JOHN PARR – Running The Endless Mile ’86 [Reissue CD made in Japan] , MP3+FLAC

It was requested here JOHN PARR 1986’s second album ”Running The Endless Mile” in its best sounding version available. ”Running The Endless Mile” not only hasn’t been remastered, it hasn’t been massively reissued too.

However, there’s this now rare ‘CD re-press‘ commissioned by Atlantic (uncertain year) for the American market but with the CD manufactured in Japan. Sound quality is excellent, fuller than the original CD release.
Lead single “Blame It on the Radio” reached U.S. #88, while the first track on the album, “Two Hearts”, was taken from the soundtrack to the film ‘American Anthem’. It isn’t a surprise – the entire ”Running The Endless Mile” sounds like an ’80s soundtrack album, catchy, radio friendly.
Again, as happened on Parr’s first LP, the session musicians crew featured some of the best in the business, including Michael Landau on guitar, Jeff Porcaro on drums & percussion, Richard Cottle (Charlie, Peter Frampton) on keyboards, Tony Beard (John Waite, Richard Marx) on drums, Chris Thompson on backing vocals, and many more.

In between his first and this second album, Parr had a monster #1 soundtrack hit with “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” from film of the same title. It wasn’t easy to top that, and while ”Running The Endless Mile” didn’t resulted a huge success, the album solidified John Parr as mainstream rock&pop artist.

Some may argue that this second album lacks the ‘power pop punch’ of the debut in favor of fluffy melodies, easy to remember choruses and inoffensive smoothness. But c’mon, it was 1986, and this was the sound of the moment.
Yes folks, ”Running The Endless Mile” is pure mid-Eighties poppy AOR, immaculately played and produced, so fans of the genre can’t go wrong with any of the songs here.
Sound quality of this re-press Japanese CD is really good – the best you can find.
Highly Recommended

01 – Two Hearts (American Anthem)
02 – Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me
03 – King Of Lies
04 – Running The Endless Mile
05 – Don’t Leave Your Mark On Me (Mark 2)
06 – Scratch
07 – Do It Again
08 – Blame It On The Radio
09 – The Story Still Reamins The Same (Vices)
10 – Steal You Away (Flight Of The Spruce Goose)

John Parr – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
Pete Bonas – guitar
Craig Jones – guitar
Michael Landau – guitar
Christopher Marra – guitar
Bruce Laing – bass
Brad Lang – bass
Steve Bodicker – keyboards
John Cook – keyboards
Richard Cottle – keyboards
Julia Downes – keyboards
Randy Kerber – keyboards
Tony Mitman – keyboards
Neil Richmond – synthesizer, programming
Peter-John Vettese – keyboards
Martin Dobson – saxophone
Jerry Hey – horn
Tony Beard – drums
Graham Broad – drums, percussion
Peter Hammond – drums, percussion, engineer
Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion
Roddy Matthews – backing vocals
Lee Matty – backing vocals
Chuck Kirkpatrick – backing vocals
Gareth Mortimer – backing vocals
Gill O’Donovan – backing vocals
John Sambataro – backing vocals
Karen Sambrooke – backing vocals
Chris Thompson – backing vocals
Marty Thompson – backing vocals

MP3 FLAC