David Sikes - bass; Kevin Carlson - guitar, vocals; Billy Carmassi - drums, vocals; Paul Horowitz - piano; Neil Jason - bass; Aldo Nova - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Aldo Nova was an early innovator of hard pop-rock, but was eventually overshadowed by contemporaries Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe. Spearheaded by singer-guitarist-studio wiz Aldo Nova, the band was really just a vehicle for the young production-driven musician, who was eager to fill the demand for good-looking singer-songwriters. His debut album, Aldo Nova, was issued in 1982 and became a multi-platinum hit as its two singles "Fooling Yourself" and "Fantasy" tore up MTV and FM radio from 1981-82.
Born Aldo Caporuscio to Italian immigrant parents in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he changed his surname to Nova when he started playing guitar and keyboards at age 15. By the time he was in his early 20s he was prolific on both instruments and was gaining a reputation as a rock'n'roll hero in the Montreal club scene. In the late 70s, he landed a gig playing George Harrison in the Canadian cast of Beatlemania. In between performances he worked as a recording engineer in a Montreal studio.
Nova was signed to Portrait Records in 1981 and promptly released his self-produced debut. His acclaimed production, songwriting and guitar work garnered numerous job offers to write and produce for other artists. Among his earliest collaborations was session work for Bon Jovi. It was Nova, not Richie Sambora, who played the familiar guitar riff heard on that band's mega-hit, "Runaway."
This show was recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour while Aldo Nova was still an opening act. The material is from his debut album, and is performed with total precision by the band. Today, however, it sounds dated. The music is a true testament of what was being transmitted over the airwaves in the '80s, when bands like this had enormous popularity.
Nova's sophomore release, Subject…Aldo Nova, was an attempt at more challenging, concept-driven music. But Portrait Records, which had essentially asked him to duplicate his first hit LP, did not give it the promotional push it needed.
Nova's popularity fell off quickly and he retreated to studio production work. He attempted a comeback in 1991 with Blood on the Bricks, which was mostly co-written by Bon Jovi. But even with the added star-power, Nova failed to crack the Billboard Top 100, and decided to focus on songwriting. He recently co-wrote "This is the Night," which was made popular by American Idol winner Clay Aiken.