Artist: DIO
Album: SACRED HEART (CD)

Release date: 1985
EAN/UPS: 0042282484826
Media type: CD

Although 1985's 'Sacred Heart' gave DIO another hit album, it gave the band a second top five position in the UK and broke the top thirty in the USA, it was generally recognised that the songs were not up to the standard of its predecessors. The album was not the only project to occupy Ronnie James Dio though. Upon an initial idea suggested by Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell, the singer put his full weight and enthusiasm behind the HEAR N' AID Heavy Metal benefit for famine relief in Africa. The all-star cast Dio assembled at short notice on May 21st and 22nd at the A&M Records Studio in Hollywood, California to record the hit single 'Stars', ranged from JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford, Geoff Tate of QUEENSRYCHE, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray of IRON MAIDEN, Dave Meniketti of Y&T, BLUE OYSTER CULT, DOKKEN, NEAL SCHON of JOURNEY, TED NUGENT, QUIET RIOT and TWISTED SISTER, made a colossal impression on the global Rock community and raised over $1 million.

A further successful tour ensued, complete with an 18 foot mechanical dragon and a pair of duelling knights, but all was not well within the confines of the band. The band kicked off with their first live appearance in Japan at the ‘Super Rock’ festival flanking FOREIGNER, MAMA'S BOYS, ROUGH CUTT, EARTHSHAKER and STING on August 10th. From there DIO launched straight into a four month sustained slog of US concerts, backed by fellow management stable act ROUGH CUTT. In December, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN took over the role of opener. European concerts found KEEL doing the guest honours.

Increasingly disgruntled with an ongoing internal power struggle between himself and Dio, guitarist VIVIAN CAMPBELL quit in May of 1986 to form a new, low key act TRINITY with bassist Davy Watson and drummer Pat Waller. He would not be out of the limelight long though and was to enjoy high profile stints in WHITESNAKE, RIVERDOGS, SHADOWKING with FOREIGNER vocalist LOU GRAMM and later DEF LEPPARD. (VIVIAN CAMPBELL released his debut solo album, 'Two Sides Of If', in September 2005.)

Craig Goldy, an associate of DIO's from his time in the Wendy Dio managed ROUGH CUTT, was recruited from DRIVER. Since leaving ROUGH CUTT the guitarist had been involved with GIUFFRIA's successful first album and subsequent tour. Locked into a gruelling seemingly endless touring situation the band, traversing the USA packaged with ACCEPT in the summer months, put forward the idea for a full blown DIO live album to keep the momentum flowing. DIO's American record company Warner Bros. rejected the plan flat and so a compromise was reached in the stop gap mini-album 'Intermission' featuring mainly live tracks bolstered by one new studio cut 'Time To Burn'. The group’s third global excursion closed in Japan and Australia in September 1986.

With Goldy's recruitment, DIO seemingly appeared to be losing ground and creatively treading water. 'Dream Evil', released in August 1987, heralded Schnell's admission as a full time band member, the keyboard player appearing onstage for the first time rather than in the wings. Touring commenced with a showing at a Los Angeles 'Children of the night' charity event at Irvine Meadows Theatre on 1st August before a special guest appearance at the 'Monsters of Rock' festivals across Europe second on the bill to BON JOVI and bolstered by METALLICA, ANTHRAX, W.A.S.P. and CINDERELLA, reminding one and all that DIO was very much still a force to be reckoned with.

The lavish stage production for headline dates, in Spain supported by HELLOWEEN with WARLOCK taking over for the rest of the continent, had the singer battling with not only a dragon but a huge mechanical spider. The tour was not without incident though as in Europe the band's bus was involved in a multi vehicle pile up. In december the group trailed across the USA with MEGADETH and SAVATAGE in tow.

TRACKLIST:

1. King Of Rock n' Roll
2. Sacred Heart
3. Another Lie
4. Rock n' Roll Children
5. Hungry For Heaven
6. Like The Beat Of A Heart
7. Just Another Day
8. Fallen Angels
9. Shoot Shoot

LINE-UP:

Ronnie James Dio (vocals)
Vivian Cambell (guitar)
Jimmy Bain (bass)
Vinnie Appice (drums)