GREGG ALEXANDER – Michigan Rain (1989) *HQ* RARE
The chances are you’ve heard singer / songwriter GREGG ALEXANDER’s songs thousands of times over the years as he’s written for the likes of Rod Stewart, The Struts, Gerri Halliwell, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Ronan Keating, and Santana with whom he won a Grammy award for the song, ‘Game Of Love’. Alexander’s later found success too as frontman of pop-rockers New Radicals.
But back in the Eighties when he released this, “Michigan Rain“, his debut album on A&M Records, he couldn’t get arrested – yeah, Gregg wrote most of the songs when he was 16, and at the time of recording, 19-year-old.
With the likes of Michael Landau on guitar, Kenny Aronoff on drums, Maria Vidal & Sandy Stewart on backing vocals, and other super talented sessions musicians playing in “Michigan Rain”, we have here a really good 1989 album of American Rock.
Despite Alexander’s later success in the music business, ”Michigan Rain” was taken out of print when he was dropped from A&M, and has long been rare and out of print. A used CD copy is being sold at Amazon for U$D 260.
Born Gregory Aiuto in Grosse Pointe, Michigan in 1970, he dabbled with several bands in the early Eighties before landing at the doorstep of celebrated producer Rick Nowels (Stevie Nicks, Belinda Carlisle, Madonna) in ’86.
The story goes that Gregg Alexander left a message on an answer machine regarding Nowels producing a song for a movie soundtrack. When Nowels called back the voice on the other end of the line informed him, he was sixteen, has thousands of songs and would like Nowels to produce him.
Hesitant to send him a tape, as he didn’t like to leave them lying around, Alexander played something over the phone, it was, as Nowels states on the sleeve of this album, a move that saw him heading down the freeway to meet this young songsmith.
After listening to his strange home demos, he agreed to make an album, a move that saw Alexander in Nowels life, studio and refrigerator for over two years. He was about nineteen at this time, a fragile sounding singer that was worldly wise way beyond his years.
You must remember that he was sixteen when he wrote the bulk of this album in its embryonic form, sixteen!
Between the songwriting guile of Alexander and the production of Nowels they created an album that was quirky, fragile and quite beguiling at times. The producer was right, his songs were strange, but oh so captivating.
Released in ’89 by A&M records it’s safe to say that it disappeared without trace, it was almost too different for mainstream consumption and far to jagged. It reminded me of a few American solo artists of the time, but with a melodic rock heart beating beneath its exterior.
The album paints a picture of a troubled artist, one that seems on the edge of his own sanity. Just check out the likes of ‘Save Me From Myself’ and ‘Loving You Sets Me Free’ and remember that a sixteen year old kid wrote these, the fragility on display is quite breath-taking. If misery loved company, then Gregg Alexander was his own best mate.
He did get another shot at a solo album in ’92, this time for Sony Music. Once again Nowels came along for the ride on ‘Intoxifornication’ and once again the cruel mistress that is the record buying public shunned it, consigning it to the cut-out bins almost immediately.
But his story didn’t end there, as six years later he re-appeared with his band New Radicals and secured a top five UK hit with ‘You Get What You Give’ and the subsequent album ‘Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too’ showcased a smoother set of songs, but with his usual angular and social commentary lyrics still in evidence.
He split the band up almost immediately after the album was released, far too uncomfortable in the spotlight. A life of songwriting beckoned and it’s where we came in and it’s where he’s been to this very day.
Highly Recommended
You saw it here first at 0dayrox
01 – In The Neighborhood
02 – Michigan Rain
03 – Loving You Sets Me Free
04 – Cruel With Me
05 – Save Me From Myself
06 – Ev’ry Now And Then
07 – Don’t Cry Mrs. Davis
08 – Sinner Times Ten
09 – Five And Dimes And Petty Crimes
10 – The World We Love So Much
Vocals, Guitar – Gregg Alexander
Guitar – Ben Schultz, Michael Landau
Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Piano – Rick Nowels
Keyboards, Piano – Charles Judge
Bass – John Pierce
Drums – Kenny Aronoff, Rudy Richman
Backing Vocals – David Munday, Maria Vidal, Sandy Stewart
BUY
amazon.com/Michigan-Rain-Gregg-Alexander/dp/B0001FUXVU
