Tonio K & "What Love Can Do" Demo

[MEConner]

I am researching this wonderful collaboration and need a little push on the swing.  The credits on the Target CD is Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, Steve Krikorkian (Tonio K.)

Has anyone heard Tonio K's solo work?  Can anyone recommend anything as a starting point?


Also, has anyone heard the demo version of this song?  There was a verse from it on a BBC radio special on Bacharach back in 2006.  Does anyone know if the complete version is available.

[Empire Of Love]

I cannot believe I didn't catch that this song was written by Tonio K!  I really like his "Romeo Unchained" release.  However, this synth filled record is not typical of his earlier sound which I seem to recall being described as an acerbic, political Elvis Costello.  Can't vouch for that, but I really do like Romeo Unchained, especially the song "Romeo and Jane."

[Dr. Tim]

Here is a pretty concise history of Mr. K and his work:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonio_K

None of his records in the 70s and 80s sold well, and all were out of print for some time (SEE UPDATE!),  but he seems to have paid the rent co-writing hits for other artists.  His own stuff tended to be punk-metal in sound with very sarcastic, humorous lyrics, like his "dance craze" song "Do the Funky Western Civilization":

You just - grab your partner by the hair
Throw her down and leave her there

Or from the infamous "H-A-T-R-E-D", featuring a live recording of an AK-47 which brought the cops running to the studio:

Oh I wish I was as mellow, as for instance, Jackson Browne
But - "fountain of sorrow" my arse mother@#$%er, I hope you wind up in the ground!

Or "La Bomba", which is the Ritchie Valens tune with a Spanish parody lyric about nuclear war.

UPDATE: See link below, looks like he bought his masters back and reissued them on CD himself, so now much of his vintage material is available again.

[MEConner]

Thanks for the recommendation mypetsounds.  He had some releases over at CD BABY but they are gone.  Looks like his catalog is OOP.

[Empire Of Love]

Thanks for the recommendation mypetsounds.  He had some releases over at CD BABY but they are gone.  Looks like his catalog is OOP.

I just checked www.cdnow.com (which is Amazon, but to get straight to the music section you can use this address), it appears nearly all of his releases are available for less than $11.00, used, and not too much more new.  30 second clips not available for listening at cdnow.  However, you can listen at www.bn.com (Barnes and Noble).