product: Various Artists – 10 Years Of Joy
release date: 19.09.2025
format: CD
Limited on 500 copies, only available at shop.prideandjoy.de
Pride & Joy Music was founded in 2025 by music industry veteran Birgitt Schwanke. The record company with a focus on the genres AOR, Melodic Rock, Hard Rock & Melodic Metal is based in Ascheberg, Germany.
In the early years, the label focused more on melodic metal releases and over the years developed into one of the world’s leading record companies in the fields of AOR, melodic rock and hard rock.
In January 2024, Pride & Joy Music took over some business areas from the record label & mail order company AOR Heaven, which further strengthened Pride & Joy Music’s market position.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary appropriately, the CD sampler ‘10 Years Of Joy’, which you are now holding in your hands, has now been released. Limited to 500 copies and only available directly from the label, the CD contains some unreleased and rare material from 13 bands of our current roster.
We would like to thank Midnite City, Osukaru, Nationwide, Heart Line, Mikael Erlandsson, Mentalist, Lazarus Dream, Universe III, Alien, Hartmann, Heaven’s Reign, Heartwind and Hearts On Fire for providing the songs!
Label owner Birgitt Schwanke comments: “When I originally founded the record company in 2015 as a ‘supplement’ to my PR and management services, I could never have imagined what it would become over the next 10 years. So far, we have released over 200 albums that we are very proud of. Unlike some of our competitors, we have coped well with the changes in the music industry and are in a better position in 2025 than ever before, i.e. with a great roster of passionate bands, a functioning global distribution network for both physical and digital products and a flourishing online store. Despite the increasingly challenging business, we are still passionate about what we do every day and love what we do. Pride & Joy Music aims to be a band & fan-friendly label that supports artists in the development of their careers on the one hand and appeals to music fans with new, exciting releases on the other. A big thank you goes to all our friends, bands, business partners and music fans, without whom this trip would never have been possible. We raise our glasses to you and look forward to the next 10 years and more!“
Birgitt Schwanke, Ascheberg, August 2025
Tracklist:
(1) Osukaru – Dreams Don’t Die (2025 Version)
(2) Midnite City – Only A Matter Of Time
(3) Nationwide – Danger Zone
(4) Alien – I Remember (Soft Version)
(5) Heart Line – Urgent
(6) Mentalist – It’s A Long Road
(7) Heartwind – Strangers In The Night (2025 Version)
(8) Lazarus Dream – Crack The Hourglass (Guitar Mix)
(9) Universe III – Summer Night City
(10) Hartmann – Twenty Times Colder (Alternative Mix)
(11) Heaven’s Reign – Free Fallin’
(12) Hearts On Fire – Lonely Eyes (Remix 2025)
(13) Mikael Erlandsson – Dynamite
Osukaru – Dreams Don’t Die (2025 Version)
„When we were invited to contribute something special to this amazing release, I instantly thought of ‚Dreams Don’t Die‘ – a song I co-wrote with Jules Millis of White Widdow for their 2014 album ‚Crossfire‘. We jumped at the chance and recorded it with our own new take on it. What a kick!“, says Oz Hawe Petersson. Osukaru in 2025 is Fredrik Werner (lead vocals), Oz Hawe Petersson (guitar), Antoine Mikhtarian (guitar), Marcus Zerath (bass), C.D (drums); additionally on this track: Mathias Rosén (keyboards), Peter Johansson (backing vocals), Lisa Eugenia (backing vocals)
Music & lyrics: Oz Hawe Petersson, Jules Millis
https://www.facebook.com/osukarumusic
Midnite City – Only A Matter Of Time
Japanese bonus track from the Midnite City album “In At The Deep End” (2023); previously unreleased in Europe.
Text & music: Rob Wylde
https://www.facebook.com/midnitecityuk
Nationwide – Danger Zone
Cover of Kenny Loggins‘ smash hit “Danger Zone” from the Top Gun movie soundtrack; previously only released digitally by Swedish Melodic Rock group Nationwide!
Music: Giorgio Moroder
Lyrics: Tom Withlock
https://www.facebook.com/NATIONWIDESweden
Alien – I Remember (Soft Version)
“I Remember” is a track which originally appeared on Alien’s 2025 chart breaking album “When Yesterday Comes Around”. This is a new, softer version of the song. Featuring Jim Jidhed (vocals & acoustic guitars), Toby Tarrach (percussion), Tony Borg (acoustic & solo guitars), Kajsa Borg & Jonathan Jaarnek Norén (backing vocals), Joel Selsfors (keyboards & piano), Ritchie Borg (bass, mix & mastering)
Music & lyrics: Jim Jidhed, Tony Borg, Toby Tarrach
https://www.facebook.com/Alien.Sweden
Heart Line – Urgent
“We are all big fans of Foreigner in Heart Line. The idea to cover this title was born from our desire to play all these classics songs on our “Big Rock Show” tour, and what better than ‚Urgent‘ to set the stage on fire. We hope that this version will be as enjoyable for you as it was for us to play it!” comments Yvan Guillevic
Music & lyrics: Mick Jones
https://www.facebook.com/Heartlinebandofficial
Mentalist – It’s A Long Road
The song was originally intended as a bonus track for the Japanese version of the album ‘Earthbreaker’ (2025), but has remained unreleased until now.
Music & lyrics: Peter Moog
https://www.facebook.com/mentalistband
Heartwind – Strangers In The Night (2025 Version)
“The song was written by Mikael Rosengren, Göran Engvall and Mattias Falkendal for our second album “Strangers”. The original version was produced by Fredrik Folkare and sung by Stefan Nykvist, but when digging in the vault, we found this great alternative take with Subztain singer Andreas Morling. The song got a whole new more aggressive vibe with Ante singing and we decided to also remix and reproduce the track to make it even heavier than the original. More drums and more guitars, simple as that. The guitar takes we had from Martin Hall were so good that we wanted them even more up front”, Mikael and Göran comment.
Players: Drums: Peter TrumPeter Svensson; Bass: Göran Engvall; Guitars: Martin Hall; Keyboards: Mikael Rosengren; Vocals: Andreas „Ante“ Morling; Backing vocals: Göran Engvall; Mix, Master and overall production: Göran Engvall
Music & lyrics: Mikael Rosengren, Göran Engvall, Mattias Falkendal
https://www.facebook.com/Heartwindtheband
Lazarus Dream – Crack The Hourglass (Guitar Mix)
More guitar-orientated remix of the track „Crack In The Hour Glass“; the original version appeared on the band’s album „Lifelines“.
Music: Markus Pfeffer
Lyrics: Carsten “Lizard” Schulz
https://www.facebook.com/lazarusdream
Universe III – Summer Night City
“We chose „Summer Night City“ because it’s a really good song and it’s also a tribute to ABBA, whose music has influenced our whole nation. It is a part of our musical DNA”, says the band about this track. The song was recorded at E.M.G Waerner Studio Production by Michael Waerner; drums and bass at “III Roses Studio”. Mixed by Lars Chriss and mastered by Mike Lind.
Music & lyrics: Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084321095383
Hartmann – Twenty Times Colder (Alternative Mix)
This is an exclusive alternative mix of the title track of HARTMANN’s 2025 studio album “Twenty Times Colder”.
Music & lyrics: Oliver Hartmann
https://www.facebook.com/HartmannBand
Heaven’s Reign – Free Fallin’
“’Free Fallin’” is one of those timeless songs that speaks to vulnerability, freedom and the quiet battles we all face. We chose to cover it not just to honor Tom Petty’s legacy, but to bring our own emotional weight and grit to a classic that still hits hard decades later. It felt right for the anniversary — a reflection of where we’ve been, and where we’re going”, says the band.
Music & lyrics: Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne
All rights to the original composition remain with the respective copyright holders. This recording is a reinterpretation created for tribute purposes under proper licensing.
https://www.facebook.com/heavensreignuk
Hearts On Fire – Lonely Eyes (Remix 2025)
“Originally recorded in 2018 and included on the album ‘Call of Destiny’, this is a song we wanted to re-record with Mark Boals on vocals because it is one of our favorite songs of that album and one of my favorite tracks that I have ever written. It’s a very dramatic song about love of a lifetime and the transcendence of love through time. Mark Boals gives the song a very emotional touch”, says Jean Funes.
Music & lyrics: Jean Funes
https://www.facebook.com/heartsonfireband
Mikael Erlandsson – Dynamite
“Dynamite” was recorded in 2008 in Mat’s MP Person studio in Halmstad. It was too poppy for Last Autumns Dream at the time. This track also appeared as bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album „Tellus Timeline“ by Autumns Child in 2024.
Music & lyrics: Mikael Erlandsson
https://www.facebook.com/mikael.erlandsson1
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