She largely deserved it. Singer-songwriter HOLLY KNIGHT gave to the music industry huge hits and sales, and they let the New Yorker to record her own album. Still a quite unknown name for many rock fans, chances are you’ve been humming one of her melodies at least once.
Holly Knight is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and musician, inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013. Some of her best-known written songs include: “The Best” by Tina Turner (co-written by Mike Chapman), “Obsession” by Animotion (co-written by Michael Des Barres), or “Love Is a Battlefield” by Pat Benatar. But also contributions for Heart, Cheap Trick, KISS, Aerosmith and hundreds more.
She’s charted 40 times (including 16 top 10 songs) between 1980 and 2011 on the U.S. and / or U.K. charts as a songwriter, and once as an artist. Her single from this solo album, “Heart Don’t Fail Me Now” reached #59 in 1988.
With some of the best involved into “Holly Knight” you can’t go wrong about quality: Nathan East on bass, Jon Robinson & Kenny Aronoff on drums, the guitars of the great Gene Black (his partner previously in Device) and even Nancy Wilson appearing as guest & co-writer, we have a wonderful collection of songs here, from AOR / melodic rock to rocking pop radio friendly,
1. Heart Don’t Fail Me Now
2. Every Man’s Fear
3. Sexy Boy
4. It’s Only Me
5. Palace Of Pleasure
6. Why Dont’cha Luv Me (Like You Used To)
7. Baby Me
8. Love Is A Battlefield
9. Nature Of The Beast
10. Howling At The Moon
Holly Knight – Lead Vocals, Keyboards & Bass Synthesizer, Background Vocals, Additional Programming
Gene Black – Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Background Vocals
Jon Robinson – Drums
Kenny Aronoff – Drums (“Nature Of The Beast”)
Additional Musicians
Nathan East – Bass (“Sexy Boy”, “Why Dont’cha Luv Me”)
Michael Brecker – Sax (“Why Dont’cha Luv Me”)
Lou Cortelezzi – Sax (“Sexy Boy”)
Bashiri Johnson – Percussion
Paulinho Da Costa – Percussion
Nancy Wilson (Heart) – Acoustic Guitar (“It’s Only Me”), Background Vocals
Jimmy Z – Harmonica
Chris Lord-Alge – Additional Programming