OLR-026 * September 2004 * Edition of 1000

6 page color booklet w/ photos & story

Before they recorded the version that eventually came out, IF ONLY had recorded a complete take of the "No Bed Of Roses" album with their original singer Jackie Bodimead (ex- Girlschool) on vocals! That version is contained on this CD, along with demo tracks and even a live BBC session! The story behind all of this is on the CD booklet, so I don't want to give it all away here! enjoy!

Here's a review from STRUTTER MAGAZINE in Holland:

IF ONLY ‘DESTINY’ (OUTLAW RECORDS)

It’s about 10 years ago since I reviewed the ‘No bed of roses’ CD of the English band IF ONLY, which was released on LONG ISLAND RECORDS. Now we are in the year 2004 and a new CD of IF ONLY material has been released. I remember it very well how amazing it sounded to me back when I heard it the first time. Also this new CD of IF ONLY contains such high class Melodic Rock. A bunch of songs already appeared on the ‘No bed of roses’ release, but all 17 songs on this CD are still unreleased, because these are all original live, demo, BBC Sessions and LP versions from 1989-1990 with the amazing JACKIE BODIMEAD on vocals instead of Tina Egan who sang on the ‘No bed of roses’ CD. The first 5 songs of ‘Destiny’ can not even be found in a re-recorded version on the IF ONLY CD ‘No bed of roses’, so this is definitely a very interesting release. It’s also a good introduction to this amazing band, which never got big back in the late 80s/early 90s, although their music was of a very high level.

Their material was even better at times than similar bands such as VIXEN, WITNESS and HEART. The band featured the superb female lead singer JACKIE BODIMEAD, who sang in GIRLSCHOOL for a while. Her voice belongs to one of the best in Female Fronted Rock history (!!!) and the 17 songs on this CD showcase once more how sensational IF ONLY sounded some 15 years ago. It’s almost unbelievable they didn’t had their breakthrough in the USA back then, because the music was just so perfect classy 80s AOR/Melodic Rock. Songs like “Destiny”, “Voices of the heart”, “Hearts on the line” and “Change of heart” are instant AOR Classics, all taken from 1989/1990 demos, while the rest is slightly heavier Melodic Rock in the big time VIXEN/LAOS style, with such fantastic songs like “Ghost of you”, “Rock and a hard place”, “All over” and “Forever my love” (much better than the STEVE THOMSON version), all taken from the original LP version.

While listening to this CD, it becomes clear that this IF ONLY proves once again how many unknown high quality bands were out there back in the 1980s. It’s a good thing to see this material being released on CD, because it truly deserves to be heard by many more people than the few who bought the LONG ISLAND RECORDS CD from a decade ago. Let’s hope this amazing band will also reform sometime in the near future, because the talents of singer JACKIE BODIMEAD, guitarist Martin Chaisson (ex-UFO) and former MORITZ members Ian Edwards (bass), Greg Hart (guitars/songwriter), Andy Stewarton (keyboards) and Andy Elphick (drums) combined showed an amazing band called IF ONLY, which is highly recommended to basically any AOR/Melodic Rockfan! And do not compare this release to the LONG ISLAND released CD, because on this CD we can hear the amazing JACKIE BODIMEAD, which is definitely sounding a lot better.

(Points: 9.1 out of 10)

And here's another review, this one from POWERPLAY mag in the UK!

First up in our female fronted frenzy of femme fatales is - If Only. Yeah, that's right, I did say If Only. Those long lost British AOR-sters are the subject of a curious reissue from Outlaw Records. Their, one and only, album - "No Bed Of Roses", was released by Long Island Records, in the nineties. That version featured, the now sadly deceased, Tina Egan on vocals. Before Tina, however, the band featured the vocal talents of the delectable ex-Girlschool chanteuse Jackie Bodimead, and it's this version that is the subject of this reissue. Formed from the ashes of Moritz by Greg Hart, If Only started life in the late eighties. This reissue features most of the work that Jackie recorded with the band, including her version of the "No Bed Of Roses" album. I always thought that Jackie was a phenominal talent. Her solitary album with Girlschool and her solo album "I Don't Believe In Love" are superb examples of a vocalist in her prime.

And this, If Only, album is no exception. Just listen to the likes of "Rock And A Hard Place", the old Moritz song "Hearts On The Line" and "If Love Could Last Forever" to see what I mean. Alongside Greg Hart, she forged a songwriting partnership that should have gone far. It was a devastating blow to the band when she quit at the eleventh hour. To be fair, Tina Egan was a quality replacement, but she was no Jackie Bodimead. You can buy copies of the excellent "Destiny", complete with liner notes from Greg Hart, from Outlaw Records at www.outlawrecordings.net

www.powerplaymagazine.co.uk
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