SWEET COMFORT BAND - HEARTS OF FIRE (NEW-CD, 2009, Retroactive)

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💿 Release Details

Artist: Sweet Comfort Band  
Title: Hearts Of Fire  
Label: Retroactive Records  
Catalog Number: RAR7891  
UPC: 845121012125  
Format: CD  
Style: Rock / Pop / AOR  
Packaging: 4-Panel Full-Color Digipak  
Tracks: 10  
Running Time: 34:58  
Original Release: 1981  
Reissue Release: 2009  
Remastered By: J. Powell at Steinhaus

🔥 Key Collector Details

• Classic 1981 Sweet Comfort Band album moving boldly into polished ’80s rock and AOR  
• Features CCM legends Bryan Duncan and future Allies guitarist Randy Thomas  
• Features legendary Brothers Johnson bassist Louis Johnson on “They Just Go On” and “Feel Like Singin’”  
• Features acclaimed session guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. on “They Just Go On” and “Feel Like Singin’”  
• Produced by David Diggs and future Grammy-winning producer/engineer Jack Joseph Puig  
• Features acoustic guitar and lyrics by acclaimed singer/songwriter Bob Bennett  
• David Diggs contributes keyboards, arrangements, backing vocals, and string and horn arrangements  
• Includes fan favorites “Isabel,” “They Just Go On,” “The Contender,” and “Feel Like Singin’”  
• Mixes melodic rock, AOR, funk, soulful pop, ballads, and harder-edged guitar-driven rock  
• Recorded at major Los Angeles studios including Studio 55, Sound Labs, MCA Whitney, LA Studios, and Mama Jo’s  
• Originally mastered by Mike Reese at the legendary Mastering Lab  
• Remastered by J. Powell at Steinhaus for this Retroactive Records edition  
• Limited-edition reissue packaged in a full-color 4-panel digipak with enhanced original artwork  
• For Fans Of: Toto, Kansas, Whiteheart, Petra, Allies & Ambrosia

ABOUT THE ALBUM

By the time Sweet Comfort Band released Hearts Of Fire in 1981, the group was entering a new decade with an increasingly powerful and polished sound. The jazz, soul, and funk influences of their earlier albums were still present, but the band was now embracing harder-edged rock, melodic pop, and the sophisticated AOR sound that would help define their later work.

The result was one of the strongest and most diverse albums of Sweet Comfort Band’s career. CCM Magazine editor John Styll called Hearts Of Fire the band’s best album to that point, and it is easy to understand why. Ballads, funk, soulful pop, and full-throttle rock all coexist within a remarkably concise ten-song album.

Bryan Duncan is once again at the center of the sound, delivering the expressive, soulful vocals that would eventually propel his highly successful solo career. Guitarist Randy Thomas—later of Allies—brings both electric and acoustic guitar firepower, while bassist Kevin Thomson and drummer Rick Thomson complete Sweet Comfort Band’s formidable core lineup.

The album also boasts an extraordinary collection of guest musicians. Legendary Brothers Johnson bassist Louis Johnson and acclaimed session guitarist Paul Jackson Jr. both appear on “They Just Go On” and “Feel Like Singin’,” adding even more funk and groove to the band’s already sophisticated sound.

Producer and arranger David Diggs contributes acoustic piano, Rhodes, Prophet-5 synthesizer, Hammond organ, percussion, backing vocals, and string and horn arrangements. Acclaimed singer/songwriter Bob Bennett contributes acoustic guitar and lyrics, while saxophones, flute, brass, strings, and a violin solo further expand the album’s musical palette.

“Hearts Of Fire” finds the songwriting of Duncan and Thomas growing alongside the music. “Isabel” bursts with memorable hooks, while “They Just Go On” delivers irresistible melodic pop. “The Contender” turns up the guitars with muscular power chords, and “Feel Like Singin’” brings the band’s funk and soul influences to the forefront.

Just as importantly, the songwriting reveals a growing emotional maturity. Rather than relying on easy lyrical formulas, Hearts Of Fire tackles faith and life with a more personal and thoughtful approach that helped distinguish Sweet Comfort Band from many of their contemporaries.

The album was produced by David Diggs and Jack Joseph Puig, with Puig also recording and mixing the project. Sessions took place across several major Los Angeles studios, including Studio 55, Sound Labs, MCA Whitney, LA Studios, and Mama Jo’s, with the original album mastered by Mike Reese at The Mastering Lab.

This limited-edition Retroactive Records reissue has been remastered by J. Powell at Steinhaus and comes packaged in a full-color 4-panel digipak featuring enhanced original artwork.

Hearts Of Fire captures Sweet Comfort Band hitting the early ’80s with confidence—combining world-class musicianship, soulful vocals, serious hooks, and a harder melodic rock edge without abandoning the funk and sophistication that made the band unique.

For Fans Of: Toto, Kansas, Whiteheart, Petra, Allies & Ambrosia

🎵 TRACKS

Isabel / You Can Make It / They Just Go On / The Road / Feel Like Singin' / Now Or Never / Can You Help Me? / Contender / Just Like Me / You Need A Reason