Simon RushworthDan Reed Network – Come Back Baby (Reed) b/w Come Alive (Reed) & Make It Easy (Reed)
1989
Dan Reed Network’s brand of easy listening funk rock really hit the mark as the MTV generation were hitting their stride and this mixed race multi-talented band delivered two outstanding records at the turn of the decade.
Their self-titled debut preceded Slam and both albums won widespread acclaim. Support slots with Def Leppard, on the final leg of the Hysteria tour, Bon Jovi and the Rolling Stones reinforced DRN’s status as the musicians’ ban of choice in the late 80s/early 90s.
But the onset of grunge and a lack of label support led to an indefinite hiatus in 1993.
Come Back Baby, from Slam, is a cracking example of DRN’s ability to cross genres but it was that same diversity which blocked major success in the USA.
Whereas UK and European audiences lapped up the slick Nile Rodgers-produced tunes which peppered Slam, North American taste makers failed to appreciate this breakthrough band’s finer moments.
DRN tour the UK later this year and we’ll be at the band’s sold-out Newcastle show to deliver our exclusive verdict on one of the best live acts on the planet.