Hearts of Stone (Stoneground album)

Hearts of Stone is the fifth studio album by American rock band Stoneground, released in 1978 on Warner Bros. Produced by Bob Gaudio, it marked Stoneground's return to a major label, having released their previous album, Flat Out (1976), on their own label. "Prove It" was released as the first single from Hearts of Stone.

Background and recording

Following the 1973 release of Stoneground 3, frontman Sal Valentino quit to start his own band. Cory Lerios and Steve Price left and formed a new group, Pablo Cruise. Five other band members also departed, leaving only founding member Tim Barnes and vocalist Annie Sampson. They reformed Stoneground with new additions Jo Baker (vocals), Terry Davis (guitars, vocals), Fred Webb (keyboards, vocals) and Sammy Piazza (drums).^[2]^[3] Without the backing of a major label, the band self-released an album, Flat Out, in 1976 and underwent a 250-date tour over the next year. Geoff Torrens, the band's manager, had taken demo tapes to various labels, but decided that the strategy to produce an album on their own was "the only way to open the door to a major label deal".^[2] Stoneground caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records, who connected them with Bob Gaudio to produce a new album.^[2]^[3]

The band recruited another new member, vocalist-keyboardist-writer Lenny Lee Goldsmith, for Hearts of Stone.^[2] The band recorded the album at Record Plant in Sausalito, California.^[1] "Prove It" served as the album's lead single,^[2] but album sales failed to meet expectations and the group was dropped from the label.^[3]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Deeper Than Love"	3:47
2.	"You Can Only Hide Your Eyes"	4:15
3.	"Let It Go"	4:06
4.	"Free Spirit"	3:34
5.	"Lead Me Down"	4:10

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Hearts of Stone"	5:31
2.	"Prove It"	4:20
3.	"When You Gonna Tell Me Your Name"	4:57
4.	"North America"	4:02

Personnel

Tim Barnes – guitars, backing vocals
Jo Baker – lead and backing vocals
Terry Davis – bass, backing vocals
Lenny Lee Goldsmith – lead and backing vocals, percussion
Sammy Piazza – drums, percussion
Annie Sampson – lead and backing vocals
Fred Webb – keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals, percussion
Bob Gaudio – keyboards, synthesizers
Jerry Peterson – saxophone
Steve Fontana - percussion

References

1 2 Hearts of Stone (liner notes). Stoneground. Warner Bros. Records. 1978.
1 2 3 4 5 Fong-Torres, Ben (September 29, 1978). "Stoneground Happy with Black Vinyl". Rolling Stone (via The Tuscaloosa News). p. 15. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
1 2 3 McDonough, Jack (1985). San Francisco Rock: The Illustrated History of San Francisco Rock Music. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. p. 210. ISBN 978-0-87701-286-3.

Stoneground

Sal Valentino Tim Barnes Luther Bildt Mike Mau John Blakeley Lynne Hughes Annie Sampson Lydia Moreno Deirdre LaPorte Pete Sears Cory Lerios Steve Price Brian Godula David Jenkins Jo Baker Fred Webb Terry Davis Sammy Piazza Lenny Lee Goldsmith Dana Moret Claudia Knauer Greg King Kelly Stephens

Albums	Stoneground Family Album Stoneground 3 Flat Out Hearts of Stone Play It Loud The Last Dance: Live January 6, 1973 Back with a Vengeance

EPs	Bad Machines and Limousines

Related articles	Dracula A.D. 1972 Fillmore: The Last Days Pablo Cruise Warner Bros. Records

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