DESMOND CHILD & Rouge ‎- Runners In The Night [Desmond Child own remaster] (2020) *HQ*

320_1 /// 320_2 /// HQ

As you may know, Desmond Child is 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’), to 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.
In the Seventies Desmond assembled DESMOND CHILD & Rouge, a pop-rock combo which self-titled debut appaered in 1979 on Capitol Records. But for the second effort Desmond was looking for more adult, FM Rock sound arising in the USA at the end of the Seventies. He was completely convinced that sound would rule the airwaves for the next five years… and he was right.
“Runners In The Night” sounded distinctly rockier than its predecessor, with more electric guitar presence featuring some hot licks by session man G.E. Smith, who later showed up as axeman for Hall & Oates. All are strong tunes with a great melodic rock feel like ”My Heart’s On Fire”, and ‘Tumble In The Night’. The AORish ‘Rosa’ is great too, while first track ‘The Truth Came Out’ is loud and kicking.
Rock Candy Records remastered / reissued “Runners In The Night” years ago, but this is Desmond Child’s own remaster & release via his label Deston Entertainment / Desmobile Productions, distributed by BMG. The sound is warmer, very FM-radio indeed.

Our absolute favorite is ‘My Heart’s On Fire’ with its addictive melody and catchiness, and together with ‘The Night Was Not’ are instant classics and belongs to any Desmond Child Best Of compilation.
The title track is a slow rocker that could easily be reprised by today’s melodic rock bands, “Scared To Live” has a beginning with a riff that puts to shame several rock classics, and “Feelin’ Like This” will not suffer from any comparison with any good FM Radio hit from the Eighties.

Desmond Child & Rouge “Runners In the Night” is generally regarded as the troupe’s finest moment, a record full of delightful twists and turns with a forceful melodic rock quotient that has been recognised as one of the genre’s most ambitious and impressive creations.
Make no mistake, this is one of the best, if unheralded, AOR / MR releases of all time, especially for the songwriting / sound approach, which in grand part defined what was to come in this musical genre.
Highly Recommended

01 – The Truth Comes Out
02 – My Heart’s On Fire
03 – The Night Was Not
04 – Goodbye Baby
05 – Runners In the Night
06 – Tumble In the Night
07 – Scared to Live
08 – A Feelin’ Like This
09 – Imitation of Love
10 – Rosa

G. E. Smith – guitars
John Siegler – bass
Jerry Marotta – drums
Randy Courts, Batte Sussman – keyboards
Desmond Child, Marta Vidal, Myriam Valle, Diana Grasselli – vocals

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