【Pls look at the top comment first】The golden era 1980s always carries the best memories of the best sounds. Though some of the artists were never known by the majority, they did great jobs and made efforts to create music and played their favourite original songs. In 2022, there is a precious opportunity for me to know this band and their 1980s hidden songs.

The band is RAAN, formed in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in the late 1980s. When it comes to 1980s aor sounds from Canada, numerous names appear in people's mind including many global legends, but don't forget that there once came out numerous hidden and less-known names like RAAN, who should be known some day and is just for today.

RAAN consisted of five members like many other aor bands, featuring the keyboard-driven style. Today, RAAN has become a name of the past in form, on the other hand, RAAN never disappears from music world since vocalist Mr Gordon Anderson told me about their stories, shared their music works with me and let me know about their active years.

The band name RAAN stands for "Rutter (bass), Anderson (vocals), Audet (drums) & Nesplak (guitars)", the four surnames of the members who played together in those nostalgic years while the band experienced several line-up changes on keybobards in the past. RAAN didn't release an album officially, but they did everything they thought the big time record labels did.

Preciously, RAAN left a few singles which are uploaded on guitarist Nick Nesplak's youtube channel "nesplaktunes". All the songs carry their efforts and dedication on video shooting. Their videos are simple but carry the sense of nostalgia: a group of musicians playing in the spotlight, the typical 1980s clip emerging in every 1980s dreamer's heart.

According to Anderson, RAAN was formed as a basement band, playing on the weekend, but they completely created original works without cover songs.

As the core members of RAAN, Gordon Anderson (vocals) and Nick Nesplak (guitars) pretty ran the band, who were respectively responsible for creative ideas and marketing job. Every desicion and action should be made and taken independently with mutual support and collaboration. With the contritutions of Anderson and Nesplak, RAAN's music still exsists today.

The idea and the lyrics were about 70% from Gordon Anderson, however, without the band members' support which made all the ideas come true especially what Nick Nesplak did well for the band, RAAN would never exsisted.

As Anderson told me, RAAN's hometown Thunder Bay is a small city of about 110,000 citizens. As to me, RAAN is a precious outfit from the north shore of Lake Superior. Though their music didn't spread far and maybe there are few artists from the city, RAAN has proved their role on pop rock and aor music scene from Canada, standing for the glorious 1980s. Every little thing was an indispensable part in band management.

The begining of RAAN started when vocalist Gorden Anderson met drummer Chem Audet. Meeting the right people always helped to do something different that they wanted. As an indie band, who never found any label for music releasing, had no record sales with no agent representing their name, they did their best for music creation and paid for it all.

Each member from RAAN was the excellent performer. Without external support, their ability to express creative ideas went into overdrive. When recording, Nesplak was always pushing to get the best out of Anderson's voice. Randy Rutter was an easy going mate on bass who loved to play and was liked and loved by all. About drummer Chem Audet, this video is made in memory of him.

There are always regrets in life with so many things missed. RAAN's music works have been hidden for decades, throughout a member's life as Chem Audet never saw their songs to be widely known and spread in his living years, who dreamed to be a star when he was young. Today what I focus on is to place the hope and give more support and encougement to the remaining members of RAAN with this video of the song "People Change".

As long as there came out good tunes in mind, RAAN would take action to make them accomplished, Anderson has been writing, playing and recording ever since. RAAN never changed the style which they had developed. Their music works combined classic rock, pop aor, hi-tech aor, adult contemporary and even a bit of 1980s synth pop taste, blessing for ears.

Fast tunes, mid-tempo tunes and slow ballads, each song from RAAN was added brilliant solos, splendid keys, varied drum beats and many hooks. The highlights come out from the harmonic backing vocals which set off the outstangint lead vocals. Anderson is an excellent singer, who has picked up many precious memories from RAAN.

Suppose that if there would come out an remastered album, called The "Lost Canadian Jewels" Collector Series - Vol. XX, this hidden and underrated name RAAN should become a part of it.
#MelodicRock #aor #RAAN #GordonAnderson #NickNesplak

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