Bobby Orlando
Encyclopedia
Robert Philip Orlando also known as Bobby Orlando, is an American record producer, dance music artist, musician and songwriter.
schoolteacher, Orlando declined a classical music scholarship to pursue his then current musical interest, glam rock
. In the late 1970s, his professional interests turned to disco and shortly thereafter, he established his own record label, "O" Records.
Orlando is credited as one of the founding fathers of Hi-NRG pop-dance music. His productions are easily identifiable by their dense synthesizers, rolling bass lines, and resounding percussion. Orlando tracks showcase him playing multiple instruments including keyboards, guitars, drums, percussion and saxophone. The ringing cowbell percussion lines and robotic sequencers heard in "She Has A Way", "The Best Part Of Breakin' Up", and "Native Love (Step By Step)" define the electrifying sound he pioneered.
As a solo artist, Orlando scored hits with tracks "She Has a Way," "How To Pick Up Girls," and "I'm So Hot for You." He created his project concept, The Flirts, to further front his performances. With its ever revolving roster of female session singers and models, Orlando churned out international hits "Passion," "Danger" and "Helpless," which featured Orlando as the sole musician. His legendary association with underground film star Divine resulted in classic club anthems "Native Love (Step By Step)
" (featuring Orlando's voice in the chorus), "Love Reaction
," and "Shoot Your Shot
." He also is famed for founding The Fast, later to be known as Man 2 Man.
When Neil Tennant
, then an assistant editor at Smash Hits
, and later a member of Pet Shop Boys
, was sent to interview The Police in 1983 in New York, he sought out Orlando. Both Tennant and fellow Pet Shop Boy Chris Lowe
were impressed by Orlando's sound and productions - "Passion," by The Flirts, being a particular favourite. Orlando decided to produce Pet Shop Boys and released their earliest productions including the original 'West End Girls
' and One More Chance.
Orlando produced and penned numerous hits that span multiple genres in mostly self-created groups and aliases, often just consisting of Orlando himself. He sang lead vocals in many of his groups including One, Two, Three (Another Knife In My Back, Runaway), The Now, Hippies with Haircuts, and Barbie & the Kens (Just a Gigolo). His productions were released under the names: Ian Darby, The Beat Box Boys, Spooge Boy, Something/Anything, New Breed, Jonny Bankcheck, Hotline, Banana Republic, Oh Romeo, Teenrock, The New York Models, Hippies With Haircuts, Girly, Barbie & the Kens, Wow, 1 plus 1, The He Man Band, The Boyd Brothers, Nancy Dean, Ian Darby with Ya Ya, Cha Cha featuring Don Diego, Yukihoro Takanawa, This is House, Joy Toy, Dressed To Kill, Band Of South, Dynasty featuring Dexter D, The Now, "One, Two, Three", Darlene Down, The Fem-Spies, Gangsters of House, Girls Have Fun, Zwei Maenner, Gomez Presley, Gringo Lopez, Patty Phillipe, Malibu, Lilly & the Pink, Miss Tammi Dee, Mc Fritz and the P-Rockers, Charlene Davis, Claus V, Ronnie Goes to Liverpool, The Bang Gang, Bubba and The Jack Attack, Fascination, Free Enterprise, Sandra Ford, Future Generation, Citrus, The College Boys, Condo, The Bigalows, Free Expression, Lola, Lifestyle, I Spies, Latin 1, Kinski Music, Gina Desire, Beachfront, Vision 1 and others. Other aliases of Bobby Orlando include John "Gumball" Gonzales, C. Shore, Cha Cha Garcia, Klaus Vogel, Mein, B. Banora, Yuki, and Gato Perro.
Orlando's songs frequently deal with philosophical themes such as "Try It (I'm in love with a married man)," which was given a contemporary twist when it was re-recorded by Pet Shop Boys in 2003. Many of Orlando's lyrics describe unrequited love, private despair, personal angst and a truth-seeking perspective. Orlando frequently etched philosophical maxims into vinyl records featuring his songs; these adages being literally cut into the grooves near the "lead out" and "lock grooves" of the vinyl. Many of these are rare and are now collector items often selling for hundreds of dollars.
His music appears in numerous motion pictures, including: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
, Wigstock: The Movie
, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
, Valley Girl
, Dark Mirror, Flying, High Risk, Rappin, Underground and others.
Orlando's musical influence on many present day artists is vast and the sound he created routinely surfaces on Euro, Techno, Italo-disco, Electro, and Hi-NRG releases throughout the world. He has a large international following and is often cited by music historians for his immeasurable contribution to dance music.
.
1982 "I'm So Hot For You You're So Hot For Me"
1985 "From A Whisper To A Scream"
Early life
The son of a suburban New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
schoolteacher, Orlando declined a classical music scholarship to pursue his then current musical interest, glam rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
. In the late 1970s, his professional interests turned to disco and shortly thereafter, he established his own record label, "O" Records.
Music career
Bobby Orlando is a highly prolific music producer, songwriter, musician, and record label impresario. During the 1980s he produced, composed and performed on hundreds of music productions that he released under a myriad of record labels, including: "O" Records, Bobcat Records, Memo Records, Telefon Records, MenoVision Records, Beach Records, Plastic Records, Eurobeat Records, Obscure Records, Beat Box Records, Riovista Records, Intelligent Records, Basic Records, Knowledge Records and others. In the late '80s, at the peak of his success, the one-man-band halted his extensive production output.Orlando is credited as one of the founding fathers of Hi-NRG pop-dance music. His productions are easily identifiable by their dense synthesizers, rolling bass lines, and resounding percussion. Orlando tracks showcase him playing multiple instruments including keyboards, guitars, drums, percussion and saxophone. The ringing cowbell percussion lines and robotic sequencers heard in "She Has A Way", "The Best Part Of Breakin' Up", and "Native Love (Step By Step)" define the electrifying sound he pioneered.
As a solo artist, Orlando scored hits with tracks "She Has a Way," "How To Pick Up Girls," and "I'm So Hot for You." He created his project concept, The Flirts, to further front his performances. With its ever revolving roster of female session singers and models, Orlando churned out international hits "Passion," "Danger" and "Helpless," which featured Orlando as the sole musician. His legendary association with underground film star Divine resulted in classic club anthems "Native Love (Step By Step)
Native Love (Step By Step)
"Native Love " is the first single from Divine's album The Story So Far.-Chart performance:"Native Love " became Divine's first single to chart on the Dutch Singles Chart. It debuted at #37 before climbing to and peaking at #28 in its second week...
" (featuring Orlando's voice in the chorus), "Love Reaction
Love Reaction
"Love Reaction" is the third single from the album The Story So Far by Divine. "Love Reaction" was recorded twice upon the suggestion of Divine's Dutch record company, the second version modeled after New Order's successful "Blue Monday" single...
," and "Shoot Your Shot
Shoot Your Shot
"Shoot Your Shot" is a single by Divine released in 1983 from his album The Story So Far.-Chart performance:"Shoot Your Shot" became Divine's second single to chart on the Dutch Singles Chart after "Native Love ". It debuted at #32 and eventually peaked at #7.The song spent a total of 11 weeks on...
." He also is famed for founding The Fast, later to be known as Man 2 Man.
When Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
, then an assistant editor at Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
, and later a member of Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
, was sent to interview The Police in 1983 in New York, he sought out Orlando. Both Tennant and fellow Pet Shop Boy Chris Lowe
Chris Lowe
Chris Lowe is an English musician, who, with colleague Neil Tennant, makes up the pop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
were impressed by Orlando's sound and productions - "Passion," by The Flirts, being a particular favourite. Orlando decided to produce Pet Shop Boys and released their earliest productions including the original 'West End Girls
West End Girls
"West End Girls" is a song by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was released twice as a single. It is a synthpop song, influenced by hip hop music. The lyrics focus on class, and inner-city pressure, and were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land...
' and One More Chance.
Orlando produced and penned numerous hits that span multiple genres in mostly self-created groups and aliases, often just consisting of Orlando himself. He sang lead vocals in many of his groups including One, Two, Three (Another Knife In My Back, Runaway), The Now, Hippies with Haircuts, and Barbie & the Kens (Just a Gigolo). His productions were released under the names: Ian Darby, The Beat Box Boys, Spooge Boy, Something/Anything, New Breed, Jonny Bankcheck, Hotline, Banana Republic, Oh Romeo, Teenrock, The New York Models, Hippies With Haircuts, Girly, Barbie & the Kens, Wow, 1 plus 1, The He Man Band, The Boyd Brothers, Nancy Dean, Ian Darby with Ya Ya, Cha Cha featuring Don Diego, Yukihoro Takanawa, This is House, Joy Toy, Dressed To Kill, Band Of South, Dynasty featuring Dexter D, The Now, "One, Two, Three", Darlene Down, The Fem-Spies, Gangsters of House, Girls Have Fun, Zwei Maenner, Gomez Presley, Gringo Lopez, Patty Phillipe, Malibu, Lilly & the Pink, Miss Tammi Dee, Mc Fritz and the P-Rockers, Charlene Davis, Claus V, Ronnie Goes to Liverpool, The Bang Gang, Bubba and The Jack Attack, Fascination, Free Enterprise, Sandra Ford, Future Generation, Citrus, The College Boys, Condo, The Bigalows, Free Expression, Lola, Lifestyle, I Spies, Latin 1, Kinski Music, Gina Desire, Beachfront, Vision 1 and others. Other aliases of Bobby Orlando include John "Gumball" Gonzales, C. Shore, Cha Cha Garcia, Klaus Vogel, Mein, B. Banora, Yuki, and Gato Perro.
Orlando's songs frequently deal with philosophical themes such as "Try It (I'm in love with a married man)," which was given a contemporary twist when it was re-recorded by Pet Shop Boys in 2003. Many of Orlando's lyrics describe unrequited love, private despair, personal angst and a truth-seeking perspective. Orlando frequently etched philosophical maxims into vinyl records featuring his songs; these adages being literally cut into the grooves near the "lead out" and "lock grooves" of the vinyl. Many of these are rare and are now collector items often selling for hundreds of dollars.
His music appears in numerous motion pictures, including: A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge is a 1985 American slasher film and the second film in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. The film was directed by Jack Sholder and stars Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler and Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger. Despite the film's title,...
, Wigstock: The Movie
Wigstock: The Movie
Wigstock: The Movie is a 1995 documentary film focusing on Wigstock, the annual drag music festival that had been held New York City's East Village through the 1980s and 1990s. The film presents a number of performances from the 1994 festival, including Crystal Waters, Deee-Lite, Jackie Beat,...
, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 crime/dark comedy film, which engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is based, in part, on the novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan...
, Valley Girl
Valley girl
Valley Girl is a stereotype leveled at a socio-economic and ethnic class of American women who can be described as colloquial English-speaking and materialistic...
, Dark Mirror, Flying, High Risk, Rappin, Underground and others.
Orlando's musical influence on many present day artists is vast and the sound he created routinely surfaces on Euro, Techno, Italo-disco, Electro, and Hi-NRG releases throughout the world. He has a large international following and is often cited by music historians for his immeasurable contribution to dance music.
Recent activity
His most recent releases are his 2011 cd Social Contract Theory, his 2010 & 2011 Production Series, and his 2010 cd Bright Nothing WorldBright Nothing World
-Track listing:#"Eat You Up"#"Confess"#"Latin Girl"#"Hypnotize Man"#"My Heart Says Yes"#"Close To Me"#"Touch"#"Elite Man's Burden"#"Certainty"#"1979"#"Bright Nothing World"#"Lust 4 U"#"Erotica"#"What Is Truth?"#"Obsessive Desires"#"Loneliness"...
.
Singles
1982 "She Has A Way"1982 "I'm So Hot For You You're So Hot For Me"
1985 "From A Whisper To A Scream"
Albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1983 | Freedom In An Unfree World |
| 1985 | Bobby O & His Banana Republic |
| 2005 | Outside the Inside |
| 2010 | Bright Nothing World |
| 2011 | Social Contract Theory |
Production discography
Bobby Orlando produced material for numerous bands and musicians including:| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Passion" | The Flirts | covered by multiple artists including Steve Murano (2003) |
| 1982 | "10 cents a Dance" | The Flirts | |
| 1982 | "Native Love" | Divine | |
| 1983 | "Danger" | The Flirts | |
| 1984 | "Einstein" | The Beat Box Boys | |
| 1984 | "West End Girls West End Girls "West End Girls" is a song by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was released twice as a single. It is a synthpop song, influenced by hip hop music. The lyrics focus on class, and inner-city pressure, and were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land... " |
Pet Shop Boys | #1 UK pop UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... and U.S. pop |
Oh Romeo discography
| Year | Song title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 1983 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization... |
Try It (I'm In Love With A Married Man) / Lookin' Out | Bobcat Records |
| 1983 1983 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1983.-January-April:*January – ZTT Records is founded.*January 8 – The UK singles chart is tabulated from this week forward by The Gallup Organization... |
These Memories / Goin' Cruisin' | Bobcat Records |
| 1984 1984 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's... |
Once Is Not Enough / Light Of Love | Oh My! Records |
| 1985 1985 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.-January–March:*January 1 - The newest music video channel, VH-1, debuts on American cable. It is aimed at an older demographic than its sister station, MTV... |
One More Shot | Memo Records |
- The song "One More Shot" was also featured on the 1994 Avex TraxAvex Trax, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
album Super Eurobeat Presents Hi-NRG '80s. - In 1991 the Hot Productions label released their greatest hitsGreatest hitsA greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album, These Memories: The Best of Oh Romeo.