Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes

1972 studio album by John Kay

Studio album by

John Kay

Released

1972

Genre

Blues-rock

Label

Dunhill Records

Producer

Richard Podolor^[1]

John Kay chronology

Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes
(1972)

My Sportin' Life
(1973)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	^[2]

Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes is the first solo album by German-Canadian musician John Kay.^[3]^[4] It was released on Dunhill Records in 1972.^[5]^[6]

Kay was well known as the lead singer of the band Steppenwolf. His first solo album contained a mixture of rock songs and country songs, including a number of covers.

Kay toured in support of the album on the 1972 Steppenwolf European farewell tour. The John Kay band was the support band and would play a short set before Steppenwolf came on. Steppenwolf members George Biondo (bass/vocals) and Kent Henry (lead guitar) played in both The John Kay Band and Steppenwolf during the tour.

Critical reception

AllMusic called the album "a serious attempt by Kay to break away from the hard rock persona he established with Steppenwolf ... that he pulls it off is impressive."^[1] The Rolling Stone Album Guide praised Kay's "cool" cover of "I'm Moving On."^[2] Billboard called the album "an affirmation of the talent that was overshadowed by [Steppenwolf's] flashy pyrotechnics."^[6]

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Kay; except where indicated

"Many a Mile" (Patrick Sky)
"Walk Beside Me"
"You Win Again" (Hank Williams)
"To Be Alive"
"Bold Marauder" (Richard Fariña)
"Two of a Kind"
"Walkin' Blues" (Robert Johnson)
"Somebody"
"I'm Moving On" (Hank Snow)

Charts

Chart (1972)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[7]	48

Personnel

John Kay - vocals, guitars
Kent Henry - lead guitar
Hugh O'Sullivan - keyboards
George Biondo - bass
Pentti Glan - drums

with:

Mars Bonfire - lead guitar on "I'm Moving On"
Richard Podolor - guitar, organ, mandolin, percussion
Alexandra Sliwin, Joan Sliwin, Marsha Temmer

Technical

Bill Cooper - engineer
Tom Gundelfinger - art direction, design, photography

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Forgotten Songs & Unsung Heroes - John Kay | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
^ ^a ^b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 388–389.
^ "John Kay | Biography & History". AllMusic.
^ Zimmerman, Lee. "John Kay of Steppenwolf fame commits to a solo career". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia.
^ "Steppenwolf | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
^ ^a ^b "Album Reviews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 8, 1972 – via Google Books.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 164. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.