Iron City Houserockers Have A Good Time But...Get Out Alive! LP (Vinyl)
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& lt;p & gt; & lt;strong & gt;40th Anniversary Deluxe Remastered Vinyl LP! & lt;/strong & gt;
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& lt;strong & gt;Produced By Mick Ronson (David Bowie) With Song Arrangements By Steven Van Zandt, Ian Hunter & amp; Mick Ronson! & lt;/strong & gt;
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& lt;strong & gt;Includes Limited-Time Digital Download Card With 16 Previously Unreleased Tracks! & lt;/strong & gt; & lt;/p & gt;
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& lt;p & gt;Forty years since a holy trinity of rock and roll royalty united to help oversee the recording sessions for an album hailed by Rolling Stone as & quot;a new American classic, & quot; Cleveland International Records is releasing a greatly expanded 40th anniversary
deluxe reissue this spring of Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive), the sophomore album from the Iron City Houserockers, the gritty, blue-collar outfit led by beloved Pittsburgh rocker Joe Grushecky. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;Mick Ronson (David Bowie), Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and Steven Van Zandt (Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny) combined with co-producers the Slimmer Twins (Steve Popovich Sr. & amp; Marty Mooney) and the Iron City Houserockers to create one of rock's
great lost classics. Their cohesive efforts - as producers, arrangers and players - can finally be rediscovered as an entirely new listening experience May 21 when Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive) is released by the fabled indie label. The new remastered
vinyl edition includes a download card with 16 previously unreleased tracks of demos and other rarities. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;The Iron City Houserockers' 1979 major label debut, Love's So Tough, had thrust the band into the national spotlight, with incredible praise from some of the most revered rock critics of all time, including Greil Marcus ( & quot;one of the least polished first
albums I've heard in the past year and one of the best & quot; - Rolling Stone), and Robert Palmer ( & quot;bringing fresh energy to a hallowed and somewhat moribund rock tradition & quot; - New York Times). The Houserockers were sharing stages with the J. Geils Band, Patti
Smith, Meat Loaf and Iggy Pop, to name a few. Everyone from Neil Young to the members of Pink Floyd was coming to see the Iron City Houserockers in concert. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;The heat was on to surpass the first album's success and Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive) handily delivered. The Iron City Houserockers' willingness to let Ronson, Hunter and Van Zandt reshape their initial ideas in the studio proved prophetic, and
the songs they recorded for the 1980 release put down roots that stretched far outside of Pittsburgh. Greil Marcus, this time for The Village Voice, returned to say the album was & quot;the strongest album an American band has made this year & quot; and & quot;proves
the Iron City Houserockers are the best hard rock band in the country. & quot; Creem declared Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive) earns the Iron City Houserockers & quot;a permanent place in the hallowed hall of the immortals. & quot; All Music Guide marveled at the new
album's power surge, saying the band & quot;landed with the impact of a Louisville slugger connecting with a fastball & quot; and crediting Grushecky for songwriting and lead vocals that & quot;seethe with a furious passion that's never less than convincing. ... The total
commitment of his performance, delivered with the conviction of a man fighting for his life, brings these stories to vivid, sweaty life. & quot; & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive) is listed as one of the top eight Essential Heartland Rock records alongside the likes of Bob Seger's Night Moves, and John Mellencamp's Scarecrow, and features many of the Houserockers' signature tunes, including
& quot;Pumping Iron, & quot; & quot;Junior's Bar, & quot; and & quot;Have A Good Time. & quot; During a 1981 live radio concert in Boston, rabid fans can be heard screaming requests for & quot;Pumping Iron, & quot; an anthem Grushecky penned as a tribute to his home city. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;Credit for bringing Ronson, Hunter and Van Zandt to the project lands squarely with Popovich, the famed late record industry exec who founded Cleveland International Records in the mid-'70s after an historic run in promotion for Simon & amp; Garfunkel, Bob
Dylan, The Byrds, Santana, Janis Joplin, Chicago, Tony Bennett, Earth Wind & amp; Fire, Taj Mahal, Miles Davis, Mott the Hoople, Boston, Tom Jones and dozens more giants too numerous to list. Cleveland International first rocketed into our collective consciousness
with Meat Loaf's epic, multi-platinum global smash Bat Out of Hell. Popvich's son, Steve Jr., relaunched Cleveland International last year. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;Popovich Sr. signed the Iron City Houserockers to Cleveland International (after changing their name from the Brick Alley Band) and secured their MCA deal. At Cleveland International, the band created a unique blend of blue-collar rock informed by a deep
love of Chicago blues, early rock and roll and old school soul, all mixed together with dollops of punk and new wave. The core group was Grushecky on vocals and guitar, Gil Snyder on piano and vocals, Ned E. Rankin on drums, Art Nardini on bass, Marc
Reisman on harmonica and background vocals, and new recruit Eddie Britt on guitar, replacing founding member Gary Scalese following a serious hand injury. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;While the debut album essentially documented the band's live show as a studio recording, the second record sought - and achieved - more cohesive high ground. Fueling that pursuit, Grushecky wrote Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive) as Pittsburgh's steel
industry was & quot;going down the chutes, & quot; he says, crushing the local economy and dramatically changing the lives of the population. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt; & quot;I started really zeroing in on the characters of Pittsburgh, the people who lived in my neighborhoods, the guys who were coming out and seeing us play every night, & quot; says Grushecky. & quot;The whole identity of Pittsburgh was changing. & quot; & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;During one particular show, as the audience was becoming a bit too enthusiastic, Grushecky told a fan, & quot;Man, have a good time, but get out alive! & quot; He suddenly realized he had a good song title, which extended to becoming the perfect banner for the album. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;Grushecky credits Van Zandt for making him a better writer by encouraging him to make every lyric of every song count and guiding him through that process. & quot;Steve was great with arranging, & quot; he says, & quot;He gave invaluable input and ideas to the band. & quot; & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;Ronson and Hunter may have looked like the prototypical rock stars of the day, but Grushecky recalls their personalities belied appearances. & quot;They were salt of the earth guys and they were a team, & quot; he says. & quot;You could tell the strong affection they had
for each other. It was an honor for me to work with both of them. I'll say that to my dying days. It was just a tremendous experience for me. & quot; & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;As Hunter fondly remembers: & quot;Joe and the Houserockers were and are an actual rock and roll band. So many 'rock and roll' bands are not real - they just look and act like they are - and fool people most of the time. These guys are for real - and what a
lovely man Joe is. & quot; & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;In the liner notes, Grushecky offers a remarkably concise analysis of the record that emerged: & quot;We had great songs and the band was smoking, & quot; he writes. & quot;We all knew something special was happening. The results were a mixture of Pittsburgh rock and roll,
Jersey Shore savvy and soul, and English mystic and muscle. Add a dash of Cleveland moxie and an anything goes attitude and a legendary album was born. & quot; & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;section id= & quot;features & quot; & gt;
& lt;h3 & gt;Features & lt;/h3 & gt;
& lt;ul & gt;
& lt;li & gt;40th Anniversary Deluxe Reissue & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Vinyl LP & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Remastered & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Album arranged by Steven Van Zandt, Ian Huter & amp; Mick Ronson & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Limited-Time Digital Download Card - 16 Previously Unreleased Demos & amp; Outtakes & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Made in USA & lt;/li & gt;
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& lt;section id= & quot;selections & quot; & gt;
& lt;h3 & gt;Selections & lt;/h3 & gt;
& lt;h4 & gt;Side One: & lt;/h4 & gt;
& lt;ol & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Don't Let Them Push You Around & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Pumping Iron & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Hypnotized & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Price Of Love & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Angela & lt;/li & gt;
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& lt;h4 & gt;Side Two: & lt;/h4 & gt;
& lt;ol & gt;
& lt;li & gt;We're Not Dead Yet & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Blondie & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Old Man Bar & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Junior's Bar & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Runnin' Scared & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Rock Ola & lt;/li & gt;
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& lt;h4 & gt;Limited-Time Digital Download & lt;/h4 & gt;
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& lt;li & gt;Have A Good Time...But Get Out Alive (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Don't Let Them Push You Around (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Pumping Iron (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Don't Stop The Music (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Angela (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Price Of Love (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Hold Out (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Rock Ola (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Struggle & amp; Die (demo) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Rock Ola (extended) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Charlena/Blondie & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Runnin' Scared & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Runnin' Scared #2 & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Hypnotized (A Work In Progress) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Rooster Blues & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Do Wah Diddy & lt;/li & gt;
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Cleveland International Records
Cleveland International Records: Cleveland Rocks LP (Vinyl)
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& lt;p & gt; & lt;strong & gt;Compilation Reissued On Vinyl LP To Celebrate The Re-Opening Of The Cleveland International Records Label! & lt;/strong & gt;
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& lt;strong & gt;Features Meat Loaf, Ronnie Spector & amp; The E Street Band, Iron City Houserockers, Ian Hunter & amp; More! & lt;/strong & gt; & lt;/p & gt;
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& lt;p & gt;Forty two years after Meat Loaf's epic, multi-platinum global smash Bat Out of Hell put Cleveland International Records in our collective musical consciousness, the legendary indie label is back in business, re-launching with a LP re-release of
its mid-90s all-star compilation on April 5th called, Cleveland Rocks which is available for pre-order. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;The third incarnation of the label that gave us everyone from Ronnie Spector & amp; The E Street Band to Meat Loaf to America's polka king Frank Yankovic is being guided by Steve Popovich, Jr. a veteran satellite radio and industry executive whose father,
the late famed record industry exec Steve Popovich, founded the label in the mid-70s. Prior to launching Cleveland International, the elder Popovich rose through the ranks at CBS Records, becoming their youngest ever VP of Promotion for Columbia Records. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;Steve Popovich, Sr. was twice named Billboard magazine's National Promotion Man of the Year and won the Clive Davis Award for Promotion Excellence. His successes included Simon & amp; Garfunkel, Boz Scaggs, Loggins & amp; Messina, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Santana,
Janis Joplin, Dave Mason, Mahavishnu Orchestra, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Johnny Mathis, Chicago, Tony Bennett, Earth Wind & amp; Fire, Taj Mahal, Miles Davis, Mott the Hoople, Johnny Winter and The Chambers Brothers. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;After his history making run as head of promotion, Popovich Sr. became VP of A & amp;R at Epic Records and built a team that launched the careers of Boston, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Jaco Pastorius, Wild Cherry, Southside Johnny & amp; The Asbury Jukes, The Hollies,
Tom Jones and Engelbert Humperdinck. He was also a key member of the A & amp;R team that signed and brought the Jacksons, including Michael and Janet, to Epic.
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& lt;p & gt; & quot;My dad's story is pretty fascinating, here's this guy who grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania to becoming one of the most beloved and respected people in the history of the record business, & quot; says Popovich, Jr., who began working at the
label out of high school during its second incarnation (1995-2003). Over the years, his roles included everything from handling inventory control to overseeing the catalog including production, artwork, manufacturing, distribution, promotion and marketing
of the Cleveland Int'l catalog and its subsidiaries. & quot;We were a two man company for the better part of those last few years so working that closely with him on a daily basis with that down in it tenacity was like getting a masters degree in this business. & quot;
Says Popovich Jr. He will run Cleveland International out of his home base of Nashville. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt; & quot;The idea to relaunch had been simmering for a while, & quot; he adds, & quot;when my father's estate was finally settled after seven in a half years after his passing, it seemed like the perfect segue to me transitioning away from my company, Wrecking Ball Entertainment
to relaunching Cleveland International. Home is where the heart is and it was time for me to pick up where he left off. This means everything to me. I knew how much this label meant to him so to now be in this position is quite an honor. This isn't
about me, it's about him, an opportunity to pick up that torch and carry on his legacy. & quot; & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;On April 5, Cleveland International is set to re-release their Cleveland Rocks compilation on both LP. In addition to Meat Loaf's & quot;Paradise By The Dashboard Light, & quot; the 13 track collection includes classics by Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople (the anthem & quot;Cleveland Rocks & quot;), Ronnie Spector & amp; the E Street Band ( & quot;Say Goodbye to Hollywood & quot;), Southside Johnny & amp; The Asbury Jukes ( & quot;I Don't Wanna Go Home & quot;), Iron City Houserockers ( & quot;Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive & quot;), Euclid Beach Band ( & quot;There's No Surf in Cleveland & quot;), The Boyzz ( & quot;Too Wild To Tame & quot;), Essence ( & quot;Sweet Fools & quot;), The Rovers ( & quot;Wasn't That A Party & quot;) and Bat Out of Hell collaborator Ellen Foley ( & quot;We Belong To the Night & quot;). & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;section id= & quot;features & quot; & gt;
& lt;h3 & gt;Features & lt;/h3 & gt;
& lt;ul & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Vinyl LP & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Limited time free download code & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;/ul & gt;
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& lt;section id= & quot;selections & quot; & gt;
& lt;h3 & gt;Selections & lt;/h3 & gt;
& lt;h4 & gt;Side A: & lt;/h4 & gt;
& lt;ol & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Say Goodbye To Hollywood (Ronnie Spector & amp; The E Street Band) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;I Don't Wanna Go Home (Southside Johnny & amp; The Asbury Jukes) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Have A Good Time But Get Out Alive (Iron City Houserockers) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Sweet Fools (Essence) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Wasn't That A Party (The Rovers) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;There's No Surf In Cleveland (Euclid Beach Band) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;/ol & gt;
& lt;h4 & gt;Side B: & lt;/h4 & gt;
& lt;ol & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Paradise By The Dashboard Light (Meat Loaf) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;We Belong To The Night (Ellen Foley) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Too Wild To Tame (The Boyzz) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Cleveland Rocks (Ian Hunter) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;/ol & gt;
& lt;/section & gt;
Cleveland International Records
Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers American Babylon (25th Anniversary Edition) 2LP (Vinyl)
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& lt;p & gt;Coming March 4, 2022 pre-order your copy today! Orders with both pre-order and in stock items will have all in stock items shipped immediately! & lt;/p & gt;
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& lt;p & gt; & lt;strong & gt;25th Anniversary Edition On Double LP! & lt;br & gt;
Features 5 Live Tracks With Bruce Springsteen! & lt;/strong & gt; & lt;/p & gt;
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& lt;p & gt;Grushecky and his band had been a club fixture in the Northeast for nearly 25 years when they released American Babylon in 1995. The Pittsburgh band had proven themselves to be the consummate bar band with occasional flirtations with national success.
American Babylon found them teaming up with Bruce Springsteen, who handles production, plays on several tracks, and wrote two songs for the album. The title track is an up-tempo rocker detailing the disintegration of societal mores. There are plenty
of songs outlining love gone wrong and the struggles of common folk, all delivered in Grushecky's warm, well-worn voice over a barroom mixture of blues-based traditional rock. However, delivered with such earnestness and spirit makes American Babylon
a worthy contender and an enjoyable listen for fans of Mellencamp, Seger, and, especially, Springsteen. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;p & gt;The 25th anniversary deluxe reissue edition will include live tracks from the Houserockers' legendary October Assault Tour recorded at an enthusiastic hometown show that same year. & lt;/p & gt;
& lt;blockquote cite= & quot;quote source & quot; & gt;
American Babylon is an impassioned, sharply-etched portrait of working-stiff triumphs and travails.
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-Rick Reger, Chicago Tribune
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& lt;blockquote cite= & quot;quote source & quot; & gt;
As the leader of the Pittsburgh-based Iron City Houserockers, Joe Grushecky hammered out four heartland rock albums in the late 70s and early 1980s. These won over more critics than fans, so he became a special education teacher to support his family.
Still, he maintained a close relationship with Bruce Springsteen, and in 1995, they teamed up for American Babylon. The two remain tight and play together at least once a year, but this album remains their greatest joint accomplishment.
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-Rolling Stone
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& lt;blockquote cite= & quot;quote source & quot; & gt;
At a time when rock had splintered into grunge, industrial, alternative, and more, Joe Grushecky planted a defiant flag in the soul of rock and roll with American Babylon - one of the very best and undeservedly overlooked albums of the 1990s, and one
that sounds just as fresh, vibrant, and relevant 25 years later. Bruce Springsteen may have helped bring the album to life, but his contributions only elevate a collection of songs that in another time would have been radio classics on their own.
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-Ken Rosen, E Street Shuffle
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& lt;section id= & quot;features & quot; & gt;
& lt;h3 & gt;Features & lt;/h3 & gt;
& lt;ul & gt;
& lt;li & gt;25th Anniversary Edition & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Double Vinyl LP & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Live Tracks & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;/ul & gt;
& lt;/section & gt;
& lt;section id= & quot;selections & quot; & gt;
& lt;h3 & gt;Selections & lt;/h3 & gt;
& lt;h4 & gt;LP1 & lt;/h4 & gt;
& lt;ol & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Dark and Bloody Ground & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Chain Smokin' & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Never Be Enough Time & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;American Babylon & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Labor of Love & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;What Did You Do In The War & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Homestead & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Comin' Down Maria & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Talk Show & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;No Strings Attached & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;/ol & gt;
& lt;h4 & gt;LP2 & lt;/h4 & gt;
& lt;ol & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Billy's Waltz & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Only Lovers Left Alive & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Only Lovers Left Alive (Live) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Bruce Springsteen Intro (Live) & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;What Did You Do In The War (w/ Bruce Springsteen) [Live] & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Chain Smokin' (w/ Bruce Springsteen) [Live] & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;American Babylon (w/ Bruce Springsteen) [Live] & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Light Of Day (w/ Bruce Springsteen) [Live] & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;li & gt;Keep Knockin' (w/ Bruce Springsteen) [Live] & lt;/li & gt;
& lt;/ol & gt;
& lt;/section & gt;
Cleveland International Records