The word is already out about former Autograph frontman Steve Plunkett’s new album Turn Up The Radio 2025, a dramatic reinvention of his band’s epochal 1985 debut Sign In Please.
“Turn Up The Radio 2025,” the album’s first video, has already topped five figures in YouTube views; and “Friday” is certain to make just as splendid a splash.
Steve himself describes “Friday” as “One of my favorite songs on Sign in Please. It was always a great live song . I love the upbeat chorus and guitar riff, too.” In fact, he reveals, “The opening guitar riff came first and everything else just fell into place. We demoed this one twice before recording it on Sign in Please and it was one of our main songs.”
The song itself was composed almost two years before it made it onto record.
“I wrote this in 1983, the year we formed the band – back when everybody went out to clubs every night. I used to go to the Starwood and the Whisky (in Hollywood) all the time. On Fridays and Saturdays, Sunset Blvd would be packed with rock & rollers dressed up ‘in their Sunday best.’ All the Valley kids came to Hollywood and everyone was trying to look cool and impress. That was the scene that inspired me to write the song – I lived it!
SINGLE: https://orcd.co/steveplunkett_friday
Formed in Los Angeles in 1983, where they were discovered by famed producer Andy Johns, Autograph initially came to notice as they toured with Van Halen – in fact, the band only settled on a name on their way to Florida for the first show of the tour!
Their debut album, the epic Sign In Please, followed later in the year – a slow starter to begin with but, once it entered the Billboard chart in June 1985, it sometimes felt as though it would never leave.
“1985 was a great year for me,” reflects Plunkett today. “Autograph released their first album and it was a hit! We toured constantly and lived the Rock’n’ Roll dream. That album made an impact at rock radio and with the fans.
“Now, for the 40th anniversary, I wanted to Sign in Again with all new recordings and a 2025 sonic take. Not Autograph – because I could never improve on that record, but a Steve Plunkett ‘solo’ version focused on the songs. I hope these new versions will make you rock again like we did back in the day. Turn it up!”
All ten of the original album’s tracks are here, beginning – of course! – with that unforgettable opening triptych of “Send Her To Me” (the band’s second single, in early 1985), “Turn Up The Radio” and “Nineteen and Non Stop.”
Plunkett has tinkered a little with the running order – “Cloud 10” shifts from the first half of the album to the middle of the second, and “In The Night” replaces “All I’m Gonna Take” as the closing number.
But fresh arrangements and electrifying performances more than compensate for any unfamiliarity, Plunkett’s post-Autograph success scoring movies and TV invoking startling new dimensions and directions to the music.
Turn Up The Radio 2025 will be released on September 26. It’s time to Turn Up The Music again!
CD/VINYL: https://cleorecs.com/search?q=steve+plunkett+turn+up+the+radio
DIGITAL: https://orcd.co/steveplunkett_turnuptheradio2025
Track List:
- Send Her to Me
- Turn Up the Radio
- Nighteen and Non-Stop
- Deep End
- Friday
- My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend Isn’t Me
- All I’m Gonna Take
- Cloud 10
- Thrill Of Love
- In the Night
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