A live acoustic version of R2024A. You can listen to the original version here: https://soundcloud.com/raidiotony/sets/r2024a

R2025A (Live Mix of R2024A)

This is a new live acoustic version of 'The Summer of 84'. You can listen to the original version here: https://soundcloud.com/raidiotony/the-summer-of-84-dolby-remaster-7

This song was the most popular on R2024A, which surprised me. I view it as a very personal song that celebrates some of my "best summer ever" type memories. From what I've been told, people seem to easily be able to relate it to their own "best summer ever" memories. This is exactly the reason why I love hearing from you!

On this R2025A version, I age the R2024A vocalist, he's now 40 years older and looking back as he sings and still smiling!

R2025A

The Summer of 84 (Live Mix)

This is a new live version of 'Van Rattford', you can listen to the original version here: https://soundcloud.com/raidiotony/van-rattford-dolby-remaster-9

Van Rattford is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, I know that, so why include it on R2025A? Several reasons:

(1) I wondered how such a technically complex arrangement might sound in a live setting. After dozens of takes all I can say is I hope it would sound something like this.

(2) I figure if I ever cross a large outlaw motorcycle gang, and they consent to give me a last wish, I can ask them to play this song and they might just let me go.

(3) It takes me back to the early 80s where the sounds of hard rock, just like this, actually filled the air. In that sense I built a time machine by making it and that's a whole lot easier than finding a working DeLorean these days.

(4) Jay loved it.

Buy Track

Van Rattford (Live Mix)

Steve Howe set a pretty high bar back in the 80s. His "Mood For A Day" and "The Clap" are both acoustic guitar masterpieces. At my guitar playing peak, I had mastered "Mood For A Day" but never "The Clap", at least not all of it. In fact, decades later I scoured Youtube and could only find one guitar player with a video demonstrating true mastery of it. The whole magic is in his arrangements that create the sound of 2, and sometimes even 3, guitars being played!

This song is my tribute to Steve Howe and has been in the making for 40 years by one way of counting. Jay flatly rejected at least the first ten R2024A takes, it's that kind of song. With this R2025A version, I finally have something I'm happy with but at the same time, feel defeated about. It's a fact: this song is a multi-guitar arrangement. Nobody, not even Steve Howe himself, could possibly play it on one guitar.

Guitarists: please don't take this as a challenge! (You'll find out years from now I was right, trust me on that.)

You can listen to the original version here:
https://soundcloud.com/raidiotony/mood-for-a-clap-dolby-remaster-3

Mood For A Clap (Live Mix)

We've all heard about the dangers of AI. It truly has the power to radically change life as we know it. I'm an AI enthusiast because I believe we can manage those changes to create a huge net positive for society. On the other hand, I fully admit much darker outcomes are possible.

I wrote this song, in many ways, as a kind of "Note To Self: Please Don't Take This AI Thingy Too Far". I hope others take it that way as well.

Left Behind (Live Mix)

A new take on our national anthem that introduces a more modern arrangement with this R2025A version, without changing a single word.

You can hear the original R2024A version here:
https://soundcloud.com/raidiotony/star-spangled-banner-dolby-remaster-6

Star Spangled Banner (Live Mix)

"Sexy Lives Matter” takes the idea of activism to the catwalk. From the perspective of a runway icon who believes pouting and posing are world-changing acts, it’s satire in high heels. The song plays with the absurd clash between glamour and gravity—where saving the world starts with being really, really, ridiculously good-looking.

You can listen to the original R2024A version here:
https://soundcloud.com/raidiotony/sexy-lives-matter-dolby-remaster-5

Sexy Lives Matter (Live Mix)

New music in the style of 80s and 90s rock/pop.

Left Behind (Live Mix)

Raidio Tony