Young Gun Silver Fox -- Moonshine

By Jane023 via Wikimedia Commons

When it comes to moonshine, my image is always that of jugs of homemade alcohol with the "XXX" as the label. They are no less than 200 proof and could potentially conk out even the Incredible Hulk (HULK!!!....crash😵). So, when I encountered this song by Neo-AOR duo Young Gun Silver Fox called "Moonshine", I was rather intrigued.

But then again, whenever Young Gun Silver Fox comes up here, I am always intrigued and delighted. They have often come up in the fifth and final position during Urban Contemporary Fridays on KKP as something to clean up the list of smooth and groovy.

However, what makes this particular song even more special is that not only did YGSF create it, the late great Rod Temperton had a hand in it. And as with a handful of Japanese and non-Japanese songwriters, if I see that a song was made by Temperton, then I automatically investigate. After listening to his creations handled by folks like Michael Jackson and the Manhattan Transfer, it's almost Pavlovian how I react to a Temperton tune. Please read the story of how Andy Platts who would become one-half of Young Gun Silver Fox met Temperton and collaborated with the songwriting legend over twenty years ago (Temperton passed away in 2016) to create "Moonshine".

And no, "Moonshine" wasn't written to celebrate drinking the rough stuff out in the forest. It's about that special lady who can knock a man out like the "XXX". And unlike the real moonshine, the song is one real smooth ditty (Bailey's Irish Cream smooth)...what else from Andy Platts and Shawn Lee? The song finally came out in its final form as a single in March 2023. In fact, the way that Platts and Temperton designed "Moonshine", I swear that I could imagine MJ covering the song himself.