Russ Ballard

But starved for a radio hit, Capitol Records A&R Vice President Rupert Perry stepped in and pushed the duo to accept outside material.

Enter British singer-songwriter and producer Russ Ballard, formerly the guitarist for the rock band Argent.

Ballard had built an industry reputation writing hits for other artists, including New York Groove for Ace Frehley and I Know There's Something Going On for Frida of ABBA fame, which we heard in episode 46.

Ballard had previously written a track called I Don't Believe in Miracles for their 1980 album Alibi, but it was his next submission that had real promise.

When they went into the studio, Jerry Beckley took over the lead vocal duties.

In a documented bit of production history, Beckley and Bunnell only laid down their vocals for the track.

Russ Ballard handled the heavy lifting by playing almost all the instruments in the studio, which are officially credited as the keyboards, the electric guitar, bass guitar and acoustic guitar.

The only other musician on the instrumental track was Willie Leacox, America's long-time touring drummer who recorded the drums.

It's funny, no matter what you do in your life, w... it's, and again, a blessing and curse, and I think w- we'll get more into that.

But, uh, on, on a truthful note, it, it was something that we, the look that we put together kind of came from a, a trip to the UK, actually, and a songwriting, uh, jaunt with, uh, a hero of ours, Russ Ballard, who was in a band called Argent.

Sure.

Right.