Shaw / Blades

Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw, longtime figures in arena rock through their work with Night Ranger and Styx, stepped away temporarily from Damn Yankees to issue a debut album under their own names in the opening months of 1995. Writing the material themselves, the pair also served as co-producers alongside Don Gehman and handled nearly all of the instrumental duties. Following an extended absence from recording studios, they reconvened in 2006 for a relaxed collection centered on soft-rock interpretations. That project, titled Influence, appeared on VH1 Classic in early 2007.