Columbia's Journey Gets
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USIC POP ROCK R &B RAP DANCE COUNTRY LATIN CLASSICAL JAll PRO AUDIO Columbia's Journey Gets Atlantic's Lewis Rusted Root Expands Sound Mercury Act Enlists Jerry Harrison Hits BDS Heights Warm Welcome At Radio BY SHAWNEE SMITH like -we didn't even know if we were BY MELINDA NEWMAN "I think it's a top five record, easily. We BY CHUCK TAYLOR going to like them. So it was very excit- were a little skeptical when we first NEW YORK- Famous for its live per- ing to watch the songs develop." NEW YORK -To quote one of the heard about it, because we knew there NEW YORK-"I Love You Always formances on the Pittsburgh festival "This is the first time I've listened to band's biggest hits, radio is welcoming was going to be gobs of pressure from Forever" by Atlantic artist Donna circuit, Mercury group Rusted Root the drum sounds and not cringed," back Journey with "Open Arms." the label, but surprisingly, it was a real- Lewis may be holding at No. 2 on has moved its eclectic brand of roots adds Jim Donovan, drummer for the The San Francisco Bay Area act, one ly good record." the Hot 100 behind "Macarena" for rock from the stage to the studio. Veer- of the rock era's most commercially On the rock side, the picture is equal- the seventh week, but the ethereal ing from the live approach of its previ- successful but crit- ly glowing. "Mes- chug -along ballad is ous Mercury album, the band has ically maligned sage Of Love," tasting its just recorded "Remember," a studio -con- groups, is putting which debuts at desserts by steam - ceived project produced by former out "Trial By No. 39 on the rolling over almost Talking Heads member Jerry Harri- Fire," its first Mainstream every airplay son. It is due Oct. 22. album in 10 years, Rock Tracks record in Billboard The collaboration is something all on Oct. 22. In antic- chart this week, LEWIS top 40 chart history. parties involved believe will attract new ipation, Columbia "is a great new In its 16 -week listeners while thrilling the group's released two sin- rock song," says chart run, the song by the Welsh existing fan base. gles to radio last JOURNEY Rick Balis, PD at pop singer/songwriter /producer "On the first album [1994's platinum - week: the ballad KSHE St. Louis. has become the first to exceed 1 certified `When I Woke'], it was obvious RUSTED ROOT "When You Love A Woman" to top 40 "We're getting very good buzz on the million airplay detections. The feat that we should perform live, because we and AC stations and the midtempo phones for the song. It's a song that's means that Lewis' debut single has have a big [live] following," says Rust- group. "The songwriting is much bet- rocker "Message Of Love" to main- unmistakably Journey." reached the largest audience ever ed Root guitarist Patrick Norman.' We ter, too. Mike [Glabicki, the group's stream rock outlets. That was exactly the goal the band monitored in Billboard's Broadcast pretty much just chose from the songs lead vocalist/songwriter] is getting bet- 'We've never gotten a response like had in mind when it reunited. Like the Data Systems (BDS) era -97.4 mil- that we had been playing for fans for ter at what he does." this," says Rob Roberts, PD at Miami first two singles, the remainder of lion- beating Mariah Carey's four years. But on this album, we had Norman and Donovan attribute the top 40 station WHYI, about' When You "Trial By Fire" sounds assuredly like record of 89 million with an opportunity to experiment. These group's smooth transition to a studio Love A Woman." The song, which Journey always has: dramatic power "Dreamlover "; it has achieved the songs were written in the studio. We act to the ingenuity of Harrison, who received the most new airplay this rock led by Steve Perry's full-powered most airplay detections ever on the didn't know what they would sound (Continued on page 38) week, according to Top 40 Airplay vocal charge. Hot 100 -9,131-topping Celine Monitor, "is blowing everyone away," "Nothing sounds more pretentious Dion's "Because You Loved Me," says Roberts. "We got a copy of the than someone being something they're with 7,820; and it has garnered the song a few days early and just threw it not," says Perry of the band's decision most airplay detections at top Windham Hill's Liz Story on the air. I went bananas when I heard to not let its music be swayed by cur- 40/mainstream -4,433- topping it. This song is huge; this is a monster." rent trends. "One of the things we've the record of 4,199 set by Alanis While a little more subdued, JR always known is that there are certain Morissette's "Ironic." Reaches Beyond New Age Ammons, music director for top 40 musical directions that fit what [our] (Continued on page 98) Atlanta outlet WSTR, agrees, saying, (Continued on page 113) BY TERRI HORAK ture," she says. "I very rarely think emotionally. It's a great personal irony NEW YORK -With the Oct. 15 re- that I'm considered new age or roman- lease of pianist/composer Liz Story's tic." Form Epic's self -titled album -her seventh disc for The album includes new versions of Sade's Bandmates Sweetback Windham Hill-the label aims to build previously released Story compositions on her status as a core artist and to "Church Of Trees" and "Ana." Per- Eclectic Act Gets Boost From Well -Known Guest Vocalists strengthen her identity as a performer. formed as duets with her husband, BY LARRY FLICK In the U.K., however, a four -track "She has devel- bassist Joel Di Bartolo, a longtime CD single was released to radio Sept. oped a fan base member of Doc Severinsen's "Tonight NEW YORK -With pop chanteuse 10. over the years, and Show" band, the pieces are so well - Sade on hiatus from recording, the All of this sits well with Sweetback it's time to establish received in concert that Story decided members of her band have recon- musician Stuart Matthewman, who her more as `Liz to record them, she says. vened under the name Sweetback, says the band refuses to calculate its Story,' not as part Windham Hill will focus its market- enlisting the eclectic vocal talents of music toward charts and trends. "It of the Windham ing efforts around a fall tour, which is Maxwell, Bahamadia, and Amel Lar- may sound daft, but we don't play to Hill package," says booked in 14 cities thus far. Billed as rieux of Groove Theory for an epony- impress, we play to sound nice," he Ron McCarrell, VP the 3 of Hearts tour, the dates also mous Epic collection that aims to says. "And we never set out to write of marketing for STORY include pianists Barbara Higby and widen the parameters of mainstream S W EETBACK songs to be popular, though it's cer- Windham Hill/High Margie Adam. pop and R &B. tainly a nice byproduct of the effort. Street. 'We have a very strong brand At retail, the label plans co-op adver- Slated to hit retail racks worldwide advantage in this case. The music It's actually quite fun to hear our identity, but for Liz we can kind of tising and display materials. In -store Oct. 15, "Sweetback" is an audio kalei- stands out in the best possible way, music in unusual places, as well as on - move her away slightly and be more appearances at outlets that attract doscope of sound that combines the and it's starting to connect with peo- the radio." successful and reach a larger audi- older clients, such as Borders and '70s -style soul of "You Will Rise," ple both within and outside of the Toward that end, Epic will supple- ence." Barnes & Noble, are also a possibility, which features Larrieux, with the cut- 'label." ment its retail plan by reaching out to "Liz Story" primarily features the McCarrell says. ting- edge ambient -dub dance beats of At this point, Epic is not planning nontraditional retail outlets, such as pianist's intimate interpretations of Eric Hardman, music manager at the instrumental "Cloud People." Ele- to pull a single from the album in the clothing boutiques, restaurants, and, standards from the '20s and '30s. In Borders in Arlington, Va., is looking ments of jazz and funk, meanwhile, U.S., opting instead to issue the entire as Lambert puts it, "other cool and that sense, it can be viewed as some- forward to hearing "Liz Story." "Her are dispersed throughout the project. set to R &B and AC radio on Monday interesting places where people con- thing of a follow -up to 1992's '40s -stan- Christmas album has done extremely Lori Lambert, senior director of (30) and allow programmers to pick gregate." dards collection, "My Foolish Heart," well for us," he says of 1994's "The marketing (U.S.) at Epic, views the through the set for appropriate tracks Interest in Sweetback at music which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Gift." "I'm anxious to hear the new set as a "passion project" for sophis- to play. retail should be strong. 'We actually Top New Age Albums chart and is her album, because we're always looking ticated music fans who will ultimate- 'We'll direct them toward `You Will got our hands on a few four -track U.K.