With over 50 million records sold between them in their bands Styx, Night Ranger, and then jointly in Damn Yankees, rock royalty frontmen Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw have teamed up again to release Influence. A musical tribute to some of their classic rock favorites, Blades and Shaw pay homage to such timeless tunes as "I Am A Rock," "Summer Breeze," "California Dreamin'" and more.

      In fact, these California boys have kept in touch since they first banded together in the early 1990s with Ted Nugent to form Damn Yankees. I caught up with Jack Blades shortly before he headed out on tour with Shaw Blades to support Influence.

InsideCx: How did you come up with the idea for Influence?

     JB: I did a solo record in 2004. I did a version of "Nature's Way." I've always loved that song. And I wanted Tommy to do it with me. We went into my studio and cut the track and we were sitting there thinking to ourselves, Wouldn't it be cool if we did a whole album like this? We looked at each other and we went, "Well, why can't we?" He has a studio and I have a studio, so we just started working away. Before I knew it he sent up his ideas for "I Am A Rock" and "For What It's Worth" and we started from there. That was the whole genesis. In our off times between our bands we just cut the tracks, and here we are today.

InsideCx: How did you pick the songs for the CD?

     JB: We just started rolling through songs. Take, for instance, "Your Move" by Yes. We listened to the original and on the end of it we hear "Give Peace A Chance," which was like Yes paying homage to no war and John Lennon. And we thought, Here we are in the middle of a war today, so let's kick that up louder in the mix.

InsideCx: What's great is that these songs still relate today.

     JB: These songs, the songs that we've done, are basically in the collective consciousness of the nation. I mean, you can close your eyes and realize that you know the words to "The Sounds of Silence." It's that kind of a thing. So that's what made this record so much fun.

InsideCx: It's amazing that two frontmen from huge bands can get along like you two do.

     JB: With Tommy and I, the nice thing about it ... that was the thing with Damn Yankees—there are just no egos. I want the best for Tommy, Tommy wants the best for me. He helps me when he's singing the songs, I help him when he's singing them, we give each other pointers, and it's never a thing of one trying to show up the other. All it is is just for the common good, pretty interesting.

InsideCx: How does it feel to know that you have sold something like 25 million records with Night Ranger?

     JB: It makes me feel like maybe I've done the right thing. Like maybe I've done and am continuing to do what I was meant to do on this planet. To sing and write songs and play songs and make people feel good. We know that this world needs as much as it can to feel good, and when I get letters from some kid or some person who said they were going to commit suicide but didn't because they listened to one of the lyrics from one of my songs, a song that I wrote sitting on my bed, playing my acoustic guitar … not trying to change the world, just trying to write a song. Come up with things that are in my heart. I've been very fortunate that they've resonated with so many people. That makes you feel pretty good.

InsideCx: Do you keep in touch with Ted Nugent? Do you think there will ever be a Damn Yankees reunion?

     JB: I'm always IM-ing Ted; Ted's always IM-ing me with some outrageous comments! Some outrageous comments that would piss off the world. He just tries to piss people off. I love it. We're always trying to put that together. It always seems like some manager or somebody has a reason that it can't be done. I think Ted and Tommy and I would always love to do it. I think it would be great to go out with Night Ranger, Ted Nugent and Styx. And go out during Ted's show and play the Damn Yankees stuff. I think that would be a great time!