GABRIELLE DE VAL - KISS IN A DRAGON NIGHT
new and sealed cd
Catalogue NO: ESM373
Barcode No: 5031281003737
The Musicians:
Gabrielle de Val: Lead Vocals
Guest Lead vocalists: Robin McAuley/Mark Boals/Mick Devine/Terry Brock/Steve
Overland
Backing vocals: Steve Overland/Mick Devine/Lee Small
Guitars: Fredrik Folkare/Steve Morris/Gary Pihl/Keith Atack/Tommy Denander
Keyboards: Eric Ragno/Steve Mann/Nick Foley/Tommy Denander
Bass: Fredrik Folkare
Drums: Johan Kullberg
Track list:
1. Take on the World (3:39)
2. When Midnight Comes (with Mark Boals) (4:16)
3. Moonlight Shadow (3:45)
4. Kiss in a Dragon Night (with Robin McAuley) (4:13)
5. Pay For the Lonely Nights (3:46)
6. Fight For Love (with Mick Devine) (4:06)
7. Candle in the Window (4:11)
8. Stayin’ Alive (with Terry Brock) (3:38
9. Fuel to the Fire (3:48)
10. Natural High (with Steve Overland) (3:38)
11. Let’s Get Something Started (3:35)
12. Hold On (with Mick Devine & Gary Pihl) (3:26)
Produced By Khalil Turk for Turkish Delight Productions
Mixed and Mastered by Fredrik Folkare
Executive Producer Bruce Mee
Gabrielle de Val started to get involved in the Rock scene when in 1987 she created the
band Yin-Yang, which would later be called D'Val, together with several musicians who
suggested to her to take part in the 'Villa de Madrid' contest, the most relevant of the
Spanish music scene for decades. To the band's surprise, they ranked second in the final,
achieving great media coverage, as well as financial aid that they invested in upgrading
their equipment and the recording of a vinyl single, which would be distributed
nationally.
Gabrielle composed, wrote lyrics, sang, did interviews... and that's how she turned
music into her life. The band recorded several demos that today are part of the treasure
trove for the nostalgic Spanish Rock-lovers. After that, the band remained inactive... for
almost 20 years! Until in 2010 Alfonso Samos, David Erick, Alex Morell and Gabrielle
reappeared, to everyone's surprise, under the name of The Val and recorded, at last, their
debut album 'Back'. And as Gabrielle says, “Good things sometimes come to those who
wait... a long wait!” But the world had changed and borders had disappeared for music
thanks to social networks and the countless possibilities they offered to go one step
further; and that´s how an album that had been conceived to close a stage of the past
became the key to open a new and fascinating future. The album was widely distributed
and supported by important media such as Classic Rock Magazine and Fireworks
Magazine, which made possible the recording of a second album, 'Heading for the
Surface' (2015) and a third one, 'King Ocelot'(2020), all of them with extraordinary
reviews from the specialised media.
With The Val, Gabrielle gave major concerts, participated in festivals, toured England
and had the opportunity to sing live alongside big names in international Rock such as
David Saylor and Robert Tepper (Rockingham Fest, 2015) as well as with Spanish
artists, such as Rafa Martín, José Carlos Molina and Miguel Oñate.
'Kiss in a Dragon Night', Gabrielle's first solo album, was conceived when Bruce Mee,
editor of Fireworks Magazine, received the album 'Back' to write a review for the mag.
Somehow the song, over time, led him to want to record a full album with this title, and
together with producer Khalil Turk (Escape Music), he shaped the idea and created an
album involving vocalists such as Steve Overland (FM/lonerider/solo), Mick Devine
(The Roads/Seven), Robin McAuley (Black Swan/Michael Schenker Band), Mark
Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen) and Terry Brock (Strangeways) as well as musicians such as
Gary Pihl (The Roads/Boston/Sammy Hagar), Eric Ragno (Babys/Joe Lynn Turner),
Johan Kullberg (HammerFall) and Fredrik Folkare (Unleashed/Nordic Union). Shortly
before starting to work on this album and also under the guidance of Bruce Mee and
Khalil Turk, Gabrielle appeared on the Circle of Friends album ‘The Garden’ (Escape
Music) with the solo track 'When He's Gone'.
For Gabrielle, 'Kiss in a Dragon Night is a mind-blowing adventure, with fellow artists
who have “given me more than I could have ever imagined and with songs that I have
put all my soul and dedication into.” Already with the suggestive cover of the album, by
Gaetano di Falco, a surprising journey begins, with songs by The Val transformed into
duets, very powerful original songs by other writers, as well as versions of fascinating
tracks such as Stayin' Alive (Magnum), and Moonlight Shadow (Mike Oldfield), the
latter of which she had been wanting to record since she heard it for the first time years
ago. All of Gabrielle's vocals have been recorded in Stockholm, at Fredrik Folkare's
studio, who has done a great job recording the guitars and bass, and also mixing all the
tracks on the album. In Gabrielle's words, "Working with Fredrik has been awesome
and I can't think of a better place in the world than Stockholm to start a journey like
this.