DESMOND CHILD & Rouge ‎- Desmond Child & Rouge [Cherry Red / Lemon remaster]

DESMOND CHILD & Rouge albums were repeatedly requested on this blog, as both remastered CD reissues are pretty hard to find, especially this self-titled debut. “Desmond Child and Rouge” was remastered for the fist time (and it’s the only one) in 2004 by Cherry Red Records and released through their associated label Lemon, and now it’s out of print with used copies being sold for over € 250.

As the composer of numerous world wide smashes whose roll call of success includes songs performed by a plethora of top international talent from Bon Jovi (‘Livin On A Prayer’), Kiss (‘I Was made For Lovin’ You’), Aerosmith (‘Dude (Looks Like A Lady’), Alice Cooper (‘Poison’) and many more in between, Desmond Child’s influence on contemporary music is all encompassing and hugely influential.
But it wasn’t always that way.

Back in 1977 Desmond was just another struggling New York City based performer/songwriter trying to catch a break in a business whose bedside manners left a lot to be desired.
As the architect of Desmond Child And Rouge his vision was, even for the time, wildly on the theatrical side. Featuring no less than three female lead vocalists – that’s Maria Vidal, Myriam Valle & Diana Grasselli alongside Desmond’s own smooth pipes – and a style that could best be described as both flamboyant and beguiling, the band recorded two critically lauded but commercially rather unsuccessful studio albums.

“Desmond Child and Rouge” delivers varied styles ranging from soft rock with a Fm Radio orientation to some poppy disco/rock stuff as it’s heard in the album’s moderate hit “Our Love is Insane” or “Lovin’ Your Love”.
However, there’s several tracks where you can hear Desmond Child’s penchant for proto-AOR melodies, something he will develop at full in his future works / songwriting.
Just listen “The Fight”, co-written by Kiss’s Paul Stanley (and David Landau – along with Desmond, of course) is filled with some pretty interesting musicianship including tinkling synthesizers.

“City in Heat” is really good to featuring an exceptional guitar playing, “Main Man” is an elegant and quite amazing AORish ballad, then “Lazy Love” follows next going into that softer rock AOR sound with some stylized female vocals.
The album ends with “Givin’ In to My Love”, which opens with some pretty strong guitar playing, and then we go into Desmond’s passionate vocals.

While debut “Desmond Child and Rouge” is not my favorite album from the group (their second is far superior) and there’s some poppy stuff over here, it’s a great listen to discover the origins of Desmond Child’s talent, perhaps the most accomplished ’80s AOR songwriter ever.
This remastered reissue by Cherry Red Records is great (featuring a refreshed, different artwork) and as said, almost impossible to find nowadays.
Collectors item

01 – Westside Pow Wow
02 – Our Love Is Insane
03 – Lovin’ Your Love
04 – The Fight
05 – Main Man
06 – City In Heat
07 – Lazy Love
08 – Otti
09 – Givin’ It To My Love

Desmond Child (lead vocals, keyboards on 6, 7)
Maria Vidal (lead vocals on track 5, 7, background vocals)
Myriam Valle (lead vocals on track 3, background vocals)
Diana Grasselli (lead vocals on track 2, background vocals)
musicians :
Alan Schwartzberg (drums)
John Susswel (drums on track 6 and 7)
Neil Jason (bass)
John Siegler (bass on track 6 and 7)
Paul Shaffer (keyboards,)
Ralph Shuckett (keyboards on track 6 and 7)
Jimmy Maeulen (percussion)
Rubens Bassini (percussion on track 6 and 7)
Elliot Randall (guitar solo on track 1, 9)
Michael Landau (guitar solo on track 2)
David Landau (guitar solo on track 7)
Larry Saltzman (guitar solo on track 8)
Rick Wakeman (synthesizer arrangement track 4)

OUT OF PRINT
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