Fortress – Hands In The Till – 1981

I’m guessing you didn’t know that 3 members of Darrell Mansfield’s early 80’s band came together with Jim West to put out an album. Producer Freddie Piro cut the album and started shopping it around. Atlantic records jumped at the album and here it is. The album has Christian songs on it so I find it a little odd that Atlantic grabbed it. Anyway it was released with no fanfare and did appropriately well and this was the last we heard from Fortress. I doubt it was helped by the Christian overtones and the outright Christian track “Back On The Path”. I really wish a Christian label had grabbed this album. I’m guessing that almost none of you ever heard this album which is a real pity because the album is actually really good. Eric’s guitar work reflects his style of that era though you won’t feel any Darrell Mansfield influences. This is a straight up commercial sounding album that I stumbled on and boy am I glad I did. You have to at least give the first track a listen which was also the single.

Tracklist
1 – Hands In The Till – 3:20
2 – How Do I Exist – 3:42
3 – Comin’ After You – 3:46
4 – Requiem – 4:25
5 – Kisses – 3:51
6 – Let’s Do It Again – 3:24
7 – Breakin’ Free – 4:31
8 – Carry Me Back – 4:05
9 – Back On The Path – 5:16
10 – Mystery – 3:51

Credits
Acoustic Guitar – Snuffy Walden
Bass, Backing Vocals – Charlie Souza
Coordinator [Production] – Teri Piro
Drums, Percussion – Donny Vosburgh
Guitar, Backing Vocals – Eric Turner
Illustration – Tina Nichols
Illustration [Concept], Producer – Freddie Piro
Keyboards – Gabriel Katona
Keyboards [Additional] – Duane Hitchings, Rich Gibbs
Layout [Back Cover], Design [Logo] – Dan Lienart
Mixed By, Recorded By, Percussion [Additional] – Larry Brown
Mixed By, Recorded By, Producer [Additional] – Win Kutz
Percussion [Additional], Producer – Larry Brown
Photography By – David Alexander
Vocals [Additional] – Gary Falcone, Ronn Price
Vocals, Backing Vocals – Jim West

Companies, etc.
Record Company – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Record Company – Warner Communications
Manufactured By – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Atlantic
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Copyright © – Atlantic Recording Corporation
Pressed By – Specialty Records Corporation
Published By – Piro Music
Published By – Base Ball Music
Published By – Piccasso Publishing Company
Published By – Rubicon Music (2)
Recorded At – Mama Jo’s
Recorded At – The Pasha Music House
Mixed At – Mama Jo’s
Mastered At – The Mastering Lab