Former Styx member Dennis DeYoung is back with a new original solo album, “26 East, Vol. 1.”
The album will be released May 22nd via Frontiers Music Srl.
Today, Dennis has released a video for his duet with Julian Lennon, “To The Good Old Days.” The video’s imagery spans the life and career of DeYoung, featuring a rare look into his personal archives, highlighting the entire span of his musical career, his fifty year marriage, and his extended family. A touching, heartfelt video that speaks to the memories we all hold dear.
Head back to “To The Good Old Days,” and reminisce with Dennis HERE:
Listen to the other single, “East of Midnight” from the new album HERE:https://youtu.be/9ezG38Iirqg
Stream the singles and pre-order/save “26 East, Vol. 1” on CD/Vinyl/Digital HERE: https://orcd.co/ddy26east_vol1
“26 East” was the address where DeYoung grew up in Roseland, IL on the far south side of Chicago. This is the home where Styx was formed in his basement in 1962. Across the street lived the Panozzo twins, John and Chuck, who along with DeYoung would go on to form the nucleus of the band. The cover artwork features three locomotives traveling through space, representing the original members leaving Chicago on their journey to the stars.
“On this, I decided to write songs about my journey from humble beginnings in my basement on Chicago’s far-south side to the very top of my chosen profession,” the singer states.
While DeYoung previously announced this will be his last album, more recently he revealed that “there were so many songs written that Serafino Perugino, CEO of Frontiers, suggested dividing it into two albums rather than one,” DeYoung states. “This is Volume 1, which sounds pretentious to me, but the marketing folks wanted you to know there are going to be two of them, so hey kids, there are two of them; this is Volume 1!”
One of the special moments on “26 East” is a tribute to DeYoung’s musical idols, The Beatles. “If you know me, you know of my love for the Beatles and their effect on my life and millions of other musicians.” DeYoung notes that the Beatles-inspired track is a duet, and he recruited Julian Lennon, son of John, to duet with him. “I wrote an email to him and was just about to send it when I listened one last time and suddenly realized Jules should not sing this song,” he explained. “It was my story not his.” Instead, DeYoung went to his piano and wrote an entirely new tune for he and Lennon to collaborate on. Calling their recording session a “dream come true,” DeYoung said the new duet sounds “even better than I had imagined.” The collaboration with Julian Lennon came about when DeYoung wrote a verse and chorus of a song with Lennon in mind. Lennon heard the demo and said he would be honored to participate. Lennon’s vocals were recorded in October at Mission Sound in Brooklyn, NY.
DeYoung shares, “The moment we sang together in the studio it felt magical. I wrote the song specifically for our two voices. I had never met Julian previously but I have been an admirer since Valotte.”
The process that brought forth the album begining in the first place started when Jim Peterik, a fellow Chicagoan and nearby neighbor, sent a song to Dennis.
“If not for Jim Peterik’s encouragement, talent and prodding I would not have recorded this music,” said DeYoung. “He once told me the world needed my music; to which I replied ‘have the world text me for verification.’ We collaborated from the get go, happily and seamlessly and at this time we have written nine songs together of which five will be on Volume 1. Just two Chicago guys doing what they do best, making music and having a laugh.”
To kick-off the release of the album, DeYoung will appear at the House of Blues Chicago on April 3, 2020.. Every attendee will receive a physical copy (CD) of “26 East”. In addition, the album will be played in its entirety on the house PA, followed by a Q&A session with DeYoung and Jim Peterik to discuss the new music. A live performance of The Music of Styx will follow after that. Attendees can expect to hear a few songs from the new album performed live. In support of the release of “26 East,” DeYoung will tour heavily throughout 2020.
Tracklist:
1. East Of Midnight
2. With All Due Respect
3. A Kingdom Ablaze
4. You My Love
5. Run For The Roses
6. Damn That Dream
7. Unbroken
8. The Promise Of This Land
9. To The Good Old Days
10. A.D. 2020
Line-up:
-Dennis DeYoung: Keyboards, fake drums, fake bass, fake news, and some vocals. Oh, and Vuvuzela.
-Jim Peterik: Guitar, Bass, Keyboard, Vocals and Vuvuzela
-August Zadra: Electric Guitars, vocals
-Jimmy Leahey: Acoustic and electric guitars
-Craig Carter: Bass, vocals and invocations
-Mighty Mike Morales: Drums and all day sound checker
-John Blasucci: Keyboard’s
-Mike Aquino: Electric Guitars
-Kevin Chalfant: backing vocals
-Matthew DeYoung: Drums on “To The Good Old Days”
-Ed Breckenfeld: Drums on “Unbroken”
-Zoe and Austin Orchard for Ring Around The Rosie
-The Chicago Children’s Choir and conductor Josephine Lee
Mastered by Dave Collins, DaveCollins Mastering. L.A.
For More Info Visit: http://www.dennisdeyoung.com
