Survivor (Survivor album)

Survivor is the first album by the American rock band Survivor, recorded and released in 1979. It is the band's only album with its original drummer, Gary Smith, and bass guitarist, Dennis Keith Johnson. The recording sessions, overseen by the A&R executive John Kalodner, were not without difficulties. First, Ron Nevison replaced Barry Mraz as producer, and then the project had to be taken to Bruce Fairbairn in Vancouver to achieve a mix that was to Kalodner's satisfaction.[1] The album took eight months to finally be released.

Survivor
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 21, 1979[1]
Recorded1979
StudioThe Record Plant Studio C (Los Angeles, California); Little Mountain Sound Studios (Vancouver, British Columbia)
GenreRock
Length40:29
LabelScotti Bros.
ProducerRon Nevison, Barry Mraz
Survivor chronology
Survivor
(1979)
Premonition
(1981)
Singles from Survivor
  1. "Somewhere in America"
    Released: February 1980 (US) [2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

The album just entered the charts, reaching #169 on the Billboard Hot 100 in spring 1980, but the opening track, "Somewhere In America", was a regional hit in the Chicago area,[1] peaking at #70 on the Billboard Hot 100,[4] and "Youngblood", with its dramatic guitar introduction, proved to be something of a blueprint for the band's smash hit two years later, "Eye of the Tiger".

An additional song recorded for the album, "Rockin' into the Night", was rejected by Nevison as "too Southern". It was given to .38 Special who turned the song into a hit.[1] The original Survivor recording became available in 2004 on the compilation Ultimate Survivor.

The single "Rebel Girl" was recorded about a year after the album sessions, though the Japanese release of the album on CD includes it as song number six. The 2010 reissue on Rock Candy Records adds the song as a bonus track.

The model on the cover of the album is the actress Kim Basinger, according to the band's founding member Jim Peterik.[5]

Track listing

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Somewhere in America"Jim Peterik5:13
2."Can't Getcha Offa My Mind"Peterik, Frankie Sullivan3:00
3."Let It Be Now"Peterik, Sullivan3:39
4."As Soon As Love Finds Me"Dennis Keith Johnson, Peterik, Gary Smith, Sullivan2:52
5."Youngblood"Johnson, Peterik, Sullivan3:31
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Love Has Got Me"Peterik3:38
7."Whole Town's Talkin'"Johnson, Peterik, Smith, Sullivan3:32
8."20/20"Johnson, Peterik, Smith, Sullivan3:23
9."Freelance"Johnson, Peterik, Sullivan3:37
10."Nothing Can Shake Me (From Your Love)"Peterik4:09
11."Whatever It Takes"Johnson, Peterik, Smith, Sullivan3:46
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Rebel Girl" (bonus track on Rock Candy reissue only)Peterik, Smith3:50

Personnel

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Survivor

Production

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  • Ron Nevison – producer
  • Barry Mraz – producer
  • Bruce Fairbairn – recording engineer, mix assistant
  • Jim Peterik – recording engineer, mix assistant
  • Mike Clink – assistant engineer
  • Bob Rock – mixing
  • Mike Salisbury – art direction, album design
  • Mark Feldman – cover photography

Charts

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Chart (1980) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[6] 169

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Survivor (Inset). Rock Candy Records. 2010. CANDY081.
  2. ^ "Survivor singles".
  3. ^ allmusic review
  4. ^ "Survivor | Biography, Music & News". Billboard.
  5. ^ "Jim Peterik on Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on 2022-04-30.[user-generated source]
  6. ^ "Survivor Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
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