The A’s

The A’s were a pop rock/new wave band from the late ’70s and early ’80s. The band consisted of members Richard Bush (on lead vocals), Rick DiFonzo (on guitar), Rocco Notte (on keyboards), Terry Bortman (on the bass) and Michael Synder (on drums).
They formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1979. After building a loyal following in the Philadelphia area due to their energenic live shows, The A’s signed a record deal with Arista Records. During that same year, they release their self-titled debut studio album.

The two singles released from the album: “After Last Night” and “Parasite” failed to make any impact on the charts at all.
In 1981, the band released their sophomore album, “A Woman’s Got The Power” which peaked at #146 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The title song peaked at #18 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart and #6 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
Afterwards, The A’s were dropped by Arista Records. In 1982, they released an EP called “Four Dances” on the Straight A’s Records label before they disbanded. Around 2014, they briefly reunited for a reunion tour.

In later years, Richard Bush continued performing with other bands and formed his own band, The Peace Creeps. He also performs with David Uosikkinen’s In The Pocket.

Rick DiFonzo went on to become a session musician, working with artists such as Joan Osborne, Bob Dylan, Roger Waters and Cyndi Lauper. According to research, he appears to be working on his own music. It’s unknown what Rocco Notte, Terry Bortman and Michael Synder are currently up to these days.

To see Rick DiFonzo’s website, go to:
http://rickdifonzo.com/

To see a video for “A Woman’s Got the Power”, go to:

 

To see a video for “After Last Night”, go to:

To see a video for “Parasite”, go to:

To see a video for “Do The Dance” (from their EP, “Four Dances”), go to:

The Producers

The Producers are a new wave\power pop band from Atlanta, Georgia that consists of members Van Temple, Kyle Henderson, Wayne Famous and Bryan Holmes.

They originally formed as a Beatles cover band named Cartoon and later performed their own material in nightclubs around the Atlanta area. The positive reception to their music led to The Producers signing a record deal to Portrait Records.
In 1981, The Producers released their self-titled debut album which peaked at #163 on the Billboard 200.
The lead single from the album, “What She Does to Me (The Diana Song)” peaked at #61 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the the chart for 6 weeks, making it their only highest charting single to date.
The follow-up single, “What’s He Got?” peaked at #8 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, staying on the chart for 4 weeks.
The last single, “I Love Lucy” didn’t make the charts at all. The Producers’ music videos received popularity on MTV and they toured extensively during the early ’80s. They also opened up for The Motels and Cheap Trick.
In 1982, the band released their sophomore album, “You Make the Heat” which didn’t appear to make the Billboard album charts at all.
The only single released from the album, “She Sheila” didn’t make the Hot 100, but managed to peak at #48 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. During that same year, they headlined MTV’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” broadcast.

After their second album was released, The Producers were dropped from Portrait Records. Kyle Henderson became a born-again Christian and left the band shortly afterwards to record a solo album. He was replaced by Tim Smith.
In 1985, The Producers released their third studio album, “Run For Your Life” on the Marathon Records label which didn’t make the charts.
The lead and only single from the album, “Depending On You” failed to make any impact on the charts at all.
In the late ’80s, The Producers signed a new record deal with MCA Records and recorded their fourth album, “Coelacanth”, but they were dropped from the label due to a label purge at MCA Records before the album could be released. It wasn’t until 2001 that the album was released on the One Way Records label.

By 1991, the band officially “retired”, but these days (according to research), they continue to perform together for occasional live shows, primarily in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. As of 2019, the line-up consists of Wayne, Kyle, Bryan and Van.

To see The Producers’ official website, go to:
http://theproducersband.com/index.html

To follow The Producers on Facebook, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/TheProducersOfficial/

To see a video for “What She Does To Me (The Diana Song)”, go to:

To see a video for “What He’s Got?”, go to:

To see a video for “I Love Lucy”, go to:

To see a video for “She Sheila”, go to:

To see a video for “Depending on You”, go to:

To see a video for “Trouble With Love” (from their 2001 album, “Coelacanth”), go to:

Nik Kershaw

Nik Kershaw (born Nicholas David Kershaw on March 1, 1958 in Ispwich, Suffolk, England) is an English new wave\pop music singer who first gained success in the ’80s.

Nik grew up in a musical family; his father was a flautist and his mother was an opera singer. He attended the Northgate Grammar School for Boys where he taught himself how to play the guitar. He later left the school in the middle of his A-levels and got a job working at an unemployment benefit office.

He sang in various underground bands in Ipswich; however, when Fusion (the last band that he was in) disbanded in 1982, Nik decided to embark on a full-time solo career as a musician and songwriter. He later met manager Mickey Modern after placing an advertisement in a magazine called Melody Maker. Modern helped Nik secure a record deal with MCA Records.
In September of 1983, he released his debut single, “I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” which peaked at #47 on the U.K. Singles chart, making it his first charting single. It was also successful in the Netherlands, Switzerland and Scandinavia.
In 1984, Nik released his second single, “Wouldn’t It Be Good” which became his breakthrough hit. The song peaked at #4 on the UK Singles chart and was a moderate hit on the pop charts in the United States, peaking at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was also a big success in Europe (particularly in Germany, Italy, Ireland, Scandinavia, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada). The music video for the song also received heavy airplay on MTV.
In February of 1984, he released his debut studio album, “Human Racing” which peaked at #5 on the UK Albums chart and #70 on the Billboard 200.
The third single from the album, “Dancing Girls” was a moderate hit, peaking at #13 on the UK Singles chart.
A re-issue of “I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” peaked at #2 on the UK Singles chart, making it Nik’s highest charting single to date. The last single released from the album, “Human Racing” peaked at #19 on the UK Singles chart.
In November of 1984, Nik released his sophomore album, “The Riddle” which peaked at #8 on the UK Albums chart and #113 on the Billboard 200. During the time, he toured extensively with his backing band, the Krew.
The title song became his third international hit on the charts, peaking at #3 on the UK Singles chart and reached the Top 10 in countries such as Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium and West Germany; however, the song didn’t generate a lot of success in the United States and peaked at #7 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

The follow-up singles: “Wide Boy” (which peaked at #9) and “Don Quixote” (which peaked at #10) were moderately successful on the UK Singles Chart and in Ireland as well.

In July of 1985, Nik was one of the performers at the benefit concert, Live Aid (which was held at Wembley Stadium) and described the experience as “absolutely terrifying”. The concert would turn out to be the peak of Nik’s career and his popularity started to fade. During that same year, he played the guitar on Elton John’s hit single, “Nikita”.
In November of 1985, he released the single, “When a Heart Beats” which peaked at #27 on the UK Singles chart, making it his last Top 40 hit song in the United Kingdom.
In October of 1986, Nik released his third studio album, “Radio Musicola” which peaked at #47 on the UK Albums chart.
The follow-up singles from the album, “Nobody Knows” (which peaked at #44) and the title song (which peaked at #43) failed to reach the Top 20 on the UK Singles chart.

When Nik was asked about the poor album sales for “Radio Musicola”, he said:

“I didn’t keep their attention – two albums in nine months was a stupid idea because the next one took two and a half years and a lot of people lost interest and went elsewhere, which is fair enough. And the music changed a little bit as well and I produced it myself so that might have been a reason.”
In May 1989, he released his fourth studio album, “The Works” which was unsuccessful, failing to make the album charts at all.
Although the lead single, “One Step Ahead” managed to peak at #55 on the UK Singles chart, the follow-up single, “Elisabeth’s Eyes” didn’t make the charts at all.

During the ’90s, Nik focused on songwriting, working with artists such as Chesney Hawkes, Bonnie Tyler, the Hollies, the Osmond Boys, Let Loose and Tony Banks. In 1993, he appeared on Elton John’s album, “Duets” on the song, “Old Friend”.
In April of 1999, he released his fifth studio album, “15 Minutes” which peaked at #194 on the UK Albums chart, making it his first charting album on the chart since 1986. He decided to write the tracks on the album himself because he couldn’t envisage them being recorded by other artists.
The lead single from the album, “Somebody Loves You” peaked at #70 on the UK Singles Chart; however, the follow-up single, “What Do You Think of It So Far?” failed to chart at all.
During that same year, he was featured on a duet called “Sometimes” with electronic music artist Les Rhythmes Digitales which peaked at #56 on the UK Singles chart.
In May of 2001, Nik released his sixth studio album, “To Be Frank” which didn’t make the charts, but the song, “Wounded” managed to peak at #100 on the UK Singles chart.
In 2005, he released the album, “Then and Now” which features his earlier material with four new tracks. A year later, he released his seventh album, “You’ve Got to Laugh” through his own record label, Shorthouse Records; it was available only through his website or digitally through iTunes.

During the 2000s and 2010s, he performed in various concerts along with writing & producing music for various artists including Sia.
In August of 2012, Nik released his eighth album, “Ei8ht” which peaked at #91 on the UK Albums chart. He later embarked on a small tour in the United Kingdom with some dates in Europe where he played the entirety of his debut album (which had been re-mastered and re-released in March of that same year).
These days, Nik continues to perform and release music; in October of 2020, he released his ninth studio album, “Oxymoron”.

To see Nik Kershaw’s official website, go to:
https://www.nikkershaw.net/

To see a video for “Wouldn’t It Be Good,” go to:

To see a video for “I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” go to:

To see a video for “Dancing Girls,” go to:

To see a video for “Human Racing,” go to:

To see a video for “The Riddle,” go to:

To see a video for “Wide Boy,” go to:

To see a video for “Don Quixote,” go to:

To see a video for “When a Heart Beats,” go to:

To see a video for “Radio Musicola,” go to:

To see a video for “Nobody Knows,” go to:

To see a video for “One Step Ahead,” go to:

To see a video for “Elisabeth’s Eyes,” go to:

To see a video for “Somebody Loves You,” go to:

To see a video for “What Do You Think of It So Far?”, go to:

To see a video for “Sometimes” (with Les Rhythmes Digitales), go to:

To see a video for “Wounded,” go to:

Kajagoogoo

 

Kajagoogoo were a new wave/pop band from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England that consisted of members of Limahl (born Christopher Hamill on December 19, 1958 in Pemberton, Wigan, Lancashire, England), Steve Askew, Nick Beggs (born Nicholas Beggs on December 15, 1961 in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England), Stuart Neale (born Stuart Croxford Neale on August 5, 1960) and Jez Strode (born Jeremy Strode on January 17, 1958 in London). 

In the late ’70s, the band were originally known as a four-piece avant-garde group called Art Noveau with Nick on lead guitar, Stuart on keyboards and Jez on the drums. The group released a track called “The Fear Machine” which sold a few hundred copies and got some airplay on John Peel’s song. Despite the song’s success, Art Nouveau were unable to get a record deal during this period.

In 1981, Art Noveau advertised for a new lead singer and ultimately chose Limahl. The band later changed their name to Kajagoogoo (a name that is coined phonetically from ga ga goo goo, which is the first sounds that many infants make).

In July of 1982, Kajagoogoo signed a record deal with EMI Records after Limahl met keyboardist Nick Rhodes (from Duran Duran) while working as a waiter at London’s Embassy Club. Rhodes proceeded to co-produce their debut single, “Too Shy” (along with Duran Duran’s EMI producer, Colin Thurston). 

In 1983, “Too Shy” became a hit, topping the charts in the United Kingdom, Japan, Ireland, Belgium and West Germany. In the United States, the song became their only hit in the country, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #25 on Billboard’s Dance/Disco Top 80 chart (staying on the chart for 12 weeks). 

During that same year, Kajagoogoo released their debut album, “White Feathers” which peaked at #5 on the UK Albums chart and #38 on the Billboard 200. 

The follow-up single, “Ooh to be Ah” peaked at #7 on the UK Singles chart. It also reached the Top 10 in Germany and Israel, and was moderately successful in Germany, Australia & New Zealand. 

The last single released from the album, “Hang on Now” which peaked at #13 on the UK Singles chart and was moderately successful in the United States, peaking at #78 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also charted in Finland, Germany, Japan and Ireland.

After being the supporting act for Birmingham band, Fashion in late 1982, Kajagoogoo embarked on their own headlining tour in support of the album in the spring of 1983. Their performance on May 31, 1983 at the London Hammersmith Odeon was filmed & released on home video.

Tensions started occurring within the band which culminated in Limahl being fired by the other members in mid-1983 and Nick Beggs took over as the lead singer. Limahl accused the other band members of being envious of him, saying, “I’ve been betrayed!” and “I was sacked for making them a success.” 

The other members of Kajagoogoo countered Limahl’s assertions, insisting that he had become egomanical and was difficult to work with. Nick Beggs commented that Limahl’s departure was a business decision and that Limahl wanted the band to go in a different direction to the rest of the them. Nick also stated that the band harbored no hard feelings towards Limahl and blamed the press for sensationalizing the matter. 

In September of 1983, Kajagoogoo released the single, “Big Apple” (their first single without Limahl) which peaked at #8 on the UK Singles chart. 

In 1984, they released the single, “The Lion’s Mouth” which peaked at #25 on the UK Singles chart. After that, public interest in the band started to fade. 

During that same year, the band released their sophomore album, “Islands” which peaked at #35 on the UK Albums chart. 

The last single released from the album, “Turn Your Back on Me” peaked at #47 on the UK Singles chart and #2 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Disco Club Play chart (staying on the chart for 11 weeks). 

In the United States, the band changed their name to Kaja and a different edition of the “Islands” album was released under the title “Extra Play” which peaked at #185 on the Billboard 200. During that time, Jez Strode left the band. 

In an attempt to lose their previous image and regain credibility with their fans, the three remaining members of the band relaunched as Kaja in 1985, releasing the single, “Shouldn’t Do That.” The song was unsuccessful in the United Kingdom, peaking at #63 on the UK Singles chart, but fared better in the United States, peaking at #37 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Disco Club chart (staying on the chart for 5 weeks). 

During 1985, Kaja released their third album, “Crazy People’s Right to Speak” which failed to chart at all. By December of that same year, they disbanded.

In 2003, the original five members of Kajagoogoo briefly reunited on the VH1 network reality show, “Band Reunited.” 

After the reunion on VH1, they received many offers and incentives to keep playing together, but due to disagreements between the band members, the reunion was short-lived as Limahl & Jez Strode left the band which ultimately led to them disbanding the following year. The band felt that the VH1 feature was unfairly edited to portray simplified reasons to why Limahl was fired and Jez Strode had left the band in the ’80s. 

In 2007, Nick Beggs, Steve Askew and Stuart Neale decided to continue as Kajagoogoo, releasing the single, “Rocket Boy” in June of that same year which received airplay on Steve Wright’s BBC Radio 2 show. 

A new album, “Gone to the Moon” was scheduled to be released, but the album was postponed; it was later released digitally on iTunes in 2011. In February of 2008, the three members of Kajagoogoo announced plans to reunite with Limahl and Jez Strode due in part to the organiser of the Retrofest event & the band’s new manager. 

Throughout the rest of the 2000s and 2010s, the band continued to perform & tour together. In June of 2011, their four-track EP, “Death Defying Headlines” was released digitally as a single edit & an extended dance remix. In March of 2017, Nick Beggs announced that the band was no longer active.

After leaving the band, Limahl went on to have a solo career, scoring his biggest hit with “The NeverEnding Story” which peaked at #4 on the UK Singles chart and #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the charts in Japan, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Spain.

These days, Limahl continues to perform mostly in ’80s retro-based shows, often performing as part of multi-act tours. In June of 2020, he released the single, “Still in Love” (which was his first single released since 2012).

According to research, Nick Beggs is still active with his own music career and does artwork as well. He has been a member of Steven Wilson’s touring band since 2011. He resides in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England where he is the father of two and the stepfather of three.

After Kajagoogoo disbanded, Steve Askew formed a band called the Smalltown Elephants. According to research, he resides in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England where he has his own recording studio, writing, recording & producing music.

After leaving the band, Jez Strode subsequently set up a company called Atlantic Hire which he operated from his home in Hampstead, hiring synthesizers & other studio electronics to the music industry. During that time, he constructed his own recording studio in a converted garage in North London. It’s unknown what he’s currently up to these days.

These days (according to research), Stuart Neale is a Christian/gospel musician and has also established a ministry called Arubah House in Belfast. In 2020, he released the album, “New Birth, Messiah’s Return.”

To see Limahl’s official website, go to:
http://limahl.com/

To see Nick Beggs’ official website, go to:
http://nickbeggs.co.uk/

To see Stuart Neale’s official website, go to:
https://www.stuartcroxfordneale.com/

To see a video for “Too Shy,” go to:

To see a video for “Ooh to be Ah,” go to: 

To see a video for “Hang on Now,” go to: 

To see a video for “Big Apple,” go to: 

To see a video for “The Lion’s Mouth,” go to: 

To see a video for “Turn Your Back on Me,” go to: 

To see a video for “Shouldn’t Do That,” go to: 

To see a video for “Rocket Boy,” go to: 

Bow Wow Wow

Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave/pop music band that was created by manager Malcolm McClaren in 1980.

McClaren (who was the former manager of the Sex Pistols) persuaded David Barbarossa (born in 1961 in London, England), guitarist Matthew Ashman (born on November 3, 1960 in Mill Hill, England) & bassist Leigh Gorman (born on December 11, 1961 in England) to leave Adam Ant, and form a new music band under his management. The band embarked on a 6-month audition process to search for a lead singer.

Dave Fishel, a session musician, music director and talent scout from Liverpool heard then 13-year-old Annabella Lwin (born Myant Myant Aye on October 31, 1966 in Rangoon, Burma) singing along to the radio at the laundromat she worked at and he convinced McClaren to audition her for the group.

Shortly after Annabella joined Bow Wow Wow, McClaren added a second lead singer, George Alan O’Dowd to the group; however, his stay with them was short-lived and he soon formed a new band called Culture Club, achieving fame under the name “Boy George.”
In July of 1980, Bow Wow Wow signed a record deal with EMI Records and released their first single, “C·30 C·60 C·90 Go” shortly thereafter. Despite its lack of promotion from the label, the song managed to peak at #34 on the UK Singles chart, staying on the chart for 7 weeks.
In November of that same year, the band released their cassette-only debut mini-album, “Your Cassette Pet.” Because the album wasn’t available on vinyl, it was ineligible for the UK Albums chart; however, it managed to peak at #58 on the UK Singles chart.
In 1981, Bow Wow Wow released the single, “W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah, No No My Daddy Don’t)” which peaked at #62 on the UK Singles chart and managed to peak at #83 on Billboard’s Disco Top 100 chart, staying on the chart for 9 weeks.
After leaving EMI Records, the band signed a record deal with RCA Records. During that same year, they released the single, “Prince of Darkness” which peaked at #58 on the UK Singles chart.
In October of 1981, they released their first full-length album, “See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang, Yeah. City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!” which peaked at #26 on the UK Albums chart & #192 on the Billboard 200.

The album cover depicted the band recreating Édouard Manet’s painting, “Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe” which showed a then 14-year-old Annabella posing nude which caused controversy which nearly caused her to quit the band.

Annabella’s mother alleged exploitation of a minor for immoral purposes and instigated a Scotland Yard investigation. As a result, Bow Wow Wow were not allowed to leave the United Kingdom until McClaren promised not to promote Annabella as a “sex kitten.”

The lead single from the album, “Chihuahua” peaked at #81 on the UK Singles chart and #48 on Billboard’s Dance/Disco Top 80 chart (staying on the chart for 7 weeks).  The second single, “Go Wild in the Country” became a hit, peaking at #7 on the UK Singles chart. It also managed to peak at #11 on the music charts in Ireland.
The last charting single from the album, “See Jungle! (Jungle Boy)”/”(I’m A) T.V. Savage” peaked at #45 on the UK Singles chart.

Bow Wow Wow toured the United States, opening for The Pretenders and The Police. They were set to tour Europe as the opening act for Queen (who were supporting their album, “Hot Space” at the time), but they were poorly received by Queen’s fans and dropped from the tour before the dates were completed. They also toured in Japan, supporting Madness.
In May of 1982, the band’s four-track EP, “The Last of the Mohicans” was released by RCA Records. Although it didn’t chart in the UK, it managed to peak at #67 on the Billboard 200.
Bow Wow Wow’s cover version of the Strangeloves’ 1965 song, “I Want Candy” became their biggest and well-known hit song. The song peaked at #9 on the UK Singles chart and #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the United States, it peaked at #36 on Billboard’s Dance/Disco Top 80 chart (staying on the chart for 15 weeks) and #22 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.
Their follow-up single, “Baby, Oh No” peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and #58 on Billboard’s Dance/Disco Top 80 chart (staying on the chart for 8 weeks), but didn’t chart in the UK. The song’s lyrics were later reworked for advertising use by Japanese cosmetic brand, Perky Jean by Shiseido.
After the success of the “I Want Candy” music video on MTV, RCA complied an album, “I Want Candy” to help capitalize on their newfound American audience; it peaked at #123 on the Billboard 200 & #26 on the UK Albums chart.
In 1983, Bow Wow Wow released their second full-length album, “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” which peaked at #82 on the Billboard 200, but failed to make the UK Albums chart.
The only single to chart from the album, “Do You Wanna Hold Me?” peaked at #47 on the UK Singles chart and #77 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also reached the charts in Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Bow Wow Wow planned to embark on a world tour in support of the album, but tensions within the band were rising as the members were suffering from illness & exhaustion after a successful, but intense tour in the United States.

In 1983, Annabella was suddenly and unceremoniously fired from the band; she reportedly heard the news by reading it in NME. Shortly after the band broke up, they appeared in the 1984 film, “Scandalous”, performing the songs “Where’s My Snake?” & “What’s the Time (Hey Buddy).”

The remaining members of Bow Wow Wow went on to form a new group called Chiefs of Relief with guitarist Matthew Ashman as the lead singer; they released just one album in 1988 on Sire Records in the United States. Matthew later played in other bands until his death in 1995 from diabetes complications at the age of 35.

David Barbarossa went on to work with other artists such as Beats International, Adamski, Republica, Chicane and Roland Gift of Fine Young Cannibals. He performed live with Adam Ant in 1995.

Both David and Leigh Gorman toured with Adam Ant in 2015 for a series of concerts recreating the album, “Dirk Wears White Sox.” He also wrote two novels: “Mud Sharks” & “We Were Looking Up.”

After Chiefs of Relief disbanded, Leigh Gorman went into music production and even earned a gold record for his work on Soho’s song, “Hippychick.” He would subsequently join Soho for a tour in the United States & even appeared on “The Arsenio Hall Show.”

Annabella remained with RCA Records and released a solo album, “Fever” in 1986. She later formed a new band called Naked Experience, collaborating with seasoned musicians such as Billy Steinberg & Ellen Shipley.

In 1997, Annabella and Leigh Gorman reformed Bow Wow Wow, adding guitarist Dave Calhoun & drummer Eshan Khadaroo. They embarked on the “Barking Mad” tour in 1997-98 which produced a compliation CD called “Wild in the U.S.A.” which consisted of live material & remixes of previous Bow Wow Wow tracks.

In 1998, they collaborated with DJ Swedish Egil on the track “Eastern Promise” (which was released as part of Egil’s album, “Egil’s Groove Radio Presents: Alternative Mix CD by Priority Records”). They contributed the song, “A Thousand Tears” to the 1999 film, “Desperate But Not Serious” and also appeared in the film.

In September of 2003, the band performed at the KROQ Inland Invasion festival with a lineup hat consisted of Los Angeles guitarist Phil Gough (of Novacaine) and drummer Adrian Young from No Doubt. In sEptember of 2005, Devin Beaman from Philadelphia was brought in as the new drummer.

Bow Wow Wow’s songs “Aphrodisiac”, “I Want Candy” and “Fools Rush In” (the latter two remixed by Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine) were featured on the soundtrack of the 2006 Sofia Coppola film, “Marie Antoinette.” On November 2, 2006, they performed at the Maritime Hotel’s Hiro Lounge in New York City to promote the film.

In 2006, the band recorded a cover version of The Smiths’ song, “I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish” which appeared on three 2007 releases: a new three-track, “I Want Candy EP”, the compilation album, “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before: A Tribute to the Smiths” and the soundtrack to the film “Blood & Chocolate.”

On November 21, 2010 (on the 15th anniversary of Matthew Ashman’s death), Bow Wow Wow (along with original drummer David Barbarossa) performed at a tribute concert for him at The Scala in London; the show was headlined by Adam Ant and featured members from Matthew’s other bands, Chiefs of Relief & Agent Provocateur.

With new guitarist Jimmy Magoon and drummer Dylan Thomas, the band played shows in California and toured the United Kingdom in 2011-2012. In December of 2012, Leigh Gorman began performing under the name “Bow Wow Wow” without Annabella Lwin’s consent & launched a new Facebook page.

The new version of the band consists of singer Chloe Demetria, guitarist Matthew Fuller and drummers Lyle Riddle & Sean Winchester. In 2014, actor/musician Zachary Throne took over on guitar and Les Warner replaced Sean Winchester. In an interview with the Washington Times in 2016, Leigh indicated that he was interested in creating new music with the current line-up of Bow Wow Wow.

Meanwhile, Annabella Lwin continues to perform and she is billed as “Annabella Lwin of the Original Bow Wow.”

To see a video for “I Want Candy,” go to:

To see a video for “Go Wild in the Country,” go to:

To see a video for “C·30 C·60 C·90 Go”, go to:

To see a video for “W.O.R.K. (N.O. Nah, No No My Daddy Don’t)”, go to:

To see a video for “Prince of Darkness”, go to:

To see a video for “Chihuahua”, go to:

To see a video for “See Jungle! (Jungle Boy)”, go to:

To see a video for “(I’m A) T.V. Savage”, go to:

To see a video for “Baby, Oh No,” go to:

To see a video for “Do You Wanna Hold Me?,” go to:

Roman Holliday

Roman Holliday was a British pop\new wave band from the ’80s.

It originally consisted of singer Steve Lambert (born on March 14, 1962 in Mile End, London), guitarist\vocalist Brian Bonhomme (born on September 30, 1962 in Harlow, Essex), drummer Simon Cohen (born on January 11, 1963 in Kings Cross, London), pianist Adrian York (born on July 11, 1961 in Chiswick, London), bass player Jon Durno (born on March 4, 1962 in Enfield, England), trumpet player John Eacott (born on December 19, 1961 in Reading, Berkshire) and saxophone player Rob Lambert (born on February 22, 1963 in Epping, Essex).

The band was formed in November of 1980 by Brian, Steve, Simon and Peter Noone (who would later leave the band after its formation). They were later joined by Rob and Jon followed by John Eacott. By the end of 1982, Adrian joined the band.
In 1983, Roman Holliday released their debut album “Cookin’ on the Roof” which peaked at #31 on the U.K. Albums chart in the United Kingdom.
In the U.S., the album peaked at #116 on the Billboard 200 and a self-titled mini-album was released during that same year (which managed to peak at #142 on the Billboard 200).
Their first single “Stand By” peaked at #61 on the U.K. Singles chart and #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 (making it the band’s only highest chart appearance on the Hot 100 to date). It also topped the Canadian Adult Contempory chart as well.

The music video for “Stand By” received airplay on MTV in the United States which helped the band gain exposure.
The second single from the album “Don’t Try to Stop It” peaked at #14 on the U.K. Singles chart (making it their highest charting song in the United Kingdom to date). It also peaked at #68 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The last single from the album “Motomania” peaked at #40 on the U.K. Singles chart, but didn’t make any impact in the United States.
In 1984, Roman Holliday released their sophomore and last album to date “Fire Me Up” which didn’t appear to make any album charts at all. During that same year, Rob Lambert and John Eacott left the band.
The lead single from the album “One Foot Back in Your Door” peaked at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100, but failed to chart in the United States.
Another song from the album “Hear It In the Night” was released as a single in Japan, but it’s unknown how it charted there. By 1985, Roman Holliday disbanded, but they briefly reunited in 2001 for a show at the Borderline in London.

After the band broke up, Steve Lambert formed a band with ex-Culture Club member John Moss called Heartbeat UK, but the band didn’t achieve a lot of success.

Steve later moved to New York where he worked as a design consultant. In 2001, he moved to Lewisberg, Pennsylvania where he lives with his wife, Sue. These days, it appears as if he is back to writing, performing and recording music again.

Simon Cohen performed in a couple of bands after Roman Holliday broke up. He works as a taxi driver in London and looking for a band to manage for a new record label created by ex-Duran Duran member Nick Rhodes.

Brian Bonhomme formed music projects with Adrian York and Jon Durno, but none of them achieved the same success as Roman Holliday. These days, he works as a history professor at Youngstown State University.

Adrian York went on to work with various artists such as Lisa Stansfield, Jimmy Ruffin, Mari Wilson, Michael Bolton, Paul Young, Seal and Shirley Bassey. He has also written music for various corporate videos & presentations and worked on commercial jingles too.

These days, he works as a Senior Lecturer in Commercial Music Performance at the University of Westminster in London.

Jon Durno continued to be active in the music business, writing songs for Samantha Fox and worked as a keyboard\guitar technician for artists such as the Alan Parsons Project & Chris de Burg. These days, he has his own engineering business.

After John Eacott left Roman Holliday, he became the co-founder and composer for British jazz group Loose Tubes. He was also the orchestral director for the test department for their major multimedia shows in Glascow, Paddington, Vancouver and Valladolid.

He was also a writer for the show “Gorgengast” which played in the West End, London and toured worldwide from 1991 to 1997. He also wrote various compositions for television and film. These days, John works as a lecturer in Commercial Music at the University of Westminster.

As for Rob Lambert, he is currently working in the banking industry.

To see the music video for “Stand By,” go to:

To see the music video for “Don’t Try to Stop It,” go to:

To see the music video for “Motormania,” go to:

To see the music video for “One Foot Back in Your Door,” go to:

To see a fan-made video for “Hear it In the Night,” go to:

The Vapors

The Vapors are a new wave\power pop band from Guildford, Surrey, England who were known in the United States for being a “one-hit wonder.” The line-up consisted of lead singer-songwriter & rhythm guitarist David Fenton, drummer Howard Smith, lead guitarist Edward Bazalgette (born in London, England) and bass guitarist & vocalist Steve Smith.

The band formed in 1978 when an early version of the band was discovered by Bruce Foxton (from punk rock band The Jam) playing at the Three Lions pub in Farncombe (located in Waverley, Surrey, England) and offered the band a few gigs & agreed to jointly manage them with John Weller (the father of English musician Paul Weller). After that, they were offered a slot supporting The Jam on the “Settling Sons” tour in 1979.
At the end of 1979, the Vapors signed a record deal with the United Artists record label and released their first single “Prisoners” which flopped on the charts.
In 1980, the band released their debut album “New Clear Days” which peaked at #44 on the U.K. Albums chart and #62 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Their second single “Turning Japanese” became a hit, peaking at #3 on the U.K. Singles chart and topping the music charts in Australia & Canada. In the United States, the song peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #34 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Music\Club Play Singles chart.

The song’s lyric content was believed to euphemistically refer to masturbation, but Dave Fenton (who wrote the song) denied that claim in an interview on VH1, but however, he said wished to thank whoever first came up with that interpretation.

The follow-up single “News at Ten” peaked at #44 on the U.K. Singles chart. The last single released from the album “Waiting for the Weekend” failed to chart.
In 1981, the Vapors released their second (and current to date) album “Magnets” which peaked at #109 on the Billboard Hot 100, #39 on the Canadian Albums chart, but missed the U.K. Albums chart.
Sales for the band’s follow-up album were poor and the only single to chart from the album was “Jimmie Jones” (which name-checked cult leader Jim Jones) which peaked at #44 on the U.K. Singles chart and managed to peak at #39 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

In 1982, the Vapors disbanded. According to Dave Fenton, he alleged in an interview with “Record Collector” magazine that the lack of support from their record label was the reason for the band’s break-up and that their seventh single “Red Flag” was cancelled without any explanation.

After the band broke up, Dave Fenton released a solo single in 1983 called “Fresh Air” on Razor Records, but it’s unknown how successful it was. In the early 1990s, he returned to the legal profession and spent the next 17 years in London as a in-house solicitor for the Musicians’ Union.

Meanwhile, Edward Bazalgette became a TV director, directing TV programs for the BBC such as “Doctor Who” and two BBC documentaries: “Genghis Khan” (in 2005) and “Hannibal: Rome’s Worst Nightmare” (in 2006).

Howard Smith ran an independent record shop called People Records in Guildford, Surrey, England which closed in 2016.

Steve Smith formed a music act called Shoot!Dispute in 1984. Later on, he began working in sound engineering and was even the resident engineer at venues such as The Barfly. He later became a member of music trio The Shakespearos.

In April of 2016, Dave Fenton, Ed Bazelgette & Steve Smith performed at the Half Moon in Putney, London, England and since then, it appears as if the band has reunited, but with Michael Bowes now playing drums instead of Howard Smith.

To follow the Vapors on Facebook, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/TheVaporsOfficial/

To see the music video for “Turning Japanese,” go to:

To see a fan-made video for “Prisoners,” go to:

To see a fan-made video for “News at Ten,” go to:

To see a fan-made video for “Waiting For the Weekend,” go to:

To see the music video for “Jimmie Jones,” go to:

Tiggi Clay

Tiggi Clay were a New Wave\pop trio from the early ’80s that consisted of Fizzy Qwick (born Debravon Lewis on February 9, 1953 in Solano County, California), William “Billy” Peaches (born Hilary Leon Thompson) and Romeo “Breath” McCall (born Dewayne Sweet).

In 1983, they were signed to Motown Records’ rock music label, Morocco Records. During that same year, they released their debut single, “The Winner Gets The Heart” which didn’t chart at all.

In 1984, Tiggi Clay released their only self-titled album which didn’t make the Billboard charts despite receiving positive reviews from trade publications (such as Billboard).

The album cover showed the trio in only a silhouette, possibly to create a mystique or to conceal their racial identity (which had been used for Motown’s other artists such as Teena Marie and Rockwell).

The follow-up single, “Flashes” peaked at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100,  making it their only appearance on the chart.

Afterwards, it seemed as if Tiggi Clay faded into obscurity. Two years later, Morocco Records shut down and Fizzy released her only solo album in 1986.

These days (according to research), DeWayne is a member of The Whispers. It’s unknown what Debravon and William are currently up to.

To see a video for “Flashes”, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlFMSJ6zk1w

To see a video for “The Winner Gets The Heart”, go to:

[updated on 01/03/2022]

Fizzy Qwick

Fizzy Qwick (born Debravon Lewis on February 9, 1953 in Solano County, California) is an R&B\New Wave singer-songwriter from the ’80s.

Debravon grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and began recording music under her own name and as a member of an R&B group called Bridge (which evolved from an earlier group caled Vitamin E that was produced by Norman Connors).

In 1982, she released the single, “The Little Things (That Keep Me Loving You)” on the Oakland Smoke Record label which didn’t seem to attract any attention.

A year later, Debravon was a member of a New Wave music trio Tiggi Clay and she adopted the stage name Fizzy Qwick. The trio released only one album in 1984 and made the Billboard Hot 100 with the song, “Flashes.”

After Tiggi Clay disbanded, Fizzy released her self-titled debut album on Motown Records in 1986 which didn’t make the Billboard album charts.

The lead single, “Hangin’ Out” peaked at #71 on Billboard’s Hot Black Singles chart, staying on the chart for 5 weeks. The song was also selected by Billboard magazine as a “Pick of the Week.”

The follow-up single from the album, “You Want It Your Way, Always” failed to any impact on the charts at all and only received regional airplay.

Afterwards, it seems as if Fizzy Qwick faded into obscurity. It’s currently unknown what she’s up to these days.

To see a video for “Hangin’ Out”, go to:

To see a video for “The Little Things (That Keep Me Loving You)” (as Debravon Lewis), go to:

[updated on 01/03/2022]