KEEP ROCKIN'

rest in peace...

STEVE LEE [5th Aug, 1963 † 5th Oct, 2010]　KEEP ROCKIN'

GOTTHARD Official statement

- GOTTHARD Official statement -

Our dear friend, brother and singer who travelled the way with us is now performing on a different stage. But he and his music will be with us forever. The bright trail he leaves behind is like those extinct stars whose images can still be seen for centuries.

Thanks for the good times we have spent together.

Together we will rock on in heaven
Leo, Hena, Freddy & Marc


http://www.gotthard.com/

"Heaven – Best Of Ballads Part II"

"Heaven – Best Of Ballads Part II"



01 Heaven
02 What am I *
03 Where is love when it's gone
04 Need to believe
05 One life one soul
06 The call
07 Don't let me down
08 Nothing left at all
09 Unconditional faith
10 Have a little faith **
11 Tears to cry
12 Everything I want
13 I've seen an angel cry
14 Tomorrow's just begun
15 Falling ***
16 And then goodbye
17 Merry Christmas

* previously unreleased
** special piano version / previously unreleased
*** special acoustic version / previously unreleased


"Let me find my piece of heaven, let me find my way back home."

This is the first line of the most successful GOTTHARD song ever. The ballad went gold and led the Swiss single charts in its year of release, 2001. Today, this song stands for so much more: since the news broke about Steve Lee's tragic death on October 5, 2010 while on a motorcycle trip near Las Vegas, it's "Heaven" that rock fans all over the world are listening to while mourning.

"Heaven" again reached number #1 in Switzerland. This is the first single release in the country's music history with such a powerful re-entry. The single is getting close to platinum status.

The best of ballads compilation "Heaven", due in November, will pay tribute to Steve Lee's unique voice and personality. From the start of the band's history, the ballads were the songs which had that exceptional magic and they represent what makes GOTTHARD stand out in this market.

With the first ballad compilation "One Life One Soul" from 2002, the Ticino based rockers were successful in extending their audience. "Heaven – Best Of Ballads Part II" picks up where its predecessor left off and mainly includes ballads that were released after the year of 2002. "Have A Little Faith" and "Falling" can be found in their previously unreleased acoustic piano versions, whereas "What Am I" is a completely unreleased track.

"We had that track finished for our last album "Need To Believe"", remembers guitarist Leo Leoni. "But it did not fit in with the rest of the album so we decided to keep it for the time being."

The very intimate piano version of "Have A Little Faith" was recorded by Steve Lee in 2009 with the purpose of releasing it on a possible second "D-frosted" acoustic album.

But this is not the only reason the band chose to release a ballad album. "Nobody's really in the mood for a driving rock song at the moment." states bass player Marc Lynn. "This ballad compilation might also help our fans to cope with their sadness and grief."

"Heaven – Best Of Ballads Part II" represents the most successful era of a band that has been together in the same line-up since the late 80s and which would only be split by death. It stands for eight years of band history in which GOTTHARD had their big international break-through and were awarded diamond status for more than one million copies sold in their home country. No other band is such a symbol for Swiss music history as GOTTHARD.

"Heaven" also represents a memorial for one of the greatest and also most human personalities of the rock business. "We lost not only one of the best rock voices of the world, we also lost a really exceptional person, friend, brother and musician." states drummer Hena Habegger. "Despite his tremendous success, Steve Lee always had his feet on the ground and never lost his sensitivity for the environment."

"Heaven" conveys that deep respect which Steve Lee had towards anyone, any time.

The compilation will only be issued as a simple but very elegant all black digibook version.


http://www.gotthard.com/

GOTTHARD "Heaven - Best Of Ballads Part II" release

GOTTHARD - to release "Heaven – Best Of Ballads Part 2"



Swiss hard rock icons GOTTHARD will release "Heaven - Best Of Ballads Part 2" on November 26, 2010!

"Heaven - Best Of Ballads Part II" represents the most successful era of a band that has been together in the same line-up since the late 80s and which would only be split by death when singer Steve Lee tragically died on October 5, 2010 while on a motorcycle trip near Las Vegas. It stands for eight years of band history in which GOTTHARD had their big international break-through and were awarded diamond status for more than one million copies sold in their home country. No other band is such a symbol for Swiss music history as GOTTHARD.

"Nobody's really in the mood for a driving rock song at the moment." states bass player Marc Lynn. "This ballad compilation might also help our fans to cope with their sadness and grief."

"We lost not only one of the best rock voices of the world, we also lost a really exceptional person, friend, brother and musician." states drummer Hena Habegger. "Despite his tremendous success, Steve Lee always had his feet on the ground and never lost his sensitivity for the environment."

The compilation will only be issued as a simple but very elegant all black digibook version and will include 2 previousley unreleased acoustic versions of the songs "Have A Little Faith" and "Falling" as well as a brand new track called "What I Am".

"Heaven - Best Of Ballads Part II"
Track List:

01 Heaven
02 What am I *
03 Where is love when it's gone
04 Need to believe
05 One life one soul
06 The call
07 Don't let me down
08 Nothing left at all
09 Unconditional faith
10 Have a little faith **
11 Tears to cry
12 Everything I want
13 I've seen an angel cry
14 Tomorrow's just begun
15 Falling ***
16 And then goodbye
17 Merry Christmas

* previously unreleased
** special piano version / previously unreleased
*** special acoustic version / previously unreleased

http://www.nuclearblast.de/showDynamicPage.php?ident=newsdetail&nid=3746

日本盤は 1月発売予定!


http://www.myspace.com/gotthard

The Public Commemoration Ceremony For STEVE LEE

http://www.gotthard.com/


今日、10/17 AM10:00 から Steve Lee の告別式は、バンド名の由来になった Gotthard 峠の hospice で行われます。 Steve Lee... KEEP ROCKIN' rest in peace...






これまで、たくさんの訃報を聞いてきましたが、なぜ、こんなに悲しいのか考えてみました。もちろん GOTTHARD が大好きで Steve Lee が大好きなヴォーカリストだからです。でも、よく考えてみたら自分がこれまでにライブで観てきた外国のアーティストの中で初めて亡くなったのが Steve Lee だったんです。。。それに、突然の事故というよりは殺されたという表現の方が適切かもしれないからです。本当に悔しいし本当に残念な気持ちでいっぱいです。 Steve Lee 享年47歳。謹んで心よりご冥福をお祈りします。合掌。。。 rest in peace... In memory of Steve Lee †

The Call / GOTTHARD - my favorite song -

The Call / GOTTHARD - my favorite song -


"The Call" を初めて PRT で聴いたとき、なんて良いバラードだと心の底から思い、良い意味で WHITESNAKE の "Is This Love" 的で一聴き惚れし、個人的にここ数年の中で一番良い曲だと思えた。そして、絶対にアルバム DOMINO EFFECT を購入しようと Amazonに予約し、ライブも絶対観に行こうと思いました。DOMINO EFFECT のアート・ワークもクールだったので、T シャツ 2枚と "The Call" のシングルをオフィシャルに注文したらポスターにファンクラブの会報まで付けて送ってきてくれました。Tシャツは日本公演の日付が入ってないのでレアかもしれません。 結局、日本では "The Call" はDOMINO EFFECT のツアーでしかプレイしていないみたいなので本当に観に行って良かったと思います。 "The Call" のシングルはオフィシャルで購入したスイス盤?と日本盤とドイツ盤のプロモ盤の 3枚持ってます。それだけ大好きな曲で今でもよく聴いています。

18th Sep, 2007 Memories