For the English rapper, born Mike Skinner, see The Streets

The Streets

The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...

.

Streets was a band made up of singer, keyboardist Steve Walsh

Steve Walsh (musician)

Steve Walsh is a singer and songwriter best known for his work as a member of the progressive rock band Kansas.-Introduction:The keyboardist/vocalist/songwriter/producer/percussionist is best known for his visionary work with Kansas...

, guitarist Mike Slamer

Mike Slamer

Mike Slamer is a British guitarist who started his career playing in the UK prog-rock band City Boy. Since then, he has worked as a staff composer for various movies and TV series, has been a session guitarist for numerous recording artists, and played in several bands:He at different times...

, bassist Billy Greer

Billy Greer

Billy Greer is the current bass guitarist for the band Kansas. He joined the band in 1986 in time for the Power album. He had previously worked with vocalist Steve Walsh in the band Streets, and is currently working with his own band Seventh Key, as well as maintaining his status in Kansas.Billy...

, and drummer Tim Gehrt.

Steve Walsh had also been in the band Kansas

Kansas (band)

Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...

 and Mike Slamer has been in several other bands, including Britain's City Boy

City Boy

City Boy were a moderately successful English rock band in the late 1970s, characterised by complex vocal arrangements and heavy guitars. The band consisted of Lol Mason , Steve Broughton , Max Thomas , Chris Dunn , Roger Kent , Mike Slamer , and Roy Ward...

. He has also been a session guitarist. Greer and Gehrt were regional players who had seen success with bands in Tennessee and Atlanta, respectively.

Gehrt was actually working with ex-Deep Purple

Deep Purple

Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

 bassist Glenn Hughes when Walsh recruited him for Walsh's first solo effort, Schemer Dreamer. Walsh had noticed him when one of Gehrt's earlier bands had opened for Kansas. The two became friends and eventually spoke of forming a band together.

Slamer had never met Walsh until he showed up for the audition. "I decided that I wanted to move to America," says Slamer. "The kind of music that I wanted to make wasn't being played at all in England, so I came here."

Streets made its debut performance at Charlie Daniels' annual Volunteer Jam in January, 1983. The debut LP was released later that year on Atlantic Records. The band played on another band's equipment and only played four songs.

"We got out there and proved that we could play," says Walsh. "We go out there and we did damn good," he says, laughing. "We proved to ourselves that we could pull it off and that we were on the right track." "Starting over was very humbling," says Walsh, who initially toured with Streets in large clubs and small halls. "But we got a lot of good feedback to the album. We were playing live every night and being onstage (was) very renewing for us..."

"I wanted to form a democratic band," says Walsh, about the project today. "I did not want to be a solo singer with a band of sidemen. I like being in a band." He adds: "I couldn't have done (that project) alone. I needed the help of every musician involved. We were all of equal importance in the creation of the final song."

The group had a limited lifespan during the early 1980s, but managed to release a solid album of songs and musical performances entitled simply 1st. The songs from this powerful live performance were culled from a memorable King Biscuit

King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Streets

King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Streets is a 1983 recording of a Streets concert. The album features Streets live on its first tour, which was in support of the debut album on Atlantic Records...

 show taped during the band's initial promotional tour.

Tracks like "If Love Should Go," "Move On" and "Cold Hearted Woman" never became radio hits, but gave the band the musical vehicle it needed to win audiences over. Streets was a high energy band that featured solid musicianship.

"Sometimes you have to get back to basics," said Steve Walsh recently. "It allows for artistic freedom."

The band later recorded its second album, Crimes in Mind

Crimes in Mind

Crimes in Mind is a 1985 album by Streets.-Track listing:#"Don't Look Back" - 3:22#"The Nightmare Begins" - 3:16#"Broken Glass" - 3:54#"Hit 'N Run" - 3:08...

, in 1985. Soon after, Streets disbanded. A year later, Walsh reformed Kansas, which had disbanded after two albums without Walsh. As of this writing, Walsh remains Kansas' frontman - singing, writing, and performing with them, as well as producing solo albums.

Discography

• (1983) 1st
  1st (album)
  -Personnel:*Tim Gehrt – percussion, drums, vocals*Billy Greer – bass, vocals*Mike Slamer – guitar*Steve Walsh – synthesizer, keyboard, vocals-Charts:Album – Billboard...
  
  
• (1985) Crimes in Mind
  Crimes in Mind
  Crimes in Mind is a 1985 album by Streets.-Track listing:#"Don't Look Back" - 3:22#"The Nightmare Begins" - 3:16#"Broken Glass" - 3:54#"Hit 'N Run" - 3:08...
  
  
• (1997) King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Streets
  King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Streets
  King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Streets is a 1983 recording of a Streets concert. The album features Streets live on its first tour, which was in support of the debut album on Atlantic Records...
  
  or Live-Shakedown