Frank Trainor
DNA Chains Of A Rogue’s Reputation

If you were listening to Canadian country music in the mid-1980’s you might recall the string of radio hits – You Sure Didn’t Waste Any Time / The Ring I Gave You / Hard Drivin’ Hana, Everybody Wants To Dance With You – from then Toronto based singer/songwriter Frank Trainor, whose first recognition came a decade earlier in 1973 when The Mercey Brothers recorded his song, Our Lovin’ Times. Trainor has since relocated to Calgary, Alberta, where he has continued to pursue his recording career with a series of ‘Musical Chapters’ covering all stages of his music catalog. One of the latest in the series is this DNA Chains Of A Rogue’s Reputation, featuring 8 new songs. Frank Trainor has always been a crafty songwriter, and has delivered his homegrown material with a crisp, heartfelt vocal style. Those attributes are still part of Trainor’s work, although his writing now seems a little more introspective and cerebral. The selections here are highlighted by the gritty country lament, County Line Signs; and a powerful country hurtin’ ballad in A Trail That Leads You Home; while the peculiar title to the album is found in the lyrics of the song, Long Gone Glory Bound Son. The album also features some variety in the bluesy numbers California and Where’d You Leave Your Heart, some folk-tinged sound in This Mighty Ragin’ River Of Love, and a soft ballad album closer in Love Is.

Record Reviews by Larry Delaney [May 2011]
Editor/Publisher Country Music News – Canada

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Firstborn child of talented parents who sang and acted in local musical theater. Singing and performing ran deep in my blood. Playing guitar came naturally for me too from the first few chords I strummed. It wasn’t long before I was singing and playing in great little pop/rock bands that worked constantly. My maternal grandfather, a long time respected newspaper editor, loved literature, poetry and classical music. A true, honest journalist, Mr. Editor wrote poetry & prose his whole life and his influence in my life from my earliest awareness, is inestimable. So writing songs – words & music – came very naturally to me.

I was discovered by chance as a songwriter by a major Canadian band when I was only 17. A few years later and for a decade of years in Toronto [“The Big Smoke”], I sold guitars on Yonge Street, gigged, wrote songs and recorded my catalog copyrights. A highly successful run of national hit records at country music radio in the mid -to- late 80’s resulted in my being signed to a publishing deal with the legendary major Nashville music publisher Combine Music, home of Kris Kristofferson. Famously known as The House Of Quill Repute, Combine merged with SBK which got sold to EMI which is now owned by SONY MUSIC.

For several reasons, I demanded release from my writer’s contract with SBK prior to the EMI sale and departed Music Row and the commercial country music business for good. Next, it was west to the Rockies, where the mountains meet the sky. Who knows when the Muse’s transcendent trails will lead me home. My Maverick Tunesmith Duty is to share the Blood & Bounty Beauty. I’m Frank Trainor. I’m a Long Gone Glory Bound Son (The Gun)