Domenic Troiano | Credits (Part 2)

Credits (in alphabetical order by artist): Part Two

Roy Kenner/The Royals, Roy Kenner/The Royals (Freedom) -- 1982; production, guitar, songwriting
Notes: 12" EP; A-side features 3 songs from Roy Kenner, all written by Kenner/Troiano; B-side features 3 songs (one written by Troiano) from the Royals featuring George Olliver and Bobbi DuPont on vocals

Roy Kenner, "Transparent Love" (single) (Anthem) -- 1980; production, guitar, songwriting

Kilowatt, Currents (Dallcorte) -- 1983; production, guitar, songwriting
Notes: Lead guitar on "Baby It's You;" background vocals on "Change of Heart" by Troiano, Wayne St. John, and Johnny Rutledge; "I'm Not a Kid Anymore" written by Troiano and Bill Wallace; "It's So Easy" written by Troiano, Wallace, Greg Leskiw, and Steve Hegyi

Kilowatt, Kilowatt (Dallcorte) -- 1982; production
Canada's own .38 Special. Here we have a mini Guess Who reunion of members that weren't necessarily in the group at the same time. Bill Wallace plays bass, Greg Leskiw sings and plays guitar, and Troiano produces. The band offers up a healthy slab of Canadian rock, mostly lean and generally tasteful. I always liked Leskiw's contributions to the Guess Who, so I looked forward to hearing this album and wasn't disappointed. Although he was the eclectic country picker in the Guess Who, here his material is straightforward rock. Although this could have been a disastrous attempt at rocking out, he is a smart musician and he never sounds forced. The opener, "Lovers on the Run," is classic and catchy as all get out. "No Return" is smooth with pretty chords; the fair "Kids are Krazy" is greatly enhanced by great guitar playing and arrangements. Domenic provides effective production on every track, avoiding fussy arrangements and letting the songs shine. Imagine him singing "Loneliness," a track that he co-wrote, and you'll see that it's very Troiano-esque, a well-crafted ballad that sounds quite radio ready. Other songs like "What's on Your Mind," "Forgive Him," and "Streetwise Katie" depend on good melodies and Leskiw's uncanny knack for vocal hooks to carry them along. To complete the package, Bill Wallace is pictured on the back cover looking like an irritated park ranger. Recommended.

Moe Koffman, If You Don't Know Me by Now (Elektra) -- 1982; production, guitar, songwriting
Notes: Moe covers Troiano's "Lonely Girl" and "Zingaro" ("Gypsy" from Triple Play)

Lambert & Nuttycombe, As You Will (20th Century Records) -- 1973; guitar
These guys are a lot like Simon & Garfunkel... less cerebral, but every bit as melodic. They also produce lovely vocal harmonies effortlessly. Although many of these tracks feature a full band, the album as a whole retains a low-key, homegrown charm. The centerpiece is arguably "Oh My Darling," an acoustic ballad featuring a cavalcade of stars including Troiano supplying some very tasty jazz-tinged lead work. A fine song. Other highlights include "Sleep," "Way to Your Heart," and the hallucinative "Waikiki."

Murray McLauchlan, Storm Warning (Asylum) -- 1981; guitar
Notes: Electric guitar on "Wouldn't Take Another Chance on Love," lead guitar on "Desire" and "Stranger"

Eric Mercury, "What's Usual Seems Natr'l" (single) (Enterprise) -- 1972; guitar

Yvonne Moore, "Hit & Run Lover" (single) (Palais) -- 1984; guitar

The Partland Brothers, Electric Honey (Manhattan) -- 1986; guitar
On this album of '80s pop, Domenic is credited with "lead guitars." Unfortunately, there's only one real solo on the whole thing. Most of the lead guitar work consists of nondescript riffs and fills, which is a shame. A few of the songs could have really benefited from a scorching solo to cut through all the keyboards and the synthetic textures here. Melodically, it's a pretty good LP though, reminiscent at times of Tango in the Night-era Fleetwood Mac. As I mentioned, Troiano never really gets the chance to shine, but he comes close on "Best Love" and "That's the Way it will Be." He does play a full-blown solo on "Walk With Me," but, here and elsewhere, he remains pretty controlled. The standout track is "Soul City," an effectively smooth pop single that was a radio hit in Canada and the U.S.

Patria, My Rules (Black Market/EMI) -- 1999; co-production, guitar, songwriting

Brian Plummer and the Suspects, Brian Plummer and the Suspects (Duke Street) -- 1985; songwriting

Rainband, "You Can Do It" (single) (Reach For the Rainbow) -- 1983; guitar

Rockin' Foo, Rockin' Foo (UNI) -- 1971; guitar, background vocals

Diana Ross, Ross (Capitol) -- 1983; guitar
Diana is pictured on the front cover of this LP with the biggest hair you've ever seen. This is, for 5 of the 8 songs, another Gary Katz production. Predictably, it sounds like Ross is backed by Steely Dan, and as with the other Katz productions in this list, it's a pretty MOR affair. The album begins strong with "That's How You Start Over," co-written by Michael McDonald and featuring some funky guitarwork that sounds like Domenic but could be another player. Along with second guitarist Jimmy Haslip, Domenic is part of the "core band" for the Katz tracks, and they are joined by Larry Carlton, Steve Lukather, and Joe Walsh (!) on assorted cuts. With all these guitarists in the mix, it's hard to pick out Troiano's playing here. "You Do It" and "Let's Go Up" both feature Troiano-ish rhythm work, but it's hard to clearly identify a specific guitarist's part. Ray Parker, Jr. produced, wrote, and played most of the instruments on the 6th and 7th track on the album, which are both a bit more lively than the Katz tunes. The LP ends with "Girls," a disco number produced by Ross herself. If you easily pick up subtle differences in production and minute sonic details, you definitely get a sense that there's little cohesion here. Overall, the material on the album is average, and Domenic's prominence is minimal. Still, if you're a completist, it might be worth finding.

Rough Trade, Weapons (True North) -- 1983; sitar
Notes: Sitar on "Paisley Generation"

Johnny Rutledge, Johnny Rutledge (A&M/Black Market) -- 1991; production, songwriting, guitar
Notes: Rutledge released 2 singles as "Johnny R." on A&M/Black Market in 1986 and '87: "Everybody's Baby" and "Babes in Boyland"

Strange Advance, 2wo (Capitol) -- 1985; guitar
Eighties synth-pop duo, comprised of Darryl Kromm and Drew Arnott, joined by a handful of guest musicians on their second album. The phrase "80s synth-pop" might make you cringe, but this isn't half bad. As a Troiano fan, my biggest complaint is that the credits aren't song-specific, and there are seven musicians credited with "guitar" on the LP. Some of the guitar parts stand out as classic Troiano (the main riff in the verses of "I'll Be the One to Cry," the primary guitar in "The Sounds of Life"), but one can only guess which parts Domenic actually played. Guitar, in general, is prominent on several tracks, but overall it's a keyboard-driven album. If you get this album to hear Domenic, you'll probably be disappointed, but overall, it's a good album and worth hunting down. The weaker material is offset by goodies like "We Run" and "Just Like You," which approaches Tears for Fears in their prime. There's a classic pop melody under all those layers of gloss on "Nor Crystal Tears," which would've been a much more effective closer if not so overproduced. But doesn't that pretty much sum up the '80s?
Originally released in January 1985, it was reissued on CD by Capitol/EMI Canada.

Sweet Blindness, Energize (Quality) -- 1977; guitar

Various Artists, Live at the Bluenote (Quality) -- 1983; production
Notes: Recorded at the Bluenote Club in Toronto, 25 September 1982; features George Olliver & Gangbuster joined by Shawne Jackson, Roy Kenner, Wayne St. John, and others; St. John covers Troiano's "The Outer Limits of My Soul"

Voices With Heart, "I Am Your Child" (single) (Attic) -- 1986; guitar
Notes: "We Are the World"-type release featuring Chris DeBurgh, Dan Hill, Steve Howe, K.D. Lang, Justin Hayward, Jane Siberry, and others; song penned by Barry Manilow and Marty Panzer

Chris Vickery, Temporary Measures (Indie Pool) -- 2002; guitar
Notes: Guitar on "Tuff Stuff," "Maybe," and "Tatem"

Richard Wagner, Richard Wagner (Atlantic) -- 1978; guitar
Imagine a less interesting, heavier Born to Run and you've imagined Richard Wagner. On his first solo album, this famed session guitarist is vocally similar to Mark Farner, who Wagner produced in 1977. Musically and sonically, this reminds me of Alice Cooper albums of the same era. Bob Ezrin constructs a wall of sound here, but that technique only works if you have memorable songs. Otherwise, the huge sound just enhances the facelessness of the material. Whitey Glan and Prakash John are here; they're unrecognizable, though. Compared to Bush, this stuff plods. Dick is credited with "All solo guitars" while he, Domenic, and Steve Hunter receive rhythm guitar credits. Troiano and his signature style are unidentifyable on all tracks save for "Nightwork," an R&B-influenced number which is really the only thing close to resembling any of Domenic's music. It could be the only track he played on. "Go Down Together" begins with a hot solo by Wagner, "Some Things Go on Forever" is pleasant, and the horns on "Motor City Showdown" are fine. Other than that, there's not much to recommend here.

Rick Worrall, When Love is Right (Hummer) -- 1999; guitar

Sessions

Donald Fagen, The Nightfly (Warner Bros.) -- 1982; guitar (unused on final recording)

Etta James, Etta James (Chess) -- 1973; guitar (unused on final recording)

Film and television score credits (in alphabetical order by title)

Made-for-TV movies and feature films

All Around the Town (PAX) -- made-for-TV movie; 2002
The Gunfighters (Tribune/Global) -- made-for-TV movie; 1987
Haven't We Met Before? (PAX) -- made-for-TV movie; 2002
Let Me Call You Sweetheart (Family) -- made-for-TV movie; 1997
Loves Music, Loves to Dance (PAX) -- made-for-TV movie; 2001
Lucky Day (PAX) -- made-for-TV movie; 2002
The Mary Kay Letourneau Story: All-American Girl (USA Network) -- made-for-TV movie; 2000
Moonlight Becomes You (Family) -- made-for-TV movie; 1998
Pretend You Don't See Her (PAX) -- made-for-TV movie; 2002
Remember Me (CBS/MOW) -- made-for-TV movie; 1995
The Swordsman -- feature film; SC Entertainment International; 1993
While My Pretty One Sleeps (Family) -- made-for-TV movie; 1997

Television series and specials

Adventure, Inc. (Tribune) -- 22 1 hr. episodes; 2002-2003
Airwaves (CBC) -- 13 1/2 hr. episodes; 1985-1987
Cop Talk (Tribune) -- 2 1 hr. episodes
Counterstrike (USA Network) -- 66 episodes; 1990-1993
Diamonds (CBS/USA Network/Global) -- 44 1 hr. episodes; 1987-1989
Hot Shots (CBS/CTV) -- 13 1 hr. episodes; 1986-1987
Judgement Day: Should the Guilty Go Free (HBO) -- 1 hr. special; 2003
Juvenile Justice -- 75 1/2 hr. episodes
Lifetime (CTV) -- 400 1 hr. episodes; 1985-1988
Moment of Truth (CBS) -- 1 1/2 hr. episode
Night Heat (CBS/CTV) -- 96 1 hr. episodes; 1985-1989
The Playground (HBO) -- 1 1/2 hr. episode
Police File (ABC) -- 1 1/2 hr. episode; 1994
Scandals (HBO/First Choice) -- 1 hr. special; 1988
Secret Service (NBC) -- 22 episodes; 1992-1993
The Soulmates in "The Gift of Light" -- 1/2 hr. animated special; 1991
Top Cops (CBS) -- 105 episodes; 1990-1993
True Blue (NBC) -- 13 episodes; 1989-1990

Other credits

Death by Dawn -- co-producer; feature film; Big Star Motion Pictures; 1998 (project never completed)
Fahrenheit -- Sega Interactive CD-ROM; 1995
Gemini Awards (CBC) -- musical director; 1987
Juno Awards (CBC) -- musical director; 1988