STYX founding member Dennis DeYoung will release a new original solo album, "26 East, Vol. 1", on April 10 via Frontiers Music Srl. Two tracks from the album have now been released, "East Of Midnight" and "To The Good Old Days" featuring Julian Lennon.
Of the song "To The Good Old Days", DeYoung says: "It was written specifically for Jules and I to sing together. He nailed the vocal and I harmonized. Harmony baby, I love it. It's the final song on my album and it's a simple farewell from me as I recall the sweetest days of my past with my fans, friends, family and forgiveness."
DeYoung describes "East Of Midnight" as a song about "how late night radio changed our lives as the music transported us to a world bigger than the one we knew."
"26 East" was the address where DeYoung grew up in Roseland, Illinois on the far south side of Chicago. This is where the band 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 STYX. The cover artwork features three locomotives traveling through space, representing the original members leaving Chicago on their journey to the stars.
"This was supposed to be my final album but 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."
The process that brought forth the album beginning 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," says 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. Every attendee will receive a physical copy (CD) of "26 East". In addition, the album will be played in its entirety on the house P.A., followed by a question-and-answer 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 also 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.
Track listing:
01. East Of Midnight
02. With All Due Respect
03. A Kingdom Ablaze
04. You My Love
05. Run For The Roses
06. Damn That Dream
07. Unbroken
08. The Promise Of This Land
09. To The Good Old Days
10. A.D. 2020
Recording lineup:
- 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: Keyboards
- 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
