AOR heroes The Michael Thompson Band have returned with a new single Love & Beyond which precedes a full album of the same title due in April. The record will be released on top rock label Frontiers SRL and features a mammoth 18 tracks.

The record has been mixed by Thompson's old collaborator Wyn Davis, which points towards the band's aim to return to the polished sound of their 1989 debut How Long. The songs were written by Thompson along with Mark Spiro who also handles vocals along with Larry King and Larry Antonino. Antonino's colleague in the band Unruly Child, Guy Allison, appears on keyboard while both Sergio Gonzalez and Tim Pedersen play drums.

New York native Michael Thompson moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to kick-start his career, originally working with his band Slang before signing to Geffen and releasing How Long as the Michael Thompson Band. The album has long been considered a standard-bearer for West Coast AOR and included tracks by Spiro as well other songwriters such as Jeff Paris, Billy Trudel and Brett Walker. The record also featured huge guest stars like Pat Torpey (Mr. Big), Terry Bozzio, John Elefante (Kansas), Bobby Kimball (Toto) and singer Richard 'Moon' Calhoun, formerly of The Strand.

In 2007 Frontiers re-released How Long, and it's resurgent success led to a new Michael Thompson Band record entitled ‘Future Past’ in 2012. On this album Michael worked with singer Larry King from the band Soleil Moon who brought a rockier element to the music, thought the MTB's trademark melodies still carried through.

Outside the band Michael Thompson has an amazing list of credits, including session work with legendary artists like Rod Stewart, Scorpions, Vince Neil, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins - the list goes on! He has also been awarded the 'Distinguished Alumni' honour from Berklee College of Music in recognition of his contributions to the music industry.

Seven years on form their last outing the Michael Thompson Band is now back with Love & Beyond. Watch the video for the title track here: .be">

Love & Beyond Tracklisting:

1. 1. Opening
2. 2. Love & Beyond
3. 3. Save Yourself
4. 4. Passengers
5. 5. Red Sun (Interlude)
6. 6. Supersonic
7. 7. La Perouse (Interlude)
8. 8. Don't Look Down
9. 9. Far Away
10. 10. Penny Laughed (Interlude)
11. 11. Love Was Never Blind
12. 12. Black Moon (Interlude)
13. 13. Flying Without Wings
14. 14. Forbidden City (Interlude)
15. 15. Just Stardust
16. 16. What Will I Be Without You
17. 17. Starting Over
18. 18. 'Til We Meet Again

MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND 2019

Michael Thompson - guitars  

Larry Antonino - lead vocals & bass

Larry King, Mark Spiro - lead vocals

Sergio Gonzalez, Tim Pedersen - drums

Guy Allison - keyboards

The album will be released 26th April 2019. You can pre-order the record here: http://radi.al/LoveandBeyond

For more information visit:

http://www.frontiers.it/index.php

www.facebook.com/MichaelThompsonBand

Author: Cameron Arndt

Cameron Arndt is a musician and freelance writer from Glasgow, Scotland. He writes for his own music review website (www.rockandrolltraffic.com) and also contributes to Music Talkers.