MYSTIC HEALER – Mystic Healer [Japan Edition +1] Out Of Print
Here’s one request, the MYSTIC HEALER album self-titled “Mystic Healer” in its rare Japanese edition including a worthy bonus track.
The Mystic Healer album is made up of ’80s and ’90s recordings by keyboard player & songwriter Mark Mangold (Touch, Drive She Said) and singer Todd Googins. Most of these songs were written / recorded during ’80s at different sessions, then Mangold assembled all the tapes and with Googins re-recording most the lead vocals released “Mystic Healer” in 1998.
As you can guess, this is pure ’80s marvelous AOR stuff featuring lovely tunes co-penned by Mangold with the likes of talented Jack Ponti, Michael Bolton during his early AOR period, Aldo Nova, Drive She Said’s Al Fritsch, etc.
Well known names are also involved in one way or another, namely Bolton, Peppy Castro (Balance), Joe Cerisano (Silver Condor) and Fritsch providing backing vocals, Bruce Kulick (KISS, Blackjack), Tony Bruno (Danger Danger, Joe Lynn Turner) and Randy Jackson (Zebra, Journey) playing guitar, Chuck Bonfante (Saraya, Drive She Said) on drums, etc.
Musically, the sound & style in “Mystic Healer” is like cross between the first Drive She Said album and Michael Bolton’s celebrated LP “Everybody’s Crazy”. If fact, most the musicians here recorded in that album.
Singer Todd Googing is a real find (what happened with this guy?, never recorded again) some kind of Al Fritsch’s vocal color in Drive She Said and Steve Perry.
Song like “Crosed My Heart”, “It Must Be Love”, “Live Wire” are plenty of keys and smooth harmonies, while “If You Ever Fall” is top AOR, same with the superb “Tonight” originally planned for Bolton’s album (he sang backing vocals here) which include guitars by Bruce Kulick.
Then “You Never Know With Magic” adds a ‘touch’ (pun intended) of pomp AOR recalling Mangold’s previous band Touch.
“I Am The One” is one of the ‘new’ songs written by Googins / Mangold especially for this release, however it sounds very classic Eighties.
You can’t go wrong with “Mystic Healer”; it’s pure American AOR from the golden era.
This Japanese press sounds much better that the domestic release, Asian CD manufacturing / digital transfer was superior around the era.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 Crossed My Heart – Mangold/Fritsch (1988)
02 If You Ever Fall – Mangold/Ponti (1987)
03 Tonight – Bolton/Mangold (1982)
04 You Hold My Heart – Byron/Mangold (1994)
05 You Never Know With Magic – Mangold (1986)
06 Standing In The Line Of Fire – Farina/Mangold (1987)
07 I Am The One – Googins/Mangold (1998)
08 Never Say Never – Mangold/Fritsch (1988)
09 Can’t Wait On Love – Tamara Champlin/Mangold (1992)
10 Live Wire – Mangold/Ponti (1986)
11 It Must Be Love – Mangold/Bolton/Nova (1988-98)
JAPAN BONUS TRACK:
12 All Your Love (Japan bonus track)
Mark Mangold – keyboards, backing vocals
Al Fritsch – guitars, bass, backing vocals
Todd Googing – vocals, piano
Chuck Bonfante – drums
Randy Jackson – guitars and backing vocals
Bruce Kulick – guitars
Tony Bruno – guitar solo on track 5
Jeff Allen – bass on tracks 2 and 11
D.L. Byron – 12-string guitar on track 4
Dave Ogrin – bass on track 8
Chuck Burgee – drums on track 3
Tamara Champlin, Michael Bolton, Peppy Castro, Joe Cerisano – backing vocals
Out Of Print
Try here:
www.ebay.com/itm/253980319185
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About Randy Jackson (Zebra, Journey) playing guitar…you do know that the Randy Jackson who was in Zebra is a different Randy Jackson than the one who was in Journey, don’t you? ;o)
Randy Jackson Zebra:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Jackson_(Zebra)
Randy Jackson Journey (also known as being judge in American Idol)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Jackson
Just asking! ;o)
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