Shadow King (Collector'S Edition)

The formation of Shadow King presented a unique and exciting opportunity, the band consisting of a veritable cavalcade of super-hot talent from a number of key musical touch stones. Vocalist Lou Gramm had propelled Foreigner to major success over two decades, whilst guitarist Vivian Campbell had been an integral member of Dio. The rhythm section of Bruce Turgon and Kevin Valentine had also served in a number of highly respected outfits, including Warrior and Steve Stevens’s Atomic Playboys, so the creation of Shadow King was greeted with huge anticipation. Signed to Atlantic Records, home of Foreigner, the quartet were paired with acclaimed producer Keith Olsen (Whitesnake, Heart, Ozzy Osbourne) and recorded in Los Angeles. It was a productive pairing, with the results displaying not only a brace of killer songs, but also a sonic sheen that looked set to propel the band into the melodic rock super league. But sadly that was not to be. According to the group there were dark forces at work within the label attempting to derail the project in an effort to reunite Lou Gramm with Foreigner. Matters were also complicated by guitarist Vivian Campbell being approached by Def Leppard, looking to replace recently deceased guitarist Steve Clark. All that bad luck combined with the rising tide of grunge taking a firm foothold the band floundered, playing only one highly praised gig in London before falling apart and leaving behind just this superlative, solitary, album. Check out ‘tracks such as ‘What Would It Take’, ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ and the anthem ‘Once Upon A Time’