Isn’t it Romantic? REMEMBER when Gussie L'Amour's was a hot concert venue? You'd see the Stray Cats rip it up one night and then, the next, catch Lee Oskar and WAR or Gary U.S. Bonds or Quiet Riot or Eric Burden & Brian Auger.
Fave New Wave band makes
return to the isles
By John Berger
Star-BulletinThat rockin' tradition continues Sunday as the club presents The Romantics in a three-nighter through Tuesday.
The Romantics are returning to Hawaii for the first time since they played Pink's Garage in 1991, just as they're completing their first studio album in years. The as-yet-untitled project will be of special interest to hardcore fans of the band since it'll include work by three drummers who have been associated with the group in its 24-year history. Group spokesman Wally Palmar expects the album to be out sometime in May.
Although some early '80s media pundits described the Romantics as "New Wave," the band drew on the broader spectrum of musical influences that had been percolating for years through the Detroit music scene. The city was a hotbed of innovative rock as well as being the original home of Berry Gordy's Motown empire. The Stooges, the MC5, Bob Seger, the Rationals, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels and the Amboy Dukes all came out of the greater Detroit area.
"We're looking back on the new album, trying to find out some musical history about Detroit even prior to the '60s," Palmar said in a phone conversation from his home outside the Motor City. "There was a heavy Detroit blues scene before that, with guys like John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf coming through Detroit in the '40s and '50s."
Palmer has been the Romantics' lead voice and rhythm guitarist since he founded the group with Mike Skill (lead guitar), Richard Cole (bass) and Jimmy Marinos (drums) in 1977.
Several successful indie-label releases got the guys from Detroit a deal with Nemperor Records in 1979. They hit nationally in 1980 with "What I Like About You." The song peaked at No. 49 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since become a rock classic.
Palmar said that the Romantics' biggest hit, "Talking in Your Sleep," was the last song they finished when working on their "In Heat" album in 1983. It peaked at No. 3 on the charts.
Personnel changes within the group have occurred along the way. Skill left the band and was replaced by Coz Canler in the early '80s. Marinos left and was replaced by drummer Dave Petratos several years after that. Clem Burke of Blondie fame replaced Petratos in 1990 with former Detroit Wheeler Johnny "Bee" Badanjek sometimes sitting in for Burke. Skill returned eventually as the group's bassist.
Palmar is the only member of the current group who still lives in the Detroit area. He and the others -- Burke, Canler and Skill --- are looking forward to touring this summer to support the new album.
The drumming duties on the new album are split three ways. "Jimmy (Marinos) is on for five tracks. We've got about five songs with Clem Burke -- he's been working with us off and on for about 10 years now -- and Johnny Bee, who is also from Detroit, is on two tracks," Palmar said.
Fans of classic rock love the Romantics for the hard-rocking guitar band sound of "What I Like About You" and "Talking in Your Sleep," but a random sweep through the group's discography turns up numerous other songs with a "coulda-been-a-hit" sound.
Palmar said that back then it was the record label that decided how much attention each song would get and which would be released as singles. This time around, the Romantics are calling the shots.
"There's been a total involvement for us which really wasn't there when we were with Nemperor. We would do the writing and recording but when it came to the mixing and stuff it was pretty 'hands off' to us.
"I'm not going to complain about that, but it feels good to be involved (all the way through). We're probably happier with this album because of the involvement," he said.
The Romantics
In concert: Sunday-Tuesday. Doors open at 8 p.m. Opening band goes on at 9.
Place: Gussie L'Amour's, 3251 N. Nimitz Highway
Admission: $13 at the door; $10 pass for all three nights available presale at Gussie L'Amour's and the Gold Zone Wahiawa
Minimum age: 21
Call: 836-7883