Superproducer Daniel Lanois took a rare turn on center stage as a performer on his second solo release, For the Beauty of Wynona. Released in 1993, the album follows his earlier release, Acadie. Unlike that album, which had some superstar appearances, For the Beauty of Wynona is a more low-key affair and has a more subtle impact. Lanois has a limited range as a vocalist, but he possesses a warmth that draws in the listener. Producing himself, Lanois also is an accomplished guitarist, although his protégé, Malcolm Burn, also adds some guitar as well as keyboards. The music is often moody and watercolored, but there are some more upbeat moments like the jaunty melody of "Sleeping in the Devil's Bed," which has a country feel, and the single "Lotta Love to Give," which is wispy but anchored by twang guitar and has a catchy chorus and serrated guitar solo. For the Beauty of Wynona is not an immediately striking album but rather one that slowly grows on the listener. It also proves that Lanois has something to say on his own.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1981, The Bangles are an American band, who had several hit singles through out the 1980s. The bands hits included "Walk Like An Egyptian", "Hazy Shade Of Winter", and the 1989 No.1 single "Eternal Flame". The band officially broke-up in 1989 but almost ten years later, in 1998, started drifting back together . In 1999, they officially re-formed to record a song for the soundtrack of "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me". The reunion continued with a tour in 2000 and in 2003 they released, "Doll Revolution", their first album since 1988's "Everything".

Sad Café was a British soft rock outfit, that enjoyed a recording somewhat successful career from the mid-'70s through the early '80s. The group's leader, singer Paul Young (not the same Paul Young that scored the '80s hit "Every Time You Go Away"), got his start with music in the mid-'60s, when he fronted a forgotten Manchester group called the Toggery Five, which included a few members that would later go on to join prog rockers Jethro Tull – guitarist Mick Abrahams and drummer Clive Bunker. By the early '70s, Young was fronting another forgotten outfit, Gyro, and by 1976, opted to leave the band – taking Gyro guitarist Ian Wilson with him.

Formed in 1973 in England, the Rubettes were originally organized as a session outfit by Wayne Bickerton of Polydor A&R. Inspired by the successes of Sha Na Na, Mud, and Showaddywaddy, they combined glam rock presentation (red and white suits with matching caps) with a rock & roll revival sound. Their first release, 1974's "Sugar Baby Love," was an instant smash, remaining at number one in England for five weeks while denting the U.S. charts at number 37 in August, and remains their best-known record. Subsequent releases would be less successful, but the band soldiered on and continued to tour on the nostalgia circuit well into the 2000s.

Bite The Bullet were originally formed in 1986 by singer songwriter Mick Benton and drummer Graham Cowling. They met in 1984 when they both joined West London rock band “Mother’s Ruin”. Thanks to the legendary Greg Lake, Benton managed to secure a solo deal with Atlantic Records and he asked Cowling to play drums. Its good to see that their collaboration is still strong to this very day.

Would You Believe? is an album by the Hollies, released in 1966. It features a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "I Am a Rock," which displayed progression for the band at the time – the rising folk-rock nascent was on the horizon. However, Would You Believe also features covers of Buddy Holly's "Take Your Time" and Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" — by 1966, R&B and blues covers were becoming passé. Another sign of growth for the band on Would You Believe includes the Evie Sands cover, "I Can't Let Go", a major hit for the band.

For many Hollies enthusiasts, Evolution (1967) is considered the band's most accessible blend of pop and psychedelia. The quintet were headed into musical territories beyond simply "moon-June-bloom" and boy-meets-girl lyrics coupled with the tightly constructed vocal harmonies that had become their calling card. Nowhere is this more evident than in the tripped-out cover art from Dutch multimedia artists Seemon Kooer, Marijke Kooer, Josje Leeger, and Barry Finch – known collectively as Fool. Although "Carrie-Anne" could be considered an extension of the trite, somewhat predictable Brit pop, there are clear indications of new horizons on cuts such as the modish "You Need Love," the arguably passé distorted electric guitar on "Have You Ever Loved Somebody," and the wailing fretwork on the driving freakbeat rocker "Then the Heartaches Begin."

An R&B band that only played pop to get on the charts, Manfred Mann ranked among the most adept British Invasion acts in both styles. The fact that their range encompassed jazz as well as rhythm & blues, coupled with some elements of their appearance and presentation – co-founder/keyboardist Manfred Mann's bearded, bespectacled presence – also made the Manfreds more of a thinking person's band than a cute, cuddly, outfit like the Beatles, or sexual provocateurs in the manner of the Rolling Stones. Yet, their approach to R&B was as valid as that of the Stones, equally compelling and often more sophisticated. They charted an impressive number of singles from 1964 through 1969, and developed a large, loyal international fandom that lingers to this day.