Chris DeBurgh - vocals, guitar; Phil Palmer - drums; John Giblin - bass; Rupert Hine - keyboards, vocals; Michael Ross - guitar; David Caddick - piano; Stephen Tayler - saxophone, woodwinds, vocals
Before Chris DeBurgh began melting the hearts of every woman dreaming of romance with his evergreen ballad "Lady In Red," he was actually building a career as an acoustic singer/songwriter with progressive rock leanings. Following the lead of his fellow British singer/songwriter Al Stewart, DeBurgh gradually gained an audience in his native U.K. and in Canada as a story-driven songsmith.
He landed a few minor hits and two or three top 10 songs, but it wasn't until he became a major superstar in countries like Brazil, Germany and Norway that music industry execs in America started to notice. DeBurgh was promoting The Getaway, a smart record of adult pop songs released on A&M Records in 1983, when he recorded this show for the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio concert series. The Getaway had one stunning track that radio jumped on, the powerful "Don't Pay The Ferryman" - a song about living life to the fullest.
His popularity in Canada was much greater than in the U.S. or his native England when this show was taped in Montreal - and the fact is certainly apparent. Most of the material is from The Getaway, and many of his songs had subtle political messages (especially the anti-war track, "Borderline"). DeBurgh plays with a stellar band, evinced in the closing track, the mystical "Eastern Wind." Other highlights include "Waiting For The Hurricane," the humorous ditty "Patricia The Stripper," "Ship To Shore" and "The Getaway."
DeBurgh achieved considerable success in the U.S. in 1986 when "Lady In Red" was hot, but he faded in popularity after that. He does remain a large draw outside of the U.S., however, especially in South America and Germany.