Phenomena (band)

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Phenomena is a melodic rock project by founding producer Tom Galley and Wilfried F. Rimensberger. Phenomena's music has its roots in the classic hard rock genre and many of Phenomena's contributors have been members of leading hard rock bands such as Deep Purple, Queen or Trapeze. Phenomena II's Dream Runner is now a critically acclaimed rock music classic. The John Wetton-voiced "Did It All For Love", which was Phenomena's first chart topping single at the time, still gets airplay on radio stations around the globe. Phenomena was originally on BMG RCA International with released albums selling well in Europe, South America and Japan.

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[edit] History

In the 1980s, Phenomena released 3 albums and some singles and maxi singles. Originally a basic concept of straight forward rock songs with simple lyrics and a video idea, project director and co-producer Wilfried F. Rimensberger's creative and production approach and network of contacts enabled Tom Galley to record with some well-known musicians and singers, charting albums and a number one hit in South America. Difficulties between Tom and (at the time) more famous brother Mel Galley, best known for his work with Trapeze and Whitesnake, could also be smoothed over by Rimensberger, and according to him: Mel's impact on song writing and during recording sessions was also a contributing factor to the production success of the Phenomena II album.[citation needed]

Rimensberger pulled together talents like film-and-stage set-designer Anthony Furst (Batman, The Who), Executive Movie Producer Raymond Homer and BMG international Vice President Heinz Henn, who signed Phenomena for a 3 album deal to RCA, and developed DreamRunner from Tom Galley's video synopsis and stills to a full length feature movie project that attracted talents such as Sean Connery, Emily Lloyd and Eddie Kid. However, during the recording of Phenomena III, Tom Galley opposed views by Rimensberger and Henn, who both wanted the recordings on the third album to be harder with some of the lyrics and songs rewritten: Tom Galley was not going to oblige. Consequently, BMG withdrew the contract and without further funding the Phenomena project, movie included, collapsed within months. Tom Galley eventually sold his rights on the Phenomena III recording to Parachute Records, with whom he later also ran into difficulties. Nevertheless, after a gap of nearly 15 years Phenomena IV Psychofantasy has finally been released at the beginning of 2006. A repackaged boxed set with some new songs was also released internationally in 2006 by Escape Music. A new Phenomena album, with recordings by some of the previous stars and new artists, and Tom Galley and Wilfried Rimensberger again together in the producer chairs, is in the making for 2009.

[edit] Further aspects of the Phenomena project

Further aspects of Tom Galley's and Wilfried F. Rimensberger's Phenomena project are also live performances with a changing line-up of rock superstars and best of young talents, a Phenomena musical show, Phenomena action-adventure movies and a computer game. A script for the feature film exists but a first production attempted with some big Hollywood names involved was abandoned, just at the start of the shoot. A movie trailer produced by Wilfried F. Rimensberger exists in the form of the music video for the single "Did It All For Love".[1] A concert tour on the world championship motorbike racing cirquit was also prepared with sponsors like Suzuki, Swatch and media agency Dorland backing it but so far it has not been realised. The same with the computer game and the Phenomena musical. Together with Tom's release of Psychofantasy in 2006, these projects are currently updated and repackaged by Wilfried F. Rimensberger. During 2007 Tom Galley and Wilfried Rimensberger joined forces again, with Tom now writing new songs, allready producing demo recordings for a forthcoming PHENOMENA V album, and Wilfried as overall project Executive producer. A major announcement on the recording line-up and further developments is expected latest by June 2008.

[edit] Source

Interviews with W.F. Rimensberger and published articles (1986, 1988, 1991, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008), Tom Galley (1986, 1988, 2006), Merve Spence (2006), original Phenomena material provided by Wilfried F. Rimensberger

[edit] Line up

The full recording line-up on Phenomena:

Phenomena I (Bronze 1984):

Phenomena II Dream Runner (BMG/RCA 1987):

  • Vocals: Ray Gillen, Glenn Hughes, John Wetton, Max Bacon
  • Guitar:Kyoji Yamamoto, Mel Galley, Scott Gorham, "Big" John Thomas
  • Bass: Neil Murray, John Wetton
  • Drums: Michael Sturgis, Toshihiro Niimi
  • Keyboards: Leif Johansen, Richard Bailey
  • Producer: Tom Galley
  • Project Director/Co-Producer: Wilfried F. Rimensberger
  • Cover Design: Tim P. Davies

Phenomena III Inner Vision:

  • Vocals: Keith Murrell
  • Guitar: Mel Galley, Scott Gorham, Brian May
  • Drums: Michael Sturgis
  • Keyboards: Leif Johansen
  • Producer: Tom Galley
  • Project Director/Co Producer: Wilfried F. Rimensberger
  • Co-Producer: Leif Johansen

Psychofantasy (2006):

  • Vocals: Glenn Hughes, Tony Martin, Keith Murrell, Lee Small, Matt Morton, Joy Strachan
  • Guitar: Mel Galley, Andy Shortland, J.J. Marsh
  • Bass: Richard Lymn
  • Keyboards: Ian Rowlands, Tom Brown
  • Producer: Tom Galley
  • Album Coordinator: Tom Brown

Phenomena I,II , III - Boxed Set of the classic Phenomena recordings with additional material from the forthcoming PHENOMENA IV album (2006 Escape Music)

  • Producer: Tom Galley
  • Co-Producer/Phenomena project director: Wilfried F. Rimensberger
  • Boxed set producer: Merve Spence

Tom Galley recorded Psychofantasy for Phenomena IV but is in dispute with Mervyn Spence about contractual obligations after Tom sold his rights in Phenomena to Mervyn Spence who was involved one time as a musician in 1985, playing bass on 4 demo tracks of PHENOMENA I but never performed on the actual recordings. Wilfried Rimensberger was not involved in Tom's sell-off and retained his rights in the PHENOMENA project troughout, and, with his rights still in place, eventually approached Tom in 2007 to join forces again.

[edit] External links

Music Video and Dream Runner movie trailer "Did it all for Love"

Recording of a rare live performance for German TV with the late Ray Gillen singing