{"id":11677,"date":"2019-08-01T17:21:35","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T17:21:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/skylight.gr\/?p=11677"},"modified":"2019-08-01T17:21:38","modified_gmt":"2019-08-01T17:21:38","slug":"lost-album-by-roger-c-reale-featuring-mick-ronson-bowie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/2019\/08\/01\/lost-album-by-roger-c-reale-featuring-mick-ronson-bowie\/","title":{"rendered":"Lost album by Roger C. Reale featuring Mick Ronson (Bowie)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today, Rave On Records reveals details of a comprehensive reissue campaign from Roger C. Reale and Rue Morgue, including an unreleased album featuring guitar legend Mick Ronson. During the studio group\u2019s 1978-1979 existence, a stellar lineup of rock sidemen recorded as Rue Morgue, including guitarists G.E. Smith (Daryl Hall & John Oates, Bob Dylan, Saturday Night Live Band), Mick Ronson (David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Ian Hunter) and Jimmy McAllister (The Beckies, Mick Ronson Band, Sparks), alongside drummer Hilly Michaels (Mick Ronson Band, Sparks, Ian Hunter). Reale served as the group\u2019s primary songwriter, vocalist, and bassist.

DETAILS ON THE RELEASES:<\/strong>

Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue \u2014\u00a0The Collection\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>CD\/DL (Rave On TGP-1015)
The Collection\u00a0<\/em>features Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue\u2019s discography, with all 24 remastered tracks making their CD debut on October 18. Tracks 1-12 comprise the band\u2019s 1978 U.S. debut album\u00a0Radioactive\u00a0<\/em>(originally issued on indie label Big Sound), as well as an additional pair of tracks (\u201cClose Inspection\u201d and a cover of Fontella Bass\u2019 1965 Billboard #1 R&B chart topper \u201cRescue Me\u201d) which appeared on the subsequent UK release of\u00a0Radioactive\u00a0<\/em>by Decca\/London Records. The band lineup features Reale (lead vocals, bass), G.E Smith (guitar), Hilly Michaels (drums, vocals), and Jimmy McAllister (guitar, track 10). Tracks 13-24 comprise the\u00a0Reptiles In Motion\u00a0<\/em>album (details below). All 24 tracks were produced by Trod Nossel Studios owner\/CEO Thomas \u201cDoc\u201d Cavalier and recorded and mixed by house engineer Richard Robinson. Compilation produced in 2019 by Richard Brukner.\u00a0

Pre-order on\u00a0Amazon<\/a>
Pre-order on Bandcamp<\/a>

Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue \u2014\u00a0Reptiles In Motion\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>LP (Rave On TGP-1014)
Recorded in 1979, the previously unreleased\u00a0Reptiles In Motion\u00a0<\/em>was meant to be Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue\u2019s second album. The band includes Reale (lead vocals, bass), Mick Ronson (guitar), Jimmy McAllister (guitar, vocals), and Hilly Michaels (drums, vocals). Reptiles In Motion<\/em> will be released October 18.\u00a0

Pre-order on\u00a0Amazon<\/a>
Pre-order on Bandcamp<\/a>
Note: For a limited time, orders placed for the\u00a0Reptiles In Motion\u00a0<\/em>vinyl LP on Bandcamp will include an original, sealed 1978 copy of the U.S. pressing of the\u00a0Radioactive\u00a0<\/em>LP.\u00a0 ___ \u00a0
Although Rhode Island-born Reale was actively involved in other gigging bands in the New England scene of the late 1970s, his band Rue Morgue was primarily a studio group closely associated with Trod Nossel Studios<\/a> in Wallingford, CT, and its affiliated label, Big Sound.\u00a0

\u201cBig Sound initially patterned itself after Stiff Records<\/a>,\u201d reveals Reale. \u201cPunk and new wave stuff was getting through and Big Sound wanted to be part of that.\u201d Big Sound A&R man Jon Tiven continues, \u201cI thought Big Sound was going to be anything other than mainstream that qualified as rock. Roger is the closest thing we had to an artist that I thought would be appealing to Ramones fans, Richard Hell fans, somebody who had that kind of adrenaline rush.\u201d\u00a0In fact, Reale was an eyewitness to the glory days of those acts as he frequently traveled to New York City to experience the electrifying punk scene happening at CBGB<\/a> and Max\u2019s Kansas City<\/a>.\u00a0

When it came time to cut a debut album, Reale brought in guitarist G.E. Smith<\/a> and Tiven suggested drummer Hilly Michaels<\/a>. Smith\u2019s dynamic live work with regional live act The Scratch Band was a known quantity, and Michaels had just come off the road with Sparks. \u201cRadioactive\u00a0<\/em>sessions went very quickly, no wasted time,\u201d recalls Reale. \u201cWhatever had to be done was done in one day. All the songs were fully formed, and G.E. and Hilly added their personalities. As a trio, we just clicked.\u201d Smith recalls, \u201cRoger was a good singer, a REALLY good singer. I remember, man, when the three of us would sit in a room and play\u2026 it was\u00a0HUGE<\/em>\u2026 I\u2019ve played on a bunch of things since then, you know, but that whole album is really one of my top two or three.\u201d

Soon after the\u00a0Radioactive\u00a0<\/em>sessions wrapped, the band\u2019s live debut was booked. In November, 1978, Reale, Michaels, and guitarist Jimmy McAllister (who had featured on one Radioactive<\/em> cut) played a showcase gig at the popular concert venue Hurrah<\/a> on Manhattan\u2019s upper east side. Smith had made other commitments by this point and had moved on.\u00a0\u00a0By all accounts, the Hurrah gig set the house ablaze. However, it would prove to not only be Rue Morgue\u2019s lone NYC show, but the group\u2019s only live appearance ever during its short existence.\u00a0

Despite being picked up for UK distribution via Decca\/London Records,\u00a0Radioactive\u00a0<\/em>failed to find an audience. But no time was wasted in prepping for a second Rue Morgue LP.

\u201cI brought Roger\u2019s record over to Mick Ronson<\/a>\u2019s house,\u201d recalls Michaels. \u201cI sat him down and I put on Roger\u2019s record, and Mick was just fixated. No calls, no \u201cHey Mick,\u201d he just put his hands up and was hypnotized by the first record. \u2018F**king hell, Hilly, this is amazing! Can I play on the next one?\u2019 And I said, \u2018Yeah, absolutely, I\u2019m sure you can!\u2019\u201d

In January 1979, recording began on Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue\u2019s second and final album,\u00a0Reptiles In Motion<\/em>. In addition to McAllister and Michaels, Ronson was brought in for the sessions. \u201cI picked Mick\u2019s brain,\u201d remembers Reale. \u201cHe had recently produced The Rich Kids LP, so we talked about that and a lot of other musical things, and I remember it as being very comfortable.\u201d Michaels recalls, \u201cMick locked in and it was lightning in a bottle a second time. Even better, even more thematic and powerful. And I think Mick was hedging a bit, because he fell for Jimmy. Mick was that sweet and kind and considerate, not overdoing it, and maybe underplaying it just a bit so as not to take away from Jimmy. Amazing.\u201d

Cue record company turmoil at label Big Sound. Michaels recalls that Tiven got into a major disagreement with (album producer and Trod Nossel studio owner) Thomas \u201cDoc\u201d Cavalier and left. By 1981, Reale realized that the uncompleted sessions for the second album would likely never be finished, much less released.\u00a0

Flash forward to 2018. Justice is finally attained as Reale \u2014 with assistance from compilation producer Richard Brukner \u2014 finally acquires ownership of all his publishing and master tapes. Reale summarizes the Rue Morgue story: \u201cRadioactive\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Reptiles\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 both of those albums are greater than the sum of their parts. G.E., Hilly, and I immediately hit that wavelength where you know you\u2019re onto something special, and we turned things up a notch when Jimmy McAllister and Mick Ronson came on board. I\u2019m happy for Jimmy, to tell you the truth, because he was such a fantastic musician and friend. Jimmy died in 2006, but there\u2019s some justice now that\u00a0Reptiles\u00a0<\/em>is finally coming out and people can hear his incredible talent. That was an exciting time for new music and we had a chance to be part of it. We had some good songs. And we could\u00a0play<\/em>.\u201d

After leaving Big Sound, Reale continued to write and perform, moving from pop influenced sounds back to his blues roots. His songs have been recorded by Buddy Guy (1998 Grammy Nomination: Best Contemporary Blues Album), Michael Burks (2004 WC Handy Blues Song of the Year Nomination), and Johnny Winter (2004 Grammy Nomination: Best Contemporary Blues Album). Reale continues to perform and release new music with his band The Manchurians.


Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue \u2014\u00a0The Collection\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>tracklist:

Radioactive\u00a0<\/em>LP (Originally released 1978 \/ U.S. \u2013 Big Sound \/ UK \u2013 Decca\/London Records)
1.\u00a0\u00a0High Society
2.\u00a0\u00a0Dear Dad (Chuck Berry)
3.\u00a0\u00a0Stop And Go
4.\u00a0\u00a0Pain Killer
5.\u00a0\u00a0Rescue Me (Raynard Miner\/Carl Smith, originally recorded by Fontella Bass) *
6.\u00a0\u00a0Kill Me
7.\u00a0\u00a0Reach For The Sky
8.\u00a0\u00a0Madonna\u2019s Last Stand
9.\u00a0\u00a0Please Believe Me
10.\u00a0\u00a0Close Inspection *
11. Inside Outside
12.\u00a0\u00a0I Can\u2019t Control Myself (Reg Presley, originally recorded by The Troggs)

Reptiles In Motion\u00a0<\/em>LP (Previously unreleased)\u00a0
13.\u00a0\u00a0She\u2019s Older Now (Roger C. Reale\/Jon Tiven\/Sally Tiven)
14.\u00a0\u00a0Pros and Cons
15.\u00a0\u00a0Radioactive
16.\u00a0\u00a0One More Try
17.\u00a0\u00a0No Secrets
18.\u00a0\u00a0Debutante Ball
19.\u00a0\u00a0Make It Be Over (Roger C. Reale\/Jon Tiven\/Sally Tiven)\u00a0
20.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m In Distress
21.\u00a0\u00a0Point Blank
22.\u00a0\u00a0Back It Up
23.\u00a0\u00a0Living In Anger
24.\u00a0\u00a0Rock It To The Kremlin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n