Rick Cua - Wear Your Colors (CD) 2022 Legends of Rock, Remastered, w/ Collectors Trading Card

• High-Quality Expanded 8 Page Booklet with photos and lyrics
• Jewel Case CD
  
• Includes LTD Collectors Trading Card #75
• 
2022 Girder Records, GR1123
• 
Originally Release in 1986
• Legends of Rock™ Edition

• Release Date: March 11, 2022
• UPC: 763416070059

ABOUT THE RELEASES

Rick Cua was a force to be reckoned with in the world of contemporary Christian music recording 11 solo albums. An Italian American sporting a cool leather jacket, Cua was the bass player for the successful southern rock band The Outlaws.  Rick Cua's first 4 albums were and still are among the top classic AOR albums to come out of the widely successful Christian Rock scene however the first 3 have never been on CD until NOW.   

Koo'-ah (1982), No Mystery (1983), You're My Road (1985) and Wear Your Colors (1986), have been completely remastered in these officially licensed, limited edition Legends of Rock™ CD pressings with expanded 8 page booklets, collectors trading cards (in 2 of them) and restored original covers.  Rick was also heavily involved in the process and was kind enough to provide insights and reflections on each release.  

WEAR YOUR COLORS

Originally released in 1986, this is the first album of Rick’s to be produced by Dave Perkins, who also played extensively on it. One look at the album cover, Rick holding up his black bass guitar in his frayed leather jacket, and you know they had a rock album in mind. And it shows up in the larger-than-life stadium rock numbers. The songs on Wear Your Colors are uber-catchy and danceable. The guitar work is inspired and full of energy. Drums resonate deep and sharp. Throw in Rick’s tough-sounding voice and shouted background vocals and you have an album to jam out to.

Some of the old guard musicians (Mike Mead, Joe English, Bob Halligan Jr, Dave Perkins) from previous albums return to find new ways to breathe life into these songs.

The title track is a charisma-laced anthem rocker that never lets up. Flex starts with a guitar-drum intro that reminds me of Def Leppard, though it changes gears to a contagiously sing-along tune more in line with something emulating Midnight Oil. This Raging Fire is up next, a mid-80’s rocker with an admonishment that the fire burning in us will keep raging regardless of our present circumstances. The last song Line Of Fire has a super catchy chorus and memorable guitar work.

Wear Your Colors may not have the multitude of tried and true infectious songs as on No Mystery, but the standout cuts on here really work.  A solid album with character and edge.  --Doug Peterson, Down The Line zine

Rick reflects on Wear Your Colors

Besides being incredibly grateful and excited to record the songs of Wear Your Colors we were so uncomfortably hot in the process. I don’t think there was every a time that our two main recording environments were without sufficient air conditioning! 

We started tracking in mid-Summer at Grand Slam Studio in West Orange, NJ, a huge warehouse location. We were pretty happy to see that our lunches would be nicely covered by the Italian Deli down the street. And, for a Syracuse, NY Italian American, that had recently relocated to Nashville, this was no small favor!

At Grand Slam we were welcomed in with an apology, “our air conditioning is out of commission but we have two large industrial fans for you.” The fans were 5” tall, 2” wide, round and LOUD! We wound up tracking in our boxers, running the songs down with the fans on but shutting them off when we recorded so not to capture the noise on tape. 

Then, back in Nashville, we continued with overdubs at our church, Oak Hill Assembly, with our producer Dave Perkins’ ReelSound Bus, a classic 1948 blacked out Flexible, capturing everything in the parking lot. Interestingly with full sun, the outside temps around 100 and all the heat from the electronics we had to get creative with a garden hose! So, we bought a couple of soaker hoses at our local Home Depot and serpentined them on the roof of the bus secured with rocks and ran the water to try and cool things down. Not sure how well it worked but we had one crazy water bill that became a significant part of the budget. 

So many more stories but the best one is this; With Perkins, Bob Halligan Jr. and a killer group of musicians from my band and beyond we wound up with a record that was hotter than the heat we had to deal with and one that would encourage people with principles and truths of The Gospel in a language our audience could understand…and That’s Wear Your Colors. 

Musicians:
Drums: Mike Mead
Guitars: George Cocchini, Dave Perkins, Ron DeRollo, & Marc Ribler
Keyboards: John Sinclair, Bob Halligan, Jr., Larry Arlotta,
    Dave Perkins, Tommy Greer (PPG 2.3), & Dino Pastin
Percussion: Mike Mead, Dave Hanlon
Synthesizer Programs: Dino Pastin, John Sinclair,
    Tommy Greer (PPG 2.3), Dave Perkins, & Chad Welling
Bass Guitar & Lead Vocals: Rick Cua
Background Vocals: Bob Halligan, Jr., Rob Frazier,
    Dave Perkins, Rick Cua, & Shawn Welling

Engineers: David Schober, Malcolm Harper,     Dave Perkins, & Lynn Fuston
Additional Engineers: Don Martell, Ron DeRollo, Glen Marchese, Chris McCollum, J.B., & David Shirley

Studios:  ReelSound Bus, Nashville, TN,
Grand Slam Studio, West Orange, NJ &
Lakewood Studio, Jamesville, NY
Remote Location: Oak Hill Assembly, Nashville, TN
Mix: ReelSound Truck, Austin, TX
Mastered at Future Disc Systems, Hollywood, CA

Rick Cua exclusively uses Electrosonics Wireless Systems,
Roto Sound Strings, & Calzone Cases.
Thanks also to: Carver, Kramer, and Yamaha.

Dave Perkins appears courtesy of Word Records, Inc.
Rob Frazier appears courtesy of Light Records.

LEGENDS OF ROCK EDITION
Executive Producer: Greg Hays
Remastered by Rob Colwell @ Bombworks Sound
Layout & Design by Scott Waters @ NoLifeTilMetal

ABOUT RICK CUA

Rick Cua is a force to be reckoned with in the world of contemporary Christian music. He’s an Italian American and sports a cool leather jacket. Cua became a believer in 1977 and played in local bands in the mainstream market. A couple years later he landed the opportunity to become the bass player for the successful Southern rock band The Outlaws. For several years he toured extensively with The Outlaws and helped them reach three million albums in sales. 

Another widely-known musician, Joe English, former drummer for Paul McCartney & Wings, introduced Cua to the Christian music industry. While still in The Outlaws, Rick followed his heart and wrote gritty rock and adult contemporary songs as a vehicle to share the love of God. His songs have tackled issues current amongst young adults. He also brings in seasoned musicians from known bands. With over three decades in and twelve albums, six #1 songs, nine top 5 hits, and a Dove Award nominee, Cua remains passionate to record and perform, inspiring people to live in the fullness of Jesus. On occasions, he continues to play in Blues Counsel, a band made up of members who have been jamming together from twenty to forty years.