Jim Peterik, Survivor

When I was first asked to check out the new video from some guy from Chicago named Jim Peterik I thought here was a perfect candidate for membership in Rock & Roll Rehab. The video showed a sixty-five year old guy singing a remake of the old 38 Special hit, “Caught Up In You” to string accompaniment.

But I was wrong.

You see, Jim Peterik isn’t some Baby Boomer wannabe who now that he’s retired from being an accountant, or from the DMV, or from being a High School chemistry teacher, has decided to pursue his life long dream of being a rockstar, he’s actually a founding member of the band Survivor, vocalist and writer of the hit song Vechicle by the band Ides Of March and has co-written songs for Lynyrd Skynyrd, Cheap Trick, Sammy Hagar, Brian Wilson, Blackhawk, Cathy Richardson, REO Speedwagon, The Beach Boys and even the theme song from Rocky 3, the classic Survivor megahit Eye Of The Tiger. I even own some of his songs from The Beach Boys’ 2012 reunion CD That’s Why God Made The Radio and Brian Wilson’s solo CD, Imagination which is my family’s official vacation soundtrack CD.

Jim Peterik's new version of the hit he co-wrote for 38 Special,

Caught Up In You.

Jim has an incredible musical history starting with the hit Vehicle by Ides Of March which was number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of May 23, 1970, is purported to be the fastest selling single in Warner Bros. Records history. In 1982, Sylvester Stallone commissioned his band Survivor to write and perform the theme song for Rocky III. His song, "Eye of the Tiger", became their defining single, spending six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and going double platinum. "Eye of the Tiger" also won a Grammy Award and resulted in an Oscar nomination for Peterik and Frankie Sullivan for Best Song.

Jim’s latest CD is titled “The Songs” and consists of 13 tracks that he either wrote or co-wrote and were hits for some of the aforementioned bands. One of his songs, the Sammy Hagar co-written Heavy Metal, the theme song for the animated movie, I personally have an attachment to having been one of the animators on the film.

Jim Peterik's style of music, until now, has been melodic rock and his group Pride Of Lions tours Europe regularly. The latest  Pride Of Lions CD "Immortal" was released in Septermber 2012. but on The Songs Jim re-imagines his old hits in some very interesting ways. Along with two brand new Peterik compositions producer Fred Mollin (Jimmy Webb, America, Kris
Kristofferson) using some of the finest musicians in Nashville (all cut live), resulted in innovative and fresh takes on Peterik classics such as his 1970 Ides of March smash “Vehicle” done here with just an electric piano and Johnny A's soulful lead guitar, an Eleanor Rigby style string ensemble backing on his .38 Special hit “Caught Up In You” and perhaps the most radical reworking, a practically blue grass interpretation of “Eye Of The Tiger”, complete with fiddle, banjo and mandolin.

The musician and production credits on The Songs are Jim Peterik, Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger) - guest vocals and producer Fred Mollen.

Peterik also co-authored the book Songwriting for Dummies, published 2002, with Dave Austin and Mary Ellen Bickford and his autobiography, Through The Eye Of The Tiger, co-written with Lisa Torem and released by BenBella Books in September 2014.

The Songs tracklisting:
1) Vehicle
2) Is This Love
3) Eye Of The Tiger
4) Caught Up In You
5) L.A. Goodbye
6) Hold On Loosely
7) That's Why God Made The Radio
8) High On You
9) I Can't Hold Back
10) Heavy Metal
11) The Search Is Over
12) Miracle At Ground Zero
13) The Same Muse
Websites:
www.jimpeterik.com
www.facebook.com/officialJimPeterik
www.twitter.com/jimPeterik
www.theIdesOfMarch.com