GET ON TRACK! SONY WONDER RELEASE: John Denver's "ALL ABOARD!" - A new album of Classic and contemporary train songs for kids, their parents and everyone in between. - - - - - - - - NEW YORK, July 17, 1997 -- If you love trains -- or just great music -- John Denver's newest relase "All Aboard!" ($13.98 CD/$9.98 cassette), a collection of 14 of America's most beloved train songs, will put you squarely on the right track! The new album is the latest title in Sony Wonder's acclaimed and award winning Family Artists series and will in stores August 26 (order cut-off August 7). "All Aboard!" features an eclectic mix of styles and a cross-section of classic and contemporary tunes sure to delight listeners of every age. From the traditionals "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and "The Little Engine That Could" to Johnny Mercer's swing era standard "Atchiston, Topeka and The Santa Fe" to contemporary classics like Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" and Steve Goodman's "City of New Orleans", Denver captures America's fascination with trains and what they represent to us all. "Both the history of our country and our musical history is in train songs" he explains. "From how we settled the West, to bluegrass and to the hollars the chain gangs did when they were laying down tracks. On top of all that there is the longing that we all have to get out there and see the world. There is something about a train whistle when you hear it. You think that it's going somewhere that you'd kind of like to go. You could jump on a train and have an adventure." "All Aboard!" gives John the chance to expand his range through the music of other artists. Singing the swinging sounds of "Freight Train Boogie"/"Choo Choo Boogie" or the lonesome, yodeling brakeman in Jimmie Rodgers' "Waiting For A Train" was an experience John found was exhilerating and rewarding. "As I got into this album. I saw the opportunity to do some things I wouldn't ordinarliy do musically." he says. "I could stretch out a little bit. Most of the songs I've recorded over all these years have been songs I've written myself. This is the first time I've really done a project that uses other people's music. To find the songs that work for you and then to make them your own has been a lot of fun for me." Sony Wonder's critically acclaimed Family Artists Series is dedicated to presenting popular artists and music that can be enjoyed by parents and their children together. It was launched in 1994 with the release of Kenny Loggins' Grammy nominated, RIAA platinum certified "Return to Pooh Corner." The Family Artists Series releases have been honored with numerous awards, including Parent's Choice Awards, National Association of Parenting Publications Awards, (NAPPA) and the American Library Association's Most Notable Awards. Train songs are the perfect way for John Denver to make his contribution to Sony Wonder's Family Artists Series. Of course, to be described now as a family artist is ironic for a musician who has spent a career making music for listeners of every age. "The whole idea of train songs is such a rich thing to me that I wanted to make sure it was for the whole family," says John. "But then, it's certainly true that I think of all of my albums as family music albums. I've always made sure to include songs that are for everybody." In a career that has spanned over three decades, John Denver has earned worldwide acclaim as a songwriter, performer, actor and humanitarian. John's songwriting skills were first noted in 1968 when Peter, Paul and Mary recorded his song "For Baby (For Bobbie). One year later, in 1969, the trio recorded John's classic "Leaving On A Jet Plane" and it became their first and only number one hit. Less than two years later, John himself zoomed up the pop charts with "Take Me Home, Country Roads." Many more hit singles followed, including "Rocky Mountain High," "Sunshine On My Shoulders," "Annie's Song," "Back Home Again," "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" and "Calypso." In his career, John has earned eight gold and 14 platinum albums in the U.S. and many more overseas. "John Denver's Greatest Hits" is one of the biggest selling albums in the history of RCA Records with well over 10 million units sold. In 1994 John starred in the acclaimed A&E special, "The Wildlife Concert." with subsequent CD's and home videos released by Sony Legacy Recordings and Sony Music Video. In 1997 Legacy Recordings is releasing "The Best of John Denver Live," a live compilation that includes two previously unreleased performances. Today John remains one of the top selling recording artists in the history of the music industry. He has also achieved strong success as an actor. He made his feature film debut in 1977 with George Burns in "Oh, God" and has continued since then with roles on television series and specials. His Christmas Special, "John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together" is considered a classic. John continues to work tirelessly on behalf of key environmental, political and social issues. He was a member of the Presidential Commission on World and Domestic Hunger and was one of the founders of the Global Hunger Project. He was awarded the Presidential World Without Hunger Award, he is a supporter of the National Wildlife Federation, Save the Children, The Cousteau Society, Friends of the Earth and the Human/Dolphin Foundation, to name a few. John also created "Plant-it 2000," a reforestation plan that urges people to plant as many trees as possible by the year 2000. Sony Wonder is promoting "All Aboard!" through a CompuServe on-line chat with John and is participating with Legacy Recordings in a planned on-line 'virtual' press conference on Sony's Website -- The Station@sony.com. Sony Wonder will also generate visibility for the album through promotions with the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) and other train associations and through John's fan clubs. Advertising will appear in national parenting and country music publications. At retail, Sony Wonder will support the release of "All Aboard!" with displays, in-store advertising and listening posts. A Family Artists counter display will be available later this year and an overall advertising campaign for the Family Artists Series will be launched in the coming months. A Family Artists infomercial will begin airing nationally later this year. Sony Wonder is the children's and family division of Sony Music and Epic Records.