Brian Jack was the powerhouse vocalist from the underrated Baltimore rock band Child's Play. What a pair of lungs on this guy! After he left Child's Play, Jack struck out on a solo career and, well, struck out. His debut album was called "Promise of Love" and marked a departure from the hairband rock of Child's Play into an adult contemporary sound. The result is a record of sappy love songs, which took a number of fans by surprise. The acoustic-driven track "Hard Goodbye" is simply beautiful. From the lyrical imagery to the heartfelt vocal, this one should have made Jack a household name, but it wasn't meant to be. Jack passed away in 2012, well before his time. Which makes the song seem even sadder. The full album is below, but "Hard Goodbye" starts at 3:35.
Hard rocking melodic bands with big hair and big choruses were a dime a dozen in the late 80s, but Baltimore's Child's Play stood a cut above the rest and deserved much wider recognition. Fueled by the powerhouse yet soulful vocals of Brian Jack, their major label debut, "Rat Race", failed to poke its head out above the crowd in 1990. A few years later, the band broke up and drummer/singer John Allen joined the alternative band SR-71. Allen would pair up with Child's Play's guitarist Nicky Kay once more to form modern rock band Charm City Devils in 2007. Sadly, Brian Jack passed away in 2012. "Knock Me Out" is just one of many examples why I think this record should have done much better. If you like this kind of music, be sure to also check out "When Hell Freezes Over", the title track, and the excellent acoustic ballad, "Wind".
