DONNIE IRIS – Fortune 410 [Rock Candy remaster +1] (2021) *0dayrox Exclusive*

Rock Candy Records has just remastered & reloaded DONNIE IRIS‘ most celebrated 80s albums with a pristine sound quality, and here’s the last from the batch, the really mid-Eighties sounding ”Fortune 410”, including a bonus track.
New Wave-ish AOR anyone? ”Fortune 410” is plenty of it. The sound became more processed according to times (originally released in 1983) but still retained an edge of perfect pure power-pop. This album packs some of Iris’ most expressive vocals and songs, like ‘Stagedoor Johnny’, ‘I’m A User’, the delicious ‘She’s So European’, ‘Do You Compute?’ and the insanely catchy ‘Cry (If you Want To)’, paving the way for a tidal wave of praise from fans.
The album had a computer-like artwork – a hi-tech coolness for the era – and the single hit ‘Do You Compute?’ was used by the video game / computer company Atari to form a cross-marketing promotion.
Pure Eighties stuff indeed.

With three albums under his belt, Donnie Iris and the band were feeling pressure to deliver a knockout punch. MCA had stood by him through thick and thin – and let’s face it, most of it was pretty thin – but there was a belief that he was just one song away from making a major breakthrough.
Of course, musically the band had never been more on top of their game, crafting songs that in another time and place really ought to have propelled them to bigger success.

For ”Fortune 410”, it was decided to move from their local studio in Pennsylvania to record in Cleveland, Ohio, closer to the home of main songwriter/keyboard player Mark Avsec. As result, ”Fortune 410” is Donnie Iris most concise and enjoyable album.
It was also a record that saw the band embrace computer technology but not in a wacky experimental way. This is MTV / radio-friendly stuff of the highest order, and a true representation of the Eighties culture.
And the album title? Well, that was the style of Donnie’s black horn-rimmed glasses…
Highly Recommended (contributors get lossless)

You’ve seen it first at 0dayrox

01 – Human Evolution
02 – Stagedoor Johnny
03 – Cry If You Want To
04 – Tell Me What You Want
05 – I Belong
06 – She’s So European
07 – I’m A User
08 – Never Did I
09 – Somebody
10 – Do You Compute?
BONUS TRACK:
11 – The Rapper (Live)

Donnie Iris – lead and background vocals
Mark Avsec – piano, organ, synthesizers, background vocals
Marty Lee Hoenes – guitars and background vocals
Albritton McClain – bass guitar and background vocals
Kevin Valentine – drums and percussion

BUY
www.amazon.com/Fortune-410-Donnie-Iris/dp/B0954RPYM8