A recently surfaced interview of Mike Reno with Katie Daryl from 2022 revealed some interesting insights into the making of the iconic duet ‘Almost Paradise,’ featuring Reno and Ann Wilson. The song became a fan favorite, appearing on the soundtrack of the 1984 movie ‘Footloose,’ starring Kevin Bacon.
In the interview, Reno reminisced about his experience recording the duet with Wilson. He described it as a fun and unique experience, as they managed to record the song in just one take. According to the Loverboy frontman, this was a rare occurrence in the music industry, as recording a song typically involves multiple takes.
However, the synergy between the two vocalists led to a magical moment where everything just fell into place. Reno attributed this to Wilson’s professionalism and talent, mentioning that she was his first choice for the duet. The singer also shared some personal anecdotes about his connection to Wilson, revealing that they both lived in Vancouver for about 12 years.
During that time, they became quite familiar with each other’s work, often going to see each other perform at various nightclubs before either of them had secured record deals. He spoke highly of Wilson’s talent, expressing admiration for her singing and songwriting abilities.
Here is how Reno recalled recording with Wilson in ‘Almost Paradise’:
“Yeah, that was fun. It was a one-day deal. We kind of just did it in one take. It was one of those magic moments where I got up, she got up, we looked into the same microphone and faced each other and sang the song once, and the producer Keith also went, ‘That’s perfect, thank you, guys.’ That doesn’t happen very often that you get it in one take.
It’s usually a lot more involved when you record a song than one take, but she’s a true professional, and she was my first pick, by the way. She’s a fabulous singer. She’s one of my favorites if not my favorite. A lot of people don’t know this, but they lived in Vancouver for about 12 years. So, we got to know them very well.
They used to play in all the nightclubs and stuff before they got the record deal. They were like a state. That’s where we all went. We went there on weekends to see them wherever they were planned. We drag ourselves over there, and we just rock. They used to play a lot of great [songs], and then they started writing songs, and it was fabulous.”
Mike Reno’s interview shed light on the behind-the-scenes magic of the hit duet ‘Almost Paradise.’ The effortless chemistry between Reno and Ann Wilson in the recording studio resulted in a timeless song that continues to resonate with fans decades later. The pair’s shared history and mutual admiration for each other’s talents played a significant role in making this collaboration a success.
