Alan Parsons, Japanese pop star and Starsky and Hutch?

By Humphrey Carter FOR the first time in 15 years, since they recorded the album “I Robot” at the famous Abbey Road studios, the Alan Parsons Project is getting back together and going on a world wide reunion tour which was unveiled yesterday in Majorca, where the tour will end in February. Members of the band, minus Alan Parsons himself, gathered in Arta yesterday, accompanied by close friend of the group Donovan, to present the tour. Donovan and the group even gave the press a short live gig at yesterday's presentation at the Sant Salvador Hotel in Arta. The Alan Parsons Project reunion tour will take the band from Europe to Australia and the Americas and will feature all of the band's greatest hits. The European leg of the tour will kick off in Paris on January 27 before taking the band to England, Holland, Germany, mainland Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Budapest and finally the Bull Ring in Palma on February 28. The Alan Parsons Project is made up of some of the UK's most talented musicians. David Paton, for example, who worked with Paul McCartney and Wings on their hit song “Mull of Kintyre”. He has worked with Kate Bush on a number of her albums as well Chris de Burgh, Chris Rea, Jimmy Page and Elton John. Lenny Zakatek joined the Project in 1977, singing vocals on “I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You” on the “I Robot” album. He remained with the band during the 90*s and more recently has been working in Japan, managing Japanese artist Hotei who has sold almost 20 million albums in Japan. Stuart Elliott was the original drummer with Cockney Rebel after starting off playing with the likes of Al Stewart (Year of the Cat) and has performed on all of Alan Parsons' albums since 1978. In the meantime he has also performed live with Deacon Blue, Toyah, Sting, Simple Minds and Paul Young. More recently he and David Soul have been re-cutting Soul's 70*s hit “Don't Give Up On Us” which looks set to be included on the soundtrack for the forthcoming Starsky and Hutch film. Guitarist and songwriter Ian Bairnson, who has worked with Kate Bush, Tom Jones, Art Garfunkel, Joe Cocker and many more will be completing the line up heading to Palma in February.