"Girl you are to me, all that a woman should be And I dedicate my life to you always The love like yours is grand It must have been sent from up above And I know you'll stay this way, for always
And we both know, that our love will grow And forever it will be you and me Ooh your life is sun Chasing all the rain away."
Atlantic Starr had a female singer before they hired Barbara Weathers and singers have followed her, but none enjoyed similar success. Hers is the voice most closely associated with the group and it's her voice that you hear on songs like "Secret Lovers" and "If Your Heart Isn't In It". By the time the group's 1987 release rolled around great things were a foregone conclusion and the ballad "Always" totally delivered.
I was in tenth grade and it was the song for every couple that I knew, especially the ones that only made it three months. Let's face it, in high school a few months seemed like proof that it would last forever, didn't it? I suspect "Always" still finds its way onto plenty of wedding playlists to this day.
Two legendary Canadian classic rock bands performed at one of my favorite venues on a cold wintery Saturday night. The 5,000 capacity Casino Rama Event Center features outstanding sound, perfect sightlines, and always attracts great acts.
Trooper (formed in 1975) has been rocking audiences all over Canada for over 45 years! Founding members RA McGuire (lead vocals) and Brian Smith (lead guitar) along with Paul Roland Gogo (keyboards), Clayton Hill (drums) and Scott Brown (bass) brought their iconic brand of party rock to an enthusiastic and energetic crowd at Casino Rama Resort.
Trooper kicked off the night with their classic song (and perfect opener!) “Here For A Good Time (Not a Long Time)” which got the crowd up on its feet, singing along with every word. The set continued, covering all of the band's biggest hits from the ’70s including "3 Dressed Up as a 9", "Baby Woncha Please Come Home" and the ballad "Two For The Show", for which the audience loudly sang along.
Drummer Clayton Hill and bassist Scott Brown launched into a cool drum and bass solo following "Boy With A Beat". Although I usually use the drum solo as an opportunity to freshen my beverage, I stuck around for this one and was glad I did. Hill and Brown were excellent as they wowed the crowd with their outstanding musicianship.
The hits kept coming, with new song "Cold Water" included amongst classic tracks "Round RoundWe Go", "General Hand Grenade", "Santa Maria" and "Pretty Lady". I was surprised at how many songs I recognized and found myself singing along as the show went on.
The bands' energy was infectious and the entire audience was on its feet by the time the first notes of "The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car” played. This was a huge hit for Trooper when their 1979 compilation album Hot Shots was released and it continues to be a fan favorite. At this point in the show, the audience knew which song was coming next, and the roar that went up when the band launched into "Raise A Little Hell" was absolutely deafening. Trooper’s signature song (and biggest US hit), Raise A Little Hell had the capacity crowd on out of its seats, belting out the lyrics to one of the great Canadian rock songs of the 70s. The perfect choice to finish off a lively and energetic set from one of Canada’s best-loved bands.
Trooper came to rock and proved without a doubt that rock and roll definitely is alive and well in Canada in the 2020s!
During the intermission, I decided to move from my seat right up to the pit in front of the stage in order to get the best vantage point of a band I have been a fan of since the mid-80s. I was introduced to Loverboy by my cousins, who were massive fans and played Loverboy’s self-titled debut album non-stop during one of the summer vacations I spent with them in Montreal. Needless to say, I quickly became a fan as well and have continued to listen to their music regularly to this day. Loverboy became one of the biggest bands in rock music during the ’80s releasing 4 multi-platinum albums from 1980-1985 and has sold over 10 million albums in the US and Canada.
They first exploded onto the rock music scene in 1980 with their classic self-titled debut album and are now celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band in 2020. Original members Mike Reno (lead vocals), Paul Dean (lead guitar), Matt Frennette (drums) and Doug Johnson (keyboards) have been joined by Ken “Spider” Sinnaeveon bass, and they featured a hit-filled setlist for the raucous Rama audience.
With such a huge catalog of hits, I knew the setlist was going to be outstanding and I was not disappointed. The show kicked off with Doug Johnson’s keyboards leading us into "Notorious", the 1st single from the 1987 album Wildside. This brought the crowd to its feet as guitarist Paul Dean emerged onto the stage followed by lead singer Mike Reno. Notorious has that perfect sing-along chorus and the audience was more than happy to oblige.
From there the hits kept coming, with "Lucky Ones" from their 2nd album Get Lucky and a song I had hoped they would play,"Queen of the Broken Hearts" from Keep It Up. This one was a highlight for me and it has been one of my favorite Loverboy tracks for years. "Take Me To The Top" and "It’s Your Life" led into their beautiful ballad “This Could Be The Night” with Mike Reno showing that his vocal chops are still top-notch by hitting some of those unbelievably high notes. One couple even danced in the aisle!
The musical talent in this band is second to none, and it was on full display on this night with a highlight being Matt Frennette’s spectacular drum solo. I’ve always thought Matt was one of the most underrated drummers in the business and it was such a thrill to see his prowess on the drums in person.
From this point in the show, the band locked into high gear and delivered stellar versions of "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" (their 1st single ever!), "When It’s Over" and "Hot Girls In Love". The moment that "Turn Me Loose" started sent the crowd into a frenzy as the keyboards and that epic bassline kicked in. Turn Me Loose is still my favorite Loverboy song and I found myself screaming every word as Mike Reno delivered an unbelievable vocal performance. At this point, 5000 Loverboy fans were on their feet as the band finished their set with fan favorites "Working For The Weekend" and "Loving Every Minute Of It".
Thank you Loverboy and Trooper for a spectacular show and for allowing us to relive some of the magical times that were the 70s and 80s…. even if it was just for a few hours on a cold, wintery night in January.
"You should've been gone Knowing how I made you feel And I should've been gone After all your words of steel Oh I must've been a dreamer And I must've been someone else And we should've been over
Oh Sherrie, our love Holds on, holds on Oh Sherrie, our love Holds on, holds on."
When I think of Steve Perry's first solo album, Street Talk, I'm instantly transported back to the summer of 1984. I was heading into 8th grade and my days were spent laying in the sun with my best friend at her grandmother's house, boom box blaring. We were obsessed with Q-102, a new radio station and listened non-stop. They gave away albums every single hour and we were on a mission to win. Steve Perry's album was one of the coveted prizes and at the time "Oh Sherrie" was played on the radio every 3 hours and MTV had the video in heavy rotation as well. Such a great ballad, one that to this day I'll stop and listen to whenever it pops up on the radio.
We are the young, we are the young with the modern attitude
Breakin' down the walls, breakin' all the rules
We are the young, tomorrow comes and we might blow away
So we don't worry 'bout the price we pay."
I really loved Dan Hartman back when I was in 8th grade. "I Can Dream About You" was one of my very favorite songs and for as much of a fan as I was (or at least thought I was), I didn't remember"We Are The Young" until Martha Quinn played it on SiriusXM the 80's on 8 the other night. Like, not at all. I'm pretty sure I must have loved it at one point in time in spite of that.
"We Are The Young" was actually Hartman's third and final single to make the charts and it was considered a crossover hit because it first slayed on the dance charts. Hartman's music has lived on long past his short life ended back in 1994. Apparently, the singer died of an HIV related brain tumor after years of living his life as a closeted gay man. Songs like this one and "I Can Dream About You" make me wonder what else Hartman might have given us had he lived longer.
Check out the video for "We Are The Young" below. Does this one ring a bell?
