DOKKEN – Back In The Streets [’79 EP / Japan Edition] + Rare Single
And here we have DOKKEN‘s EP “Back In The Streets”, a bunch of demos recorded in 1979 in Germany, finally released ten years after without the band’s consent. This Japanese release features a different cover art.
While the classic Dokken line up appears printed, in fact this is Don Sokken on vocals / guitar, guitarist Greg Leon, drummer Gary Holland, and German bass player Peter Baltes (Accept).
By the end of the Seventies, hard rock / metal was not popular in America. Don Dokken said; “You couldn’t get a job in L.A. playing heavy metal, they called it ‘dinosaur rock.’ See, this is when The Knack was really peaking. Heavy metal was on Monday nights, Monday nights at The Troubadour.
I’d gone to Europe because heavy metal was still big there.”
A Dokken (still not operating under this name) line-up consisting of Don, guitarist Greg Leon, drummer Gary Holland (from the band Suite 19 which also once featured Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee), and bassist Gary Link toured Germany in 1979, where they met an up-and-coming producer by the name of Michael Wagener, also the live sound engineer for Accept.
Wagener produced some demos for the band in Hamburg, but nothing happened – this recording finally appeared in 1989 under the title ‘Back in the Streets’, released by the German label Repertoire Records without the band’s consent.
The story tells that these demos got stolen from Michael Wagner’s car. And someone released them in 1989 after Dokken’s success.
While George Lynch doesn’t play guitar here on “Back In The Streets”, the guitar work is second to none. At the time, Greg Leon was an experienced axe slinger having performed in Suite 19, Quiet Riot, Greg Leon Invasion, and Wishing Well.
Don’s vocals are clean as always, yet not polished and in control as we know him. Overall, the recording quality is very good, and we can appreciate how Don Dokken’s and his band project evolved over the years.
There’s a couple of live tracks as well, captured at Sounds Music-Club in October 1979, a venue where many future major bands honed their craft. Recorded by Wagener, the sound quality is very good.
And we have an extra rarity: the 1985 vinyl 12” promo press exclusive to Radio stations of “It’s Not Love”, including on Side A the mega-rare “It’s Not Love (vocal edit)”, pretty different from the original and never officially released.
Collectors stuff, only at 0dayrox
01 – Back In The Streets
02 – Felony
03 – Day After Day
04 – We’re Going Wrong
05 – Liar (Live)
06 – Prisoner (Live)
Don Dokken – vocals, guitar
Greg Leon – guitar
Peter Baltes (Accept) – bass
Gary Holland – drums
+
It’s Not Love [Elektra – ED 5152 vinyl 12” Radio Station Promo]
A Side – It’s Not Love (vocal edit) 4:08
B Side – It’s Not Love (vocal LP version) 5:01
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Wow! Thanks so much! Love this stuff. I have a few records and a bunch of cds, but not this of course. This is going to be a great weekend!
You’re welcome. Feel free to request anything.
good job guys!
Great stuff, I am looking for a band called Hand Of Fate? Can you share their selftitled CD?
added to Request List