Orion the Hunter

During the lengthy gestation period between Boston's 1978 release Don't Look Back and what would become that act's follow-up, 1986's Third Stage, guitarist Barry Goudreau formed Orion the Hunter. Joining Goudreau was singer Fran Cosmo (who had sung on a Goudreau solo album in 1980), bass player Bruce Smith, and ex-Heart drummer Michael DeRosier. Originally called simply Orion, the name was tweaked under legal pressure from Orion Pictures. Signed to Sony, the quartet released its eponymous debut in the summer of 1984. Orion the Hunter also included contributions from Boston lead singer Brad Delp, who lent background vocals to the project as well as co-writing half the songs. With Boston still a staple artist at rock radio (and in the absence of new material from them), Orion the Hunter generated enough interest for the lead track, "So You Ran," to get airplay. "So You Ran" managed to make the Top Ten at rock radio and was a mid-chart hit on mainstream pop radio. The band broke up following a stint on the road with Aerosmith and Goudreau, who had been in a protracted legal battle with Boston's Tom Scholz, who wouldn't appear on Boston's Third Stage when it finally arrived in 1986. Goudreau would resurface several years later, forming RTZ with Delp, who left Boston at the end of the '80s. Cosmo, ironically, replaced Delp as Boston's lead singer in 1994, appearing on Walk On. ~ Tom Demalon, All Music Guide