BERNIE TORME – Lightning Strikes (1982-1983) [HNE / Cherry Red 4-CD remastered] (2023)

BERNIE TORME became guitarist for Ian Gillan’s new venture, GILLIAN, in 1978. Bernie’s guitar histrionics were the perfect foil. Gillan’s new solo band saw the singer enjoy his biggest solo successes across four hit albums, numerous singles and appearing before millions of viewers on Top Of The Pops.
After eventually jumping ship in 1981, Bernie released his debut solo album, ‘Turn Out The Lights’ to chart success the following year. Bernie was joined by Phil Spalding on bass and vocals, Saxon’s Nigel Glockler and Mark Harrison on drums and Gillan’s Colin Towns on keyboards and flute. Bernie released his second solo album ‘Electric Gypsies’ in 1983 produced by himself and Stephen Stewart.
Now Hear No Evil / Cherry Red Records are releasing ”Lightning Strikes (1982-1983)” a 4-CD box set including both studio albums remastered inclusing bonus tracks, plus two live albums showcasing Bernie’s incendiary playing.

Ever the showman, it made sense for Bernie to record a live album, and in 1984 he released the self-explanatory [LIVE] featured on CD3 here, recorded in London the previous year. Putting together a new three-piece band, Bernie was backed by Colin “James” Bond on bass and Ron Rebel on drums.

The fourth and final CD in this set is ‘Live In Sheffield 1983’ (CD4). Recorded live at the Octagon, Sheffield on the same tour and with the same line-up as the [LIVE] album, the show on CD4 mines a similar vein as the first live album on this collection, drawing heavily on his first two solo albums, and including a cover of Gillan’s ‘No Easy Way’.
Highly Recommended

DISC ONE Turn Out The Lights (1982)
1 Turn Out The Lights
2 Painter Man
3 Lies
4 America
5 Getting There
6 Possession
7 No Reply
8 Chelsea Girls
9 India
10 Oh No
BONUS TRACKS
11 Try And Stop Me (from Back With The Boys)
12 What’s Next (from Back With The Boys)
13 Back With The Boys (from Back With The Boys)
14 Chelsea Girls (Live Rehearsal 1982, previously unreleased)
15 Boney Maroney (Kingsway November 1979, previously unreleased)

DISC TWO Electric Gypsies (1983)
1 Wild West
2 20th Century
3 Lightning Strikes
4 Too Young
5 Call Of The Wild
6 D.I.S.E.
7 Presences
8 I Can’t Control Myself
9 Go Go
BONUS TRACKS
10 Shoorah Shoorah
11 Star
12 Search And Destroy
13 Possession
14 New World
15 Search And Destroy (Live in Paris 6.11.1982, previously unreleased)
16 Star (Live in Paris 6.11.1982, previously unreleased)

DISC THREE [Live] (1983)
1 Intro/Presences
2 Wild West
3 Turn Out The Lights
4 Lightning Strikes
5 Getting There
6 Too Young
7 No Easy Way
BONUS TRACKS
Live at the Red Lion, Gravesend 1983
8 Wild West
9 Lightning Strikes
10 Presences
11 The Beat (Live at Leeds Cosmo Club 3.11.1983, prev unreleased)

DISC FOUR Live In Sheffield (1983)
1 Wild West
2 20th Century
3 No Easy Way
4 Turn Out The Light
5 Presences
6 Lightning Strike
7 Getting There
8 I Can’t Control Myself
9 Too Young
10 Bernie’s Guitar Extravaganza
11 Possession
12 The Beat
13 No Easy Way (Repeat)

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