The Jersey Guys Podcast (Mark Balogh & Tom Coyne)

Louis St. August of MASS was born in Medford, MA and his love for music all started at the very early age of four while watching The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. From there on, the love for all music began from Motown to Heavy Metal!

At the age of ten, his family moved to Revere, Massachusetts. Already playing the drums and singing, Louis recruited his new neighbor Gene D'Itria. Gene wanted to play the drums too but Louis said, “No, you’re going to play guitar.” Heck, he needed a guitarist, right? So Gene took the confirmation money he had just received and bought himself an electric guitar; and so it began. Louis and Gene have now been performing and writing songs for over 40 years. At the age of 15, Louis left the drums and decided to become the frontman for his band called Axes in 1978. By 1981, the band added drummer Joey "Vee" Vadala and changed the name to MASS.

Now having recorded over eight studio albums, and releasing singles and Christmas EP's on major labels such as A&M Records, RCA Records, Enigma Records, and Escape Music the band has officially sold over half a million records worldwide. Louis has also lent his voice to other projects and bands such as the "Liberty & Justice" project and has also appeared as a special guest singer on the band Boston’s 2013 release, “Life, Love & Hope", singing on the opening track "Heaven and Earth".

In 2012, Louis won the "Best Male Vocalist Of The Year" award presented by Limelight Magazine. Now having performed over a thousand shows all across America and having the opportunity to work with legendary producers such like Tom Allom (Judas Preist) Tony Platt (Led Zeppelin) and John Rollo (Joe Cocker), to name a few, it has been a lifelong dream come true for Louis.

Since the early '80s, MASS has continued performing and releasing new music all along the way with their latest acclaimed release “When 2 Worlds Collide" on Escape Music (2018).

MASS is in the beginning stages of creating new music that will hopefully see the light of day in the not too distant future but for now check out episode # 36 of The Jersey Guys Podcast with Louis St. August of MASS and check out www.massrocks.com to keep to date on the band’s happenings!

Born in 1995 near Wrexham in North Wales, Harry Whitley is a singer and multi-instrumentalist. Whitley’s love affair with music began at the tender age of five when he started piano lessons. His talent soon became clear, and he went on to pass all grades of classical and jazz piano with flying colors. As his love of music grew, he began to master a variety of other instruments, including guitar, bass, and drums. His teenage years saw Whitley gig with a variety of semi-professional bands around his local area and further afield in Wales, culminating in him playing keyboards for a Deep Purple tribute band at just 16! Whitley was first introduced to the music of Asia and John Wetton by his former tutor, Timothy Jones. It was love at first listen. Whitley says, “I always enjoyed the dramatic feel of Asia’s music. To an aspiring musician, Geoff (Downes) was the bee’s knees - so much energy, so many ideas, and so many keyboards!” He continues, “I soon realized just how great the Asia songs were, and of course, there was that voice. John Wetton’s voice was everything I loved about Greg Lake and Phil Collins combined, accompanied by his monstrous, driving bass playing.”

In the wake of the 2020 pandemic, Whitley established his own YouTube channel and began uploading his performances as a way of promoting his music. After receiving a positive response from viewers, he was inspired to launch a foray into a variety of different musical genres. To do this, he leaned on the artists who have inspired him since he first stepped up to a keyboard: Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, Randy Newman, Steve Lukather, Tony Banks, and of course, John Wetton and Geoff Downes.

Whitley uploaded several Asia covers to his YouTube channel and soon noticed how these videos were performing far better than any others. It didn’t take long for Harry’s performances to come to the attention of Geoff Downes - and at that moment, the die was cast. When a charity tribute concert was planned to celebrate the life of John Wetton, Downes invited Whitley to step up and take charge of the Asia lead vocals. Alongside Billy Sherwood (Yes) on bass, Jay Schellen (Yes) on drums and John Mitchell (It Bites, Frost) on guitar, Whitley took his place on stage next to Geoff Downes. Downes commented “Harry Whitley is an extraordinarily talented musician. He is most definitely up there with the best of the many great artists that I’ve had the privilege of working with over the years. A rare jewel in the crown of the music world.”

Recently completing his first US tour with Asia in the summer of 2024, look for the band to hit the road again in 2025 and record new studio material as well!

A brand new episode is up and this week Tom and Mark talk with Anthony Corder of Tora Tora. The band debuted in 1989 with “Surprise Attack” and their MTV hit “Walkin’ Shoes”. Their sophomore release “Wild America” was released in 1992 and, as with so many hard rock bands of the ‘80s, grunge took over and even though the band completed work on its 3rd album it would not see the light of day until 2011 when “Revolution Day” (FNA Records) would hit the shelves. The band would eventually regroup and ultimately release it’s newest album titled “Bastards of Beale” in 2019.

Currently the band has been putting some new music out via single releases with a new one due very soon as Anthony broke the news right here on episode 23 of The Jersey Guys Podcast!

So sit back and check it out right here and on all your favorite podcast streaming apps!

As a bonus episode, The Jersey Guys also do a discussion on the discography of Player and include Peter Beckett’s 1991 solo album as well as the Think Out Loud albums with Steve Kipner, so be sure to check it out and don't forget to listen to our interview with Peter Beckett!

And don’t forget to check out the latest activity on Peter Beckett’s Player and also the line of Yacht Rock Wines at the links below.

https://player-theband.com/original-player

https://www.facebook.com/peterbeckett.player

https://www.yachtrockwines.com

Babylon A.D. is an American hard rock band formed in 1987 hailing from the SF Bay Area in CA, In 1989, Babylon A.D. caught the attention of Arista Records president and industry mogul Clive Davis, who signed them at a live showcase in Los Angeles.

The debut album was released in 1989 and included the singles "Bang Go the Bells", "Hammer Swings Down" and "The Kid Goes Wild", the latter used for the soundtrack and video for the movie RoboCop 2.

Their sophomore effort, Nothing Sacred, was released in 1992. It produced two singles, "Bad Blood" and "So Savage the Heart". The band toured throughout the early ‘90s and put several videos on MTV.

After spending several years with Arista, the band signed with Apocalypse Records in 1999 and released Live in Your Face, a compilation of live tracks recorded in various cities throughout the US. The band's next release American Blitzkrieg, followed in 2000. In 2006, the band released In The Beginning... Persuaders Recordings 8688 on Apocalypse/Perris Records contained songs from the original demo tapes that secured them their record deal with Arista.

After a long hiatus, they regrouped with all original members and released a four-song EP Lost Sessions / Fresno, CA 93 in 2014. The band also played several shows in the U.S. and Nottingham, UK’s FireFest Rock Festival.

In 2015 the band released LIVE@XXV to celebrate their 25 years of recording and performing together. They played on the 2015 Monsters of Rock Cruise, as well as other select dates across the US. Revelation Highway was issued on Frontiers Records in 2017.

Fast forward to 2023, the announced new members Craig Pepe (bass) and Dylan Soto (drums) and the new live concert album “Live Lightning” from Perris Records.

The new album includes their top-ten rock-radio classic hits “Hammer Swings Down”, “Kid Goes Wild", “Bang Go The Bells” from their debut release, their hit “Bad Blood” from the “Nothing Sacred” album and songs from their studio albums “American Blitzkrieg”, “The Lost Sessions” and their last release Revelation Highway also.

On May 17th, 2024 the band released their 5th studio album on Apocalypse Records via Perris Records titled

Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day. The new single “Face of GOD” is released on Dec. 1, 2024.

Von Groove is a Toronto-based hard rock outfit created in 1990 as a trio of lead vocalist/drummer Michael Shotten, Croatian-born guitarist Mladen, and bassist Matthew Gerrard. Shotten and Gerard had previously scored writing credits with the Canadian rock band Triumph. Cutting a series of demo sessions in the band's studio, Von Groove soon attained a deal with major label EMI Records. Session drums on Von Groove's eponymous Richie Zito-produced 1992 debut would come courtesy of Deen Castronovo, known for his work with acts such as Hardline, Bad English & Journey. Although the inaugural Von Groove record would be hailed as a bona fide classic of the genre in many circles, the group's profile suffered hugely as the tidal wave of Grunge enveloped the rock scene. The sophomore “Rainmaker”, a radical departure in sound that created undoubted controversy with the band's fanbase, would follow in 1994. Von Groove got back to their melodic rock roots with the Japanese-released “Mission Man” in late 1997. This album would find a reissue in Europe (re-named “Chameleon” and including three extra tracks). Shotten teamed up with guitarist Joey Hunting and Union bassist Jamie Hunting for the project band The Outpatience, headed by Guns N’ Roses songwriter West Arkeen. However, Arkeen would pass away in a drug-related incident in May of 1997 and the lone “Anxious Disease” album would go largely unnoticed despite having GNR members Slash, Axl Rose, Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin as well as Steve Stevens guesting on it. Von Groove would issue two albums in 2000, “Drivin' Off The Edge Of The World”, followed by the acoustic-driven “Three Faces Past”. Bassist Matthew Gerrard would make his exit to be replaced by Tom Lewis for the group’s 2001 album “The Seventh Day”.

Michael Shotten revitalized his connections with Rik Emmett by collaborating with the former Triumph frontman on new material. This endeavor had been branded Airtime, and they released the album “Liberty Manifesto” in 2007. In 2014, the album “Down To The Core” by L.R.S. (LaVerdi, Ramos & Shotton) would find release while Shotton kept busy with various studio work and live gigs throughout the years but now after almost 25 years, Von Groove is making their epic comeback! Frontiers Music will release a brand-new album in 2025, and the band is as refined, revitalized, and electrifying as ever so stay tuned!

Holy Soldier was a Christian hard rock/metal band from Los Angeles, CA.

The band was originally formed in early 1985 by bassist Andy Robbins and guitarist Jamie Cramer. They gained a strong local following before signing to A&M Records in 1989. Holy Soldier was initially noted for their strong evangelical focus, although they regularly played to secular audiences. For a time they held one of the largest attendance records at Gazzarri's, a notable nightclub on the Hollywood circuit. In 1989 they signed to Myrrh Records, an imprint of Word/A&M, as that label's first hard rock act. Their self-titled debut, produced by David Zaffiro, was released in 1990 to critical acclaim and moderate commercial success. The band garnered two Dove Awards in 1991, in the hard rock song and album of the year categories. After heavy touring the band lost two members – lead vocalist Steven Patrick, and guitarist Michael Cutting.

They replaced the departing members with Eric Wayne and Scott Soderstrom respectively while continuing to tour. Wayne exited when Steven Patrick returned in 1991, but would again rejoin the group in 1995. Two years later, the band followed up their debut with “Last Train”. While praised, it was not a commercial success. Although “Last Train” charted, peaking at the No. 10 slot on Billboard's CCM chart, the album did not meet the sales expectations of the label unfortunately.

The band experienced personnel changes when Steven Patrick again departed. They again replaced him with Seattle-based vocalist Eric Wayne, who helped move the band into the current grunge sound seen in the marketplace at that time. Wayne's lower vocal register caused Holy Soldier to be compared in the alternative hard rock and grunge market with the likes of Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Temple of the Dog, and Soundgarden. After Holy Soldier's reinvention and extensive touring, the band was signed to ForeFront Records in 1994. Once again recruiting the production skills of David Zaffiro, they released “Promise Man” in 1995 and it returned the band to critical acclaim within the Christian music circuit. Despite the success of “Promise Man”, In 1997, after a short hiatus, bassist Andy Robbins independently produced on his own boutique label (Spaceport Records) and a live retrospective album featuring both current frontman Eric Wayne and original vocalist Steven Patrick was released. After the release of “Encore”.

In 2005, the original Holy Soldier lineup reunited briefly. But again, Steven Patrick's reunion with the band was extremely brief. The band played only a handful of shows and the rest was history. Jamie Cramer is currently working again with David Zaffiro and looking forward to releasing new music in 2023 so keep an eye out!

Silent Rage formed in 1985 with founding members EJ Curse, Jesse Damon and Mark Hawkins. The band is known for their signature songwriting style of blending melody with hard-driving rock. Silent Rage remains unique from other 80’s bands by having Jesse Damon share the lead vocal duties with Hawkins and Curse.

In 1987 they teamed up with producer/artist Paul Sabu for their first critically acclaimed CD, “Shattered Hearts” and were signed to Chameleon / Capitol Records by industry veteran Steve Brownlee. In 1988, Gene Simmons signed them to Simmons Records/RCA and drummer Brian James Fox (White Tiger) joined the band. For Silent Rage’s 2nd release, Paul Sabu and Gene Simmons were chosen to lend their production skills. In 1989 they released “Don't Touch Me There”. That too reached #1 on European import charts. The song “Rebel with a Cause” was released as a single and its video debuted on MTV’s “Headbanger’s Ball “. Next, the band toured with Black Sabbath for the “Headless Cross” tour. In the early 90’s Silent Rage continued touring and writing. They also wrote and performed with other projects: EJ with Doro Pesch and Jesse with Gene Simmons and Kiss. Unfortunately, the grunge scene eventually forced them into a hiatus. In 2000 Silent Rage re-united to sign a new record deal and added Rodney Pino on drums and released their third new CD, “Still Alive” in 2002. “Still Alive” was produced by Bob Ezrin (Kiss, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper) and co-produced by Kevin Beamish (R.E.O. Speedwagon, Y&T) and Silent Rage. They made their 1st UK appearance at the Z Rock Festival. In 2007 Silent Rage signed a new record deal with Frontiers Records for their 4th CD, “Four Letter Word”. It was released in 2008 and produced by Gilby Clarke . The material continued to mesh melody with metal and big memorable choruses. It also featured special guest performances by Bruce Kulick (KISS), Bobby Blotzer (Ratt), Gilby Clarke (Guns N Roses), Dilana (Rockstar Supernova) and even former drummer Brian James Fox.

Singer & guitarist, Jesse Damon, who we talk with on this episode has also had a storied solo career, releasing no less than seven solo records to date plus a new compilation album, aptly titled “Anthology”.

Welcome to the debut episode of The Jersey Guys podcast. We kick things off with special guest Phil DiBenedetto who was the owner of Zig Zag Record stores in Brooklyn & Staten Island, NY. Zig Zag was a legendary independent record store and Phil shares stories of how he went from employee to owner and the legendary in-stores appearances they had. We talk about Zig Zag and a whole lot more.

Guitarist ROB MATH has been playing since he’s six years old and today he has a storied career that goes from his hometown Long Island NY beginnings to 80s US metal band LEATHERWOLF to 70s soft-rocker Peter Beckett and his band Player! Rob also handles guitar duties in the band SOUL SIGN along with bassist Bjorn Englen (Yngwie Malmsteen, Dio Disciples, etc.), Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire, etc.) and drummer Mike Cancino (Lynch Mob). That band has their eye on releasing its debut album sometime in 2023 so be sure to keep an eye out for that one.

Leatherwolf just released its latest album back in November of 2022 and we get the low down from Rob on the recording of the album with its latest incarnation, which has been a big part of since 2011.

So check out this latest episode and keep up date with Leatherwolf at www.leatherwolfmetal.com and Rob’s other activities at www.robmathmusic.com!

Joshua is a Christian hard rock/AOR band that formed in 1980 and is centered on guitarist Joshua Perahia. Despite being based in Los Angeles, CA they are probably best known outside of the United States.

The band's first release was entitled The Hand Is Quicker Than the Eye, which referred to Perahia's guitar skills and songwriting ability, was released by Enigma Records in 1983. The single "November Is Going Away" was the band's biggest hit, achieving No. 1 status in Japan. Perahia had a religious experience at a Hal Lindsey–lead Bible study in 1983, and converted to Protestant Christianity from his Greek Orthodox upbringing.

Perahia put together a new band for his 2nd album, Surrender, which included singer Jeff Fenholt. Surrender was released in 1985. Lyrically, the album marked a change in the band's style to lyrics which were evangelical in nature. Rob Rock was involved with their third album on RCA Records, Intense Defense. In 1988, Intense Defense, which was recorded at Dierks Studios and produced initially by Eddie Kramer and then Dieter Dierks (Scorpions fame) was characterized by the editor of HM Magazine as being "probably the best AOR melodic metal album in the universe." It sold well worldwide, but not in the United States.

In 1995, the group re-formed and they released one album under the name M Pire, Chapter One, though it was never released in the US. The band then expanded its name back to Joshua Perahia. The addition of Joshua's last name was to avoid confusion as so many bands were using the name Joshua at the time. The band lacked a permanent vocalist and hired Alex Ligertwood of Santana to fill the spot on the follow-up Something to Say in 2001. However, while in production, the band recruited Jerry Gabriel and re-recorded the vocals. As a result, the album (except four tracks) contains Gabriel's lead vocals, and Ligertwood's vocals are available on a re-release. One song, "The First and the Last", appeared in the Larry Buchanan–directed movie The Copper Scroll of Mary Magdalene in 2004.

2012 saw the release of the band’s latest work, entitled “Resurrection” and featured vocals from Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire, Shining Black, etc.). While Joshua still writes music today for a possible future release he has shifted his focus to his son and their passion for vintage muscle cars and exotic cars as well. It’s a passion that was ignited when Joshua was just 13 years old. The fact that Joshua still writes music means that fans can be hopeful of seeing a new recording in the future but for now please enjoy this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast!

In this episode we are joined again by Tom's son Tj in the studio and we discuss the first 9 albums in Iron Maiden’s illustrious career. We star with 1980's debut and go up to 1992's "Fear of the Dark"!

We will be covering the rest of the band's discography in the near future when Tj can join us again but for now enjoy this episode!

On this episode, the first of 2022, we talk about the classic Black Sabbath Ozzy era and the Dio years with special guest (and Tom's son) Tj Coyne in the studio.

We hope you enjoy this great breakdown of albums from a legendary heavy metal band!

We are back with a brand new episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast for you all and this time around we have special guest Rick Ventura formerly of Riot and currently of the new band Riot Act. Rick appeared on the classic Riot studio albums “Narita”, “Fire Down Under”, “Restless Breed”, “Born In America” as well as 1980’s “Riot Live”.

Joining us in the studio for this episode is special co-host Phil DiBenedetto, who was our very first guest on The Jersey Guys Podcast! Phil was of course the long-time owner of Zig Zag Records in Brooklyn, NY and he was the perfect co-host to bring Rick down memory lane and talk about those early days of Riot and the NY scene that they were both a part of.

Nowadays, Rick & Riot Act just released its debut album “Closer To The Flame”, so we touch on that as well and get all the details of what their plans are for 2022 and beyond.

So settle it and check this episode out. It was a real good one!

In this brand new episode we make our big comeback after an extended break! Tom & Mark talk about a pile of new hard rock & heavy metal releases to hopefully turn some onto something new or that they missed. Plus, we talk about some recent concerts we both attended and some music news from the recent past.

It's good to be back so sit back and crank it up!

The Jersey Guys are back with a brand-new podcast for you and this time we tried something a bit different. If you have been following along with the podcast since we started, we have done episodes where we have had special guest interviews and we have had episodes where we’ve had discography discussions on bands, sometimes full discographies, and sometimes certain eras of a band. This time around we thought we would take a more “free-form” approach and pick a musician and discuss their career, the bands they were in and albums they played on and just have a general discussion on that musician.

We think we came with a good one to start this idea off with and it is none other than the great British vocalist Tony Mills. Of course, if you know Tony Mills name then you know bands he was in bands like Shy and TNT and maybe even Siam, but Mills was an ace singer who was capable of many different styles and therefor was in demand in the hard rock and AOR world throughout the years. He sang on many albums and projects such as Serpentine, State of Rock, Crying Steel as well as having six solo albums to his credit and there was so much more.

In this episode we touched on a lot of the work Tony Mills had done over the years, but we’d probably need a part two to cover it all so we touched on the major highlights. So, sit back and check out our discussion about the late, great singer Tony Mills!

Roy Cathey started his music career in the late 1980s with Gibraltar, which gained local airplay in NC with the ballad "Real". In the early 1990s, he joined Cold Sweat with former Keel guitarist Marc Ferrari. He co-wrote "Long Way Down" and "Killing Floor" for Cold Sweat's debut album “Break Out”. The band released the "Let’s Make Love Tonight" video on MTV but was dropped by MCA Records the same day.

In 2001, Cathey formed The Fifth, undergoing several lineup changes until guitarist Justin Womble, bassist Jake Tripp, and drummer Gary "Zeus" Smith joined. They released a remastered version of earlier releases album "Confessions of Man" in 2020, followed by an EP titled “The Fifth” in 2021. In 2022, The Fifth signed with RFK Media, founded by Ron Keel. They performed on the Kiss Kruise with Kiss, LA Guns, and Warrant.

In 2024, RFK Media released Cold Sweat's “Unburied Alive” and Cold Sweat played at The Mountain Music Festival in the US and they will also be featured on the Monsters of Rock Cruise in 2025 so look out for them!

Dutch singer Bert Heerink was the voice of Vandenberg's first three albums (1982-1985) and also sang on two albums by Dutch band Picture (1986-1987). Beyond that, Heerink has had a glorious career releasing many TV commercial songs and solo albums along with some other projects such as Undercover (with ex-Vandenberg bandmate Dick Kemper) & 2019's Royal Flush.

Having guested on many projects, tours, and albums throughout the years with names like guitarist Jan Akkerman (ex-Focus) and progressive rock band Kayak, 2025 will see a brand new Royal Flush album as well as involvement with original XYZ guitarist Bob Pieper's XYZ Revisited project, which is looking ahead to new material in 2026 with further information to be announced.

Bert Heerink is truly a legendary singer who is still going strong, so while we all await new material from him, please enjoy episode 75 of The Jersey Guys Podcast!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we welcome back special co-host TJ Coyne as we each share our Top 25 albums of all time! Tom, Mark & TJ let everyone in on the albums that mean the most to them so take a listen and see what you think. Maybe some of ours will also be some of yours!

In addition to each listing our Top 25, we also throw in some honorable mentions and then have a general discussion on some choices that may have surprised the hosts. It was a fun episode so be sure to check it out!

Toto is an American rock band formed in 1977 in Los Angeles, CA and are known for a musical style that combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz. Having released 14 studio albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide, the group has received several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.

David Paich and Jeff Porcaro had played together as session musicians on several albums and decided to form a band; David Hungate, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, and Bobby Kimball were recruited before the release of the band's eponymous debut album in 1978. Led by the Top 5 single "Hold the Line", the album brought the band to mainstream attention but it was their fourth album Toto IV (1982) which brought them global attention. "Africa" topped the Billboard Hot 100, while "Rosanna" reached number 2, helping Toto become one of the best-selling music groups of their era.

The Jersey Guys take a trip through the bands studio efforts and history so we hope you will enjoy this episode as much as we did making it for you!

In this episode Tom & Mark talk with Roger Romeo, one of the original guitarists of Legs Diamond. Roger talks about the history of these legendary '70s hard rockers and it makes for a great episode. Roger gave us the lowdown on all things Legs Diamond including the news of the band working on a new album!

On this episode of The Jersey Guys podcast Tom & Mark talk with special guest Kenny Dubman of the legandary New Jersey band Prophet. Not only has Kenny released three classic albums with Prophet but he's also an accomplished solo artists with two solo records under his belt and a brand new one on the way in early 2022! Kenny talks about all things solo and Prophet with Tom & Mark so check it out!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys podcast we talk with special guest Adam Holland, the guitarist of the band Valentine. We talk about the band's early days on the Long Island (NY) scene as well as the band's whole career, which actually saw them signed to three major label deals along the way!

We of course also talk about the brand new Valentine release "Demos from the Attic", an archival release on 20th Century Music and we discuss Adam's current gig as guitarist of the Steve Augeri Band and even touch on Adam's very own podcast venture titled "Band Forever", which is highly recommended!

We hope everyone enjoys this one because Tom & Mark certainly did. Special thanks to Dave Tedder at Head First Entertainment.

Rick Pierce is a founding member of the legendary Seattle hard rock, band TKO, whose debut release “Let It Roll” continues to cement the band’s cult-like status. Rick’s unique arsenal of guitar pyrotechnics provided the backbone of the unmistakable TKO sound.

Following his successful stint with TKO, Rick remained true to his metal roots and teamed up as lead guitarist for power metal band Q5 with Floyd Rose, acclaimed inventor of the Floyd Rose tremolo system.

In this episode, we talk with Rick about TKO and Q5 as well as his band after Q5, Nightshade and his latest project simply titled the Rick Pierce Group, where he’s teamed up once again with Floyd Rose (as songwriter & producer this time). Four RPG singles are now available on all the digital streaming platforms and a full album is finally on the horizon for early 2025 on Golden Robot Records.

In the meantime, you can keep up to date with all things Rick Pierce at www.rickpierceguitar.com or www.rickpiercegroup.com

Rob Rock (born June 29, 1959) is an American heavy metal singer who is best known as the longtime frontman of Impellitteri, a position he has held from 1987 to 1988, 1992 to 2000, and from 2008 to the present day. Rock has also released four studio albums as a solo artist, and performed with a number of other notable artists, including M.A.R.S., Joshua, Angelica, Axel Rudi Pell and Warrior to name a few.

Rob Rock's early music career consisted of stints with several local cover bands as a drummer and vocalist including Tangram, The Robert Allen Band and Vice which also included future band mate, Chris Impellitteri. They released a demo and were together until 1985. In 1986, he joined musicians Tony MacAlpine (guitar), Tommy Aldridge (drums), and Rudy Sarzo (bass guitar) in a project called M.A.R.S. The group released a lone album entitled Project: Driver in 1986, which received much critical praise, but the next year each member went their separate ways.

Rock then reunited with friend Chris Impellitteri and recorded the self-titled debut EP (1987) of the latter's band Impellitteri. However, he was also committed to another band named Joshua, so he could not continue with the band at the time. Rock recorded the Intense Defense album with Joshua, which was characterized by the editor of HM Magazine as being "probably the best melodic metal album in the universe." He also worked on other projects (Dennis Cameron's Angelica & Driver) which gave him knowledge of international musicians that would serve him well later.

After leaving Joshua in 1988, Rock formed M.A.R.S. offshoot Driver with two other former Joshua members, bassist Emil Lech-Brando and keyboardist Greg Shultz, former Jag Panzer drummer Reynold 'Butch' Carlson, and guitarist Roy Z; Z, Carlson and Lech-Brando had previously played together in Gypsy Moreno. Driver would release a 5-song cassette-only EP in 1990 but broke up the following year when Rock got a call from Chris Impellitteri and decided to once again join his band. Rock would stay on as lead singer until 2000 during which time Impellitteri released five successful albums.

In 2000, Rock decided to pursue his own solo career and parted ways with Impellitteri amicably. That same year, he released his first solo album called Rage of Creation. The album received critical praise and Rock has gone on, releasing three more albums (Eyes of Eternity, Holy Hell, Garden of Chaos).

Rock's first solo disc 'Rage of Creation' was recorded at Joe Floyd's Silver Cloud studio. As a result of that collaboration, Floyd asked Rock if he would provide vocals for a revamped lineup of the legendary US metal band Warrior. They released 'The Code of Life' in 2001. It is arguably some of the heaviest music Rock has ever performed and received critical acclaim in Europe and Asia.

Eventually, Rock would reform Driver with Roy Z and Reynold Carlson and release the Sons of Thunder album in 2008, which consisted of re-recordings of their 1990 EP along with other unreleased songs written at the time. A second Driver album, Countdown, was released in 2012.

In May 2008 it was announced that Rock reunited once more with Impellitteri. Their new album, Wicked Maiden, was released in April 2009 and since then they have gone onto release two more studio albums along with the newly released “Wake The Beast-The Impellitteri Anthology”, which is a 3 CD set of the bands favorite tracks from throughout their career.

The band will hopefully see a new studio release in 2023 and Rock has some other projects in the works as well so until those all see the light of day please have a listen to the brand new podcast interview with the legendary Rob Rock!

Chicago-born guitarist Josh Ramos got an early musical start in life by playing in the church band before he ever hit double digits. Later in high school he formed and played in bands around the Chicago area. A year out of high school Josh formed LE MANS in 1983. This band recorded two albums, one on the Shrapnel Label and one with Columbia Records. It was during this time that Josh moved to the Bay Area of California and became associated with Neal Schon and his line of "Schon guitars". Josh joined THE STORM in 1991. The Storm recorded an album with Interscope Records and had a #3 hit with "I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love" and a #10 hit with "Show Me The Way", while giving tour support to Bryan Adams, Peter Frampton and Tom Cochran. The album was near gold and the band was established as one that could deliver radio friendly hit songs.

The band received a Bay Area Music Award ("Bammie") for Best Debut Album and a BMI Award for airplay for "I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love". In January, 1997, Josh and Kevin Chalfant traveled to London, England to attend the "Frontiers Awards", and to accept awards for "Best Song" and "Best Album" for The Storm's second album "Eye of the Storm" (on the Music For Nations label). The album features songs like "Waiting For The World To Change", "Don't Give Up", "To Have And To Hold" and several others that possess the same quality and mass appeal as the first.

Josh joined CA rockers Hardline for the 2nd album and recorded and played live with the band for almost 15 years. Beyond that Josh has been involved in other notable bands/projects such as Two Fires, China Blue, L.R.S. (Tommy LaVerdi, Josh Ramos, Michael Shotton) as well as releasing two solo albums and working with many great musicians along the way.

*This podcast was conducted back in April of 2023 and presented on our YouTube channel but was never shared on the streaming platforms until now.

Steve Rodford was one half of the British AOR act Rio, who released their classic 1985 debut, “Borderland” on the Music For Nations label. It was followed up with “Sex Crimes” (later renamed “Danger Zone” for a 2024 reissue) in 1986. After some further playing and songwriting, Rodford joined the classic 60s-era band The Zombies (who had massive AM radio hits such as “She’s Not There” and “Time of the Season”) with his father, Jim Rodford, in 2001 and played with the band until their retirement in 2024.

Steve Rodford continues to play with The Zombies member Colin Blunstone in his solo band and is also working with best mate Jon Neil from Rio while they move towards new music, so keep an eye and ear out for that! Until then, check out Steve Rodford’s story with episode # 71 of our podcast.

The Jersey Guys Podcast is back with its latest episode and this time we talk with vocalist extraordinaire Mark Boals!

Mark Boals has performed on more than 40 albums during his career as a lead vocalist, along with doing various tours worldwide with such notable acts as Dokken, Ted Nugent, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Uli Jon Roth, Royal Hunt and many more. He joined Savoy Brown in 1982-83, then in 1984 joined Ted Nugent's band and toured with Nuge throughout the U.S. and Europe. In 1985 he joined Yngwie Malmsteen's 'Rising Force' as lead singer and in early 1986 recorded his first album with Malmsteen entitled “Trilogy”. To date Mark Boals has recorded 3 solo albums, 4 studio albums and a live DVD with his own band, "Ring Of Fire", with other members Tony Macalpine, Virgil Donati, and Vitalij Kuprij. He has toured with the band “Dio Disciples” with former members of Ronnie James Dio’s band and also participated in the Dokken album, ‘Broken Bones’ performing background vocals with Don Dokken and he joined the band playing bass guitar and vocals for the tour.

Mark was also a cast member of the Las Vegas show “Raiding The Rock Vault” which includes many rock stars performing a history of rock music from the 60’s through the 80’s and also has been part of another Vegas show named “Tenors of Rock”.

Also be sure to check out his latest project named “Shining Black” (Frontiers Records) where he partners with Olaf Thorsen (Labyrinth, Vision Divine).

Keep tabs on all things Mark Boals on his website www.markboalsofficial.com and we hope you enjoy episode # 30 of The Jersey Guys Podcast with Mark Boals!

Vain started out as a glam metal band from the San Francisco, CA area. After recording a demo, Davy Vain founded the band in 1986, adding Dylana Nova Scott (aka Jamie Scott), Danny West, Ashley Mitchell and drummer Tom Rickard to the lineup. They signed with Island Records in 1988, before releasing their debut album the following year, titled No Respect, which peaked at number 154 on the Billboard 200.

Though they recorded a second album, Vain were released by Island in 1991, with West and Rickard departing the same year. Following the addition of both Shawn Rorie and former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler, Vain renamed themselves Road Crew. However, they also disbanded in 1991. Vain reformed in 1993 and went through a number of lineup changes for the release of their next two studio albums. By 2005, Scott and West had returned to the band, while Rickard would rejoin them in 2009.

To date, Vain have released seven studio albums; No Respect (1989); All Those Strangers (1991); Move On It (1993); Fade (1995); On The Line (2005); Enough Rope (2011), and Rolling With The Punches (2017) along with a Davy Vain solo album that featured the core of the Vain band also.

Ashley Mitchell, the bassist on every Vain album, including that Davy Vain solo album, talks with The Jersey Guys for this episode and he shares some great stories about the bands history and what they are currently up so be sure to check this episode out!

The Jersey Guys Podcast is back with episode # 29 and this time we are joined by special guest Jerome Mazza (Angelica, Pinnacle Point, Steve Walsh and solo work).

Jerome Mazza is a singer/songwriter born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. At the age of 8, Jerome taught himself how to play the guitar and sing after being influenced by guitarist and singer/songwriter, Mark Farner of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Playing guitar and singing through his teenage years, he joined his first band at age 19 and toured the east coast in various pop and rock bands. Jerome started to write songs at the age of 25 and was very influenced by the rock band, Kansas, whose music combined classical music with progressive rock.

While honing his songwriting and his singing, he became a session vocalist including singing commercials in Los Angeles for major corporations such as Coors Beer, Pizza Hut, HBO and several publishing firms.

In 1990 Jerome became the lead singer for the second album from the Christian metal band, Angelica, entitled “Walking In Faith”. The album ended up being the best-selling Angelica record. Still today, it’s known as one of the best metal albums in Christian music.

In 2015, Jerome recorded a self-titled solo album in a classic adult contemporary style that could be compared to everything from Josh Groban to Michael Bolton.

In 2016, Jerome became the lead singer and one of the founding members (along with guitarist/songwriter/producer Torben Enevoldsen) of the band, Pinnacle Point.

In 2017, Jerome contributed lead vocals to multiple tracks on Steve Walsh’s (Kansas) fourth solo album entitled “Black Butterfly” which was released in November of that year. Jerome sings lead vocals on three songs (“Winds Of War”, “Now Until Forever”, “Mercy On Me”) and duets with Walsh on the single “Born In Fire”.

In late 2018 Jerome released his new solo album “Outlaw Son” and it is a classic AOR album of the finest order, drawing comparisons to Journey and other great AOR acts.

After listening to the podcast you can stay up date with the latest on Jerome Mazza at www.jeromemazza.com.

In episode 2 Tom & Mark go deep in discussing the 11 studio albums of the Swedish band Europe. We analyze each album from their 1983 debut right up to 2017's Walk The Earth and then we both give our personal ranking of all 11 albums!

Ronnie Mancuso is not only a guitarist and songwriter for the band Beggars & Thieves but is also COO of the Bootlegger Italian Bistro, a staple on the Las Vegas scene for many years, the owner of a recording studio, a live concert venue and a writer of jingles and music for the Fox TV network amongst others. He’s a man of many talents and endeavors without a doubt. Having wrote and recorded a total of four Beggars & Thieves albums (and one EP) to date with longtime bandmate and singer Louie Merlino, Ronnie has also toured with Jake E. Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel and worked with former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley too, so episode # 33 is a good one packed with lots of great stories from Ronnie about his career and life.

Mancuso is always writing songs so there may even be new Beggars & Thieves music on the horizon but for now check out episode 33 of The Jersey Guys Podcast!

The Jersey Guys Podcast is back with a brand new episode and this time we talk with guest Danny Martinez of C.I.T.A./Guild of Ages.

Caught in the Act (aka C.I.T.A) and later Guild of Ages, is an interesting band to say the least. Born in the late 1980’s on the Denver, CO music scene they finally released their debut album in 1995 to the delight of melodic rock fans worldwide. After a quickly following up with their second record they were forced to change their name for legal reasons and Guild of Ages is the name the band continued on under releasing several albums including the 2018 comeback “Rise”. The band sounded as good as ever on this record so we tracked down singer Danny Martinez and talked at length about the bands career and the possibility we will hear new music from them in the near future. This was great conversation with one of the more talented artists of the underground melodic rock scene, so check out episode 31 of The Jersey Guys Podcast now!

Recording artist, wedding singer, guitarist, metal frontman, crooner, tribute band specialist…

Todd Plant has worn many hats in his 40-something years in music, and there’s still much more in store! After graduating from Tampa’s Plant High School, Todd joined the US Navy Seabees, working in construction and entertaining servicemen and women on bases around the world. After his honorable discharge, he played in many Tampa Bay bands, honing his craft and paying his dues.

Heard by millions as the singer of the Hulk Hogan theme song “American Made” that was played on TBS/TNT networks for years, Todd has also recorded songs on literally dozens of CDs released worldwide. His original “hair bands” in the ‘90s, Eyewitness and Millenium, played London, toured Europe, and were featured on MTV Headbanger’s Ball, had their videos aired on Japanese TV, and performed on a live prime-time variety show in Munich. He also sang for original prog rock bandCryptic Vision, who released 4 CDs and played across the US in the mid 2000s.

He previously worked with tributes to the Eagles (Alter Eagles), Steely Dan (Show Biz Kids), country/southern rock band Soul Circus Cowboys, and 15 years with event/wedding bandSouthtown Fever, and played at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Lightning & Rays games atRaymond James Stadium, Amalie Arena, and Tropicana Field

In 2025, Todd continues to lead tributes to the Doobie Brothers (China Grove), Midnight Joker(the Steve Miller Band), Sting & the Police (Brand New Day), U2 (U2X), Santana(Supernatural), & 38 Special (37 Special), as well as recording on various projects & jingles. There’s even a project that has unearthed some old studio and live Eyewitness material, so keep an eye & ear out for that!

Fighter V thrills with catchy stadium rock anthems driven by powerful guitar riffs and vibrant keyboard sounds. The melodic rock band from Hergiswil, Switzerland is known for energetic and passionate live shows that take the audience back to the rock concerts of the 80s. As headliners in Central Europe and support for major acts like The Dead Daisies, Fozzy and Bonfire, Fighter V brings plenty of entertainment experience to the stage.

Their debut album “Fighter” was released on October 2019 on Rock Attack Records. The release was followed by an extended tour, including opening for The New Roses and Kissin' Dynamite, as well as festival shows across Europe. With the acclaimed release of their singles "Eye To Eye" and "Heart Of The Young", Fighter V announced their 2nd studio album “Heart of the Young” in the fall 2024, accompanied by an extensive European tour as support act for Axel Rudi Pell.

So, to get a full load of Stadium Rock check out Fighter V!

Web: www.fighter-v.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fightervofficial

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fightervofficial

YouTube: www.youtube.com/fightervofficial

Worldwide icon of melodic rock, Stan Bush is best known for his song “The Touch,” made famous by Transformers: The Movie (1986). An anthem for Transformers fans around the world, it has also been featured on ABC’s The Goldbergs, NBC’s Chuck, Fox’s American Dad, in RBN’s Guitar Hero, Deep Silver’s Saints Row IV, and the motion picture Boogie Nights. In 2014, Stan was inducted into the Transformers Hall of Fame.

As a vocalist with a career that spans decades, Stan has sung on albums by renowned artists such as Alice Cooper and Jefferson Starship, and has worked with many top producers (Georgio Moroder, Mick Jones, Peter Frampton, Paul Stanley, Ron Nevison, Richie Zito,) in addition to lending his voice to national and international advertising campaigns for Toyota, Coors, Mazda, Budweiser, Hertz and more.

Stan’s 1987 album, titled Stan Bush & Barrage not only featured the aforementioned song “The Touch” but many other anthems such as the ballad “Love Don’t Lie” and the record is still considered an AOR masterpiece to this day.

In 1997, Stan won an Emmy Award for Best Original Song for his track “Til I Was Loved By You.” Another Bush original, “Capture the Dream,” was featured at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. His songs are heard in two Jean-Claude Van Damme films: Kickboxer (1989) and Bloodsport (1988). Stan has co-written with many top songwriters like Jonathan Cain (Journey,) Jim Vallance (Bryan Adams, Aerosmith) and Paul Stanley of Kiss. Stan has toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe in his storied career.

Dare To Dream is Stan Bush’s 14th studio album and is a modern masterpiece replete with the sweetness of nostalgia. It also includes the hit single “The 80’s,” released in 2019 and supported by a popular music video. The title track, “Dare to Dream,” is about believing in yourself and letting go. There’s no limit to what we can do if we just “Dare to Dream.” Another great track, “The Times of Your Life” is about living life to the fullest and savoring every moment. These songs offer a positively charged ray of hope in today’s troubled times. There are powerful ballads and memorable songs throughout this inspiring album.

Intranced are an L.A.-based metal/hard rock band featuring singer James-Paul Luna (Holy Grail), guitarist Fili Bibiano (Fortress) and drummer Ben Richardson (Wild Eyes) (along with bassist Nico Staub).

Building on their celebrated musical pasts, the core trio was united by the goal of mining the deep, rich seams of classic heavy metal, with a premium on songwriting and a focus on the epic themes of real life: triumph, tragedy, and heartbreak.

Their latest album, “Muerte y Metal” is a tour de force of the N.W.O.T.H.M. sound and worthy of seeking out. While Luna is the ace lead singer with Intranced, he has a long history with bands like White Wizzard and Holy Grail, so check out this episode for a deep dive into his music history!

Helix is a Canadian hard rock/heavy metal band based out of Kitchener, Ontario. The group formed in 1974 as the Helix Field Band to compete in a Battle of the Bands contest in their hometown. By 1976, they operated under the streamlined Helix moniker. They had solidified into a core lineup comprising singer Brian Vollmer, guitarists Brent Doerner and Paul Hackman, bassist Keith Zurbrigg, and drummer Brian Doerner. They issued a pair of albums independently (1979's Breaking Loose and 1981's White Lace & Black Leather).

Helix inked a major-label deal with Capitol in 1983 and released No Rest for the Wicked, which marked the studio debut of new drummer Greg "Fritz" Hinz. Bassist Daryl Gray replaced Uzelac in time for the follow-up, Walkin' the Razor's Edge, which spawned the hit "Rock You" and sold over 100,000 copies in Canada, and over 400,000 internationally. 1985's Long Way to Heaven didn’t gain the same traction in the United States, but it managed to top the charts in Sweden. Follow-up Wild in the Streets went gold in Canada and included a cover of Aerosmith's "Dream On." Doerner elected to leave the band in 1989 after the release of the Capitol-sanctioned greatest-hits compilation Over 60 Minutes With….

Doerner returned to the band to record 1993's It's a Business Doing Pleasure,. After that, Brent Doerner went on hiatus with Helix, eventually debuting in 2008 with his new band Brent Doerner’s Decibel alongside his twin brother, Brian. The group eventually changed their moniker to My Wicked Twin and have recorded five albums in total.

Few musicians have achieved the broad-based success that David Rosenthal has earned as a Musical Director, Keyboardist, Synthesizer Programmer, Producer, Composer, Orchestrator and touring professional. With a musical career spanning four decades, David's talents have been continually in demand for his skilled musical precision, technical expertise, and vast experience.

David's multi-faceted career has taken him to studios and stages across the globe with many of the most prominent artists in the world. Besides his long tenure as Musical Director and Keyboardist for Billy Joel, he has also worked with Ritchie Blackmore and Rainbow, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Enrique Iglesias, Robert Palmer, Whitesnake, Steve Vai, Cyndi Lauper, Yngwie Malmsteen, Little Steven, and many others. His critically acclaimed work with his band Red Dawn and legendary progressive band Happy the Man also illustrate his talent for composing and producing original music.

In this episode Tom & Mark talk with Ben Jackson, the original guitarist of the Florida band Crimson Glory. We talk about the bands albums including the first two legendary releases (the debut from 1986 and Transcendence from 1988) as well as talk about the time the band spent with Todd LaTorre before he joined Queensrcyhe. We also touch on Ben's solo bands/projects in the extensive and wide-ranging interview!

We’re back with a brand new episode and this time we have very special guest Dave Bickler formerly of Survivor! Dave was of course the voice on the classic song “Eye of the Tiger” but he recorded on the first four Survivor albums and finally released his first solo album back in 2019 titled “Darklight” and it’s a good one!

Listen to The Jersey Guys talk with Dave about his early years before Survivor and then take us through his times with the band before finishing with some conversation about his solo album. It was a great episode and we hope you’ll enjoy it!

In this epsiode Tom & Mark discuss the albums of the original Michael Schenker Group up to and including the McAuley Schenker Group. 7 legendary and awesome albums each with their own style and flair. At the end we both rank those albums too!

Killer Dwarfs is a Canadian hard rock band that formed in late 1981 in Oshawa, Ontario, and enjoyed success in their native Canada in the 1980s. The band is known for its offbeat sense of humour and was nominated for two Juno Awards during its career. Killer Dwarfs were sometimes compared to NWOBHM acts such as Iron Maiden and Saxon.

Before The Killer Dwarfs formed, the band consisted of Darrell Millar, Bryce Trewin, and Ange Fodero in a group called Sphinx. After Sphinx, Russ Graham entered the picture and they became the Killer Dwarfs. The original line-up consisted of Russ Graham (vocals) and Darrell Millar (drums), along with Bryce Trewin (guitar) and Ange Fodero (bass).

Trewin and Fodero left the band shortly afterward and were replaced by guitarist Mike Hall and bassist Ron Mayer. This line-up released the band's breakthrough 1986 album Stand Tall, followed by Big Deal in 1988 and Dirty Weapons in 1990. The band received much recognition in Canada and the United States during the 80's, and its videos were in regular rotation at MuchMusic & MTV. Gerry Finn replaced Hall in 1992, and the album Method to the Madness was released later that year.

The band toured for several years but then parted ways. During the mid-to-late 1990s, the band members pursued other projects. Graham formed a band called Penny Black, and Hall and Finn both became members of the Canadian metal band Helix. Millar went on to drum for the southern rock band Laidlaw before forming his own Bon Scott era AC/DC tribute band Autobon, which went on to become Automan.ca, which provided Millar with a vehicle for recording original material. Mayer became a businessman and moved to the U.S. In 2001, however, the line-up of Graham, Millar, Hall and Mayer reunited to tour across North America. Recordings from these shows make up the live album Reunion of Scribes: Live 2001.'. The band again went on hiatus until 2013, when Graham, Millar, Finn and Mayer released the album Start @ One which had been previously recorded in 1993. Also in 2013.

The band has been touring since then, playing high profile festival as well as club and casino gigs and are working on new material which will hopefully culminate in a new album sometime in 2023. Darrell Millar is also an author with two books currently under his resume and part two of his autobiography is due in 2023 as well.

We are back with a brand new episode and today our special guest is Alex Salzman formerly of the great Westchester County New York band Tour De Force. This band once had a development deal with Geffen Records and a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Publishing, but in our view remains one of the greatest hard rock bands to never have that elusive major label release. Tour De Force wrote over 40 songs during their time and in this episode Tom & Mark take a trip down memory lane with Alex and talk about everything from the band’s early days, their eventual album releases and right up to what Alex has going in his musical career today.

We hope you enjoy this episode and to learn even more about Alex and see what he is doing since his days with Tour De Force, please visit his website at www.alexsalzman.com.

The Jersey Guys are back with a brand new episode and this time we welcome back special in-studio guest Tj Coyne for a discussion of the Dennis DeYoung Styx era albums. Tj joins his father and co-host Tom as well as Mark for a round table discussion of this great band. We discuss the band’s 13 studio albums with Dennis DeYoung starting with 1972’s self-titled debut and work our way up to the 1999 release Brave New World.

We hope you enjoy this episode so be sure to check it out on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Podcasts, etc. and be sure to follow us here on Facebook and click subscribe on YouTube or your favorite streaming service so you can follow along on future episodes!

Hey everyone, we are back with a brand new episode (well, actually two!) of The Jersey Guys Podcast and this time around we get a little yachty with the legendary Peter Beckett from the band Player. The Jersey Guys go all the way back with Peter to his early days before Player and talk about his long career as a singer, songwriter, guitar (and even bass) player with groups such as The Thoughts, Paladin, Skyband and of course Player, with their Billboard #1 hit “Baby Come Back”!

We also talk about the whole yacht rock movement that Peter is a big part of and his latest venture, Yacht Rock Wines. So sit back, put on that captains hat, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy Peter Beckett’s story.

As a bonus episode, The Jersey Guys also do a discussion on the discography of Player and include Peter Beckett’s 1991 solo album as well as his Think Out Loud albums with Steve Kipner, so be sure to check that out too!

And don’t forget to check out the latest activity on Peter Beckett’s Player and also the line of Yacht Rock Wines at the links below.

https://player-theband.com/original-player

https://www.facebook.com/peterbeckett.player

https://www.yachtrockwines.com

With an impressive career spanning several decades, Kevin Chalfant's contributions to the music industry are noteworthy. From his early successes with AOR groups 707 and Steel Breeze, to his time with The Storm where that band had two Billboard-charting singles in the early 90s, and even his brief stints as lead vocalist for Shooting Star (2006) and the Alan Parsons Project (2003), Chalfant's journey in music has been both diverse and influential.

His experiences, including briefly sitting in for Steve Perry in Journey in the mid-90s present a captivating narrative that would undoubtedly resonate with music enthusiasts had Perry not eventually returned to the band. His solo albums and other collaborations further showcase his versatility and enduring talent.

Currently, Kevin Chalfant is leading the Voices of Rock Radio project performing around the country with other talented members and singers of some of the best known classic rock bands. Keep up to date with Kevin’s live schedule and more at www.voicesofrockradio.com.

In this episode Tom & Mark go over some of their favorite albums released in 2022.

We had fun with this one and hope we can turn you onto something you may not have been aware of in the world of hard rock, heavy metal & AOR in this past year!

In this episode The Jersey Guys talk with professional rock photographer Frank White and veteran metal singer Alan Tecchio, who have just co-authored a brand new book titled JERSEY METAL – A History of the Garden State’s Heavy Metal Scene – Volume One (1969-1986).

In Jersey Metal, Frank and Alan team up to offer a unique, autobiographical perspective on NJ’s Heavy Metal music history through photos, ads, interviews and band bios.

Jersey Metal Volume One 1969 to 1986 covers the early years to the mid 1980's of the formation of Heavy Metal here in New Jersey and how it became such an important part of the music scene in the Garden State. The book covers the Metal scene when bands started out as cover bands that rose to worldwide successful acts to local cover Metal bands, Metal tribute bands, original local Metal bands, and Metal bands that toured throughout the state over the years. There is also respect paid to the venues these groups frequented, the radio stations, record companies, stores and the Jersey shore that all helped grow New Jersey’s wild Heavy Metal scene.

In Frank’s words, “Jersey Metal is for all fans of the metal scene from the Garden State and beyond.” Adds Alan, “Putting this book together brought back so many great memories for me and Frank. It is our hope that the same reaction will trigger interest in the book from all the people (fans and artists alike) who were a part of NJ’s Metal scene in one way or another. Even if someone was not directly a part of it, this book should still be an interesting look at a vibrant scene that spawned some amazing careers.”

In this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we speak with bassist John Macko of Fifth Angel. John joined the band in 1986 and is an integral part of the band. Fifth Angel released their latest album "The Third Secret" in 2018 and are working on a new album for release in 2022.

John fills us in on all things Fifth Angel in this great episode! Check it out and be sure to visit the new website at www.thejerseyguyspodcast.com!

Boystown was and is a five piece rock/AOR band from New Jersey formed in 1987 and began playing the same Jersey bars that bred Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi. They played clubs across the USA and opened for Jon Entwistle (The Who), The Hooters, New Kids On the Block and The Romantics. The single "Way Of The World" was released on the indie UK label AIR RECORDS in 1989 followed by a UK tour. The album was well received by critics with articles in Kerrang Magazine comparing the band’s energy to The Who and lead singer David Polemeni's vocals to Paul Rogers ( Bad Company) & Lou Gramm (Foreigner). The band developed their studio sound with producer David Prater (Firehouse, Dream Theatre, Glen Burtnik) who produced seven tracks on “Angels With Dirty Faces”. Oil & Water and the title track Angels With Dirty Faces were produced by Aaron Zigman ( Phil Collins).

The CD features the core members of Boystown; David Polemeni, Bobby Guy, Joey Sykes, John Teto and Nelson Williams. The songs I Need Shelter and Get Up were featured on the television show 21 Jump Street. Other songs appeared on HBO and SHOWTIME in films like A Brilliant Disguise and In The Kingdom Of The Blind, starring CSI's William Peterson. In 1990 Boystown were asked by their namesake Father Flannigan's Boys Town in Omaha, NE to do a concert for three thousand children. Boystown is the only rock band to ever play Boys Town.

The CD continues to gain popularity worldwide and has become a cult classic in Germany, France, Belgium and Sweden. In 2006 Something In The Way You Touch appeared on the CD Munich's Hardest Hits and the song Get Up will appear in the film "All In" starring Dominic Swain ( Lolita, Face Off) and Michael Madsen ( Kill Bill).

A new version of the band, featuring the core members of Polemeni, John Teto & Joey Sykes reunited back in 2023 for a reunion show in their home state of NJ and have since played more shows and released brand new music in the form of digital singles. The hope is for the band to record a brand new album so keep an eye and ear out for that!

Here is the latest episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast! Today Tom & Mark discus the discography of the great Swedish band Treat. Starting with their debut in 1985 and continuing all the way up to their brand new album released earlier in 2022, we talk about all 10 studio records this great melodic rock band has produced. Much like their fellow countrymen in Europe, Treat went on an extended hiatus at one point but have been back releasing solid studio records since 2010’s comeback “Coup de Grace”. This was a good discussion on a great band that may fly under the radar for some. So check it out and enjoy!

On this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast Mark & Tom talk with guest Larry “L.A.” Greene from the cult classic band Fortune (and also Harlan Cage where he teamed up with ex-Fortune keyboard player Roger Scott Craig). Fortune has just released their new album “Level Ground” earlier this year to rave reviews and let’s not forget their two other albums starting with the 1985 self-titled all-time AOR classic as well as 2019’s comeback “II”.

Larry talks about all the Fortune and Harlan Cage albums as well as his career as a soundtrack musician for film and TV where he’s written songs and music for films such as “Top Gun” (Tom Cruise), “Mystic Pizza” (Julia Roberts) and “Over The Top” (Sylvester Stallone).

All in all it was a great interview with this super-talented singer and songwriter, so we hope you enjoy this one!

Jeff Martin is an American musician, singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Racer X, Bad Dog, Surgical Steel and St. Michael and has played drums for the bands Badlands, the Michael Schenker Group, Blindside Blues Band, Red Sea, St. Michael and The Electric Fence, a side project with Paul Gilbert and Russ Parrish (aka Satchel from Steel Panther). Jeff played drums om albums and tours for UFO, Paul Gilbert, George Lynch, and Dokken.

He played drums in Surgical Steel before switching to lead vocals and was the drummer/lead vocalist for St. Michael, both Phoenix, AZ-based bands that at one time featured future Badlands cohort Greg Chaisson.

Martin also released a solo album in 2006, The Fool, featuring the guitar talents of Paul Gilbert and Michael Schenker and has also sung backing vocals for Judas Priest and The Scream and he appeared in the 1985 movie Thunder Alley, starring Leif Garrett, with his band Surgical Steel.

Badlands, of course, featured the talents of ex-Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee and was signed to Atlantic Records. Jeff played drums of the bands 2nd and eventual 3rd releases while also touring on with them on the “Voodoo Highway” tour.

Jeff has some of the best rock n’ roll stories, many of which could have been compared to Spinal Tap! So check out episode# 38 for some of those great stories and his career!

Invasion is a Norwegian hard rock and heavy metal band founded in 2022. With a fresh and modern approach to the heavy music genre, Invasion creates music that perfectly balances melody and heaviness.

The band comprises experienced musicians who have shared stages with notable artists such as JORN and Åge Steen Nilsen from Wig Wam. The lineup includes singer Jorgen Bergersen, guitarists Jorgen Abrahamsen and Adrian Sunde Bjerketvedt, drummer Eiliv Sagrusten, and bassist Thomas Gjerlaugsen. This group is making waves in the European hard rock and metal scene while maintaining their indie band status. If you haven't checked them out yet, you definitely should—you won’t regret it!

Stay updated on Invasion at https://www.facebook.com/norwayinvasion.

In this episode Mark & Tom talk with Charlie Calv the keyboardist of '70s rockers Angel. Charlie fills us in on the latest happenings with the band and we talk about the bands latest album "Risen" (2019) and also get the news on the new Angel album set for early 2022 release. We also go way to Charlie's early career and talk about his band Shotgun Symphony as well as a host of other projects that he has worked on over the years and we even get the lowdown on Charlie's venture into the record label industry with his label Deko Entertainment (www.dekoentertainment.com)!

We are back with a brand new episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast and this time we take you to the Great White North where we talk with guitarist Tim Brown of the Edmonton, Alberta New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal band Striker.

The band has been making a name for themselves on metal scene since 2009 and now have seven albums under their belts with a new one on the way later in 2022. The band is headed out on a North American tour soon and Tim speaks with Tom and Mark about the new tour, new music and the history of the band!

Check out the latest on the band at www.striker-metal.com

Steve Mann was born and raised in London, England. After college he took up classical guitar, studying at the John Williams School in London he joined his first professional band Liar in 1977. They released two albums.

He then formed Lionheart with Dennis Stratton (Iron Maiden) and Rocky Newton (MSG, etc.). Hailed by Sounds magazine as "the first NWOBHM Supergroup", Lionheart toured extensively before securing a record deal with CBS in 1984. At various times Lionheart counted amongst its ranks luminaries such as Frank Noon (Def Leppard), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Les Binks (Judas Priest), Clive Edwards (UFO) and Phil Lanzon (Uriah Heep). In 1986 Steve joined Michael Schenker to form The McAuley Schenker Group and recorded two albums (Perfect Timing & Save Yourself). The former was recorded in 1986 at PUK Studios in Denmark with overdubs at Rudolf Schenker's Scorpion Sound Studio, and the record was produced by the late Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin). Frank Fillipetti took the production chair for Save Yourself, recording in LA. This album bore the hit single Anytime, a ballad penned by Mann and Robin McAuley and the track reached #6 on the US Billboard charts.

While playing with Schenker he was guesting with The Sweet, becoming a permanent member after leaving MSG in 1991. Then around 1994 Mann guested with Eloy, a progressive rock band from Germany who achieved fame during the 1970's. His guest appearances for the band, both live and on record, continued till 2012. In 2016 he received a call from Michael Schenker asking if he was interested in forming a new version of the band called Michael Schenker Fest which was to include his 3 original singers, Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet (Rainbow) and Robin McAuley along with the rhythm section of Ted McKenna and Chris Glen (ex-Rainbow singer Doogie White would also join in 2017). Needless to say he jumped at the chance and the band has been on the road ever since.

In 2016, Lionheart also had the opportunity to reunite with original members Dennis Stratton, Rocky Newton, Clive Edwards along with Lee Small on vocals. In 2017 the band went into my studio to record a new album called Second Nature, which was critically acclaimed, A 3rd Lionheart album was released in 2020 and titled The Reality of Miracles and Mann also joined forces with British singer Chris Ousey for the debut Ousey/Mann album Is Anybody Listening in 2022.

Steve Mann continues to tour with Michael Schenker as well as writing for a new Lionheart and even his own solo album. Keep up to date with all his happenings at www.stevemann.net where you can link to all his social sites as well!

We all know of New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang, Def Leppard and Heavy Pettin' but these bands all put out some seriously melodic arena rock & AOR-styled albums in the '80s. It was a sign of the times and even though some early hardcore fans of these bands may discount those albums that those bands released there is no denying there were some great, albeit slightly "fluffy", moments from these normally rough and tough NWOBHM bands.

Tom & Mark dive into a number of these bands and those melodic, keyboard-heavy records that had those bands shooting for the USA arena rock landscape, so hear it all on episode# 47 and be sure to let us know your thoughts on bands that didn’t make it into the discussion. Heck, we might need to do a part two to further discus this great phenomenon!

Robbie LaBlanc has been singing and playing instruments since age 3. Robbie’s first influences (besides his dad, who was always singing and playing the guitar) were Trini Lopez and the Beatles. Shortly after, bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival and Grand Funk Railroad were further influences.

Robbie’s first break in the music business came when he met Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals in CT. Felix produced Robbie & Brian’s (Robbie’s brother) band Fury with a slew of great musicians in a CT studio. After the album disappeared from the charts, Robbie signed with a management company that had Michael Bolton ties and the duo recorded at least four albums worth of material at Michael’s CT studio. It still failed to generate a record deal. When that deal ended about three years later, Robbie dropped a DAT tape in Arif Mardin’s mailbox in CT. Arif called the next day, and a deal with Atlantic Records was on the table. One hurdle to go, a showcase with the new Atlantic regime. Again, it proved disappointing; no deal.

At the suggestion of a friend, a CD was sent to Frontiers Records and two “Blanc Faces” records were done in 2005 and 2009.

Robbie also sings lead vocals in a long-standing project named Find Me (along with Daniel Flores) and also provided vocals to another project called East Temple Avenue, which had its first release in 2020. ETA is comprised of members from various bands like “Work of Art” and “Cruzh” along with Darren Philips (founder) and Phil Lindstrand.

Robbie hooked up with Escape Music (UK) to do a “70s and 80s vibe” solo record, and Robbie loved the idea. The result was “Double Trouble,” which came out in 2021, written and produced by Steve Overland and Tommy Denander. The songs are fresh and vibrant, just what we need in these troubling times, with Robbie’s powerhouse vocals leading the way. Robbie furthered his association with Denander in the Vitalines project as well.

2025 will see yet another project named Blue Ambition with Frederic Slama (of “AOR” fame). And best of all might be the news that the sophomore Cannonballz record is on the way in later ’25 or 2026. The Cannonballz debut was recorded over a decade ago to great fanfare, so a new record is certainly welcome news!

When Robbie isn’t singing on one of his many projects, he can be found doing his “day job” of the last 20 years as NE Regional manager for Bogle Vineyards! So check out this great episode and Salute!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we speak with VR & WildeStarr musician Dave Starr!

Dave Starr is an original member of US power metal band Vicious Rumors. His 10 years in the band spawned their best albums and he was instrumental in getting singer Carl Albert and guitarist Mark McGee into VR. Dave talks to The Jersey Guys about his time in this legendary band and gives us some insight into his latest project WildeStarr, where he plays guitar and bass along with his wife and vocalist London Wilde and also opens up about his personal battle with Parkinson’s disease and so much more.

Jeff Paris is an American vocalist, keyboardist, and guitarist who began his career as a session musician in the 1970s, appearing on albums by such acts as Jay Gruska (Gruska on Gruska) and Bill Withers (Naked & Warm, 'Bout Love). His initial band was the jazz/soul/disco quartet Pieces, who released an album in 1979. He continued writing songs and performing on sessions for other high-profile artists such as Jeffrey Osborne (self-titled debut, Stay with Me Tonight, and Don't Stop) and Leon Ware (self-titled album), the latter a famed Motown songwriter in his own right, throughout the early/mid-1980s.

In 1984, Paris branched off in a more hard rock direction as a songwriter and musician, contributing to albums by Lita Ford and Y&T that year. His credits included "Gotta Let Go" (Ford) and "Lipstick & Leather" (Y&T). He went on to work as a session musician on Cinderella's 1986 debut album, playing keyboards. Around the same time, he signed with PolyGram, releasing two solo albums, Race to Paradise in 1986 and Wired Up in 1987. In the 1990s, Paris released three more solo albums: Lucky This Time (1993), Smack (1997) and Freak Flag (1998), and also continued working as a session musician and songwriter.

In this session player/songwriter role, Paris worked with different bands and artists such as, in addition to the abovementioned Lita Ford and Y&T, the female rock band Vixen, Michael Sembello, XYZ, Stevie Salas, Mr. Big, and many others, primarily as keyboardist and backing vocalist. As a songwriter, he co-wrote many hits around the late 1980s and early 1990s such as the song "Waiting for Love," which became a successful single for the Canadian band Alias in the early 1990s. Also, the songs "One Night Alone", "Charmed Life" and "Cryin" from Vixen's self-titled debut album were all covers of Paris songs, that had originally appeared on his Wired Up album. "Cryin'" became one of the Vixen album's two big hits (following up their first hit single, "Edge of a Broken Heart"). He also penned the song "Let It Out" for Y&T's Ten album and "Road To Ruin," recorded by Mr. Big, who also recorded his song "CDFF-Lucky This Time" for their album Lean Into It; two years later, Paris re-recorded the latter song for his 1993 solo album.

Since the 90s, Paris has reinvented himself by studying blues music while writing, producing, and playing with artists such as Keb’ Mo’ and currently Coco Montoya (John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers) and more recently even studying the jazz genre. The man simply has a ton of stories and a desire to play any and every type of music out there, so please enjoy episode #69!

Tony Moore was the lead singer of the heavy metal band Riot from 1986 to 1992, recording Thundersteel (1988) and The Privilege of Power (1990) and rejoining in 2010 along with the other members from the Thundersteel line-up to release Immortal Soul (2011). He also sang with Faith and Fire, a project with Mike Flyntz of Riot. They released their first and only album Accelerator in 2006.

In 2025, Tony will debut his brand new band named The Knights of Silverado. So be on the lookout for a new album in the not-too-distant future. The band also has plans to tour.

Hey everybody! It's been a little but but The Jersey Guys are back with a new episode. This time around we talk about the discography of the band Y & T. Yesterday & Today as they were known on their first two albums started out in Oakland, CA in 1974 and are still at it today. Legendary guitarist and singer Dave Meniketti is still waving the Y & T flag and doing it with all he's got and this band and their music are still kicking butt.

Listen as Tom & Mark disect the 12 studio albums that the band has released and be sure to let us know your thoughts and how we ranked them!

Rob Lamothe was born in La Jolla, CA in 1958 and his house was full of music and he was singing in ​Latin as a soloist in church choirs by the time he was 12-years-old. And he’s never stopped ​singing since.

He’s always liked this quote from The Toronto Star: “Rob Lamothe is a mercurial artist ​who slides effortlessly from rustic roots music to full-blown rock". He grew up listening to ​Mahalia Jackson, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and The Beatles and saw Led Zeppelin in ​concert three times by his mid-teens. So, yeah, he’s mercurial.

Rob released his first major label album (Epic Records) in 1990 with the Riverdogs and has shared stages with everyone from Guns 'n' Roses to members of the Toronto ​Symphony Orchestra and has toured throughout Europe close to 30 times now.

He also spent 15 years on the faculty at Interprovincial Music Camp, north of Toronto, where ​he built and ran a Songwriting Camp for kids aged 12 to 18 and has worked with a bunch of ​young artists over the years who have gone on to score record deals and tours ​around the globe.

In Episode 55 of The Jersey Guys Podcast we talk with Rob about his days with the Riverdogs and get some great background information on all 4 of their albums, including the 2017 “comeback” album titled “California” on Frontiers Records. We also get the lowdown on his 2023 pandemic project of sorts, Cross Country Driver, and Rob shares with us if there will ever be another Riverdogs album.

So, sit back, relax and check out this great episode!

Guy Allison’s first record deal was signed with a band called Lodgic on A&M Records in 1985. This band included Michael Sherwood, Billy Sherwood, Jimmy Haun & Gary Starnes. The band was discovered by the 80's group Toto and was subsequently produced by Toto members David Paich and Steve Porcaro..

In 1987, Allison was selected by Patrick Moraz to fill the second keyboardist chair for the Moody Blues, a position he held until 1990. While touring with the Moodies he was a member of World Trade signed to Polygram Records. Recording their progressive self-titled debut album in 1988, this group included ex-Lodgic bandmate Billy Sherwood..

After the breakup of World Trade, Allison was tapped to join Air Supply in the recording studio and, ultimately on tour. This 7-year relationship generated 4 studio albums, Credited with co-writing 6 songs, 3 of these Allison/Russell co-compositions charted internationally.

During his time with Air Supply, he and ex-World Trade bandmate, Bruce Gowdy, formed the harder edge Unruly Child with singer Mark Free. Signed by Interscope Records, UC found cult status overseas yet remained undiscovered in the U.S.

After Unruly Child disbanded, Allison continued to tour with both Air Supply and also recorded an album with former Toto singer Bobby Kimball, titled “Rise Up”. He forged a musical relationship with some fellow touring members, John McFee and Keith Knudsen, which led to him joining The Doobie Brothers in 1996 as a touring keyboardist. Allison co-produced the Doobies' 12th studio album, 2000's Sibling Rivalry..

Allison released his debut solo album, A Designed Presence, in 2023.

Jupiter Cyclops was formed in 2019 when scene veteran and singer Aaron Peltz relocated from Southern California to the Phoenix, Arizona desert. What started as a two-piece doom project quickly metamorphosized into a 4-piece high octane hard rock assault courtesy of guitarist Dustin Lyon’s face-melting riffs and solos and Jake Melius bringing the low-end thunder on bass. The lineup was finally complete with the addition of Kyle Eades on the drums.

Jupiter Cyclops has been tearing up stages in the Southwest and is ready to bring their brand of rock n’ roll to the masses. In this debut episode of Street Patrol, where we feature newer bands that we feel need to be heard, we talk with Dustin Lyons and Jake Melius to learn more about this hot, exciting band and their new album “Age of the UFOnaut”!

We are back with another new episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast and this time Tom & Mark talk with Dennis Churchill-Dries of the bands White Sister & Tattoo Rodeo. We talk to Dennis about his long career starting as singer & bassist in White Sister (EMI-Enigma Records) and get all the background on that great band from the '80s. Then we talk about his days with Tattoo Rodeo (Atlantic Records) and and their two albums and tour with Bad Company & Damn Yankees in the '90s. Finally we talk about his 2015 solo album and what he is currently up to with the soon-to-released project 12:06 with Stan Cotey of Giraffe (Kevin Gilbert) fame.

We are back with episode # 18 and today The Jersey Guys talk with Randy Jackson from the band Zebra!

We start with the early Zebra days and work through the band’s four studio albums and also touch on Randy’s solo China Rain record from the early ‘90s and also talk about the The Sign project he was involved in with Mark Mangold and others. It was great trip through the history of the one and only Randy Jackson and Zebra!

*just a small disclaimer as we did have a couple of small audio glitches with this episode but we worked them out as best as we could and hopefully you’ll hardly notice.

Hittman are an American power & progressive metal band active from 1984 to 1994, and then from 2017 to the present. It was in 1985 that Dirk Kennedy answered an ad in "The Music Paper" and became the lead vocalist for the band. They went on to release two albums through SPV/Steamhammer and Roadracer Records, "Hittman" (1988) and "Vivas Machina" (1993). Both albums were critically acclaimed and the band was featured on the cover British magazine of Kerrang! (getting a near perfect KKKK 1/2) and other international rock magazines heralded them as the next great force in hard rock music. After the 1993/94 tour for "Vivas Machina" the band went on hiatus. Whilst never achieving mainstream success, the band has had a cult status over the last 25 years, especially in Germany, Japan and Greece. In 2020 Hittman released their 3rd album, "Destroy All Humans" on No Remorse Records.

In 2009, there were talks for a Hittman reunion including an appearance at the 12th annual Keep It True Festival in Germany. The performance was canceled due to a non-specified family issue. Up until then, no other reunion of Hittman had ever taken place. On November 11, 2013, original bassist Mike Buccell was involved in a fatal accident, making a reunion of the primary lineup impossible. At that time, the band could not imagine moving forward without Buccell but then in 2017 the band announced an official reformation and the renewed and invigorated remaining original members came together to record material for a new album to coincide with their appearance at the Keep It True Festival. They have asserted that it sounds like the logical album to follow the debut from 1988.

Dirk Kennedy also sang for Anthrax in its formative stages when they were merely a garage band. He was a freshman in high school and was friends with a schoolmate of Scott Ian's then girlfriend Marge Ginsberg. Persuaded to sing with the band after hearing him mimic Ronnie James Dio it lasted a few months although he was never a full “official” member of the band.

Hittman eventually acquired the rights to their initial two releases and went into the studio to remaster their classic 1988 debut. Released on October 31, 2017 on No Remorse Records, the album contains a faithful re-master of the original recording and for the first time, the original 1985 (and much-bootlegged) demo that has been re-mixed and re-mastered also and included as a bonus on the release. Kennedy says the band are working on two new records of varying styles so hopefully we will see new music from Hittman in the very near future so in the meantime enjoy this episode with Dirk Kennedy!

In this episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we talk with Mark Mangold, the man behind bands like Touch and Drive, She Said as well as projects like The Sign, Mystic Healer and others. Mark has a long history as a song-writer, keyboard player and more and Tom and Mark touch on all that and more.

Did you know Mark played in Michael Bolton’s band early on and co-wrote “I Found Someone” which was a huge hit for Cher? Mark talks about that as well as what is currently going on with the re-grouped Touch and his brand new project Keys and how he’s been writing with and playing keyboards with House of Lords on their new, in-the-works album!

We cover just about all things Mark Mangold in this episode so check it out!

In this latest episode of The Jersey Guys Podcast we talk with former lead singer of Leatherwolf, Michael Olivieri. We cover the beginnings of the band and go all the way through to current and also learn about Michael’s solo career with the Michael Olivieri Band (M.O.B.) and what they are currently up to.

We hope you enjoy this new episode so sit back and get ready for the story of Leatherwolf and the “Triple Axe Attack”!

Robert Berry is an American singer, bassist and all-around multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known for his work with Hush, 3 with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer, Ambrosia, and Alliance. He was previously with The Greg Kihn Band, and as of 2022, he is with progressive band Six By Six, a super group composed of musicians Ian Crichton from Saga and Nigel Glockler of Saxon.

Berry came into the spotlight in 1988, when he teamed with Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer (of Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame) and formed the band 3. Their only album, To the Power of Three saw the group gain some commercial success with the 1st single “Talkin’ Bout” as it reached #9 on the Billboard rock charts that year. 3 disbanded in 1989 after a successful tour supporting the album.

Berry also has contributed songs to a number of film soundtracks, including the Anthony Michael Hall film Out of Bounds. In 1999, Berry produced and performed on The Wheel of Time, an album billed as a soundtrack to the Robert Jordan fantasy series The Wheel of Time. He also works as a record producer and owns a state-of-the-art recording studio in northern CA.

In 2015, Berry and Emerson signed with Frontiers Music and began working on a follow-up to To the Power of Three as 3.2. The project was shelved following Emerson's death in March 2016, but Berry would finish the project himself and release it in 2018 under the 3.2 moniker as The Rules Have Changed and then followed that up with “Third Impression” in 2021.

Since then, Berry’s focus has been on Six By Six as the band had world-wide success with their debut and are currently writing album #2 for release in 2023. Berry is also in the planning stages of a new Alliance album too so while we wait for those new records please enjoy Robert’s conversation with The Jersey Guys!

Jon Fiore is a singer/songwriter and international actor. Jon started in the early 80s as the lead singer for Geffen Records recording artist Preview and toured with acts like Asia, Pat Benatar, The Tubes, and others. After his time in Preview, Jon got into the commercial jingle business, and you may have heard his voice on thousands of commercials worldwide for brands like Diet Coke, Slice, Atari, and Folgers.

He then signed with Atlantic Records in 1996 as a solo artist and has written many songs for other artists such as George Benson and sang session vocals for the likes of Michael Bolton & Cher. In the later 90s, Jon released two critically acclaimed solo albums with the help of legendary Canadian melodic rock act Harem Scarem and their frontman Harry Hess.

In his later years he became involved in acting and his first movie "Narco Sub" (aka The Shipment) debuted on Amazon in 2021, where he played the drug cartel lord Pelon. He also is currently in the episodic adventure "Surviving The Cartel", playing the role of Tommaso Belluci, which is streaming on Amazon and distributed worldwide on Amazon with distribution by AMC Network.

In this episode of The Jersey Guys podcast, Tom & Mark discuss the studio discography of the Canadian rock trio Triumph! We break down all 10 studio albums and share our thoughts as well as give our own personal rankings at the conclusion!