Patty Smyth

The first time we heard of her was on the five track Scandal album from 1982. With this band she released another good album 'The Warrior' (1985), containing pure FM Rock similar to Pat Benatar and  Bryan Adams. She made two solo albums (Never Enough 1987 and Patty Smyth 1992). Last year she appeared on the soundtrack of  'Armageddon' and this year she released a 'Greatest Hits' cd. Now she is called Mrs. (John) McEnroe.

Darby Mills- Never Look Back

Nearly every track on this album of the former Headpins chanteuse is 'Bullseye'. Listen to 'Cry to Me' (pure AOR), the Westcoastrocker 'Monkee' (including a great guitar- keyboard solo), 'Run' (tasteful rhythm arrangement) and 'Want it'. Stan Meissner features as songwriter on four tracks, just like Kenny Kaos (Heartland, Pokerface). This is her only solo-effort and one of the best in this catagory. Released in 1991.

Amy Wolter

This christian lady can be heard for the first time with the band 'Fighter'. The first album 'The Waiting' contains very good AOR. The second 'Bang the Drum' is heavier and not as good as the first one. They disbanded in 1993 (only bass player and husband Jim stayed). Her solo album 'Hit me in the Heart' (1994) is food for fans of e.g. Patty Smyth and Heart.

Shell and the Ocean- Turn Blue

Another obscure band from Germany, just like Queen of Spades operating in a style similar to Roxette. On disc this 'Turn Blue' cd is very difficult to track. In 1982 they released under the name 'Pieces' a live album. It seems there is another release called 'Rainmaker', but we never have spotted this one, even not in Germany.

Pat Benatar

Needs not really any introduction. Pat Benatar,  born in 1953 in Brooklyn NY,  released her first album in 1979 (In the heat of the Night), including the hits 'I need a Lover' and 'Heartbreaker'. Her other early work:   'Crimes of Passion' (1980), 'Precious Time' (1981) and 'Get Nervous' (1982), also contain nice catchy rock songs. Actually, in 1991 she really left the rock scene when she made a complete boring blues cd 'True Blue' and also her albums after that aren't really great. All together,  Pat and her band made 12 albums with of course the Holy Knight cover 'Love is a Battlefield' as her million selling hit.

Fiona

Fiona Flanagan made four albums, 'Fiona', 'Beyond the Pale' , 'Heart like a Gun', (with the US hit with Kip Winter 'Everything you do') and 'Squeeze' but  probably 'Beyond the Pale', produced by Beau Hill is the most interesting one. Her latest work dates from 1992 and I wonder if we she ever will release some new stuff.... 

Challenge

If you ever want to hear some nice acoustic AOR songs, this 'Acoustic Universe' from 1996 is the cd. Great female voice by Allison Lindsay and guitars by Arno Verstappen. When you hear the choruses it's a pity they are all acoustic, but these versions have their charms too.