MESSAGE (Dean Fasano) – Lessons [’80s recordings feat. Richie Sambora & Alec John Such], MP3+FLAC

So we featured here the latter day of MESSAGE and their contemporary AOR sound, but it’s also interesting to hear the band’s origins too. MESSAGE was formed in 1980 by New Jerseyans Dean Fasano (vocals), guitarist Richie Sambora, and bass player Alec John Such. Yes, you know the guys, this is their early band before Bon Jovi.

They released a self-financed mini-album, “Lessons”, in 1982. Due to the lack of money, the band did only 1,800 pressings of the album, and they had to sell it from the trunk of their cars. That LP was later reissued with extra tracks, demos the band taped before Richie & Alec joined Bon Jovi.
Then in 2000’s Escape Music re-released “Lessons” with even more demos as bonuses. This is the Japanese version, exactly the same as the European pressing, except for the different cover art.
This is not only cool for hearing Sambora before Bon Jovi – there’s great solos on songs like ‘Dance Of The Dead’, ‘I Can Feel It’, ‘Living In The Night’, but also MESSAGE’s evolution – and at the same time how the American Rock sound/style in general morphed in a couple of years.
The 1982 songs from the self-released LP show a late Seventies hard rock style, while the demos written & demoed after (1983) are much more melodic rock / AOR / radio friendly.

The history of MESSAGE is interesting – the band’s founder, Dean Fasano has been involved with many musicians, songwriters and singers along the way. MESSAGE began in the early ’80s playing the New Jersey circuit with Dean on vocals, Alec Jon Such on bass, and Richie Sambora on guitar. An up and coming band called “Jon Bon Jovi and the Wild Ones” were one of the acts playing support to MESSAGE at this early time.
Another band in the supporting slot was STEEL FORTUNE – their guitarist, Dave Sabo later found fame in SKID ROW.

Dean signed to Led Zeppelin label Swansong but this all fell apart when John Bonham died and so he eventually joined up with pomp rockers PROPHET for their debut in 1985. The Prophet album was a great showcase for Dean and exemplified his powerful vocal range.
Afer leaving Prophet, Dean started writing songs, working with many different bands and artists including supremo guitarist Vinny Moore and melodic rockers TRIXTER.
TRIXTER’s debut that went platinum included three songs written by Dean, while their second album was co-produced by Dean. In the ’90s Dean has continued writing and producing with many big names and has contributed to Richie Sambora’s solo record “Stranger In This Town” and added backing vocals to Jon Bon Jovi’s “Destination Anywhere” album.

The early MESSAGE recording featured here show a band with tons of potential, a great singer, a young, good guitarist in Sambora, and very well written songs. While the sound quality quality differ – most are demos – overall is very good for an early Eighties unsigned band.
Highly Recommended

 

01 – Medicine Man
02 – Dance Of The Dead
03 – Where Were You
04 – She’s Gone
05 – Stories
06 – Pessimistic Man
07 – Swing
08 – Lessons
09 – It Won’t Be Long
10 – Is There Love
11 – Any Other Girl
12 – I Can Feel It
13 – In Your Heart
14 – Don’t Go, Don’t Run
15 – Diana
16 – Living In The Night

Voice, Piano, Tambourine – Dean Fasano
Guitar – Richie Sambora
Bass – Alec Such
Drums – Andy Rubbo
with:
Organ – Simon Gannett
Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Bruce Foster

turbo FLAC