Author: James

Graham and Russell join Voice of America’s Border Crossings.

via Philstar

MANILA, Philippines — Music, as they say, is the closest thing we have to a time machine. This quote rang true as Air Supply transported the concert-goers back in time when they held their show last week at the Newport World Resorts.

It was a night of just pure music, a moment of walking down the memory lane as the Hall of Famers from Australia performed their classic hits one after another at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.

The soft-rock duo of Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell serenaded the crowd starting with Sweet Dreams followed by Even The Nights are Better, Just As I Am and Every Woman in the World.

Russell quipped at one point, “Obviously we’ve been around for two to three years now. That was a joke.” The musicians’ career began in 1975 and they have been to the Philippines for more than 20 times already.

“We’re going to tell you our favorite song, it’s an old one. We hope you enjoy it. We sing this every night ‘cause it’s from our hearts. We take nothing for granted. We appreciate you coming to see us tonight,” Russell said before crooning the earnest Here I Am.

“It’s nice to be back here,” Graham also told the crowd. “You know, we first came here to Manila over 40 years ago… We have a lot of friends here. We really do love coming back to the Philippines. This evening, tonight, you are us. In return, we are yours. Are you ready?” The fans were, in fact, more than ready as they chorused Chances with both Russell and Graham.

Russell then went for a break while Graham had a solo moment on stage and narrated, “Sometimes, at the end of the job, before we go home, it gets very tiring. Several times, I take my guitar, this one, and go and find a nice green field. Sit down and play. And just myself. One day, I found a beautiful rhythm flowing through this beautiful field. And I brought my hand to the water, to feel the beautiful water dripping over my hand. (It brought) me some great joy.

“My other hand was on the guitar and (I) started to play,” he began strumming his guitar and uttered a few verses like he was “having a conversation with an old friend.”

The 72-year-old English-born singer then got nostalgic over how he met his “closest friend” Russell back in Australia in the ‘70s. “(We’ve been friends) for almost 50 years and we never had an argument of any kind. And that is true friendship. I met this gentleman in a musical… There were 34 people. We sang together.”

He continued, “I heard this amazing voice. And I turned to him afterwards, ‘What an amazing voice you have. My name is Graham Russell.’ And he said, ‘Thank you very much. We have the same name (Russell Hitchcock).’ We realized we were born three days apart on the same month. We have so much in common.”

They soon realized that they would be “working together for a long time.”

As Russell returned to the stage, he also harked back to their good old days.

“We’ve known each other for many, many years. We met in Australia in 1975. We were in a production, in Jesus Christ Superstar… We had major success in Australia early on in our careers,” he recalled.

They were fortunate enough to get record deals in 1977 and worked with British rock star Rod Stewart, continued Russell.

“In Australia, we had some ups and downs. Right now, we’re gonna take you back in that first part of our career…. We sincerely thank you for continuing this journey with us,” he added.

The duo then hit Two Less Lonely People in the World and Graham did what he does best with his guitar solo. They also performed the heartfelt The One that You Love, Lost In Love, Making Love Out of Nothing at All and Without You.

Their music is so timeless that you’d see a multigenerational crowd during the show — old souls, middle-aged and younger ones accompanying their parents.

With their relatable lyrics and sounds that never get old, it makes one want to wallow in nostalgia (I can hear the person sitting next to me ardently singing every lyric of each song, filled with emotions).

Towards the end of the concert, Air Supply expressed their gratitude to Steve O’ Neal Productions, their crew, the people behind the scene and the band members who performed with them before leaving the audience with the LSS-inducing All Out of Love: “I’m lying alone with my head on the phone/Thinking of you ‘til it hurts/I know you’re hurt too, but what else can we do? Tormented and torn apart…”

via Hype.my

Yes, like the song “I’ll Never Get Enough Of You”, we’ll never get enough of the epic duo, Air Supply. They rocked Malaysian fans for the third time recently – and this time, despite the long hiatus, it was freaking epic! With the arena filled to the brim with both old and new Air Heads, Air Supply’s classic songs brought back memories of simpler times.

Despite the freezing cold and pouring rain at Resorts World Genting, nothing stopped thousands of Air Heads from seeing their favourite band of all time. We at Hype got the chance to see them live and all we can say is… they are most definitely true rock stars!

On Sunday night (18th December), the Arena Of Stars was met with a thunderstorm of claps and whistles as the legendary duo – Graham and Russell – strolled onto the stage. Beginning at 6pm sharp, the duo opened with “Sweet Dreams” – despite some fans still trickling in and out – because time, and Air Supply, wait for absolutely no one!

The soft rock duo’s “Lost In Love Experience Tour Live In Genting” was its last concert of 2022. Ending the tour with a bang, the duo rocked Malaysians with classics like “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All”, “All Out Of Love”, “Here I Am”, “Every Woman In The World” and many more. They even introduced a brand new song called “Be Tough” which was just released a couple of weeks ago.

Because Air Supply is such a legendary band, everyone in the audience knew the words to each of their smash hits. The arena was filled with echoes of fans singing along to every single word. Russell, the lead singer, even gave several short pauses to let fans take over. The crowd, in turn, displayed a sea of lights to show support and love for the two rock stars.

There were times when Russell suddenly walked off stage to take a tea break – according to Graham – because he had sung all the high notes. So Graham took over and entertained the audience with guitar-smacking songs and even played one of his own tracks, “G’s Spot”. The guitarist even recited a beautiful poem on stage by memory, asking the audience to appreciate the ones they love.

Despite the fans shouting “Encore!” and “We want more!”, the rock duo ended their performance after a quick 1-hour 40-minute show. After 130 shows this year alone, Russell and Graham congratulated and thanked every team member, both backstage and on stage, showing utmost appreciation. Not forgetting the most important people of all – the fans – as the band thanked the audience for being there.

All in all, the experience was definitely one you wouldn’t forget. Hearing and seeing legendary singers who have remained active for almost 50 years is an experience that would remain in the minds and hearts of fans. We definitely will never get enough of Air Supply!

As the season of giving is approaching, Graham and I are excited to give you all a very special Christmas gift! Here is the video for our new single “Be Tough.” We hope that you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and we look forward to playing it for you when we are out on the road in 2023!

Peace and Love,

G & R

♥️

Enter for a chance to win an Air Supply Holiday Merchandise Pack. Be sure to come back daily to for more chances to win. Good luck + happy holidays!

Air Supply Competition

BMI songwriter Graham Russell of the legendary duo Air Supply made a special appearance at the Council of State Restaurant Associations Government Affairs Conference in Salt Lake City, sharing stories and songs with the audience of state restaurant association CEOs and executives with the National Restaurant Association. Air Supply has been together for 48 years and Russell has served as the primary songwriter for the group, writing multiple soft rock classics such as “Lost Without Your Love,” “All Out of Love,” “One That You Love” and “Sweet Dreams.” The native of Nottingham, England talked about his long collaboration with lead singer Russell Hitchcock and performed some of the biggest hits from the group’s extraordinary catalogue, which includes 8 top five hits. Air Supply continues to perform worldwide to sold out crowds. CSRA’s mission is to foster goodwill and promote the success of State Restaurant Associations and their members.

The Holiday Season is upon us and we’d like to say thank you for all of your continued love and support. As a token of our gratitude, we’ll be offering 20% OFF ALL PURCHASES at Shop.AirSupplyMusic.com now through Monday, November 29. ​ Get a head start on holiday shopping for the AirHead in your life, or pick up that new shirt you’ve had your eye on. You’re going to look fab!

via Salamanca Press

via The Republic

He’s heard the critics for nearly half a century imply that his band’s lighter rock of the 1980s is perhaps lighter weight. But, if that’s the case, h0w do you explain love song leaders such as Air Supply playing a string of eight countries in the next six months alone, especially at 15,000-seat arenas outside the United States?

“I usually don’t like to mention this about the sheer numbers, but we’ve probably played before as many people just in the past five years as we ever have (in that time span),” said 73-year-old lead singer Russell Hitchcock, speaking by phone from his home outside Los Angeles.

The six-member band, with Hitchcock’s original sidekick Graham Russell still on guitar — and still penning songs — will perform an approximately 13-song, hit-laden set at 8 p.m. Friday at Brown County Music Center in Nashville for those they affectionately call Airheads. And while the group’s key duo acknowledge some slight concert tweaks, they figure fans want them to be faithful to such well-known tunes as “Lost in Love,” “All Out of Love,” “Making Love Out of Nothing At All,” “Sweet Dreams,” “Even the Nights Are Better,” and “Every Woman in the World,” among others.

When Hitchcock has attended concerts by Paul McCartney (four times) and The Eagles (four times), he himself has wanted to hear the classic songs just as he remembers them in order to musically muse over the years.

“We definitely play what people want to hear,” he said. “Unfortunately, I’ve been to so many shows where I couldn’t always quite tell what song an artist was playing.”

For those who are wondering, Hitchcock’s tenor voice and his harmonies with Russell still sound as sweet in online clips as they did more than 30 years ago on recordings. Maybe the only complaint for some very proper pop fans about shows in the past year is that the group sometimes sounds surprisingly like harder-edged rock when live and in person today, which can nearly overshadow such precise vocals.

“Well, it is very loud,” Hitchcock said of the backing band that he gushes over.

But the lyrical heartbeat is still there, irrefutable evidence that this group is, as Time magazine once called it, “the most romantic band in the world.” Recent reviews, including those for sold-out shows in such major markets as San Francisco and Washingt0on, D.C., have lauded the group as an adult contemporary ensemble for the still starry-eyed and smitten lovers.

Yet, challenges remain.

Even after successes such as he and Russell being inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association’s Hall of Fame in 2013 and performing before a huge crowd of 175,000 at a concert in Cuba in 2005, Hitchcock still battles stage fright before every performance. He sometimes fought it with just a bit of merlot beforehand in the past. Now, he reminds himself that it will pass.

“I’m usually OK about three songs in,” he said.

He’s laid back about being recognized a couple times per week at airports and elsewhere, and chuckles about once frequently being mistaken for Elton John, thanks to similar specs and a similar haircut a few years ago. And there have been other erroneous sightings. A clueless teen girl gasped a while back when he was stepping from an elevator, and he noticed his round glasses.

“Are you John Lennon?” she asked.

The Australia native first joined forces with the British Russell in 1975 after meeting as castmates of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which marked the first time he ever sang publicly. The two have worked together regularly ever since while never ceasing touring. Hitchcock never wants to write, and Russell said he has no desire to be lead vocalist. Hence, the effortless blending for 47 years.

Hitchcock had to think a while when asked about their biggest disagreement.

“Probably about where to eat,” Hitchcock said with a laugh. “Because he’s vegetarian.”