Denander, Christopher Börjars, Stefano Lionetti, Vivien Lalu, Stefano Mainini & Pete Alpenborg
How Fragile We Are
P-Vine Records 2023
Tracks: Unchain My Heart (Previously unissued 2023), Fools Cry, Aphasia, Illinois (Previously unissued 2023), Haunt Me Tonight, Thursday Next, Extraordinary Girl, Rattlesnake Canyon (Previously unissued 2023), The African Prince, Two Kinds Of Love, The Philadelphian & Fragile.
Musicians on the How Fragile We Are album: Bruce Gaitsch, George Hawkins Jr., John Patitucci, Ruggero Robin, CJ Vanston, Jim Beard, Joey Kramer, Billy Ward, Nick Newman, Marc Russo, Randy Howard, Randy Waldman, Paulino Da Costa, Fee Waybill, Bill Champlin, Richard Marx, Marc Jordan, Michael Sembello, Janey Clewer & Tamara Champlin.
Ticket To Japan
P-Vine Records 2023
Tracks: Borderline, Waiting Heart, The Ocean Side, Borderline (Dance Remix), Moments Of L.A., Better Run, Moments Of L.A. (Smooze Version), Live It Up, You Let Me Fly & Live It Up (Radio Edit).
Musicians on the Ticket To Japan album: Stefan Brunkhorst, Damiano Libianchi, Søren Reiff, David Garfield, Sam Porcaro, Rick Latham, Lenny Castro, Björn Höhler, Johannes Zetterberg, Martin Verdonk, Tommy Denander, Guido Bungenstock, Rick Keller, Mikel Allen, Luis Conte, Alex Ligertwood & Arne Röstermundt.
Quintessential
Quint Starkie 2023
Tracks: Just Like You, Hollywood, Beautiful Thing, Gotta Give It Up, Mr. Maxwell, Caught Up In The Middle, Home Again, Fear Of Flying, Endless Summer, The Gardener And The Flower, Falling For The First Time & Something I Couldn't Be.
Musicians on the Quintessential Album: Quint Starkie, Francis Dunnery, Toshi Yanagi, Jule Wiegand, Tania Doko, Peter Jones, Dorie Jackson, Björn Fryklund, Lars Olsson, Johannes Zetterberg, Jonathan Lundberg, Mikael Wikman, Kjell Gustavsson, Michael Kleimert, Juna Serita, Mats Nilsson, Per Hansson, Petter Andersson, Mats Byström, Jan Blomgren, Pete Whitfield & Göran Eriksson.