It is interesting to think what sort of career Survivor might have had if they never received a fateful call from Sylvester Stallone to use their music in his upcoming movie, Rocky III. Stallone got turned onto Survivor after hearing their first Top 40 hit, "Poor Man's Son," which reached #33 in 1981. Co-founder Jim Peterik, who already tasted chart success leading Ides Of March, penned the iconic "Eye Of The Tiger" with his bandmate Frankie Sullivan and the rest is history. "Eye Of The Tiger" spent six weeks at #1 in 1982 and won a Grammy for Rock Vocal Group. The single was included as the title track to their third album, which spawned two additional chart appearances: "American Heartbeat" reached #17 and "The One That Really Matters" stalled at #74. Astonishingly, an amazing ballad, "Ever Since The World Began," was not released as a single (Tommy Shaw would have a minor hit with it, taking the song to #75 in 1988). Hopes were high that the band could maintain this success with the release of their next album, "Caught In The Game," but the title track fizzled at #77 and the album flopped (which is a shame because there are some incredible songs on this album). Then lead singer Dave Bickler developed throat problems, which led to his replacement by vocalist Jimi Jamison. Jamison gave fresh life to the struggling band, putting them back on the chart with "Moment Of Truth" (#63) from The Karate Kid, and landing them 10 more Top 100 entries until he left in 1989 to pursue a solo career. Some of Jamison's biggest moments included "High On You" (#8), "The Search Is Over" (#4), "Is This Love" (#9), and "Burning Heart" (#2) from Rocky IV. After Jamison's departure, the band brought Bickler back into the fold for a bit, then underwent a dizzying series of personnel changes and lawsuits. Peterik washed his hands of the mess, resuming his solo career and work with Ides Of March, and starting many new projects and collaborations. Jamison returned to Survivor off and on until his death in 2014. "Chevy Nights" goes back to Survivor's pre-glory days. From their aptly named 1981 record, "Premonition," this song hinted at the band's energetic chemistry and gift for blending pop and rock.
Pride of Lions is an AOR project initiated in 2003 and comprised of legendary songwriter Jim Peterik (Ides of March, Survivor) and a stunning vocalist, Toby Hitchcock. The two trade vocal duties and harmonize their way through songs written as if the 80s never ended. Reflecting the remarkably prolific songwriting talents of Peterik, the duo is already 5 studio albums in and each one is a treasure for fans longing for the glory days of melodic rock. "Sound of Home" is taken from their self-titled debut and in a universe where this type of music never fell out of fashion, surely would have found its way onto the charts. If you enjoy Hitchcock's vocals, he's released a couple of solo records and can be heard on Peterik's latest World Stage record, too.
Jim Peterik is a god in AOR circles, but most people don't know his name. He's been a driving force in hitmakers The Ides of March and Survivor, and written hit songs for other artists including .38 Special, Henry Paul Band, and Cheap Trick, yet he's never scored a chart appearance as a solo artist. Partly because he has released very few solo records. Even then, he usually has big name collaborators, as in the case of his World Stage records. The first record he released with this rotating all-star band was back in 2000, and Peterik is slated to release another long-awaited World Stage record this year (2019). Peterik's collaboration runs strong with Cheap Trick, who lent a hand to write and perform this truly great rocker called "Zig Zag" from the first World Stage record. Punching it up even more are backing vocals from Tom Keifer of Cinderella.
The Henry Paul Band scored one minor hit in the early 80s with "Keeping Our Love Alive." With a sound reminiscent of the Eagles brand of country rock, the song deserved better than stalling at #50. The song also features Richard Paige (Mr. Mister) and Bill Champlin (Chicago) on backing vocals. The Henry Paul Band also had some pretty incredible guitar playing for a group that was considered soft rock. Some of their solos and riffs would have a home in shredding metal songs - seriously! Henry Paul was in a Southern rock band called The Outlaws before and after this venture, and formed the country band BlackHawk in 1991. By 1998, he was back on the charts with "There You Have It," which reached #41. "Longshot" preceded the arrival of "Keeping Our Love Alive" but it bubbled under in 1980. It was another single that should have brought this talented band some wider recognition. Fun fact: both of these songs (and many others in the band's catalogue) were co-written with Jim Peterik, a co-founder of Survivor.
One of my favorite rock vocalists, Jimi Jamison is best known as one of the singers for the 80s melodic rock band Survivor (replacing Dave Bickler in 1984). Jamison gave the band some of their biggest hits including "Burning Heart" and "The Search Is Over." Among the more high-profile bands he fronted prior to Survivor were Target and Cobra. He's also been a frequent backup singer for ZZ Top and Joe Walsh. As Survivor's popularity began to fade in the late 80s, Jamison tried his hand at a solo record. In 1991, he released "When Love Comes Down," which flopped despite some strong cuts like "Cry Alone" and the title track. He made a comeback of sorts with his single, "I'm Always Here," the theme to the inexplicable hit of a TV show, Baywatch. His second solo record, "Empires," failed to leverage the popularity of "I'm Always Here" and was another flop. Jamison returned to Survivor in 2000 but left again shortly after they released "Reach" in 2006. In 2008, he teamed with ex-Survivor and Ides of March member Jim Peterik to release another solo effort, "Crossroads." Thanks to the strong melodic songwriting of Peterik, "Crossroads Moment" sounds like a proper Survivor record and provided Jamison with a batch of songs that truly showcased his voice. Standout cuts include "As Is," "She's Nothing To Me," "Behind The Music," and the title track. Although nothing charted, this is a record worth tracking down if you enjoyed Jamison's tenure in Survivor (along with the "leftovers" album he did with Peterik called "Extra Moments.") "Never Too Late" was Jamison's final solo record before his untimely death in 2014 from a heart attack and stroke brought on by meth overdose. Another strong slice of melodic rock, the record once again proves how wonderful his voice was. "The Great Unknown" is just one of many highlights.
We've reached one of the many projects and bands masterminded by Jim Peterik. The Ides of March was Peterik's first taste of chart success, with much more to follow in the 80s after he co-founded Survivor. The Ides of March are best known for their sassy and brassy number, "Vehicle," which soared to #2 in 1970. The band sounds a lot like Blood, Sweat & Tears, and a lot different than Peterik's later projects. Considered a one-hit wonder, most folks forget about the catchy tune "You Wouldn't Listen," which only hit #42 in 1966. This ear-worm of a song showcases the melodic songwriting talents Peterik would continue to leverage throughout his remarkable career. The Ides made three additional appearances in the Top 100. "Roller Coaster" climbed to #92 in 1966, "Superman" flew to #64 in 1970, and "L.A. Goodbye" waved to us at #73 in 1971.
