Survivor (Survivor album)

Survivor is the eponymous debut album by American rock band Survivor, recorded & released in 1979. It is their only album with original drummer Gary Smith and bassist Dennis Keith Johnson. The recording sessions, overseen by A&R executive John Kalodner, were not without difficulties. First Ron Nevison replaced Barry Mraz as producer, and then the project had to be taken to Bruce Fairbairn in Vancouver to achieve a mix that was to Kalodner's satisfaction.[1] The album took eight months to finally be released.

Survivor
Studio album by Survivor
Released	1979 [1]
Recorded	1979
Studio	The Record Plant Studio C (Los Angeles, California); Little Mountain Sound Studios (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Genre	Rock
Length	40:29
Label	Scotti Bros.
Producer	Ron Nevison, Barry Mraz
Survivor chronology
Survivor (1979) Premonition (1981)
Singles from Survivor
"Somewhere in America" Released: 1979

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

The album lightly impacted the charts, managing a placement of #169 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the Spring of 1980. However, the opening track "Somewhere In America" was a regional hit in the Chicago area,[1] and the song "Youngblood", with its dramatic guitar intro, proved to be something of a blueprint for the band's smash hit of two years later, "Eye of the Tiger".

An additional song recorded for the album, "Rockin' into the Night", was rejected by Nevison as "too Southern"; it was given to .38 Special who turned the song into a hit.[1] The original Survivor recording finally became available in 2004 on the compilation Ultimate Survivor.

The single "Rebel Girl" was recorded about a year after the album sessions, though the Japanese release of the album on CD includes it as song number six. The 2010 reissue on Rock Candy Records appends the song as a bonus track.

The model on the cover of the album is actress Kim Basinger, as confirmed by the band's founding member Jim Peterik.[3]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Somewhere in America"	Jim Peterik	5:13
2.	"Can't Getcha Offa My Mind"	Peterik, Frankie Sullivan	3:00
3.	"Let It Be Now"	Peterik, Sullivan	3:39
4.	"As Soon As Love Finds Me"	Dennis Keith Johnson, Peterik, Gary Smith, Sullivan	2:52
5.	"Youngblood"	Johnson, Peterik, Sullivan	3:31

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Love Has Got Me"	Peterik	3:38
7.	"Whole Town's Talkin'"	Johnson, Peterik, Smith, Sullivan	3:32
8.	"20/20"	Johnson, Peterik, Smith, Sullivan	3:23
9.	"Freelance"	Johnson, Peterik, Sullivan	3:37
10.	"Nothing Can Shake Me (From Your Love)"	Peterik	4:09
11.	"Whatever It Takes"	Johnson, Peterik, Smith, Sullivan	3:46

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Rebel Girl" (bonus track on Rock Candy reissue only)	Peterik, Smith	3:50

Personnel

• Dave Bickler – lead vocals, keyboards
• Jim Peterik – guitar, vocals, lead vocals (6)
• Frankie Sullivan – lead guitar
• Dennis Keith Johnson – bass guitar, Moog bass pedals
• Gary Smith – drums, percussion

Production

• Ron Nevison – producer
• Barry Mraz – producer
• Bruce Fairbairn – recording engineer, mix assistant
• Jim Peterik – recording engineer, mix assistant
• Mike Clink – assistant engineer
• Bob Rock – mixing
• Mike Salisbury – art direction, album design
• Mark Feldman – cover photography

Charts

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Billboard Top Pop Albums	169

External links

• "Survivor" at allmusic.com

References

1. Survivor (Inset). Survivor. UK: Rock Candy Records. 2010. CANDY081.CS1 maint: others (link)
2. allmusic review
3. https://www.facebook.com/officialjimpeterik/posts/10156048065638498