GYPSY SOUL-Winners And Losers

Escape Music

In 1987 guitarist Ronnie Montrose released the album ‘Mean’, a sort of a carbon copy of the 1973 first Montrose record with Sammy Hagar singing. On that ‘Mean’ album Ronnie introduced a new singer called Johnny Edwards. At the same time Edwards was forming a band together with guitarist JK Northrup, bassist Larry Hart, drummer Glenn Hicks while second guitarist Justin McDaid joined a bit later. Ronnie Montrose was taken by the band and produced their first demo tape. For over two years the band kept recording songs, played live and even got rock guru John Kalodner from Geffen Records in their corner. Kalodner gave them the budget to create some more demos. Although there was enough interest at the end of the day the band did not get signed. In 1988 Northrup, Hart and Edward recorded with Carmine Appice the King Kobra album ‘III’. When it became clear to the musicians that their efforts were in vain they decided to go their own way. Surprisingly enough Johnny Edwards got recruited by Foreigner for the album ‘Unusual Heat’ (that featured the song ,,Ready For The Rain’’) while Northrup teamed up with former Rough Cutt singer Paul Shortino, using several Gypsy Soul tracks for the album ‘Back On Track’. Nowadays JK Northrup does a lot of production work for several record companies including Escape Music. With the motto ‘better late than never’ in mind JK managed to get Escape interested in finally releasing the bulk of the songs that were recorded under the banner Gypsy Soul. A selection was made and fourteen songs made the cut onto the album ‘Winners And Losers’. When you hear the melodic rock material, full of energy and plain guts based on a lot of classic British rock influences it will make you wonder why this band never got properly signed. Edwards is a good singer, without any doubt and this band really rocks in a style that was popular in those days with similar bands like Skid Row, Babylon A.D. and Bangalore Choir all getting a deal. Anyway, justice will always be served and because of Escape Music wanting and daring to take a chance please get acquainted with the power and class of Gypsy Soul. Powerful melodic metal and heavy rock, well played and obviously reworked by Northrup to make it sound good is awaiting for you to be picked up and played loud. Listening to the electricity that surrounds this CD you just realise that this band met a big case of injustice in their time. I am not saying that Gypsy Soul could have been as big as Skid Row was in their time, but they might have been. So make sure you at least have a listen to this fine material.