Werner, David - s/t

Name: David Werner
Album: s/t
Year: 1979
Style: Pub Rock, Power Pop, Glam

Similar Bands: Steppenwolf, Bad Company, Mott the Hoople
"One-Word" Review: Classically Rocked Glam
Based Out Of: Pittsburgh, PA
Label: Record Logic, Epic, CBS

Cover, Sleeve, Record

Back, Sleeve, Record

S/T (1979)

1. Can't Imagine 3:38
2. What's Right 3:42 (single, #104)
3. What Do You Need to Love 4:01
4. Melanie Cries 4:50
5. Eye to Eye 4:52 /
6. Hold on Tight 4:13
7. Every New Romance 5:35
8. Too Late to Try 2:39
9. High Class Blues 4:07
10. She Sent Me Away 4:31

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:

• David Werner - Writer, Publisher, Vox, Guitar, Piano, Percussion, Mixing (Granati Bros)
• Mark Doyle - Guitar, Piano/Keys, Bass, Vox, Percussion (Jukin' Bone, Dokken, Steppenwolf, Free Will, Penetrators, Andy Pratt, Cindy Bullens, Meat Loaf, Bryan Adams, The Doyle, Backbone Slip, Judy Collins, Leo Sayer, Far Cry, Joe Whiting & the Bandit Band, Kingsnakes, NKOBT, The Richards, Built for Comfort  Blues Band, Rich Mendelson, Mary Fahl, Frank Briggs, Flashcubes)
• Thom Mooney - Drums (Nazz, Curtis Bros, Tattoo, Paris, Cindy Bullens, Danny O'Keefe, John Hiatt, James Lee Stanley, Noel & the Red Wedge, Jimmy Buffett, Rita Coolidge, Tom Peterson & Another Language, Domino, Scott Richardson, Ray Manzarek, Lightnin' Willie & the Poorboys)
• Albritton McClain - Bass (Bridge of Souls, Donnie Iris, The Innocent, Beechwood Farm, Pete Emmett, Kym Ryder, Roy Buchanan)
• Ken Bishell - Synth (Gerson Kingsley's First Moog Quartet, Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes, Side Show, Jobriath, Exuma, Ian Lloyd & Stories, Bette Midler, Jackie DeShannon, Kahli Gibran, Arif Mardin, Aretha Franklin, Felix Cavaliere, Margie Joseph, Average White Band, Zulema, David Ruffin, Van McCoy, Nikki Giovanni, Black Heart, Judy Collins, Phoebe Snow, Miroslav Vitous, Brigati, Andy Pratt, Roy Buchanan, Carman Moore, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Cy Coleman, Michael Stewart, Philippe Wynne, Elliott Randall, Ringo Starr, Wilbur Bascomb, Mark & Clark Band, Joe FFarrell, Jaroslav, The Persuaders, Sylvia Syms, Cindy Billens, Vicki Sue Robinson, Herbie Mann, Carly Simon, Kate Taylor, Chaka Khan, Peter Paul & Mary, Liner, Noel Paul Stookey, Liner, Keith Barrow, Richard Peaslee, George Benson, Fame (musical), Larry Elgart, Shlomo Haviv, Stories, Ted Rosenthal, Mandy Patinkin, Jazz Timpanist Jonathan Haas, Rachel Portman, Charlie Gross, Carter Burwell, Marcelo Zarvos, Ashford & Simpson, James Galway)
• Richard Hunter - Hamonica (Space Negros, Magic Mose & his Royal Rockers, Erik Lindgren, Willie Loco Alexander, Chris Cacavas, Edward Abbiati, Lowlands & Friends)
• Tim Cappelo - Sax (Galdston & Thom, Labamba's Big Band, Garland Jeffreys, Tina Turner, Ringo Starr, Peter Gabriel, Robert Kraft & Ivory Coast, Far Cry, Randy Goodrum, The Flirts, Dimas, Chris Thompson, Tony LeMans, John Sebastian, Nu Colours, Karen Carpenter, Beckley, Izzy James, Emilie Surtees, Gunship)
• Ian Hunter - Vox, Mixing (Mott the Hoople, Mick Ronson, Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, Genya Ravan, Iron City Houserockers, Scott Folsom, Mick Jones, Brian May, Corky Laing, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Dennis Dunaway, Aleandro Escovedo, Rebelles, Cloud District, Bronco, Ellen Foley, David Johanson, Payola$, Mountain, Michael Monroe, Ringo Starr  many)
• Maxine Dixon - Vox (Looking Glass, Elliot Lurie, DC LaRue, Tom Scott, Kiss, Murray McLaughlan, Little Feat, Lowell George)
• Bob Clearmountain - Recording, Mixing (Chic, Silencers, Bruce Springsteen)
• Jeff Hendrickson - Recording, Additional, Asst. Engineer 
• Roy Willard - Asst. Engineer
• Ed Evans - Tech. Ingenuity
• Janet Perr - Design
• Paula Scher - Design
• Benno Friedman - Photos

Unknown-ness: I've never heard of David Werner. It looks like he is a New Wave Singer Songwriter, based on his attire on the full body spread artwork, plus all the technical and musical credits he lists.

Album Review: There is more power chords in these classic rock / pub rock tracks than typical nervous, fast paced jittery new wave, but the vocals do fall back on a nasally tone. "Hold On Tight" has a hook that sounds like Michael Jackson's "Black or White." Single "What's Right" follows a bluesy southern rock hook [Glam] that sounds like T-Rex "Get it On [Bang a Gong].

Biggest claim to fame? Writing Billy Idol's 90's hit "Cradle of Love." when he was a house writer for EMI. He recorded 2 albums for RCA in 1974 & 1975 before signing with Epic for 2 albums in 1979 (this one & a promotional one-sided album: Live). In his first life (label) he was touted as a Glam artist and Bowie rival, even through they shared the same label (and those albums sound much better than this one).

Stand Out Track: Can't Imagine

Links:
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