08/25/2015 13:18

Gamma Ray

More Gamma Ray reissues on their way

25 years of Gamma Ray – 25 years of heavy metal from Hamburg: what started out in spring 1990 with the release of their debut album 'Heading for Tomorrow' has achieved international fame a quarter of a century later. Tours around the globe with sold-out shows in the US, Canada, South America, Asia and the whole of Europe plus appearances at the most renowned festivals worldwide – vocalist/guitarist Kai Hansen's band has long taken the world by storm. Their success is based on more than two dozen recordings, among them eleven studio albums, a number of live releases, DVDs, EPs and singles, which have earned Gamma Ray high chart positions on a regular basis. So it comes as no surprise that the group's ever-growing fan base turns out in hordes wherever they play. And of course the top 15 position of their current release 'Empire of the Undead' and an album-of-the-month nomination in Metal Hammer and Rock Hard magazines prove unmistakably: Gamma Ray continue to be on the top rung!

In view of this impressive stocktaking on the occasion of their anniversary, there's a special reason to rejoice for their international fan community: the band's full back catalogue will be rereleased over the course of a year. All albums will be available as premium-quality digipaks including newly designed cover artwork. To cut a long story short: Gamma Ray are celebrating their anniversary in style, and all their fans are invited!

Following a thoroughly promising career start, their debut 'Heading for Tomorrow' having caused an international stir and netted phenomenal sales figures in February 1990, Gamma Ray embarked on a major tour only a few months after the album release. As 'Heading for Tomorrow' turned into a commercial success particularly in Asia, Gamma Ray were still on their European tour when they received invitations to Japan: a total of four shows in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. This offer inspired their record company to have producer Steve Payne accompany the band members and their crew to the Land of the Rising Sun to record the two shows in Tokyo for a live DVD (back then, sound and image storage media were still called VHS cassettes).

Japan welcomed the new act with open arms. During the four shows in Japan, the new Gamma Ray line-up proved to be a homogenous unit and dynamic live act. They played two nights in a row in Tokyo in front of more than 3,000 fans each and delivered the hoped-for first-rate material for their live DVD 'Heading for the East', which arrived at the stores in December 1990. The show's set list consisted mainly of tracks from the debut album 'Heading for Tomorrow' as well as the Helloween tracks 'I Want out', 'Ride the Sky', 'Save Us' and 'Freetime', a composition which vocalist Ralf Scheepers had brought with him from his former band Tyran' Pace.

Thanks to the 2015 anniversary re-release 'Heading for the East', the legendary Tokyo concert from 1990 is now available on CD for the first time, perfectly remastered by producer/sound engineer Eike Freese (Dark Age, Deep Purple).

Tracklist
Over 80 Minutes of music. For the first time as audio!

CD1 - Live
1. Intro
2. Lust for Life
3. Heaven Can Wait
4. Space Eater
5. Free Time
6. Who Do You Think You Are?

CD2 - Live
1. The Silence
2. Save Us
3. I Want out
4. Ride the Sky / Hold Your Ground
5. Money
6. Heading for Tomorrow

When Gamma Ray started to work on their second studio album 'Sigh no More' in spring 1991, the international heavy metal scene had just been plunged into their first and at the same time most serious crisis to date. Grunge was the flavour of the day and musicians sporting checked shirts and a grubby street look were fast becoming the new stars. At the beginning of September 1991, Nirvana's hit 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' arrived on the scene and Kurt Cobain became the icon of a new musical genre. The old heroes were considered outdated, or at least so it seemed for some time. Gamma Ray's sophomore album 'Sigh no More' sure didn't sound outdated.

The Gamma Ray line-up consisting of Hansen, Ralf Scheepers, Dirk Schlächter, Uwe Wessel & Uli Kusch rented a holiday cottage on the Danish island of Rømø. They took only their "hand luggage", i.e. drums, just a few guitars/bass guitars and small amps, as well as – to be able to record their ideas – two microphones and an ADAT recorder, a kind of predecessor of today's digital studio programs. Back in Hamburg, they continued to polish their ideas and started to look for the right producer. Gamma Ray had already enlisted the ideal choice for the mix of their 1990 debut 'Heading for Tomorrow': Tommy Newton. During the preproduction, the band initially set about working on the songs full steam at the Karo studios in Brackel near Hamburg. Newton contributed his extensive experience to turn 'Sigh no More' into a powerful and harmonious album and even tried new and unusual approaches.

When the album was released on 21 September 1991, the highlights were soon identified: the opener 'Changes' became a Gammy Ray classic, just like 'Dream Healer', the longest track on the album, and 'One with the World', supported by the first 'Sigh no More' video clip, shot in the sand dunes on Rømø. 'Rich and Famous' was extremely popular, and the initially slightly inconspicuous 'The Spirit' developed into an insider's tip among fans.

The 2015 anniversary re-release of 'Sigh no More' includes, along with the ten original tracks, perfectly remastered by producer/sound engineer Eike Freese (Dark Age, Deep Purple), a number of previously unreleased recordings from the re-recordings with Kai on vocals, home demos and the pre-production at the Karo studios (among them 'Heroes', which later became the opener 'Changes'), plus a number of selected live cuts.

Tracklist:
CD1 – Studio album
The original studio album including its B-Sides. Remastered in 2015 by Eike Freese.
1. Changes
2. Rich and Famous
3. As Time Goes by
4. (We Won't) Stop the War
5. Father and Son
6. One with the World
7. Start Running
8. Countdown
9. Dream Healer
10. The Spirit
11. Sail on (Live)*
12. Changes (Live)

*Japanese Bonus Track

CD2 – Bonus CD
Including previously unreleased demo versions, alternative versions, instrumentals, live songs...
1. One with the World (Live at Wacken 2011)
2. Dream Healer (Live in Montreal 2006)
3. Changes ('Blast from the Past' version)
4. Rich and Famous ('Blast from the Past' version)
5. One with the World ('Blast from the Past' version)
6. Dream Healer ('Blast from the Past' version)
7. Heroes (Preproduction) **Alternative version of 'Changes'
8. Dream Healer (Preproduction)
9. As Times Goes by (Preproduction – Kai on vocals)
10. (We Won't) Stop the War (Preproduction – Kai on vocals)
11. Dream Healer (Demo – Kai on vocals)
12. Rich and Famous (Demo – Kai on vocals)

(source: Gamma Ray)

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(Older news about the topic:)

It was with great surprise that in 1988 Kai Hansen decided to leave Helloween: the band he co-founded and that in a very few years reached a very high level of success, ending up influencing and challenging the bands that were once their original inspiration.

Hansen left Helloween just when the band had finally reached international stardom and after having won the appreciation of metal giants such as Iron Maiden who often publicly championed the German band. Hansen, Gamma Ray and Helloween are now very good friends, often sharing the stage, but in 1987 the divorce was a proper rock and roll acrimonious one: a true shock for the metal scene. The reasons that brought Kai Hansen to leave the band are still the subject of interviews and fan debates, despite listening to the forthcoming reissue of 'Heading for Tomorrow', 25 years after its original release, it looks very obvious that Kai Hansen destiny was to lead his own band.

'Heading for Tomorrow (Anniversary Edition)' will be released on July 24th, 2015 on earMUSIC.

25 years after the official debut, Gamma Ray and earMUSIC have started a monumental work to re-release the entire production by Gamma Ray in deluxe double CDs.
The original albums will be re-presented in new shining, remastered version on the first disc (with the inclusions of all B-sides) while the second CD will be dedicated to old live recordings, demos digitalised for the first time from the original tapes saved by all members of the band, alternative versions and recent studio and live recordings.

'Heading for Tomorrow' was initially released as a Kai Hansen solo album. By extracting the LP out of its sleeve, 'Heading for Tomorrow' revealed its “secret intention” (it was still the days of LP, or is it again?) revealing a second cover, introducing Kai’s new baby: GAMMA RAY.

After the global critical success of 'Empire of the Undead', Kai Hansen has decided to continue the collaboration with Eike Freese and Alex Dietz (Heaven Shall Burn), the production team. Kai Hansen has spent hundred hours, digitalising and remastering hundreds of tapes, alternative versions and ideas that were so far jealously hidden in Gamma Ray’s private archive.

Adds Hansen: “I am incredibly thankful that after 25 fantastic years of Gamma Ray, I am still standing here, making music and performing on stage. It's awesome to see that fans from the first days keep on supporting us and that we still make new friends. It’s something you can't take for granted. After my departure from Helloween, it all could have gone the other way as well. Instead, we continue to make albums and tour the world. That's close to unbelievable!
Working on the first reissue for ‘Heading for Tomorrow’ brought back so many great memories and Ralf [Scheepers, vocals] and I dug out some funny stories.
Two years ago, our studio, our harbour in Hamburg, burnt down and a lot of memorabilia and original tapes were lost, but we all searched our private archives and managed to find some great rarities and hopefully some highlights for the fans. We are proud to release our little babies in a new style with a brand new cover artwork done by Hervé Monjeaud and a new sound, a fantastic remastering done by Eike Freese and Alex Dietz.”

Kai Hansen is today the voice of Gamma Ray but it is important to remember that in the beginning of Gamma Ray’s history Kai had planned to focus on his role of songwriter and guitar player. If the original album still shines also thanks to the vocals of Ralf Scheepers, the second CD offers real treasures for all Gamma Ray fans, like the original demos of songs like 'Money', 'Sail on', 'Heaven Can Wait' or 'The Silence' featuring Hansen on vocals.

To celebrate their 25th anniversary in style, Gamma Ray is touring in Europe this autumn.

Track listing:
CD1
1. Welcome
2. Lust for Life
3. Heaven Can Wait
4. Space Eater
5. Money
6. The Silence
7. Hold Your Ground
8. Free Time
9. Heading for Tomorrow
10. Look at Yourself
11. Mr. Outlaw (Japanese bonus track)
12. Sail on (B-side from 'Heaven Can Wait' EP)
13. Lonesome Stranger (B-side from 'Heaven Can Wait' EP)

CD2
1. Who Do You Think You Are
2. Heaven Can Wait (Demo)
3. Money (Demo - Kai on vocals)
4. Sail on (Demo - Kai on vocals)
5. Heading for Tomorrow (Live)
6. Space Eater (Live)
7. The Silence (Demo - Kai on vocals)
8. Mr. Outlaw (Instrumental version)
9. Heaven Can Wait (Demo - Kai on vocals)
10. Heading for Tomorrow (Karaoke version)
11. Space Eater (Karaoke version)
12. Lonesome Stranger (Demo)

BEST OF THE BEST - PARTY TOUR 2015
with special guest Serious Black:

28.10. Wilhelsmhaven – Pumpwerk (GER)
30.10. Hamburg – Markthalle (GER)
31.10. Berlin – C-Club (GER)
01.11. Bochum – Zeche (GER)
03.11. München – Backstage Werk (GER)
07.11. Lucenec – Sports Hall (SK)
08.11. Budapest – Club 202 (HUN)
10.11. Graz – Explosiv (CH)
11.11. Milano - special guest to Scorpions - Mediolanum Forum (ESP)
13.11. Pamplona – Totem (ESP)
14.11. Santiago de Compostela – Capitol
15.11. Porto – Hard Club (PT)
17.11. Lissabon – Paradis Garaje (PT)
18.11. Sevilla – Custom (ESP)
20.11. Murcia – Gamma (ESP)
21.11. Madrid – San Miguel (ESP)
22.11. Barcelona – Razz 1 (ESP)
24.11. Lyon – Ninkasi Kao (FR)
25.11. Pratteln – Z7 (CH)
27.11. Memmingen – Kaminwerk (GER)
04.12. Aschaffenburg – Colos-Saal (GER)
05.12. Paris – Trabendo (FR)
06.12. Vosselaar – Biebob (BEL)
08.12. London – Islington (UK)
09.12. Tilburg – 013 (NL)
11.12. Gothenburg – Musikens Hus (SWE)
12.12. Stockholm – Klubben (SWE)

www.gammaray.org

(source: Gamma Ray)