The year is 1977. The J. C. Power Outlet, featuring John Pantano and Ron Salisbury, sign a deal with Larry Norman at Solid Rock Records. During the initial recording sessions, Larry "suggested" the band adopt a duo name (think Loggins & Messina and other duos of the era). So they did.
The subsequent Hit the Switch album was full of great songs and a fresh start for these guys...and didn't meet Word Records' sales expectations. That would wind up being the last album Solid Rock released during that first "Golden Era" of Christian rock. And after one last tour, John and Ron went their separate ways.
Now you can hear the album as you've never heard it -- incredible sonic detail and depth after having worked on it off and on the last couple of years. The remixes brought a lot of surprises to the fore, and I guarantee you that this special re-release will be a fun and rewarding listen. There's also a song, left off the original release, that will be very special to fans. Graphically, we're going to retain as much of the old-record feel as possible in the packaging and presentation, plus new liner notes and never-before-seen photos. A "lost interview" that should have been packaged with the album initially (like many of the other Solid Rock albums had) will also now be part of this re-release.
What We Need & What You Get
This limited run of 300 CDs -- estimated to cost approximately $4600 to produce -- will be released with Solid Rock's full cooperation, making this version of the album unique to Alternative Records' discography. (Plenty of original vinyl copies are available on the third-party market, so we're limiting this special release to just the CD format.)
A lot of work has already been done so we could see what we had to work with, which I'm happy to report is considerable. We've already baked the multi-track and production tapes, and everything is in great shape! Remixes are already exciting, and it's going to sound so much better because the amount of music we will be sharing is no longer limited by the vinyl record format. (For example, Side Two of the original album crammed in 26 minutes of music, which causes sonic quality to suffer.)
The goal is to get this funded, and I'm only asking for the estimated amount to get the CDs pressed. Beyond the costs of production, Alternative will not have any ongoing financial interest, and all profits will go to Ron Salsbury's widow and John. If I were going to do this on the cheap and not press real CDs with expanded packaging and artwork, I could bring it in for less, but Alternative Records has never gone that route. Even for a small-run project like this, I want to produce a legacy piece that holds up and that you can enjoy for years to come.
The Impact
- This album was always a favorite of mine. I think, like so many others, that anything on Solid Rock seemed like a must-buy no matter who the artist was. And I was already a fan of John and Ron's earlier, ground-breaking work.
- This will be given the same care as that given to the Robert Vaughn & The Shadows' Love and War reissue we did recently, as well as the work we did on Two Pound Planet's Mitch Easter Sessions before that. The same audio and art team that made those shine will do the same here.
Risks & Challenges
Of course, we may not hit our goal, but if that's the case, it's your money back. Therefore, we need to have your earliest commitment so we can continue the work and feel confident that we can bring this home on a timely basis. This means that as soon as the campaign funds, it'll be about ready to manufacture and ship so you're not waiting long. If we do better than planned, we'll make a whole bunch of extras available to only campaign supporters, so stay in touch and we'll provide updates.
Other Ways You Can Help
Get the word out! And like other projects I've worked on, John and I will both make ourselves available for interviews and podcasts.
