Derek Oliver

Derek’s lifelong love of metal goes back to the ’70s when he became a UK underground legend for sharing tapes of the most obscure American bands. After many years championing acts as a writer for Kerrang!, Derek moved to New York and worked in A&R at Atco Records, signing a number of great acts including the multi-platinum Pantera and Dream Theater. He moved back to the UK and in 2006 started Rock Candy Records, which specialises in reissues of rock and metal albums from the 1970s and 1980s.

Articles by: Derek Oliver

Journey in 1978, sitting in front of a window

"When I first heard Coldplay, they had that same unique feeling and emotional promise": Steve Perry's track-by-track guide to Journey's Infinity

By Derek Oliver published

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry gives us the lowdown on every song from his first album with the band, Infinity

Bob Catley, Pat Benatar, Steve Perry, Ann Wilson and Michael Lee Smith onstage

The 40 best AOR vocalists of all time

By Derek Oliver published

Celebrating the finest, most velvet-throated singers to ever belt out a power ballad

The covers of 10 classic AOR albums

8 totally obscure AOR albums that should have been huge

By Derek Oliver published

Not every hard rock band can be Journey or Bon Jovi – here are 8 lost AOR treasures that should have gone multi-platinum

The Canadian rock band Loverboy

“The audience threw lighters, bottles, ice cubes and coins. We managed four songs before being booed off”: the rollercoaster story of Loverboy, Canada’s greatest AOR band

By Derek Oliver published

Turn Me Loose, Working For The Weekend, Loving Every Minute Of It – Loverboy raised the maple leaf flag high in the 1980s

Black Sabbath circa 1970

"You just can’t make it big enough, rude enough or loud enough": Producer Tom Allom on engineering Black Sabbath and helping create the sound of heavy metal

By Derek Oliver published

'Colonel' Tom Allom created the iconic tolling bell on Black Sabbath's debut album, although he admits to not liking their music very much

Brad Delp and Tom Scholz of Boston perform in concert at Long Beach Arena, March 16, 1977

How Boston Flew So High And Fell So Far

By Derek Oliver last updated

How the biggest band of the 70s, created by reclusive genius Tom Scholz, were almost pulled apart by turmoil and tragedy

The stories behind Journey's Infinity album - by Steve Perry

By Derek Oliver last updated

Singer Steve Perry goes through his debut album with Journey, track by track.

Start believin': The story of Journey's Infinity album

By Derek Oliver published

By 1978, Journey had a loyal muso following but were still looking for their breakthrough. What they needed was a singer would could turn their improvisations into anthems. Cue one Steve Perry...

Heart: "We were has-beens until bands like Pearl Jam stuck up for us"

By Derek Oliver published

After watching the Beatles play The Ed Sullivan Show, the Wilson sisters dreamt of rock’n’roll stardom. As Heart, they’d make these dreams come true, but success would come at a price...

Queensrÿche: American Soldier

By Derek Oliver published

After a stint in the “wilderness years” some thought Queensrÿche were on a downhill slide. Not so…