The insanely gorgeous Paul Lekakis dons a speedo and once again captures my attention with this stirring dance hit, (I Need A) Vacation. The song was released in 2006. As soon as I knew about it, I had to buy it. I am a big Paul Lekakis fan. Once I saw the video, I was amazed, cause there has to be a painting in an attic somewhere. Watch this video and tell me if you are thinking like me, and he don't look like no 40-year-old man...
I used the term once again because he had first commanded my attention when I heard his first hit song almost 20 years before! I can't tell you how many times I have danced to Boom Boom (Let's Go Back To My Room), both out in the clubs in New York when it was released in 1987, or when I cranked it up at home, cause I went out and bought his album, Tattoo It. For the 20th anniversary, he made a new video for it. I don't think there was a video the first time around.
Tattoo It was the only album Lekakis made, at least that I am aware of. After the hit, Lekakis pursued some acting work, which kept him busy. Sometime in the 90s, he not only came out as a gay man, but also announced he was HIV Positive. He did much work promoting HIV and AIDS Awareness, both on stage with the roles he took, and when he was performing at Pride events throughout the country. For more about Paul Lekakis, check out his official website here.
This is a holiday weekend, isn't it? So I thought it would be incomplete to have anything up next other than one of my all-time favorite Madonna songs. Here is Holiday!
My other favorite song from the period would be Lucky Star, and the video is just too amazing to not watch again. And again. And again. So, I can't figure out why these two songs have not been covered by some of my singer/songwriters, but then I realize it was before most of them were born... Enjoy.
I make no bones about it, back in the day, I was all about Midge Ure. I bought all the Ultravox records, and when he went solo, I got them, too. I am unapologetic with my Midge-love, so everyone can just get over it. I ain't giving my Midge up. Now that is firmly established, we can move on to the post. The handsome Scotsman has been making music since the early 70s, first in his native Scotland, including joining the band Salvation in 1972, where he became the second man named James/Jim. To avoid confusion, the band turned the name backwards, and 'Jim' became 'Mij' or Midge Ure. Later, the band became known as Silk, and Midge took over singing lead vocals. It was also reported he was offered the job to sing lead for the Sex Pistols, but turned them down. By 1977 he had moved to London, and in 1979, he was hired to play in Thin Lizzy, where he cowrote and played the tour. By the end of 1980, he moved on, and he joined a fledgling band, Ultravox. I was insane for the band, and still am. He was part of the band until 1986, when he decided to go solo. This is the single Breathe from an album by the same name, released in 1996.
In 2008, Midge released the album 10, a collection of great songs from yesteryear covered by him with his unmistakable flair. He released a clever video for the song To Sir With Love, using his iPhone to great effect. And, he still looks damn good!
For more about Midge Ure, check out his official website here. You can check out his album 10 on iTunes here. One of my favorites, the 1985 release The Gift can be found on iTunes here. Yes, all these years later, I am still a big fan!
Back in 1987, a song hit the clubs that had everyone dancing. The song was Boom Boom (Let's Go Back To My Room) and it was impossible not to run to the dance floor. It was sung by Paul Lekakis, the stunningly handsome Nordic God. I ran out and bought the single, but had to wait to buy the CD, Tattoo It. But I did buy it first chance I got. I still listen from time to time, grooving to the sound of My House, One Step Closer, and others. From the coy You Blow Me Away to vibrantly sexy You Know You Want It, not to mention the beat-driven Are You Man Enough and Tattoo It On Me. This CD was meant to put a party in your pants - an easy feat if you took one look at the cover shots.
Paul went on to do movies - like Circuit and Sex, Politics & Cocktails - and a variety of shows in regional theater and Pride events around the world. And he still does music, having the singles Let It Out, Assume The Position and (I Need A) Vacation, all of which are in my collection. Just last year, I purchased a video collection of his songs, including a video shot to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Boom Boom. I also received a couple of signed photographs with the package, warming the cockles of, among other places, my heart.
Never particularly in the closet, Lekakis talked openly in the 90s about being HIV Positive, and continues to do work in that community. He has certainly kept himself in top shape, and looks even hotter now than he did when he first come on the scene.
Last night, I offered up the first half of my thoughts on The Smiths, an incredibly influential band of the 80s, whose music had a great impact on many of the rock bands to come. Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce were making music together for about 5 years, yet changed the way people played and listened to music for decades to come. I am sure I have left off the favorites of many, and could easily expand the list to include more, but instead decided for once I would err on the side of the minimal, and rather than give a history lesson, I would suggest if you don't know who The Smiths or Morrissey are, you have homework to do - start with Google.
The Queen Is Dead was released in 1986, and while I came close to highlighting the title track, I decided to go with Panic instead. Again, it has the sound of The Smiths, with the forlorn discussion of 'panic on the streets of London', the music and the ease of Morrissey's voice belying the true tone of the song.
In 1987, they released Strangeways, Here We Come, which turned out to be their final studio album. From this record came Girlfriend In A Coma, a biting song very much imbued with the with the vital life force that surrounded both the band and the singer. Here is the video for the song.
By the end of 1987, the band decided it was time to move in different directions. Morrissey started working on his solo debut, and Johnny Marr joined a few different bands, including The The, which had several hits in the 90s. By 1992, the record company decided to release 2 'Best Of' albums, and with the second, they released the song There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, which originally could be found of The Queen Is Dead album. It did well on the UK charts, hitting #25, not bad for a band that had come apart almost 5 years earlier.
This song became and interesting one, as it held allure certainly for the teens, who were discovering the band for the first time, and to young gays, who identified with the torment inherent to the Smiths' pathos. I have, in fact, posted a cover of this song by Daniel J. Cartier some months ago. This is interesting, as Morrissey's exploration of his own sexuality never became a matter of definitive answers, but the says certainly bought into his laconic stylings.
Well, that is my our tour of the Smith's catalog, and I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you have some Smiths' in your collection - if not, guy buy them now!
In 1982, a band came together in the town of Manchester, England, that helped change the musical landscape in the 80s. The final line up of Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce were together only until 1987, yet The Smiths' alternative sound and style took the 50s/60s hipster feel to a new level, with Morrissey in particular adding a Kerouac-on-steroids aspect hard to miss. The band combined near-record levels of melancholia with rock beats and became darlings of the college campuses, building up a strong fanbase that rose to almost cult levels. To many, both the band and Morrissey became a God.
I figured it was about time I tackled The Smiths, as I have wanted to for some time, yet never figured out how I was going to do it. So I decided I would just compile a list of some of my favorites, combine it with some of my sister Kim's favorites, and see what I could find on YouTube to make it happen. I ended up with a list of seven songs, and decided to offer up a 2-part series, tonight and tomorrow night. Enjoy my attempt at remembering The Smiths.
In 1983, there were two singles before the release of the first album. The second was This Charming Man, which later became part of the eponymous debut album release. I look at this video, and I can't help but notice how young Morrissey looks! And I really like the song.
Hatful of Hollow was released in 1984, a compilation of various live performances, interviews, and some studio singles. This included Handsome Devil, part of a Peel Session recordings.
In 1984, The Smiths released a couple of non=album singles, the first of which was Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now. In typical Smiths/Morrissey fashion, it was a dark message of the miserable life of the working class, brightened by Marr's interesting and amazing guitar work. In the following clip, you see some old live footage of the band, and Morrissey's easy sensuality on the stage.
In 1985, the band release Meat Is Murder, stepping up the rhetoric a bit, being more politically charged than the debut. I Want The One I Can't Have could be found on the album, and it amuses me to no end. This song has been analyzed to no end, as Morrissey has been evasive at time about his own sexuality. There have been times he claims to be asexual, absent of a sexual bent in his life, and other times when he has claimed to fit the description of hetero, homo, and bi-sexuality. But the sound is classic Smiths, and the emotions - the haunting feeling of deprivation - certainly come to the forefront.
I innocently made a smart-ass comment on my friend James Graham's FaceBook page - cause that is what I do best - and the next thing you know, James, a photographer, and I were emailing and then on the phone, chatting about music. He was regaling me with tales of American Music Club, one of his favorite bands. According to James, a very pretty str8 boy, the lead singer, Mark Eitzel, would hit on him all the time. Eitzel, it would be fair to say, is an out and proud man, apparently with a penchant for hitting on pretty men. Who can blame him?
Before I got distracted by my own story, I was talking about chatting with James, an amazingly talented photographer soon to be releasing the first book of his photographs, first via FaceBook, then by email, and finally, on the phone. It started with a FB quote by James from Pink Floyd's Roger Waters referring to Vera Lynn, which I misread as Vera Ellen, and the conversation moved is the usual odd way with me and James, involving emailed pictures, and as the conversation moved to music, we ended up discussing American Music Club, one of James' favorite bands. Yes, following our train of though can be a confusing and confounding thing. I remembered them, but couldn't find any music, so James shared some with me. I think I had Everclear album, and specifically remembered the single Rise. The band was together from 1982 to 1994, but then reunited in 2003. The music was this amalgam of pre-EMO, post-Punk, post-New Wave, pre-Grunge rock that was, and still is, fairly amazing. It maintains a moodiness and presents such strong atmospherics, it just pulls me in every time. Eitzel was the driving force behind the San Francisco-based band, as well as guitarist Vudi, whose wonderful work always stamped the work with his handiwork.
The band released nine album, from 1985's The Restless Stranger, to 2008's The Golden Age. To be honest, I am not familiar with the last two albums, as I hadn't realized they reunited until James told me. But part of our discussion was about the amazing work the band did in the 80s and 90s, and how the seeming sullenness of Eitzel inspired such great music, and elevated him to the likes of an American Morrissey, which was meant as a high compliment from both James and myself. Eitzel's lyrics can be so disarmingly probing, poetry that can cause you to startle, they hit so close to home. Rather than blather on too much more, here are a selection of their songs, so go ahead, and give a listen.
1987Outside This Bar
1991Rise
1993Gratitude Walks
2008All The Lost Souls Welcome You To San Francisco
It is funny, but I am listening to Everclear as I write this. For an album released almost 19 years ago, it certainly maintains a connection to my soul, and sounds fresh and not the slightest bit dated. Hope you enjoyed the music, but if not, I certainly know James and I did. You can find more about American Music Club at their official website here. James has a blog, you can read it here. Don't bother asking him questions about me, I am sure he will lie, and make me sound much more interesting than I am. He is sweet that way. He's from the south.
In 1985 they released a second album, Only Four You. The first single from the album rocketed up the charts, landing at #7 on the US Pop chart, #3 on the R&B chart, and #1 on the Dance chart. In My House was a major hit, coming on the heels of a change in the line-up.
In 1987, the girls called it a day and the Mary Jane Girls were no more. Apparently the change in the group did not alleviate the friction, and the girls went their separate ways.
In 1982, a striking Austrian named Johann (Hans) Hölzel released his first album. He was classically trained for one semester at the Vienna Music Conservatory, only to leave to blaze his own path in the music world. He moved to Berlin, and played in many clubs, focusing on a blend of Jazz and Rock. When he returned to Austria, he changed his name to Falco, playing rock and punk in bands, as well as working on his solo career. The first album, Einzelhaft, was a hit throughout Europe and Asia, but not the US. His version of Der Kommissar topped the charts in these areas, yet only went to #72 in the America. Buoyed by success, he continued making New Wave/Pop/Rock fusion music, and in 1985 released Falco 3, and the first single, Rock Me Amadeus. It stormed up the charts, with the fusion of Rock/Classical/Synthesizer, scoring Top 5 on the charts worldwide, and #1 in most countries, including the US.
He followed it up with Vienna Calling, a song inspired by his native land and carrying a similar sound to Amadeus. It was a success, although not quite as big as the first. It did make it into the Top 20 in the US, scoring #18.
He also released Jeanny from that album, which scored on the charts in many countries, but never made it to the charts in the US. It had more of a moody ballad feel, a plaintive song of love gone wrong. Oddly, it is one of my favorites from Falco.
In 1986 he released Emotional, and the first single, Sound of Musik. Again the sound was a fusion, with a bit more dance involved, as well as a touch of theatrics of British band Queen. It was another hit, placing at #13 on the US charts.
After this, Falco remained on several charts around the world, but never made it to the US charts again. But he maintained a strong career in Europe and Asia, through the mid-90s. In February 1998, while in the midst of planning a comeback, he died in a car crash while on vacation in the Dominican Republic. His body was returned to Vienna to be buried. For more about Falco, visit the official website here.
In 1979, a group of British boys came together to form the rock band Marillion. They have gone on to produce 17 studio albums, of which I have several. I hope to have more on Marillion at a later date, but for now and in keeping with the holiday season, here is the song Easter, originally released in 1990 from the album Seasons End.
Discovered as a 16-year-old by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, and by 1978 she had her first hit single, Wuthering Heights, thus becoming the first woman to have written and performed her song to reach the top spot on the British charts. Her big entrance into the American market was the 1985 release Hounds of Love, which gave her the one and only appearance in the US Top 40. That song was Running Up That Hill, with a quirky video that played non-stop on MTV when it used to have VJs [Video Jockeys] and still have 'music' in the title. The song reached #30 on the UP Pop chart.
All the subsequent releases from the album didn't make it to the chart, but the esoteric style and chameleon-like changes in her looks never let the public cozy up to her. She was also tough to categorize, being called everything from Neo-Punk to Art Rock. But her music was still incredibly good, including the song Cloudbusting, one of her truly memorable songs.
The title cut was another great song. She opened the door for many of the ladies who followed her, being taken serious as a smart and vibrant artist who could do more than stand there and sing pretty. She maintained an active involvement in the creation of her music, videos and live performances.
After the 1993 release of The Red Shoes, Bush stepped out of the business for many years, and raised her children. But she did finally return with the 2005 release Aerial, which made it to #3 in the UK, and #48 in the US. She is reported to be still writing music and interested in putting out another album. We can only hope. For more on Kate Bush, check out her official website here.
In 1986, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment [Steven Spielberg's production company] released the animated feature An American Tail. The theme song was sung by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram, whose voices blended beautifully. So, I thought, why not run it as a song to ease into the day on Sunday?
Top: Original Animotion, bottom: Animotion version 2.
In 1984, four members of the recently defunct band Red Zone decided to keep working together. Lead singer Astrid Plane, keyboardist Paul Antonelli, bassist Charles Ottavio, and drummer Frenchy O'Brien formed the New Wave band Animotion. They added lead singer/guitarist Bill Wadhams as well as lead guitarist Don Kirkpatrick. The sound was guitar-driven synthesizers, with Plane and Wadhams sharing the vocals. They released their self-titled debut album in late '84. The following year, a single from the album, Obsession, brought the band international success and became the band's first Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten single, landing at #6.
The follow-up single, Let Him Go, also made it into the Top 40, making it to #39. Again there was the patented New Wave sound, with the Synth creating the rhythm, and Plane singing the duet with Wadham.
After an unsuccessful album in 1986, Plane married bassist Ottavio and left the band, as did Wadham in 1987. Actress/dancer/singer Cynthia Rhodes, known for the film Dirty Dancing (and in 1989 would marry 80s giant Richard Marx), replaced Plane as female lead, and Paul Engemann took over the male lead. The recorded a second self-titled album, and had a hit with Room To Move in 1989. The popularity of the song was helped by it's appearance in the film My Step-Mother Is An Alien. The song rose to #9 on the US Pop chart.
Unfortunately, this did not help the album become a success, and the band broke up shortly thereafter. In 2001, the original line-up reunited for a radio concert in Los Angeles, and have been playing together off and on since. To find out more about the band, click here.
With his trademark red-rimmed glasses and often wild hair styles, Jimmy McShane took the lead for the group Baltimora in 1984, having been recruited by producer/musician Maurizio Bassi, mastermind behind the group. Being Irish didn't stop the Italian from hiring McShane, a dancer, for the group based in Italy. Bassi made him the frontman of Baltimora. In the Summer of 1985, they released Tarzan Boy, a zany, crazy dance song, and it swept the world. It reached #13 on the Billboard Pop chart, and played in every club that opened its doors.
A 'fun' fact about that was although McShane is shown singing in that video, it was not his voice. Bassi wrote, produced, played keyboards, and sang the lead in the studio, but always thought McShane looked more like a front man, so cast him in the video. Milli Vanilli anyone? Apparently, McShane would have killed on RuPaul's Drag Race, breezing by the 'lip synch for her life' part. No worries, for they knew the score. Their second single, Living In The Background, had moderate success, breaking the Top 100 to #87 on the Pop chart. I will say if you listen to the following video, the accent sounds similar to the Tarzan Boy accent, more Italian than Irish, but I believe they only admitted to the 'bait & switch' on the first song.
The third single was released in early 1986, Woody Boogie, met with some European success, but did not get a peek at the charts in the US. In fact, the Swiss and Dutch charts would be the last time they would be on any chart at all.
The most interesting thing about the fourth release from the Living In The Background album was Jukebox Boy, a rather generic song that did have an interesting video. Not interesting enough to get it on the charts, but interesting enough for me to post now. LOL
Baltimora released a second album in 1987, but it went no where. Shortly thereafter, they disbanded. When used in a Listerine commercial in 1993, a remix of Tarzan Boy made it into the Billboard Top 50, the last gasp of the band. Sadly, in 1995 Jimmy McShane passed away due to complications from AIDS.
In 1979, college friends Cy Curnin and Adam Woods rounded up Rupert Greenall, Tony McGrail and Charlie Barret to form a group in London, calling themselves The Portraits. Like most of the day, their sound was all New Wave and synthesizers and hooks. After two failed singles, McGrail left in 1980 and they brought on Jamie West-Oram and changed the bands name to The Fix. Their work together on some music for a small label took them to a major label deal, and started them on a path to 80s stars, following a spelling change to their name, The Fixx.
In 1982, they put down their first album, and shortly thereafter bassist Barret left the band, replaced by Alfie Agius, who stuck it out for about a year. That first album, Shuttered Room, also provided them with their first taste of success in the US, with the single Red Skies, one of my favorite songs, scoring #13 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
1983 saw the second album released, Reach The Beach, and their first Top 20 hit, Saved By Zero. This brooding song had a dark texture, almost an Oingo Boingo feel, and is my favorite track by the band. It hit #20 on the pop chart, and #9 on the rock chart.
They followed up that song with another from that album, One Thing Leads To Another. With the crisp guitar leading the charge, the song was a real change from the last single. Gone was the dark and moody, and in came the clever hook and intriguing rhythms, pushing emotion to the side to make a fine dance track. The song made it to #4 on the pop chart, and #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
The first cut off the 1984 album Phantoms continued the success, scoring #15 on the pop chart, and #1 on Mainstream Rock. Are We Ourselves? might have opened with a moody wind effect, but it owed more to One Thing Leads to Another than the other songs. They returned to the uptempo, with the hooky chorus enabling little New Wavers across the country to herk and jerk themselves across the dance floor. It also had the work of a new bassist, Dan Brown.
The band had some minor success in the subsequent years, but never came close to replicating the Top 20 hits they had. By 1992, they had been released from their label, and have gone through a series of small labels for their music. Brown stayed with the band until 1994, only to return again in 2008. The band still plays tours, and has plans to release their 10th album later this year. You can find out more about the band at their official website here.
I first heard them in 1983, fand was just crazy about the sound. Terri Nunn, John Crawford, and David Diamond, Dan Van Patten and Chris Ruiz-Velasco were a strong part of the American New Wave front, having released Pleasure Victim in 1982. With synthesizers blaring, Crawford's disinterested vocals and Nunn's soaring voice, the band broke out with their first hit, Sex (I'm A...), which was quite controversial at the time, and was even banned by some radio stations. It really just put to music a popular theory at the time, that women needed to be part wife, part mother and part prostitute in order to please a man.
They followed up that song with the slightly frantic Metro, which pulsed with the vibrancy of Nunn's vocals. The song and video was filled with a woman's strength, a big part of the early 80s music.
The next release from Pleasure Victim was Masquerade, a pop confection with a video that screams out the period, with the styling and content driving the time.
In 1984, they released No More Words, the first single from the Love Life album. Again, the angry refrains were tailor-made for Nunn's voice, who rails against broken promises.
They went on to have a big hit in 1986 from the movie Top Gun. Take My Breath Away was a good song, but not really in keeping with their New Wave style. Although the song sold big, the album did not, and in 1987, the band broke up.
The daughter of legendary Country star Johnny Cash, Rosanne owned the 80s in Country music. During the decade, she released 17 songs which appeared in the Top 20 on the Country charts, including an incredible 10 that reached #1. The song that started the parade is still one of my favorites, Seven Year Ache. Released early in 1981, the perfectly written piece came from her own pen, showing much talent. It was the first single off her second album, and proved not only to be a Country hit, but also reached #22 on the Pop chart. This is a video of Rosanne singing it live, and it just wow's me.
Her fourth #1 came in 1985, off the fourth album Rhythm And Romance. It also showed some crossover power, getting to #16 on the Adult Contemporary chart. I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me has a gorgeous melody and smart lyrics, again written by Cash, and co-written by then-husband Rodney Crowell.
In 1988, Runaway Train became the ninth #1 song of the decade, the fourth off King's Record Shop. The song was written by John Stewart was a member of the legendary Kingston Trio as well as being a prolific songwriter, with songs like The Monkee's Daydream Believer to his credit.
Rosanne continued to record great music, until undergoing brain surgery in 2007. After taking some time for recovery, she is back to work, including working on The List, the 2009 release that was made up of songs from the list of the Top 100 Country songs given to her be her late father. One of my favorite songs is 500 Miles (Away From Home), a song copyrighted in 1961. I love the version by the Kingston Trio and also Peter, Paul & Mary. The Hooters also did a killer version of which I am quite fond. Well, here is Rosanne's version of the great song.
For more about Rosanne Cash, check out her website here. She is a talented, beautiful, and courageous lady, with so much great music shared with the world.
Hailing from Leeds in the UK, Jon King, Andy Gill, Dave Allen and Hugo Burnham came together in the late 70s, making a punk sound so raw and pure. Soon they were putting their own spin on it, adding in some soul and reggae and coming closer to the early post-punk New Wave sound, only keeping a raw edge. And that pretty much captures the debut single in 1978, Damaged Goods. It is punk rock, with a touch of Leeds on it.
By 1982, they had moved away from the post-punk rawness to move closer to the New Wave action, although not all the way. They certainly incorporated more 'soul' into their music, but maintaining the instrumentation and attitude of their punk rock roots. That mix made Love A Man In A Uniform a club hit, earning #27 on the US Dance chart.
In 1983, they had moved further down that evolutionary path, as less strident synthesizers took over for the brash guitars, and a more romantic feel dominated the single Is It Love? come up to #9 on the Dance chart.
While touring to support their latest effort, the band started having issues, before deciding to call it a day. They tried regrouping in the 90s, with little success. They come back together in 2004, recording new visions of their early songs. The line up of the band has changed, but they still play occasional gigs at festivals and the like. For more information, check out their website here.
Born without the ability to see, Terri Gibbs broke on to the Country scene in 1981 with the breakout hit, Somebody's Knockin'. The song zoomed up the charts, scoring #8 on the Country chart, #13 on the Pop chart, and #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. As a debut single, it was amazing she had such a cross-over hit.
While she had moderate success during the 80s on the Country charts, she never returned to the Pop charts again. In 1987 she moved to the Christian Music scene, including the regrettable song The First Thing I'll See [is Jesus]. I mean, really, did someone think that would be clever for a blind woman to sing? By 1990, she decided to move on, devoting herself to her husband and family.
Left to right: Bruce Gary, Doug Fieger, Prescott Niles & Berton Averre.
I've been meaning to feature them for some time, but with the passing of lead singer Doug Fieger over the weekend, it seemed only right I do it now. The Knack, lead singer/guitarist Doug Fieger, lead guitarist Berton Averre, drummer Bruce Gary, and bassist Prescott Niles, came up as part of the New Wave bands that drew their inspiration from 60s garage bands, playing music for and about teenagers and their issues. They owned 1979, for their debut album, Get The Knack, rose to the top of the US chart, sitting in the #1 position for five consecutive weeks. The first single, My Sharona, was also a huge success, topping the US Single chart for six straight weeks, and the Australian chart for five.
They followed that up with Good Girls Don't, basically a song extolling the joys of every teenage boy's fantasy - that good girl who said no to everyone else, she's gonna say yes to you. They combined the thrashing speed of 60s teen rock with the burgeoning punk movement to create a sound both retro and forward in nature. All this combined to get the song to #11 on the US single chart.
The third single, Baby Talks Dirty, made it to the Top 40 in the US in 1980, stalling a bit at #38. Not that it stalled the album's success, as Get The Knack went on to sell over 3 million copies in the US alone, over 6 million worldwide.
Infighting from within the band started to crop up when some press started about how the band of late-20s men singing about young teen girls - which seems insane to me, didn't the press listen to the album when they were lauding over the band? Some in the band wanted to go in different directions, and by 1982, they went their separate ways. By 1986, they were back together and touring without drummer Bruce Gary, and in 1991 released a new album, Serious Fun. The first single, Rocket 'O Love, went to #9 on the US Mainstream Rock chart, but had no real impact on the singles chart.
Gary never rejoined the band, instead pursuing a career as a studio drummer and producer before becoming ill. He passed away in 2006. Yesterday, singer Doug Fieger passed after a battle with cancer, leaving just two of the original members of the band. Because of an amazing debut album, Gary and Fieger will be long remembered for their contribution to music. For more, check out the band's website, here.
