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American singer JAY FERGUSON achieved respectable success both in US & Europe as frontman for the bands Spirit (alongside talented guitarist Randy California) and later Jo Jo Gunne. After the latter split in the mid-seventies, Ferguson was signed by Asylum Records as solo artist.
Jay recorded 4 LP with the label (scoring a US Top 10 hit in 1978) and then moved to Capitol to deliver two more during the '80s.
But perhaps Jay Ferguson is more known by AOR fans for his contributions to some cult movie soundtracks, such as Crystal Heart and Terminator.
"White Noise" was his last solo LP as 'recording artist', appeared in 1982.
Despite of being regarded as a 'L.A. Session' album typical of the era including first class musicians often linked to West Coast / AOR projects, "White Noise" is a pretty rocking album.
Indeed, there's great drummer Tris Imboden (Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, David Foster, and later Chicago), Tom Kelly (Player, Airplay) providing harmony vocals / arrangements and guitarist Mike Hamilton (Robbie Patton) among others.
However, a prove of White Noise's rocking edge is the inclusion as guests of Joe Walsh and long time friend Randy California dropping six-string solos.
Produced by Michael Verdick (David Pack) "White Noise" delivers an eclectic mix of styles all revolving around the radio-rock, melodic rock sound from the US first half of the '80s. There's no surprise to find a song in the tracklist co-penned with Gerard McMahon (another movie soundtrack specialist) as musically "White Noise" has very much in common with McMahon's solo album 'No Looking Back' released at the same time frame.
Good rockers like title track, "She's Mine Tonite", "Inside Out", "Million$", "Tonite (Fallin' For Ya)" are mixed with the AORish bluesy midtempo "In The Heat Of The Night" and fine ballads in "I Come Alive" and "Empty Sky".
After this record, Jay Ferguson focused his career as soundtrack composer for movies and television shows like The Office, NCIS: Los Angeles, and many more. Jay wrote 'Prologue / Elm Street Kids', the main theme from A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, and several of the incidental music to The Terminator alongside Brad Fiedel.
Precisely to The Terminator, Jay Ferguson apported as well a song entitled "Pictures Of You", which I've included here - with his two tracks for Crystal Heart OST - as bonuses.
"White Noise" was re-issued on CD some years ago together with his previous Capitol album (2-in-1 CD), but this rip is taken from a rare 2000's French edition featuring "White Noise" alone. It's a good sounding CD although I think the source is taken from vinyl.
A quite rare, unknown and fun addition to your collection.
01 - White Noise
02 - I'm Down
03 - I Come Alive
04 - Inside Out
05 - Empty Sky
06 - Tonite (Fallin' for Ya')
07 - Baby Come Back
08 - The Heat of the Night
09 - Million $
10 - She's Mine Tonight
11 - Let Me Believe In You [Crystal Heart OST]
12 - Brave New World [Crystal Heart OST]
13 - Pictures Of You [Terminator OST]
Jay Ferguson: vocals, keyboards
Tom Kelly: harmony vocals
Mike Hamilton, Bob Webb: guitars
Mark Andes: bass
Tris Imboden: drums
Tom Ferguson: strings
David Tolegian: horns
Joe Walsh, Randy California: guest guitar
JAY FERGUSON - White Noise (1982) + extras
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