Rock Ballad – History of Sorts

When Eurovision and Metal collide.

You probably think this is going to be a bout Finland’s finest ,Lordi, but you’d be wrong. It is going to be Denmark’s mega band ‘Mabel’ , ok mega band might be a bit of an exaggeration.

Mabel entered the Eurovision in 1978,in Paris, with the song ‘Boom Boom’ where they received a well deserved 13 points, earning them the 16th place out of 20.

The band name Mabel changed a few times. In 1978 Mabel moved to Spain and became ‘Studs’, releasing a debut self-titled album in 1981 and then moved to New York City and became Danish Lions in 1982. After recording demos, the band returned home to Denmark, however, Leader singer Michael Trempenau, who had changed his name to Michael Tramp, decided to remain in the USA. He met guitarist Vito Bratta and the pair decided to form a band named ‘White Lion’

Mike Tramp clearly wanted to put the Eurovision embarrassment behind him, and decided to go a different musical direction.

Their debut album Fight to Survive in 1985. The band achieved success with their No. 8 hit “Wait” and No. 3 hit “When the Children Cry” from their second album, the double platinum selling Pride. The band continued their success with their third album, Big Game which achieved Gold status and their fourth album Mane Attraction which included a supporting tour.

One of my favourite songs of all time is “When the Children cry” .However there is another of their songs I want to focus on.

“Cry for Freedom” is a political song about apartheid in South Africa and was one of many songs from the band that addressed social or political issues such as uprising to oppression. It is from the 1989 album ‘Big Game’

SOURCE

https://eurosong-contest.fandom.com/wiki/Boom_Boom_(Mabel)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Tramp

Epic Rock Ballads-Episode 7: ‘Still Loving You’ by the Scorpions

“Still Loving You” is a power ballad by the German hard rock band Scorpions. It was released in June 1984 as the second single from their ninth studio album, Love at First Sting (1984). The song reached number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was most successful in Europe, reaching the top 5 in several countries.

In an interview with Songfacts, Rudolf Schenker explained, “It’s a story about a love affair, where they recognized it may be over, but let’s try again”

“I came up with the composition’s melody and everything. It took about six years of trying to get the song somehow on the album. Matthias Jabs came in with the guitar part, and the feeling was immediately right, so Klaus (Meine) noticed it was right. Therefore, he wanted to write something very special. He told me about how one day he went out into the fields in the snow, and it was then that he came up with the lyrics. He came back home and threw them down, and here we are. It’s a story about a love affair where they recognized it may be over, but let’s try again. It’s the old story; always the old story. I mean, what can we use? We can’t reinvent the wheel. What we always do, is say something which has already been said many times, in our own way.”

source

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/scorpions/still-loving-you

ROCKTOBER Episode4:Nothing Else matter-Metallica.

“Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica, was released in 1992 as the third single from their self-titled fifth studio album, Metallica. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, number 1 in Denmark, and reached the top ten on many other European charts. “Nothing Else Matters” was featured as a playable track in the music video game Guitar Hero: Metallica. Recognized as one of Metallica’s best known and most popular songs, the power ballad has become a staple in live performances.

Metallica fans might have been confused when the band released Nothing Else Matters . A touchy-feely ballad that front man James Hetfield had written about missing his then-girlfriend Kristen Martinez while on tour, the song was a far cry from the war’n ’lightning imagery that had dominated Metallica’s past decade. But for fans who were paying attention, the song was the next logical step in the band’s progression.

It is definitely one of my all time favourites.

source

https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-the-song-metallicas-nothing-else-matters

Epic Rock Ballads-Episode 6:Marillion-Lavender

‘Kayleigh’ is the most played Marillion song by far. This kind of surprises me a small bit, although it is a good song, but Marillion has produced so many better songs,

Like ‘Kayleigh’ ,”Lavender” is also a ballad but a much better one.

It was released as the second single from their 1985 UK number one concept album Misplaced Childhood. The follow-up to the UK number two hit “Kayleigh”, the song was their second Top Five UK hit, entering the chart on 7 September 1985, reaching number five and staying on the chart for nine weeks. None of the group’s subsequent songs have reached the Top Five and “Lavender” remains their second highest-charting song.

Lyrics

I was walking in the park dreaming of a spark
When I heard the sprinklers whisper
Shimmer in the haze of summer lawns
Then I heard the children singing
They were running through the rainbows
They were singing a song for you
Well it seemed to be a song for you
The one I wanted to write for you, for you
Lavenders blue, dilly dilly, lavenders green
When I am King, dilly dilly, you will be Queen
A penny for your thoughts my dear
A penny for your thoughts my dear
I.O.U. for your love, IOU for your love
Lavenders green, dilly dilly, lavenders blue
When you love me, dilly dilly, I will love you
A penny for your thoughts my dear
A penny for your thoughts my dear
IOU for your love, IOU for your love
For your love
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Derek William Dick / Ian Mosley / Mark Kelly / Pete Trewavas / Steve Rothery
Lavender lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

source

https://genius.com/Marillion-lavender-lyrics

Epic Rock Ballads-Episode 5:Queensryche-Silent Lucidity

Not just an epic ballad, but THE ballad. Well at least in my opinion, however, I am a bit bias when it comes to Queensryche, especially from the time when Geoff Tate was still the lead vocalist.

Lyrics
Hush now, don’t you cry
Wipe away the teardrop from your eye
You’re lying safe in bed

It was all a bad dream spinning in your head
Your mind tricked you to feel the pain
Of someone close to you, leaving the game of life

So here it is, another chance
Wide awake you face the day, your dream is over
Or has it just begun?

There’s a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run to in the night
Relax child, you were there

Only didn’t realize, and you were scared
It’s a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years

And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly you’ll hear and see

This magic, new dimension
I will be watching over you
I am gonna help you see it through

I will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you
In silent lucidity

Visualize your dream (yes)
Record it in the present tense
Put it into a permanent form (yes)

If you persist in your efforts, you can achieve dream control (help me)
How are we feeling today, better?

Dream control (help me)
Dream control (help me)
Dream control (help me)
Dream control (help me)

If you open your mind for me
You won’t rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within

Come tumbling down and a new world will begin
Living twice at once you learn
You’re safe from pain in the dream domain

A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize

Your dream’s alive, you can be the guide but
I will be watching over you
I am gonna help you see it through

I will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you

Epic Rock Ballads-Episode 1: Open Arms by Journey

“Open Arms” is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released as a single from the Heavy Metal soundtrack and their 1981 album, Escape. Co-written by band members Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, the song is a power ballad whose lyrics attempt to renew a drifting relationship. It is one of the band’s most recognizable radio hits and their biggest US Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching number two in February 1982.

When Jonathan Cain first presented “Open Arms” to the Babys, it was not received with, well, open arms. So he shelved it for another time.

“My understanding is that he had most of it sketched,” former Journey frontman Steve Perry later told Jeb Wright. The two had been discussing song ideas one day at Perry’s house, not long after Cain left the Babys for Journey.

As Cain recalls, Perry was interested in writing a different kind of material. “He was talking to me about his solo album and wanting to do ballads, wanting to do soaring melodies with ballads,” Cain said in 2019. “I said, ‘Steve, there’s no reason for you to go do a solo album. You know, you could do it here in Journey.'”

Cain went out to his car to retrieve his Wurlitzer piano, which had had brought along “just in case” and showed Perry the half-conceived song he originally offered to the Babys. It needed work: Cain had the melody down, but no lyrics. Perry, however, immediately recognized the song’s potential.

The rest is Rock N Roll history.

“Lying beside you
Here in the dark
Feeling your heartbeat with mine
Softly you whisper
You’re so sincere
How could our love be so blind?

We sailed on together
We drifted apart
And here you are
By my side
So now I come to you
With open arms
Nothing to hide
Believe what I say

So here I am
With open arms
Hoping you’ll see
What your love means to me
Open arms

Living without you
Living alone
This empty house seems so cold
Wanting to hold you
Wanting you near
How much I want to bring you home
But now that you’ve come back
Turned night into day
I need you to stay

So now I come to you
With open arms
Nothing to hide
Believe what I say
So here I am
With open arms
Hoping you’ll see
What your love means to me
Open arms”
Songwriters: Stephen Ray Perry / Jonathan Cain