Empires (Jimi Jamison album)

Empires is the second solo album from American rock singer-songwriter Jimi Jamison, released under the name Jimi Jamison's Survivor on October 17, 1999 for Scotti Brothers, distributed in Germany by Soulfood Music and produced by Klay Shroedel. 

In 2003, after a battle in court over access to the name Survivor, this album would be re-released under his own name for Frontiers Records. Is a very solid, old-school AOR album, better than his previous, full of ballads and love anthems. The album highlight is the Baywatch hit theme song. Jamison carries the album with his warm and powerful voice. As bonus tracks, it appears three live versions from his touring ("Burning Heart", "Rebel Son" and "Too Hot to Sleep") plus the christmas song "Keep it Evergreen" and covers the number 2 hit song of the 1976 "Love is Alive" by Gary Wright.

Track listing

Personnel 

 Jimi Jamison - lead vocals
Klay Shroedel - Drums
Chris Adamson - guitar, backing vocals
Peter Roberts - bass
Pete Mendillo - keyboards

Additional musicians 

Hal Butler - bass
Rudy Richardson - Strings And Horns, Drums 
Bobby Kimball - backing vocals
Lisa Frazier - backing vocals, co-lead singer (track 4)
Jorgen Carlsson - bass 
Michael Sembello - Drums
Rudy Richardson - piano, Keyboards, Strings & Horns

Facts 

Jamison co-wrote and sang "I'm Always Here", the theme of the 1990s hit TV series Baywatch in 1991 for all the seasons and episodes from September 23, 1991 - May 14, 2001 (except for the first season of the TV Series, it replaced "Save Me"). Jamison is credited as the lyricist on this song along with Joe Henry, who co-wrote the Rascal Flatts hit "Skin" (this is not the Joe Henry who wrote Madonna's "Don't Tell Me"). The music is credited to Cory Lerios and John D'Andrea. With the line, "I won't let you out of my sight," this is an appropriate song for a TV series about lifeguards. The song itself is more likely a commitment to a girl, telling her that he will always be there for her. An instrumental version of was used as the ending theme of seasons 6 to 9 and a different instrumental version was used as the theme for season 10 (the first season of Baywatch: Hawaii).
It took 8 years for the second album released, this was because of Jamison being touring with the band (Jimi Jamison's Survivor) and for working in different projects with other musicians and artists.
Jamison recorded many sessions and demos throughout the 1990s and part of those demos were material that ended up in this album. 
"Empires" was a survivor song from the album Too Hot To Sleep but didn't surface at the moment, this album version shows Lisa Frasier as the co-lead singer.
The songs "Just Beyond The Clouds", "First Day of Love", "Empires", "Cry Tough" and "A Dream Too Far", were originally recorded between 1989-1995.
All the demos and sessions Jimi did can be found as Jamo Sessions, Have Mercy: The Demos and The Mofo Sessions.
The version of "I'm Always Here" is not the original one, this version has been made so it can be suit the album's style and year update.
He worked on projects with Steve Cox, Joe Walsh, Gary Belz, Jim Gaines, Greg Archilla, Terry Manning, John "The Chicago Kid" Ryan, Kenny Mims, John Hampton, Keith Sykes, Bobby Kimball (Toto), Ron Nevison, Bill Ham.

References

External links
https://www.loudersound.com/features/buyer-s-guide-survivor

Category:1999 albums
Category:Jimi Jamison albums
Category:Frontiers Records albums