Starring
Devo
Recorded under the auspices of pioneering producer Brian Eno, 1978’s Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! was seen as a call to arms by some and became an underground hit. Others found DEVO’s sound, imagery, and material threatening; Rolling Stone, for example, called the group fascists. But such criticism missed the point: DEVO dramatized conformity, emotional repression, and dehumanization in order to attack them, not to pay tribute to them.
While 1979’s Duty Now for the Future was another strong effort, the band broke through to the mainstream with 1980’s Freedom of Choice, which contained the platinum-selling hit single, “Whip It,” and represented a peak in their songwriting. The video for “Whip It” became an MTV smash, juxtaposing the band’s low-budget futuristic look against a down-home farm setting and hints of S&M.
DEVO’s next two albums, New Traditionalists and Oh NO It’s DEVO! continued their 1980s decade world touring success accompanied by the hit songs, “Beautiful World” and “That’s Good” respectively. Shout was released in 1984, and Total Devo in 1988, followed by a live album titled Now It Can Be Told: DEVO Live at The Palace in 1989. After releasing a studio album entitled Smooth Noodle Maps in 1990, the band left the world of touring and recording to pursue film and TV projects.
As DEVO’s legend grew and other bands acknowledged their influence (Nirvana covered “Turnaround,” while “Girl U Want” has been recorded by Soundgarden, Superchunk, and even Robert Palmer), their minimalistic electro-pop was finally given new exposure on four dates of the 1996 Lollapalooza tour, and six dates on the 1997 Lollapalooza tour, both to enthusiastic fan response.
Currently the band is developing a musical based on their alternate world, Spudland, populated with such characters as Booji Boy, Dr. Byrthfood and the nefarious Rod Rooter as well as placing finishing touches on a darkly comic, “DEVO origins” feature film script. The band is confident that these major endeavors, when realized will show a new generation that de-evolution is real.
Bret Michaels
American singer/songwriter, Bret Michaels, has sold over 50 million records worldwide, is a reality TV superstar with some of the highest rated reality shows in history as well as a lifelong type 1 diabetic. An entrepreneur, Michaels has created the multi-million dollar selling Pets Rock Collection with PetSmart, launched his own line of custom guitars and created “Bret’s Blend, Diet Trop-A-Rocka” which is a number one selling beverage for Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group. Michaels, personally and through his Life Rocks Foundation has helped raise millions of dollars for charity and makes donations to not only diabetes awareness and research but to such causes as childhood cancer, Veterans organizations, PetSmart Charities, Operation Homefront, Fealgood Foundation and more. His talent, business acumen and natural candor have solidified him as "a cultural touchdown" in the words of former Viacom CEO Judy McGrath and made him one of the most sought-after performers, keeping him on the road for each of the last 10 years, for nearly 300 live performances, speaking engagements, charitable concerts and private engagements yearly. Michaels’ latest single and video, “Unbroken”—which he cowrote and recorded with his youngest daughter, Jorja Bleu.
The Church
Australian psych-rock guitar masters The Church enter their fifth decade of making music with all the fierce creative energy of their early years. With new members introduced, the band are deep into recording the band’s 25th studio album, 40 years after their formation.
Kim Wilde
Kim Wilde originally burst onto the music scene in 1981 with the classic “Kids In America,” a worldwide hit. This led to a stunning career with over 30 million record sales spanning 12 albums and some of the most memorable hits of the 80s including “Chequered Love,” “Cambodia,” “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (number one in the USA), “You Came,” “Never Trust A Stranger” and “Four Letter Word.”
Voted Best British Female Singer at the BPI Awards in 1983 (Forerunner to the Brits), Kim also supported Michael Jackson on his “Bad” tour in Europe, playing to over 2 million people over 5 months and also supported the legendary David Bowie across Europe on his 1990 Greatest Hits stadium tour.
After a break from music to get married, have children and re-discover a love for gardening, Kim returned to playing live in 2001 with various festivals and tours including Australia in 2003 before signing to EMI in Germany in 2006 and releasing the Never Say Never album. After several chart successes with the singles from the album, Kim and her band took to the road, performing over 50 shows in 2007 including two tours and various festivals in 2008.
2009 saw another European tour followed by the Come Out and Play album in 2010, which went top 10 in Germany and Switzerland and was followed by a sell-out European tour in 2011. 2011 also saw the release of Snapshots, Kim’s album of her favourite cover versions. This was also followed by a European tour in 2012, which also included Kim’s greatest hits. In 2013, Kim released the beautiful and critically acclaimed Wilde Winter Songbook album, which featured her favourite Christmas and winter inspired songs, both cover versions and original material.
Morris Day and The Time
With his dynamic dancing and smooth yet gutsy vocals, Morris Day played an essential role in the development of the Twin City dance/club sound of the 1980s. A founding member of Prince’s band, The Time, in 1981, he remained with the group until 1984 when he launched his solo career. Returning for the first time in 1988, he performed and recorded with the Time from 1990 until 1991 and since 1995. Day’s involvement with Prince traces back to 1980 when his composition “Partyup,” originally recorded when he was a member of the Enterprise, was covered on Prince’s Dirty Mind album. Releasing his debut solo album, Color of Success, in 1985, Day reached his apex with his second solo album, Daydreaming, two years later. Produced by ex-Time members Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam, the album included the chart-topping R&B tune “Fishnet.” Day released his third solo album, Guaranteed, in 1992. He returned to record store racks in 2004 with It’s About Time, a mostly live album with a few new studio cuts, one including a guest appearance by rapper E-40. Day has appeared in such films as Prince’s autobio-pic, Purple Rain, in 1984, and New Attitude in 1990.
Howard Jones
It was in 1983 that Howard Jones first burst upon the contemporary music scene with his very English songwriting, pioneering synthesizers and thought-provoking lyrics. He set out his manifesto in his very first single “New Song.” The lyrics called on the listener to challenge their preconceived ideas, to see both sides and “throw off your mental chains.” New Song was recently used in a pivotal scene in Breaking Bad where Aaron Paul’s character Jessie Pinkman questions if he wants to “play by the rules.” “New Song” peaked at number 3 in the UK singles charts.
Along with “New Song,” the first two albums, Humans Lib and Dream into Action, brought Howard a host of hits including “Things Can Only Get Better,” “What is Love?,” “Pearl In The Shell,” “Like to Get To know You Well,” “Hide And Seek” (performed at Live Aid), “Look Mama” and “No One Is To Blame,” which reached No. 1 in the US. Howard has sold over 8 million albums across the globe and is one of a select group of British artists who have comprehensively “broken America.”
Howard’s synthesizer-driven debut influenced a new generation of electronic and dance musicians. He enjoyed 14 weeks in the billboard dance chart top 40 in 2013 with his collaboration with Cedric Gervais on a new version of “Things Can Only Get Better.” Howard continues to operate at the forefront of music technology in both his live shows and productions.
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Led by guitarist Vernon Reid, the band's lineup solidified in the mid-80s with Corey Glover (vocals), Will Calhoun (drums) and Muzz Skillings (bass). The band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, hard rock and heavy metal. Their lyrics range from the personal to the political, in some of the latter cases attacking Eurocentrism and racism in America.
The band’s debut album, Vivid, was released in 1988. The album reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and was later certified double platinum by the RIAA. It featured “Cult of Personality,” a No. 13 hit on the Billboard 200 Singles chart as well as the Top 40 hit, “Glamour Boys.” “Cult of Personality” went on to earn the band their first Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.
In 1990, the band's second full-length album, Time's Up, was released and reached No. 13 on the Billboard 200 while certifying gold, and winning Living Colour's second Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. It featured guest appearances by Queen Latifah, Little Richard, Doug E. Fresh, and Maceo Parker.
In 1991, Living Colour released the 6-song EP Biscuits, which coincided with the inaugural Lollapalooza tour. Stain, their third LP, was released in 1993, reaching No. 26 on the Billboard 200.
After a hiatus in 1995, Living Colour returned in December 2000 and release Collideøscope in 2003, with a number of songs about the September 11 attacks including “Flying." It also contained cover versions of AC/DC's “Back in Black” and The Beatles' “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The Chair in the Doorway album was issued in 2009. Shade was released in 2017 and peaked on Billboard’s Hard Rock Albums at No. 12 with the help of singles “Who Shot Ya,” “Come On,” and “Program.”
Hosts
Original MTV VJs
Nina Blackwood
When a fledgling music video channel debuted on cable television in the 1980s, Nina Blackwood became one of a select few faces the world associated with the revolutionary station, MTV. Blackwood’s experience as an original VJ (video jockey) for MTV makes her an ideal host of The 80s Cruise where she’ll share her expertise on and love for the music and Artists of this great decade with fellow passengers. These days, Blackwood headlines daily shows on SiriusXM’s “Big 80s On 8.” She also hosts her own syndicated radio shows – Absolutely 80s and New Wave Nation – on weekends in the United States and Canada via United Stations Radio Networks. Live concerts are another avenue through which the music aficionado spreads her wealth of knowledge on the people, places and history of music. Blackwood studied piano and orchestral harp from the age of five and has herself performed as a musician. She also trained as an actor at the Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles and secured some modeling work and appearances on television series and movies early in her career. More recently, Blackwood has done music commentary on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and hosted her own “Rock Report” on Entertainment Tonight. In 2013, she and fellow MTV VJs collaborated with Rolling Stone contributing editor Gavin Edwards on VJ-The Unplugged Adventures of MTV’s First Wave. The book tells the story of MTV’s early years and hit the New York Times bestseller list in May 2013. Beyond the music scene, Blackwood is a dedicated animal lover with several parrots, cats and an Alaskan Malamute.
Mark Goodman
The 80s Cruise is ecstatic to welcome Mark Goodman on deck as one of our celebrity hosts. Though he launched his successful career in radio, Goodman is best recognized as an original VJ (video jockey) for MTV, where he spent much of the 80s interviewing some of the biggest names in the music industry – Paul McCartney, Sting and Bruce Springsteen included. In that same capacity, he became the face for several of the network’s hit shows including The Week In Rock, 120 Minutes and the first show ever syndicated to broadcast by MTV, The Top 20 Video Countdown. After leaving MTV, the music personality had stints in film, television and internet radio. Today, Goodman broadcasts from Sirius Satellite Radio’s 80s channel as well as its Classic Rewind and The Spectrum stations. Additionally, recent forays into the music supervision business have had him orchestrating soundtracks for film and television, including Touchstone/ABC’s hit series, Desperate Housewives.” In 2013, Goodman and his fellow original MTV VJs co-authored VJ-The Unplugged Adventures of MTV’s First Wave, a behind-the-scenes look at the network’s early years. Expect Goodman to continue regaling audiences with these stories and other fascinating anecdotes as we journey back the 80s together.
Alan Hunter
Just as he hooked audiences in the 80s as one of MTV’s original VJs (video jockey), Alan Hunter is sure to captivate guests of The 80s Cruise from behind the mic on the highly anticipated voyage at sea. Since leaving MTV in 1987, our cruise emcee dabbled in independent film for several years, earning an Academy Award nomination in 2003 for producing the short film Johnny Flynton, along with features Dreamland, Best Worst Movie and Lifted. Currently, he maintains his hosting chops as a personality on SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s The 80s on 8 and Classic Rewind channels, along with a weekly podcast reminiscing and dishing on all things 80s. Devoted to his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, Hunter co-created the downtown entertainment complex WorkPlay and co-founded the city’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival many moons ago. He now lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife and children.
Also Starring
Jessie's Girl
When it comes to the 80s, Jessie’s Girl has it covered, and they are bringing their highly acclaimed “Back to the Eighties Show” back aboard The 80s Cruise in 2019! Based out of New York City where they perform every Saturday night at Le Poisson Rouge in Greenwich Village, the 80s tribute band covers the hits of this amazing decade while dressed as many of the artists their fans adore – think Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince! When not performing at private parties for the likes of Jamie Foxx and Neil Patrick Harris and at some of the hottest venues throughout the country, Jessie’s Girl takes to the stage from time to time with the hit makers themselves, including Tiffany, Bret Michaels, MC Hammer, Tone Loc and Taylor Dane. A crowd favorite, Jessie’s Girl will be rocking the ship!
Jody Watley
Grammy winner and 3-time Grammy nominee Jody Watley; multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer/independent label owner, and style icon is one of the architects of 21st century Pop/R&B/Dance music. Classic Hits include: “Looking For A New Love,” “Don't You Want Me,” “Friends,” “Everything” and “Real Love.”
From her groundbreaking marriage of rap and R&B (1987’s “Friends,” a collaboration with hip-hop legends Eric B. & Rakim) to her vision-forward marriage of high fashion, street fashion and music in the 80s (long before it became the norm), to her fusion of jazz and underground club culture with keen pop instincts, and the ease with which she crossed and still crosses genre, Watley forged the template that is now everybody’s playbook.
To date as a solo artist: 6 Hot 100 Singles, 15 Top 40 Singles, 13 #1 Dance Singles, 2 #1 R&B Singles with iconic hits such as “Looking For A New Love,” “Don’t You Want Me,” “Real Love” and more!!
Listed as one of Billboard Magazine's Top Female Artists and Top Dance Artists of All Time in 2018; Winner of the Best New Artist Grammy in 1987, Jody Watley’s entire career has been about looking forward, drawing inspiration from personal heroes and iconoclasts always ten steps ahead of the pack since her days as the original female lead and sound of the group Shalamar. The Chicago native’s eclectic repertoire – R&B, hip-hop, house, jazz, pop, drum & bass, ambient, spoken-word – is built on a positive vision and a strong taste for artistic and aesthetic risk.
The Jody Watley concert experience is a music journey of hits spanning decades and a visual feast of fashion, dance and style from music’s “Queen of Cool” always bringing her A-game to the stage.
The Smithereens
Founded in New Jersey in 1980, The Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock ’n’ roll for 41 years. Jim Babjak (guitar), Dennis Diken (drums), and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together in Carteret and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from Scotch Plains. The Smithereens’ “take no prisoners” sound, reflecting their Garden State roots, has resonated with fans worldwide over the course of 17 albums and 2500+ live shows. Studio albums include Especially for You, Green Thoughts, 11, A Date with The Smithereens, and 2011. Among their biggest hits are the rock radio staples “Blood and Roses,” “Only a Memory,” “Behind the Wall of Sleep,” and “A Girl Like You.” The Smithereens’ most recent album, COVERS, features 22 of the bands favorite songs first recorded by other artists.
The band paid its dues in clubs all over the NJ/NYC area from Kenny’s Castaways in Greenwich Village to the Court Tavern and Stone Pony in NJ. As The Smithereens’ fame escalated, they were in heavy rotation on MTV and appeared on The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and Saturday Night Live. They’ve since performed on stages coast to coast from the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles to the Meadowlands Arena in NJ to Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, and internationally from Europe to Australia. Tour mates have included Tom Petty, Squeeze, The Pretenders, Lou Reed, and the Ramones, among others.
They’ve also inspired and influenced generations of musicians, including the late Kurt Cobain, who counted The Smithereens as a major influence on Nirvana.
With the 2017 passing of Pat DiNizio, the surviving band members decided to persevere and carry on their shared musical legacy. Using rotating guest vocalists, including longtime friend Marshall Crenshaw and Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms, something no other band has done, they continue to entertain and rock fans all over the U.S. and the world.
Vixen
THERE'S ONLY ONE ALL-FEMALE HARD ROCK BAND FROM THE 80'S WHO: Sold over a million albums, had six #1 videos on MTV, and four songs in Billboard's Top 100.
Vixen was founded in St. Paul, Minnesota, by high-schooler guitarist Jan Kuehnemund. The desire to achieve the rock star dreams like so many before her, Jan took her group to Hollywood but soon retooled the line-up, which included; vocalist Janet Gardner, drummer Roxy Petrucci and bassist Share Ross (Pedersen).
In 1987, a pair of big brass balls at EMI Records decided to roll the dice with Vixen, despite all the stereotypes regarding bands fronted by chicks, was then initiated into the male-dominated club of hard rock. EMI released their self-named debut album Vixen featuring the groups’ first hit "Edge of a Broken Heart" penned by Richard Marx and Fee Waybill (The Tubes). MTV became Vixen’s playground and so coupled with exhaustive touring Vixen embarked on their ride.
Piling on more hits the band charted Billboard at #22 with ballad, “Cryin',” and “Love Made Me” at #36. The road continued to call opening for Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Eddie Money and many others. Vixen has firmly distinguished themselves as a premiere rock act to be taken seriously.
With the pistons still popping, Vixen released their second album; Rev It Up was a success with “How Much Love” as the prized single performed live on The Arsenio Hall Show. The group Vixen-ize their fans on worldwide tours with heavyweights KISS and Scorpions, which fueled the international frenzy. The ballad, “Love Is A Killer” rose on the charts along with the rocker “Not A Minute Too Soon” once again establishing Vixen as not just performers but hit songwriters.
Cutting Crew
Formed in 1985, Grammy nominated rock band, Cutting Crew will always be remembered for their classic songs “(I Just) Died in Your Arms” and “I’ve Been in Love Before” (number 1 and 9 in USA).
Original singer and writer Nick van Eede performs every gig now with his amazing guitarist, Gareth Moulton. The past few years have brought appearances/duetting with Chaka Khan, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp, Greg Lake, Jack Bruce and Midge Ure, plus concert tours of Germany and USA with ABC, Berlin and Wang Chung. Their great live show has reached the hearts of audiences across the world. Look out for their new album Add to Favourites, released this year.
Midge Ure
An artist who has received Ivor Novello, Grammy, BASCAP awards along with a flotilla of gold and platinum records, really needs very little introduction. By the time Midge's single "If I Was" went to No. 1 in 1985 he had already crammed several musical lifetimes into a 10-year professional career speaks volumes - Slik, The Rich Kids, Thin Lizzy, Visage, Ultravox and of course the most famous one-off group in musical history Band Aid had by then all had the guiding hand of his musical navigation.
By 1979, with his name being added to many musicians' contact book, Ure had been asked by Billy Currie, Chris Cross and Warren Cann to become the new frontman in Ultravox. The band was a major influence on the new romantic and electro-pop movements of the early '80s. Their successful trademark was combining Midge's powerful guitar riffs with sweeping synthesizer motifs, enigmatic imagery and state-of-the-art visuals. Tracks like “Reap the Wild Wind,” “Dancing With Tears in My Eyes,” “Love's Great Adventure” and 1981's timeless “Vienna” were all massive hits the world over as they charted with awesome regularity, not only on single, but with seven consecutive top ten albums in just six years. Indeed, Vienna recently was voted the Nation’s favourite number 2 single of the 80’s, finally granting it a coveted Number 1 position!
Even by then, the Midge Ure story had some individual chapters, of course. He wrote and produced “Fade to Grey” for Visage in 1980, then hit the top 10 in the summer of 1982 with his first release under his own name, an atmospheric take on the Tom Rush song made famous half a dozen years earlier by the Walker Brothers, “No Regrets.”
Then came November 25, 1984, a historic day for Midge and all of pop music, as 36 artists by the collective name Band Aid gathered at SARM Studios in west London under Ure's production. They recorded “Do They Know It's Christmas?” a song he had just written with Bob Geldof as the industry's heartfelt and eloquent contribution to Ethiopian famine relief. 600,000 copies sold in its first week in the UK alone was only the beginning: 800,000 more were bought in the second week, more than three million world-wide, and the unstoppable emotion engendered by the project led to Live Aid, the summer 1985 global concert that, all exaggeration aside, spoke for a generation.
Within months, a staggering £8 million had been raised for the starving in Africa, and Geldof said that without Ure's initial enthusiasm for the idea, not to mention his rapidly penned sketch for the single, neither Band Aid nor Live Aid could have happened.
Just two months after Live Aid, Midge was back at No. 1 in Britain, this time under his own name, with “If I Was,” and by the autumn he had a No. 2 solo album to accompany it, entitled The Gift. Further solo albums followed with Answers to Nothing in 1988 and Pure in 1991 on BMG.
Soon after Midge was busy producing and writing with and for various artists, both established and unsigned, at his studio in Bath, and writing music for films. Other duties included the “Music for Montserrat” benefit at the Royal Albert Hall alongside Sir Paul McCartney, Elton John and Eric Clapton.
John Parr
It was spring 1985 when John Parr received a call from one of the world’s most successful record producers, David Foster. He requested Parr to record a song for the film St. Elmo’s Fire. Parr and Foster wrote a song in honor of Rick Hansen, athlete and philanthropist for people with disabilities. The song was called “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” and it also became the theme for the film. The song became a No. 1 hit for Parr on the Billboard Charts in September 1985, and garnered many awards, including a Grammy Award nomination.
John has sold more than 10 million albums and has toured with a number of acts on the road during his illustrious career, including Foreigner, Toto, Tina Turner, Bryan Adams, Heart, Richard Marx and Journey, to name just a few. He had several movie hits in the 80s, including “The Minute I Saw You” from the Three Men and a Baby soundtrack (1987) and the power ballad “Restless Heart” from The Running Man soundtrack (1987).
John is currently working on a brand-new studio album due for release in 2020.
Autograph
Autograph left an everlasting imprint on rock 'n' roll. The platinum-selling Southern California hard rock juggernauts gave the world the ubiquitous hit “Turn Up the Radio,” seminal albums such as Sign In Please (1984), That's The Stuff (1985), and Loud and Clear (1987) as well as unforgettable sold-out shows alongside everybody from Motley Crue and Ronnie James Dio to Van Halen and Aerosmith. Given those accolades, when they disbanded in 1989, they never left the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the globe. Simply put, a reunion was both inevitable.
In 2017 Autograph released a new full-length Album on Megadeth's David Ellefson's EMP Label Group hitting #21 on the Billboard Classic Rock Sales Chart as well as placing 2 new singles on the top 10 Hard Rock Media base Radio Chart. In 2019, Lynch decided to leave the group to pursue different musical styles and was replaced by international Monster Shredder Guitarist Jimi Bell formally from the band House of Lords from RCA Records, 1st runner for Ozzy Osbourne in 1986 and featured in the classic movie Light of Day starring Joan Jett and Michael J. Fox as Joan Jett’s band guitarist in the movie and playing on the soundtrack. The band delivers an undeniably bombastic live performance and was featured on the USA Today news website. The timeless iconic classic rock anthem Top 40 hit single “Turn Up the Radio” continues to receive constant and permanent radio airplay on all major rock radio stations around the world as the lineup is praised by the fans and the critics for their powerful live performances.
China Crisis
China Crisis are an English pop/rock band. They formed in 1979 in Kirkby, near Liverpool, Merseyside with a core of vocalist/keyboardist Gary Daly and guitarist Eddie Lundon. Their output was pop music similar in style to that of New Wave but with strong similarities to the post-punk movement of the early 1980s, namely inclusion of a broader range of musical influences and occasional flirtation with political commentary. Throughout their career, China Crisis has seen moderate success in the United Kingdom with ten hit singles between August 1982 and January 1987 and six albums, as well as commercial success in western Europe, Australia and the Americas.
The band was signed to Virgin Records and recorded their debut album, Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain, which was released in December 1982. A re-release of "African & White" became China Crisis' first hit in the United Kingdom, reaching #45 in the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single, "Christian," made UK #12 in early 1983 and brought them to national prominence. The album peaked at #21 in the UK Albums Chart. During this period the band toured supporting Simple Minds.
Adding Gary "Gazza" Johnson (bass) and Kevin Wilkinson (drums) to the line-up, a second album, Working with Fire and Steel - Possible Pop Songs Volume Two, was released in November 1983. Tracks included the singles "Tragedy and Mystery" (released six months earlier) and "Hanna Hanna" as well as the title track, "Working With Fire & Steel", which became a hit single in Australia. The album was a Top 20 success in the UK, and China Crisis spent 1984 and 1985 making their biggest chart run, beginning with their only UK Top 10 hit single, "Wishful Thinking," which peaked at #9.
Their third album, Flaunt the Imperfection, was produced by Walter Becker of Steely Dan fame and reached #9 in the UK Albums Chart in May 1985.
The album was previewed by the #14 UK hit single "Black Man Ray," which also enjoyed critical acclaim and international success. The follow-up, "King In A Catholic Style (Wake Up)," was a Top 20 UK single at #19. A third release from the album You Did Cut Me reached #54 in the UK.
In 1986, the band returned with What Price Paradise, which included "Arizona Sky," the album's first single release, and another Australian hit, "June Bride." A second single from the album Best Kept Secret made UK #36 in early 1987.
The five-piece band worked with Becker once more on 1989's Diary of a Hollow Horse, which earned critical acclaim though little commercial success. It spawned the singles "St Saviour Square" and "Red Letter Day," both achieving the lower reaches of the UK Singles Chart. Becker produced of most of the album's tracks, but this time was not credited as an official band member.
The band's last studio album, Warped By Success, was released in 1994, following the band's parting of ways with the Virgin label. The album produced their final UK hit, "Everyday The Same.”
Tone Loc
Tone-Loc (born Anthony Smith) soared from obscurity into pop stardom in 1989 when his hoarse voice and unmistakable delivery made the song "Wild Thing" (using a sample from Van Halen’s "Jamie’s Cryin'") a massive hit. The song was co-written by Marvin Young, better known as Young MC, as was the second single smash, "Funky Cold Medina" The album Loc-ed After Dark became the second rap release ever to top the pop charts. Tone-Loc expanded his horizons into acting in 1992 and 1993, appearing a few times on the Fox sitcom Roc. He was also in the films Posse and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and in 1991 returned to recording with Cool Hand Loc.
EXTC
“Making Plans for Nigel”… “Senses Working Overtime” … “Life Begins at the Hop”… “Mayor of Simpleton”… “Generals and Majors”… “Dear God”… “Sgt. Rock”… XTC was one of the UK's most respected and influential bands. Now EXTC – featuring legendary EXTC drummer, Terry Chambers – is bringing the XTC songbook to audiences worldwide, including tracks never previously performed for over 40 years.
The show spans XTC's whole career, from their early spiky anthems to the sonic tapestries of later years. EXTC is also writing new material, forging an exciting new direction for Terry and the band.
Terry Chambers is one of the world's most respected drummers. As the driving force of XTC and EXTC, Terry's unique rhythms propel tracks like “Making Plans for Nigel,” “Senses Working Overtime” and “Generals and Majors.” Joining Terry in EXTC are Steve Tilling (vocals, guitar, ex-TC&I – the band of XTC's Colin Moulding and Terry Chambers), Steve Hampton (guitar, vocals) and Matt Hughes (bass, vocals).
Artists worldwide – including Blur, They Might Be Giants, Kaiser Chiefs, Everything Everything and Franz Ferdinand – cite XTC as a major influence.
Trial By Fire
Trial By Fire is a Los Angeles-based 60s, 70s and 80s classic rock R&B group, consisting of Steel Rod and DW3. The classic rock, R&B, and blues trio with the soulful vocals of Eric, Billy and David of DW3 create a perfect combination. In addition to these two powerhouse groups, along came Rebecca Jade with her soulful sound and rock influences, making a perfect addition to this very versatile group.