This 1991 album from GDM favourites Shooting Star seems like a forgotten chapter in the history of Kansas City’s finest.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Shooting Star
ALBUM: It’s Not Over
LABEL: V&R, JRS Records
SERIAL: VR-0777-26, 73333 35803-2
YEAR: 1991
CD REISSUE: Discogs Reissue List
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
LINEUP: Keith Mitchell – vocals – Van McLain – guitars, backing vocals * Ron Verlin – bass * Dennis Laffoon – keyboards, backing vocals * Rod Lincoln – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 It’s Not Over * 02 Believe In Me * 03 We Can’t Wait Forever * 04 Rebel With A Cause * 05 Dancing On The Edge * 06 It You’ve Got Love * 07 Blame It On The Night * 08 Get Exited * 09 Cold Blooded * 10 Compassion
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
This 1991 album from GDM favourites Shooting Star seems like a forgotten chapter in the history of Kansas City’s finest. At this point of their career, SS were still signed to Enigma Records, but during the recording of the album the label went bankrupt.
Disappointed but undeterred, the band continued on and eventually released the album on their label V&R Records. Also, the band lineup was undergoing change too, with drummer Steve Thomas unable to commit, his place taken by Rod Lincoln. Charles Waltz had moved to California, so the lineup above is that attributed to the album’s credits.
The Songs
‘It’s Not Over’ is less symphonic in sound than previous albums, opting for a pure AOR sound. The ace in the hole is singer Keith Mitchell who has a fine set of pipes. Like a cross between Johnny Edwards, Mark Florian, Lou Gramm and John Farnham. Wow, what a stellar list.
With the AOR direction, there’s no violins to be found here, but that’s OK because this album is a little ripper. The video for the title track you can see below. And apart from the ‘Mony Mony’ styled chorus, this is what the band were all about back in 1991.
Much of the material is a winner for me. Considering this was a 1991 release, it got lost in the shuffle of all the albums that followed during that year (this album was released in February 1991), but still with excellent tracks like ‘We Can’t Wait Forever’, the galloping ‘Dancing On The Edge’, the album is onto a good thing.
One of the album highlights sits right at the very end, ‘Compassion’ with a supreme vocal from Mitchell and some lush keyboard work from Laffoon is a great way to finish off what is an excellent album.
In Summary
After the Enigma fiasco, the album did small business which kept their name in lights. So too did support gigs with Bryan Adams, 38 Special and Bad English. The band then opted for a distribution deal with JRS Records, but that was another deal which went down a cul-de-sac.
Van and Shooting Star eventually having to apply a lawsuit against that label for breach of contract. ‘It’s Not Over’ was eventually reissued in 2008 by Renaissance Records, but if you can find an original CD of the V&R version from 1991, then that is the one to get.
Video
It’s Not Over
