Streets: A Rock Opera
Encyclopedia
Production
The album was originally due to be a double CD record, but record label Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
lost reels of the sessions in their vaults. These "lost tracks" were re-written over the years and eventually formed parts of songs on Edge of Thorns
Edge of Thorns
-Band members:*Zachary Stevens – lead vocals*Criss Oliva – guitars*Johnny Lee Middleton – bass guitar*Steve Wacholz – drums -Additional musicians:...
and later works. The band has expressed no desire to re-release the album as a double CD as originally intended, partly because the only recordings that remain are on audio cassette of the master tapes, and partly because most of the original ideas for the songs were used in later works. Originally the album would contain more spoken tracks than the one used for the introduction for Jesus Saves (which was a reworking of DT Jesus after Atlantic did not like the original version, and was recorded with only Jon and Criss in the studio, much like Gutter Ballet).
Among the songs that were dropped were "DT Jesus", a song later released on the From the Gutter to the Stage
From the Gutter to the Stage
From the Gutter to the Stage is a compilation CD composed of Savatage's songs from 1985 to 1995. A limited edition version that included a bonus disc was also released.-Track listing:...
compilation, "Desiree" (which was later released on the 1997 Edel re-release of the album), "Stay" (which involves the otherwise unknown character of Duke and was supposed to follow on from "Ghost in the Ruins"), "Tonight I Would Be King" and "Sanctuary" (itself a rework of the Gutter Ballet
Gutter Ballet
-Song information:On the original cassette and CD releases, "Thorazine Shuffle" was a bonus track.Had the band originally stuck with the story set-out in Paul O'Neill's original 1979 story, the song "When the Crowds are Gone" would have followed Streets track "A Little Too Far".Two videos from the...
out-take "Target"). "Larry Elbows" (referred to by some as "the 17th track"), formed part of a version of "Before I Hang" on Jon Oliva's Pain
Jon Oliva's Pain
Jon Oliva's Pain is the latest project of Savatage co-founder Jon Oliva.-Band history:Originally, the project consisted entirely of solo recordings by Oliva, but after several months of work he was joined by former members of Circle II Circle to form a band.The band's first performance was at the...
's album Global Warning
Global Warning (Jon Oliva's Pain album)
Global Warning is a 2008 release by Jon Oliva's Pain. It is the band's third studio release. The record reached #11 in the German MRC Rock Radio Charts during March 2008....
along with the song's original version, which was released as a demo version on the Silver Anniversary re-release of The Dungeons Are Calling
The Dungeons Are Calling
-Personnel:Interesting to note is that in the liner notes for the album, they gave themselves roles instead of listing their instruments.*Jon Oliva - Shrieks of Terror *Criss Oliva - Metalaxe...
EP. "Beyond Broadway", another track written for the album, was also reworked by Jon Oliva and parts of the song formed "Lies" on the Jon Oliva's Pain's album Festival
Festival (Jon Oliva's Pain album)
Festival is the fourth release by the band Jon Oliva's Pain. Released in February 2010 in Europe, it peaked at #87 in the German MRC Radio Charts....
.
The band recorded a music video for the song "Jesus Saves" which received some airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and featured long time Savatage cover artist Gary Smith playing the role of DT Jesus. A video was filmed for "New York City Don't Mean Nothing", but that video has been "lost" and as of 2011 has never been aired.
Personnel
- Jon OlivaJon OlivaJohn Nicholas Oliva is best known simply as Jon Oliva and as founder of and lead vocalist for Savatage. He is the third of four children...
– vocalsHuman voiceThe human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
& pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Criss OlivaCriss OlivaChristopher "Criss" Michael Oliva was born in Pompton Plains, NJ. He was the lead guitarist in, and co-founder of, the band Savatage...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - Steve "Doc" Wacholz – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Johnny Lee MiddletonJohnny Lee MiddletonJohnny Lee Middleton is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the bass guitar player for Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra.-Musical beginnings:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Additional Musicians
- Robert KinkelRobert KinkelBob Kinkel is a professional session keyboardist and music engineer most known for his role as a co-creater/co-producer/co-composer and touring keyboardist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra along with extensive studio work with the prog-metal band Savatage...
– keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:... - John Zahner – rhythm guitar and keyboardsElectronic keyboardAn electronic keyboard is an electronic or digital keyboard instrument.The major components of a typical modern electronic keyboard are:...
(touring member) - Female Background Vocals by Abi Reid
- Child Background Intro (on "Streets"): Mozart's Magic FluteThe Magic FluteThe Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
- Director of Children's Choir: Elena Doria
- Children's Choir Conductor: Bob Kinkel
Further Credits
- ProducedRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Paul O'NeillPaul O'Neill (rock producer)Paul O'Neill is an American music composer, lyricist, producer, and songwriter.-Early years:A New York City native, O'Neill began playing guitar with a number of rock bands in high school and quickly graduated to folk guitar gigs at downtown clubs... - Recorded and Mixed at 321 Studios, NYC, Jan-July '91
- MasteredAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
by Greg Calibi/Sterling Sound, NYC - Engineered by John Kayne and James A. Ball
- Assistant Engineer: Joe Daley
- Second Assistant Engineers: Scott Pizzo, J Kael Trstram, Jay DeVito
- Technical Assistants: Chris Fountain and Kurt Johnson
- Photos by William Hames
- Back Cover Illustration by Gary Smith
- Cover Development by Tory Chartier