SARAYA – When The Blackbird Sings… [Japan Edition] Out Of Print

After the recent SARAYA posts we need to recommend the band’s second and last album, in its Japanese edition which sounds way better than any other version.
While not successful in sales as their debut, “When The Blackbird Sings…” is even better in many aspects, elaborated and mature female fronted Melodic Hard Rock.

The band – from New Jersey – formed around vocalist Sandi Saraya and keyboard player Greg Munier in 1987 and they debuted on Polydor in 1989 when they were called ‘the new Bon Jovi’. The band’s second album ”When The Blackbird Sings” consolidated their sound which blended elements of the best female-fronted rock with out-and-out rock swagger.

What’s more, this album sounds better now than it ever did. The guitars (Tony Bruno) are fantastic, the songs immediate yet durable, and of course Sandi’s vocals are a standout. She was influenced by Chrissie Hynde and Ann Wilson of Heart.
In a Kerrang interview in 1989, she also cited Glenn Hughes as a major influence and in particular the album ‘Hughes Thrall’.

This second album “When The Blackbird Sings…”, released in May 1991 and produced by Peter Collins (Queensryche, Rush), was more polished than the debut but Munier had left the band during recording, disagreeing with the the more guitar-oriented direction.
Barry Dunaway who had played with Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Lynn Turner replaced Gary Taylor on bass.

Tracks like ‘Queen of Sheba’ grab your attention from the first guitar chords, and Saraya’s vocals juxtaposed with Bruno’s chorused figures evoke Chrissie Hynde in a hard rock band.
‘Bring Back The Light’ has a Whitesnake-esque ‘Still Of The Night’ feel to it, ‘Hitchin’ A Ride’ starts with a bluesy motif before Bruno’s chunky chords cut in. And there are echoes of Joan Jett and The Runaways in ‘When You See Me Again’.

‘Lion’s Den’ has all the swagger of prime-time Aerosmith with the musicality of Romeo’s Daughter. ‘In The Shade Of The Sun’ is simply wonderful, dramatically building to another stinging Bruno guitar solo and arguably one of the finest songs of the late hair metal era.
‘The Seducer’ was released as a single and drew attention via MTV, to Sandi Saraya’s photogenic qualities although this was surprisingly played down for the band’s debut release.

After this album Sandi Saraya disappeared from the music business. She get married and raised five kids and home schooling them, and “has devoted her life to God”. One other reason for distancing herself from the music is that – sadly – band co-founder Munier died of a pneumonia-related illness in 2006.
Of the band members, Bruno – who co-wrote the album with Sandi Saraya – has played with Danger Danger and Joan Jett.

The now-defunct Firefest festival (UK) attempted to effect a band reformation in 2010 but this fell down in financial negotiation.
However, in 2019 there was news that Sandi Saraya and Tony Bruno were preparing material for a new album, apparently a natural successor to their sophomore release.
Any female-fronted melodic hard rock band should look to Saraya as the blueprint, and you, as fan of the genre, need both their albums in your collection.
Highly Recommended

01 – Queen of Sheba
02 – Bring Back the Light
03 – Hitchin’ a Ride
04 – When You See Me Again
05 – Tear Down the Wall
06 – Seducer
07 – When the Blackbird Sings
08 – Lion’s Den
09 – In the Shade of the Sun
10 – White Highway
11 – New World

Sandi Saraya – lead vocals
Tony Bruno – guitar, vocals
Barry Dunaway – bass, vocals
Chuck Bonfante – drums, vocals

Out Of Print