Jim Peterik has spent a career writing songs about overcoming the odds.
Apparently, there was still one mountain left to climb.
Jim Peterik & World Stage have released “Everest,” featuring Toby Hitchcock and Bree Gordon, as the latest preview of the upcoming album River of Music: The Power of Duets Vol. 2, arriving December 4 through Frontiers Music Srl.
The new track pairs Hitchcock of Pride of Lions with Gordon for a song built around the everyday mountains people encounter, the setbacks, struggles and occasional victories that come with simply trying to make it through another day.
Peterik describes “Everest” as one of his favorite tracks on the new album, pointing specifically to the chemistry between its two vocalists.
“‘Everest’ is about the challenges we face every day, the mountains we climb, the rivers we cross, the setbacks we all face each and every day,” Peterik said. “When we make it back alive we will live to fight another day. And try and make the world a better place.”
Coming from the songwriter behind “Eye of the Tiger,” motivational territory isn’t exactly unfamiliar ground.
Peterik’s catalog also includes “Burning Heart,” “High On You,” “Vehicle” and “Caught Up In You,” along with decades of collaborations that have made him one of melodic rock’s more recognizable songwriting voices.
River of Music: The Power of Duets Vol. 2 continues that collaborative approach with ten performances built around different vocal pairings.
Produced by Ron Nevison, the album features musicians including Phil X, Tony Franklin, Kim Bullard and Denny Fongheiser, while its guest vocal lineup includes Bree Gordon, Cathy Richardson, Kaity Heart, Hitchcock, Dave Mikulskis and Colin Peterik.
Musically, the project moves through AOR, melodic rock and balladry while keeping the focus where Peterik has traditionally placed it: songs, melodies and the singers delivering them.
Other tracks include “Back In The Day,” “Trains,” “The Best In Us” and “The Power Of Two,” with the album’s duet format allowing Peterik to explore what happens when different voices meet inside the same song.
With “Everest,” that concept gets a suitably large metaphor.
Then again, when you’ve already written “Eye of the Tiger,” calling the new song “Moderately Difficult Hill” probably isn’t going to cut it.
River of Music: The Power of Duets Vol. 2 arrives December 4 through Frontiers Music Srl.
Information provided by Jim Peterik & World Stage’s publicity team.