It wasnât always multi-platinum sales and stadium gigs for Dokken.  There was a first-phase and there were early days, and it is those bold first steps to stardom which are celebrated comprehensively on Dokkenâs The Lost Songs: 1978-1981album, out on August 28th2020 through Silver Lining Music. Â
Featuring spectacular sleeve art by renowned US artist Tokyo Hiro (Motörhead, Motley CrĂŒe), The Lost Songs: 1978-1981show the crackle and craft of a hungry young Don Dokken as he embarked upon a journey which started in Southern California and Northern Germany. It is a trek which is testimony to the sheer endeavour and perseverance Don Dokken showed in those few years between 1978 and 1981, starting from when he spent time at a guitar store called Drakeâs Music, owned by Drake Levin in Manhattan Beach, California.
A fair selection of the treasure on The Lost Songs: 1978-1981 arefrom these early European days. âFelonyâ carries a thuggish fuzz-coated riff -think early Van Halen in really greasy embroidered denims- while âDay After Dayâ showed that Don could pen a radio-slaying ballad.  Â
The writing and creation of The Lost Songs: 1978-1981 are further tribute to enduring early days of struggle in both Germany and LA, Don would return to LA for a spell after those brief European gigs, and he worked with Croucier on material, including perhaps the truest view of Dokkenâs then-future âHit And Runâ, which incredibly did not end up on the eventual Breaking The Chainsrelease.  From the sunbaked SoCal hook of âStep Into The Lightâ to the furious, fledgling, late-Sunset Strip sound of âBack In The Streets,â The Lost Songs: 1978-1981shows Don in his unfettered early days of balls-out attitude, qualities doubtless forged in the sheer nature of the adventures undertaken in writing, recording and deciding Europe was the place to keep cutting his teeth.Â
The Lost Songs: 1978-1981not only shares that magic with the fans, it gives them the final, vital and undeniably missing (until now) early album in the Dokken collection.
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Musicians who appear on The Lost Songs: 1978-1981:
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Don Dokken â vocals, guitar
Jon Levin â guitar
BJ Zampa â drumsÂ
Juan Croucier â bass
Greg Leon â guitar
Gary Holland â drums
Mick Brown â drums
George Lynch -guitar
Rustee Allen – bass
Bill Lordan â drums
Greg Pecka- Drums
The Lost Songs: 1978-1981Â track-listing:
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- Step Into The Light
- Weâre Going Wrong
- Day After Day
- Rainbows
- Felony
- No Answer
- Back In The Streets
- Hit And Run
- Broken Heart
- Liar
- Prisoner
The Lost Songs: 1978-1981 is available to pre-order at this locationon CD, Vinyl, digital formats and special D2C bundles
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