“‘We Go To War’ is a song about dealing with the people in your life that you’re closest to and at the same time how being that close can sometimes erupt into total madness, and if you let it consume you it will destroy what you have together, and as we keep on doing this, it carves away at what you tried so hard to build in the beginning and you realize the choices we made can destroy what we love the most.” – Steve Gordon
“For me, this song is about walking a fine line between love and hate. It’s very personal and emotionally charged. “When it comes to emotional warfare , no one wins.” – Ray West
After decades of shaping the sound of legends, acclaimed session guitarist Steve Gordon MIA emerges from the shadows with a blistering new rock/metal single, “We Go To War”, featuring dynamic vocalist Ray West of Spread Eagle (pictured below).
With a resume that spans over 50 Gold and Platinum albums, Steve’s guitar has powered hits from Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Frank Sinatra, Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Inner Circle, Betty Wright, and even Hip Hop’s Wu-Tang Clan. Now, Steve takes center stage as a solo artist, delivering a war cry of a track that melds arena-sized riffs, cinematic tension, and razor-sharp production.
From the opening chords, “We Go To War” hits like a battalion on fire. Gordon’s guitar work blazes with intensity and purpose, while Ray West’s commanding vocals bring urgency, grit, and raw emotional power. Lyrically defiant and musically fierce, the track is a “Modern battle hymn for a world in chaos”.
“We Go To War” is now streaming on all major platforms. Listen below.
This is not just a debut—it’s a declaration.
Now stepping into his next chapter, Steve Gordon MIA is no longer just the secret weapon behind the scenes—he’s the name on the marquee, forging his own legacy one track, one riff, and one unforgettable performance at a time.
About Steve Gordon MIA:
From teenage guitar prodigy in New York to a respected force in Rock, Metal & R&B, Steve Gordon MIA has spent his life delivering the fire behind the music. Known for his explosive guitar work, his unmistakable tone, and the ability to elevate any record he touches to a Top 40 Billboard chart number, Steve is a true music industry veteran with a résumé that spans genres, generations, and continents.
As a session guitarist, Steve has played on approximately 50 Gold and Platinum records. Steve played guitar on the Rob Thomas album Tabitha’s Secret (the precursor to Matchbox Twenty, which went on to dominate the Billboard charts for years), Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Natalie Cole, James Ingram, Linda Ronstadt, Inner Circle, Phyllis Hyman, Rita Marley, Betty Wright, and countless others. He played guitar on the collaboration between Mötley Crüe and 2 Live Crew on the song “Dr. Feelgood” for the film Hangin’ With The Homeboys.
Throughout his career, Steve was more than frequently brought in as a ghost guitarist—a behind-the-scenes fixer for top producers and label executives. Often called at the last minute when a track needed to be saved or elevated: and the album artwork was already printed and ready for distribution.
He recorded replacement or supplemental parts so strong they made it onto the final mix—yet his name was often deliberately left out of the credits. Despite this, Steve receives verified international royalties for these performances. He is listed with AIE confirming his uncredited contributions to records by Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, a Frank Sinatra–Celine Dion duet, and multiple Disney movie soundtracks. These appearances, though unlisted, are backed by ISRC data and royalty records, solidifying his legacy as one of the industry’s most trusted secret weapons in pop music recordings.
He played on the Dion album Dream on Fire, Bon Jovi’s “Heart Of America” written for Farm Aid, Matt Kramer’s (Saigon Kick) solo debut War & Peas, and Phyllis Hyman’s Billboard #1 R&B single “Don’t Wanna Change the World.” He also recorded at Bob Marley’s iconic Tuff Gong Studios for a Rita Marley album.
Whether it’s a blistering rock solo, a wall of heavy rhythm guitars, or a funky R&B rhythm part à la Nile Rodgers, Steve’s playing consistently brings the electricity that makes songs jump off the speakers and onto the Billboard charts.
Steve has also crossed genres, recording with hip-hop icons Wu-Tang Clan, a testament to his stylistic flexibility and crossover appeal.
A Grammy-nominated engineer, Steve earned a nomination for Best Traditional R&B
Performance for Betty Wright & The Roots’ “Surrender.” As a mixer and producer, he’s worked with legends like Prince, Aretha Franklin, Morgan Wallen, Regina Belle, Howard Hewett, Travis Greene, and Natalie Cole. He produced one song on TOUCH, the solo album by Bad Company’s Brian Howe, and a track for Tito Jackson, the late brother of Michael Jackson.
Regina Belle personally asked Steve to remix all of her #1 records, including “A Whole New World,’’ “Baby Come to Me,” “Make It Like It Was,” and her 2022 Christmas album My Colorful Christmas. He has also mixed for Whitney Houston’s saxophonist Kirk Whalum and jazz icons Najee, Walter Beasley, and David Sanborn, as well as two albums for Chris Walker, longtime bassist and musical director for Al Jarreau & George Benson.
Steve mixed Donell Jones’ albums Forever and Lyrics—the title track “Forever” hit #14 on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart, and the Forever album reached #8 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart. Lyrics debuted at #20 and included the Top 5 R&B single “Love Like This.” Steve also mixed half of Morgan Wallen’s Stand Alone 10th Anniversary Edition, Wallen’s breakout album that reached top 25 on Billboard Top Country Albums Chart.
In the studio, Steve was the last-minute go-to guitarist—flying between Miami, New York, and Los Angeles—often recording four to five songs per day, sometimes without the artist present. His fingerprints are on countless records still played daily on Worldwide radio today.
Steve’s talents also shine in film and television. He has written, produced, and mixed about 25 songs featured in major motion pictures and Netflix series, including The Little Things (Denzel Washington), 80 for Brady, Mafia Mama, and many more.
His journey began in Brooklyn, where he met future music executive Ruben Rodriguez in grade school. They formed a band—Ruben on drums, Steve on guitar—and remained close. After high school, Steve moved to Miami, drawn by the legendary studios there. He introduced himself to The Albert Brothers (Recording Engineers of Eric Clapton’s Layla, CSN, Joe Walsh, Aretha Franklin (Respect & Rock Steady), and The Allman Brothers first album and Eat A Peach), Live Johnny Winter & at The Fillmore East, Rolling Stones, Zakk Wylde Book Of Shadows album who, along with Steve Alaimo, handed him the keys to their studio. “As long as it’s not booked, the studio is yours,” they told him. Steve lived in that studio—recording, producing, writing, and building the foundation of a remarkable career.
He was later managed by Ruben Rodriguez, the music executive who helped launch or guide the careers of Alicia Keys, KISS, George Michael, LL Cool J, Toni Braxton, Cardi B, Cher, Joan Jett, New Kids on the Block, Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Parliament-Funkadelic, Grace Jones, and more.
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