The Hooters
Encyclopedia
The Hooters is an American
rock
band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. By combining a mix of rock and roll
, reggae
, ska
and folk music
, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV
airplay of several songs including "All You Zombies
," "Day By Day," "And We Danced" and "Where Do The Children Go." Their popularity resulted in the band opening the Philadelphia portion of the Live Aid
benefit concert in 1985.
During the late 1980s and 1990s, The Hooters found significant commercial success internationally, especially in Europe, where they played at The Wall Concert in Berlin
in 1990, before they went on hiatus in 1995.
Since reuniting in 2001, The Hooters have staged successful tours in Europe and 2007 saw the release of their first album of new material since 1993, Time Stand Still
.
, a type of keyboard harmonica which is German in origin and made by Hohner
. Two of the members, Eric Bazilian
and Rob Hyman
, had originally met in 1971 at the University of Pennsylvania
and had played in a band
in the late 1970s, based in Philadelphia, called Baby Grand, which also featured local singer, David Kagan. Baby Grand released two albums on Arista Records
. In addition, producer/friend of the band Rick Chertoff
also had a significant role during these album sessions, and he would later produce several Hooters albums as well.
During the 1980s, The Hooters played on the Philadelphia club
scene, boosted by airplay on WMMR
, the major rock
radio station
in Philadelphia at the time. They soon became a huge success along their native East Coast, playing everything from clubs to high schools, while appearing on local television shows. The original versions of "Man in the Street", "Fightin' on the Same Side", "Rescue Me", and "All You Zombies
" were released as singles in this time period.
On September 25, 1982, The Hooters opened for one of The Who
's farewell tour concert shows at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on a bill that also included The Clash
and Santana
. After this, the group separated after two exhausting years of playing practically every club and high school on the East Coast. Hyman and his girlfriend, Betsy Berlin (of the Plastic Fantastic record shops), had been managing and booking the band during this period, which had begun to cut too deeply into Hyman's writing and rehearsal time.
In 1983 Bazilian and Hyman got together to write once again and decided to give the band one more try. Steve Mountain, owner of several of the clubs in Philly where they played, was approached to manage the band and he agreed. And the band's booking was taken over by others, leaving Hyman and Bazilian to concentrate solely on the music.
Besides Bazilian and Hyman, only drummer David Uosikkinen was retained from the original grouping. John Kuzma (guitar) and Bobby Woods (bass) had already joined another group, Youth Camp. They were replaced by John Lilley (guitar, backing vocals) and Rob Miller (bass, backing vocals), two former members from another local popular group, Robert Hazard
and the Heroes.
In 1983 The Hooters began working at last on their first album. The result, Amore
, was released on the independent label Antenna and sold over 100,000 copies. Amore included songs like "All You Zombies
", "Hanging On A Heartbeat", "Fightin' On The Same Side" and "Blood From A Stone", all of which would reappear in different versions on later albums. Although a studio
album, Amore captured the same energy and spirit that made The Hooters admired for their live performances.
That same year, Bazilian and Hyman were asked to write
, arrange and play on the debut album of a relatively unknown singer named Cyndi Lauper
, She's So Unusual
, who was being produced by their former bandmate from Baby Grand, Rick Chertoff
. Hyman co-wrote the song "Time After Time
", which would go on to hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Singles Chart and was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year
.
After the immense popularity of Cyndi Lauper's debut, The Hooters presence, as performers and as songwriters, was significantly boosted. On July 26, 1984, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, Columbia Records
signed them to their first major recording contract
.
Just before the band were about to make the leap to the big time, Rob Miller was seriously injured in an automobile accident and was replaced by Andy King, from a rival Philly band, Jack of Diamonds.
debut album, Nervous Night
, achieved platinum
status around the world
, selling in excess of 2 million copies and included Billboard Top 40 hits "Day By Day" (No. 18), "And We Danced" (No. 21) and "Where Do The Children Go" that featured accompanying vocals from Patty Smyth
(No. 38). There was also a drastically different version of the live crowd favorite "All You Zombies
" that was now laden with a dramatic keyboard arrangement. This song also made the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #58. Rolling Stone named The Hooters the Best New Band of the Year.
On July 13, 1985 they were the opening band at the Philadelphia Live Aid
benefit concert, gaining international recognition for the first time. Their first major overseas tour came later that year when they played throughout Australia
.
On May 18, 1986, The Hooters participated in “America Rocks”, the concert portion of the 1986 Kodak Liberty Ride Festival that celebrated the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The three-hour concert was broadcast via satellite to 100 cities and also featured The Neville Brothers, Huey Lewis and the News, and Hall & Oates.
On June 15, 1986 The Hooters participated in A Conspiracy of Hope
, a benefit concert on behalf of Amnesty International
, at Giants Stadium
in East Rutherford, New Jersey
.
On September 5, 1986 The Hooters appeared on the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards
, where they were nominated in the category of Best New Artist in a Video for "And We Danced." They performed two songs on the show, "And We Danced" and "Nervous Night."
At Billboard
s 8th Annual Video Music Conference on November 22, 1986, The Hooters won two awards: Best Concert Performance for the "Where Do the Children Go" video and Best Longform Program for the full length Nervous Night
home video. They also placed in five categories in Billboard's Top 100 of 1986: Top Pop Artist, No. 41; Top Pop Album, No. 23; Top Pop Album Artists/Groups, No. 16; Top Pop Album Artists based on one album, No. 27; and Top Pop Singles Artists based on three singles, No. 3.
In 1987 The Hooters experienced their first major commercial success in Europe
. After heavy airplay in the United Kingdom
, "Satellite," from the album One Way Home
, became a hit single
, reaching No. 22, with the band performing on the popular British television show Top of the Pops
on December 3, where they would meet one of their musical idols, Paul McCartney
. "Satellite" was also featured on an episode of the television show Miami Vice
titled "Amen...Send Money," which first aired on October 2, 1987. On the tour supporting One Way Home, Fran Smith Jr.(bass, backing vocals) was brought in to replace Andy King.
On November 24, 1987, Thanksgiving
night, The Hooters headlined the Spectrum
in Philadelphia for the first time. The show was broadcast live on MTV
and the Westwood One
radio network simultaneously, the first time the two networks had ever joined forces in producing a concert for one artist.
1989 saw their final release for Columbia Records
. Zig Zag
introduced a politically-oriented theme, with Peter, Paul and Mary
providing background vocals for an updated version of the 1960s folk song 500 Miles
, which became an international hit that led the way to another international success for the band.
, reached new heights.
Following a show at The Town & Country Club
in London, England in March 1988, the band had met Roger Waters
of Pink Floyd
, who told them that he was a big fan of theirs. This eventually led to their appearance in Waters' staging of The Wall Concert
at Potsdamer Platz
in Berlin
on July 21, 1990, with Sinéad O'Connor
in "Mother
" and three former members of The Band
(Rick Danko
, Levon Helm
, and Garth Hudson
) providing backing vocals.
Violinist/guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Mindy Jostyn (formerly with Joe Jackson
, Billy Joel
and others) joined the group for a short period during 1991-1993.
1993 saw their debut album for MCA Records
, Out Of Body
. While not a commercial success in the United States, the album found a large audience in Europe, especially in Sweden
and Germany
.
The Hooters Live
, recorded over two nights in Germany in December 1993, was released in Europe
and Asia
in 1994, but never saw a release in the United States.
The Hooters continued to tour throughout Europe
until 1995 before deciding to take a hiatus to pursue individual projects.
Guitarist Eric Bazilian
became recognized internationally for being a songwriter
, session musician
, arranger
and producer
for numerous artists throughout the United States and Europe. In 1995, he played all those roles for Joan Osborne
's debut album Relish
, which was nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year
for the No. 4 Billboard
hit "One of Us
," which Bazilian single-handedly wrote. He also released two solo albums: The Optimist in 2000 and A Very Dull Boy in 2002.
Keyboard player Rob Hyman
built his own recording studio, Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, while also contributing to numerous musical artists as a songwriter
, session musician
, arranger
and producer
, among them being Joan Osborne
and Ricky Martin
.
Drummer David Uosikkinen
, having moved to San Diego, California
, launched an independent record label, Moskeeto Records, while also working as a drummer for various artists including Patty Smyth
, Cyndi Lauper
, Rod Stewart
and Alice Cooper
. In 1999, he joined a group of technology experts who created an online music portal, MP3.com
, which subsequently contributed to a change in the music industry's distribution and consumer listening habits.
Guitarist John Lilley
started his own landscape gardening business, Avantgardeners, in the Philadelphia area.
Bass player Fran Smith Jr.
joined the original Broadway
cast members as Paul McCartney
in Beatlemania
. He also played the part of Carlo Cannoli in Tony n' Tina's Wedding
, the longest running Off Broadway theatre comedy. From his own recording studio, he produced numerous artists, including Joe Piscopo
and Flo & Eddie
of The Turtles
, as well as local artists and bands. In 1995, he released a solo album, For No Apparent Reason.
in Philadelphia for a one off show to celebrate disc jockey
Pierre Robert
's 20th anniversary at local rock radio station
WMMR
, the first major station to ever play The Hooters back in the early 1980s.
2003 saw a full-time reunion of The Hooters in Germany
where they completed a successful 17-city tour. The success of the tour prompted two further tours in 2004 and 2005 where they premiered new unreleased songs and played in additional countries, including Switzerland
and Sweden
.
On May 11, 2004 The Hooters were presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Music Awards.
November 2005 marked the appearance of The Hooters on VH1 Classic
's concert series Decades Live Rock as guests of Cyndi Lauper
where they performed "And We Danced" and "All You Zombies
."
June 2006 finally saw The Hooters play their first official shows in the United States
in over a decade. Over the course of three nights they performed three shows: a homecoming show at Philadelphia's Electric Factory
on June 16; a show at The Borgata
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
on June 17; and finally, an outdoor show at Hubbard Park in Rob Hyman
's hometown of Meriden, Connecticut
on June 18.
Following these shows, The Hooters entered Hyman's Elmstreet Studios to record their first album of new material since 1993. Time Stand Still
was released in September 2007, preceded by a tour of Europe from June through August, with shows in Germany
, Sweden
, the Netherlands
and Switzerland
.
In November 2007 The Hooters returned to Europe for a short tour of Switzerland and Germany, including a show filmed for television in Basel
, Switzerland as part the AVO Concerts Series. They then played two shows in their hometown of Philadelphia at the Electric Factory
during Thanksgiving
week on Wednesday, November 21 and Friday, November 23, with the latter show broadcast by radio station WXPN
in 85 markets.
On February 28 and March 1, 2008 The Hooters once again entered Elmstreet Studios to begin work on a new album. Accompanied by Ann Marie Calhoun
on violin
, the band recorded acoustic rearrangements of 12 of their previously released songs, which resulted in a double-disc set, along with the band's concerts the previous year at Philadelphia's Electric Factory. The album, Both Sides Live
, was released in November 2008.
March 2008 saw The Hooters embark on a series of shows in the United States in support of 'Time Stand Still', which saw a Stateside release the previous month, including at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill in New York City
on Thursday, March 6, and The Birchmere
in Alexandria, Virginia
on Saturday, March 29.
In July 2008, The Hooters launched a European summer tour, playing shows in Norway
, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland.
On November 26, 2008, The Hooters returned to the Electric Factory in Philadelphia for their traditional Thanksgiving show, supported by Tommy Conwell.
On October 23, 2009, in one of the last concerts at the Wachovia Spectrum
, Philadelphia area musicians The Hooters, Todd Rundgren
and Hall & Oates
headlined a concert titled "Last Call".
On December 8, 2010, the band's original bassist, Bobby Woods, died from a heart attack
at the age of 59.
On September 24, 2011, The Hooters played a free concert at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia to celebrate the casinos one year anniversary.
Notes
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. By combining a mix of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
and folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
airplay of several songs including "All You Zombies
All You Zombies (song)
"All You Zombies" is a song by The Hooters. It was first recorded live and released as a single in 1982. It was subsequently included on the band's debut album Amore and an extended version of the song was included on their second album Nervous Night . This version was released as a single in 1985...
," "Day By Day," "And We Danced" and "Where Do The Children Go." Their popularity resulted in the band opening the Philadelphia portion of the Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
benefit concert in 1985.
During the late 1980s and 1990s, The Hooters found significant commercial success internationally, especially in Europe, where they played at The Wall Concert in Berlin
The Wall Concert in Berlin
The Wall – Live in Berlin was a live concert performance by Roger Waters and numerous guest artists, of the Pink Floyd studio album, The Wall, itself largely written by Waters during his time with the band. The show was held in Berlin, Germany, on 21 July 1990, to commemorate the fall of the Berlin...
in 1990, before they went on hiatus in 1995.
Since reuniting in 2001, The Hooters have staged successful tours in Europe and 2007 saw the release of their first album of new material since 1993, Time Stand Still
Time Stand Still
Time Stand Still is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Hooters, released in 2007.-Background:The Hooters gathered in October 2006 at keyboard player Rob Hyman's Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the recording of basic tracks, followed by additional...
.
Early years (1980–1984)
The Hooters were formed in 1980 and played their first show on July 4 of that year. They took their name from a nickname for the melodicaMelodica
The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
, a type of keyboard harmonica which is German in origin and made by Hohner
Hohner
Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a company specialising in the manufacture of musical instruments. Founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner , Hohner is identified especially with harmonicas and accordions. The Hohner company has invented and produced many different styles, and most of the...
. Two of the members, Eric Bazilian
Eric Bazilian
Eric M. Bazilian , is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
and Rob Hyman
Rob Hyman
Robert Andrew "Rob" Hyman is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player, accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:Hyman started taking piano lessons at the age of four and grew up playing...
, had originally met in 1971 at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and had played in a band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
in the late 1970s, based in Philadelphia, called Baby Grand, which also featured local singer, David Kagan. Baby Grand released two albums on Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
. In addition, producer/friend of the band Rick Chertoff
Rick Chertoff
Rick Chertoff is a five-time Grammy-nominated producer responsible for such hits as Joan Osborne’s “One of Us”, Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time” and Sophie B...
also had a significant role during these album sessions, and he would later produce several Hooters albums as well.
During the 1980s, The Hooters played on the Philadelphia club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
scene, boosted by airplay on WMMR
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
, the major rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Philadelphia at the time. They soon became a huge success along their native East Coast, playing everything from clubs to high schools, while appearing on local television shows. The original versions of "Man in the Street", "Fightin' on the Same Side", "Rescue Me", and "All You Zombies
All You Zombies (song)
"All You Zombies" is a song by The Hooters. It was first recorded live and released as a single in 1982. It was subsequently included on the band's debut album Amore and an extended version of the song was included on their second album Nervous Night . This version was released as a single in 1985...
" were released as singles in this time period.
On September 25, 1982, The Hooters opened for one of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's farewell tour concert shows at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on a bill that also included The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
and Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
. After this, the group separated after two exhausting years of playing practically every club and high school on the East Coast. Hyman and his girlfriend, Betsy Berlin (of the Plastic Fantastic record shops), had been managing and booking the band during this period, which had begun to cut too deeply into Hyman's writing and rehearsal time.
In 1983 Bazilian and Hyman got together to write once again and decided to give the band one more try. Steve Mountain, owner of several of the clubs in Philly where they played, was approached to manage the band and he agreed. And the band's booking was taken over by others, leaving Hyman and Bazilian to concentrate solely on the music.
Besides Bazilian and Hyman, only drummer David Uosikkinen was retained from the original grouping. John Kuzma (guitar) and Bobby Woods (bass) had already joined another group, Youth Camp. They were replaced by John Lilley (guitar, backing vocals) and Rob Miller (bass, backing vocals), two former members from another local popular group, Robert Hazard
Robert Hazard
Robert Hazard Robert Hazard Robert Hazard (born Robert Rimato, (August 21, 1948 – August 5, 2008), was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, musician, probably best known for composing and recording the song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", which Cyndi Lauper covered, turning the song into a...
and the Heroes.
In 1983 The Hooters began working at last on their first album. The result, Amore
Amore (The Hooters album)
Amore is the first studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1983.-Background:The Hooters got their start with their independently released album Amore...
, was released on the independent label Antenna and sold over 100,000 copies. Amore included songs like "All You Zombies
All You Zombies (song)
"All You Zombies" is a song by The Hooters. It was first recorded live and released as a single in 1982. It was subsequently included on the band's debut album Amore and an extended version of the song was included on their second album Nervous Night . This version was released as a single in 1985...
", "Hanging On A Heartbeat", "Fightin' On The Same Side" and "Blood From A Stone", all of which would reappear in different versions on later albums. Although a studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
album, Amore captured the same energy and spirit that made The Hooters admired for their live performances.
That same year, Bazilian and Hyman were asked to write
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, arrange and play on the debut album of a relatively unknown singer named Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, She's So Unusual
She's So Unusual
She's So Unusual is the debut studio album by American pop singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper. Released in 1983 by Portrait Records, the album catapulted Lauper to stardom with such hits as "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Time After Time", "She Bop", "All Through the Night", and "Money Changes...
, who was being produced by their former bandmate from Baby Grand, Rick Chertoff
Rick Chertoff
Rick Chertoff is a five-time Grammy-nominated producer responsible for such hits as Joan Osborne’s “One of Us”, Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time” and Sophie B...
. Hyman co-wrote the song "Time After Time
Time after Time (Cyndi Lauper song)
"Time After Time" is a song by American singer Cyndi Lauper, released as the second single from her album She's So Unusual. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984, and remained there for two weeks...
", which would go on to hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
Singles Chart and was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
.
After the immense popularity of Cyndi Lauper's debut, The Hooters presence, as performers and as songwriters, was significantly boosted. On July 26, 1984, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
signed them to their first major recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
.
Just before the band were about to make the leap to the big time, Rob Miller was seriously injured in an automobile accident and was replaced by Andy King, from a rival Philly band, Jack of Diamonds.
Mainstream success (1985–1989)
The Hooters' 1985 Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
debut album, Nervous Night
Nervous Night (album)
Nervous Night is the second studio album by the American rock band The Hooters, released in 1985 by Columbia Records and on CBS Records in Europe.-Background:...
, achieved platinum
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status around the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
, selling in excess of 2 million copies and included Billboard Top 40 hits "Day By Day" (No. 18), "And We Danced" (No. 21) and "Where Do The Children Go" that featured accompanying vocals from Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth is an American rock and roll musician. She first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as lead singer of the band Scandal and later scored a solo #2 hit with her song "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"...
(No. 38). There was also a drastically different version of the live crowd favorite "All You Zombies
All You Zombies (song)
"All You Zombies" is a song by The Hooters. It was first recorded live and released as a single in 1982. It was subsequently included on the band's debut album Amore and an extended version of the song was included on their second album Nervous Night . This version was released as a single in 1985...
" that was now laden with a dramatic keyboard arrangement. This song also made the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at #58. Rolling Stone named The Hooters the Best New Band of the Year.
On July 13, 1985 they were the opening band at the Philadelphia Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
benefit concert, gaining international recognition for the first time. Their first major overseas tour came later that year when they played throughout Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
On May 18, 1986, The Hooters participated in “America Rocks”, the concert portion of the 1986 Kodak Liberty Ride Festival that celebrated the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The three-hour concert was broadcast via satellite to 100 cities and also featured The Neville Brothers, Huey Lewis and the News, and Hall & Oates.
On June 15, 1986 The Hooters participated in A Conspiracy of Hope
A Conspiracy of Hope Tour
A Conspiracy of Hope was a short tour of six benefit concerts on behalf of Amnesty International that took place in the United States during June 1986. The purpose of the tour was not to raise funds but rather to increase awareness of human rights and of Amnesty's work on its 25th anniversary, and...
, a benefit concert on behalf of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, at Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
in East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
.
On September 5, 1986 The Hooters appeared on the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards
1986 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1986 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 5, 1986, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1985, to May 1, 1986. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, and Dweezil Zappa, and it emanated primarily from both The Palladium in New...
, where they were nominated in the category of Best New Artist in a Video for "And We Danced." They performed two songs on the show, "And We Danced" and "Nervous Night."
At Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s 8th Annual Video Music Conference on November 22, 1986, The Hooters won two awards: Best Concert Performance for the "Where Do the Children Go" video and Best Longform Program for the full length Nervous Night
Nervous Night
Nervous Night is a 1986 film starring American rock band The Hooters and directed by John Charles Jopson.-Background:As a follow-up to The Hooters' 1985 Columbia Records debut album Nervous Night, a film of the same title was produced by Bell One Productions...
home video. They also placed in five categories in Billboard's Top 100 of 1986: Top Pop Artist, No. 41; Top Pop Album, No. 23; Top Pop Album Artists/Groups, No. 16; Top Pop Album Artists based on one album, No. 27; and Top Pop Singles Artists based on three singles, No. 3.
In 1987 The Hooters experienced their first major commercial success in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. After heavy airplay in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, "Satellite," from the album One Way Home
One Way Home
One Way Home is the third studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1987. The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200 chart on August 29, 1987.-Background:...
, became a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, reaching No. 22, with the band performing on the popular British television show Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
on December 3, where they would meet one of their musical idols, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
. "Satellite" was also featured on an episode of the television show Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
titled "Amen...Send Money," which first aired on October 2, 1987. On the tour supporting One Way Home, Fran Smith Jr.(bass, backing vocals) was brought in to replace Andy King.
On November 24, 1987, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
night, The Hooters headlined the Spectrum
Wachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
in Philadelphia for the first time. The show was broadcast live on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and the Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
radio network simultaneously, the first time the two networks had ever joined forces in producing a concert for one artist.
1989 saw their final release for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Zig Zag
Zig Zag (The Hooters album)
Zig Zag is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1989.-Background:With Zig Zag, The Hooters moved toward a more political and folk music direction, contrasting significantly with their previous light-hearted songs...
introduced a politically-oriented theme, with Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
providing background vocals for an updated version of the 1960s folk song 500 Miles
500 Miles
"500 Miles" is a folk song made popular in the United States and Europe during the 1960s folk revival. The simple repetitive lyrics offer a lament by a traveler who is far from home, out of money and too ashamed to return...
, which became an international hit that led the way to another international success for the band.
International success (1990–1995)
As the 1990s dawned, The Hooters' success in the United States began to wane, while their popularity overseas, especially in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, reached new heights.
Following a show at The Town & Country Club
The Town & Country Club
The Town & Country Club was a 2,100 capacity theatre-style venue in Kentish Town in North London, England. The venue was built in 1934 and was originally an art deco cinema....
in London, England in March 1988, the band had met Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, who told them that he was a big fan of theirs. This eventually led to their appearance in Waters' staging of The Wall Concert
The Wall Concert in Berlin
The Wall – Live in Berlin was a live concert performance by Roger Waters and numerous guest artists, of the Pink Floyd studio album, The Wall, itself largely written by Waters during his time with the band. The show was held in Berlin, Germany, on 21 July 1990, to commemorate the fall of the Berlin...
at Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz
Potsdamer Platz is an important public square and traffic intersection in the centre of Berlin, Germany, lying about one kilometre south of the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag , and close to the southeast corner of the Tiergarten park...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on July 21, 1990, with Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
in "Mother
Mother (Pink Floyd song)
"Mother" is a song by Pink Floyd. It appeared on The Wall album in 1979. The song is notable for its varied use of time signatures.-Composition:...
" and three former members of The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
(Rick Danko
Rick Danko
Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
, Levon Helm
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band....
, and Garth Hudson
Garth Hudson
Eric Garth Hudson is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist. As the organist, keyboardist and saxophonist for Canadian-American rock group The Band, he was a principal architect of the group's unique sound...
) providing backing vocals.
Violinist/guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Mindy Jostyn (formerly with Joe Jackson
Joe Jackson (musician)
Joe Jackson is an English musician and singer-songwriter now living in Berlin, whose five Grammy Award nominations span from 1979 to 2001...
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
and others) joined the group for a short period during 1991-1993.
1993 saw their debut album for MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, Out Of Body
Out of Body (The Hooters album)
Out of Body is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1993.-Background:Out of Body marked a series of firsts for The Hooters. It was their first album for MCA Records after having released their three previous albums on Columbia Records...
. While not a commercial success in the United States, the album found a large audience in Europe, especially in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The Hooters Live
The Hooters Live
The Hooters Live is an album by American rock band The Hooters released in 1994. It contains eleven tracks recorded live in Germany and two newly recorded studio tracks.-Background:...
, recorded over two nights in Germany in December 1993, was released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in 1994, but never saw a release in the United States.
The Hooters continued to tour throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
until 1995 before deciding to take a hiatus to pursue individual projects.
Hiatus (1995–2001)
For several years the members of The Hooters were active in a variety of fields, both in and outside of music.Guitarist Eric Bazilian
Eric Bazilian
Eric M. Bazilian , is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
became recognized internationally for being a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
for numerous artists throughout the United States and Europe. In 1995, he played all those roles for Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne
Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb...
's debut album Relish
Relish (album)
Relish is the second album by Joan Osborne, released on September 8, 1995. It is her first studio album. It was nominated for Album of the Year at the 38th Grammys.-Background:...
, which was nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
for the No. 4 Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
hit "One of Us
One of Us (Joan Osborne song)
"One of Us" is a song written by Eric Bazilian and originally released by Joan Osborne. Released in March 1995 on the album Relish and produced by Rick Chertoff, it became a top 40 hit in November of that year.- History :...
," which Bazilian single-handedly wrote. He also released two solo albums: The Optimist in 2000 and A Very Dull Boy in 2002.
Keyboard player Rob Hyman
Rob Hyman
Robert Andrew "Rob" Hyman is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player, accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:Hyman started taking piano lessons at the age of four and grew up playing...
built his own recording studio, Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, while also contributing to numerous musical artists as a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, among them being Joan Osborne
Joan Osborne
Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb...
and Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
.
Drummer David Uosikkinen
David Uosikkinen
David Uosikkinen is an American drummer and Internet content manager, best known for being a founding member of rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
, having moved to San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, launched an independent record label, Moskeeto Records, while also working as a drummer for various artists including Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth
Patty Smyth is an American rock and roll musician. She first enjoyed mainstream success in 1982 as lead singer of the band Scandal and later scored a solo #2 hit with her song "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
. In 1999, he joined a group of technology experts who created an online music portal, MP3.com
MP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
, which subsequently contributed to a change in the music industry's distribution and consumer listening habits.
Guitarist John Lilley
John Lilley
John Lilley is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, guitar teacher and landscape gardener, best known for being a member of rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
started his own landscape gardening business, Avantgardeners, in the Philadelphia area.
Bass player Fran Smith Jr.
Fran Smith Jr.
Fran Smith, Jr. is a bass guitar player and vocalist from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. He has enjoyed a successful career in the music industry for over twenty-five years...
joined the original Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
cast members as Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
in Beatlemania
Beatlemania (musical)
Beatlemania was a Broadway musical revue focused on the music of The Beatles as it related to the events and changing attitudes of the tumultuous Sixties...
. He also played the part of Carlo Cannoli in Tony n' Tina's Wedding
Tony n' Tina's Wedding
-Film adaptation:The play was "freely" adapted for film by writer-director Roger Paradiso— "filmed primarily from the point of view of a lisping videographer"—with Joey McIntyre and Mila Kunis playing the title characters...
, the longest running Off Broadway theatre comedy. From his own recording studio, he produced numerous artists, including Joe Piscopo
Joe Piscopo
Joseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo is an American comedian and actor best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
and Flo & Eddie
Flo & Eddie
Flo & Eddie are a comedic musical duo.The two were the original founding members of the Top 40 rock group the Turtles. After the Turtles dissolved, Volman and Kaylan first joined the Mothers of Invention as "Phlorescent Leech & Eddie"...
of The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
, as well as local artists and bands. In 1995, he released a solo album, For No Apparent Reason.
Reunited (2001–present)
Except for a small reunion heard on the concept album Largo (which featured appearances by all the members except for Lilley) in 1998, The Hooters did not play together again until November 21, 2001, when they performed at the Wachovia SpectrumWachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
in Philadelphia for a one off show to celebrate disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Pierre Robert
Pierre Robert
William Pierre Robert is a radio disc jockey who, since 1981, has been a highly popular on-air personality for 93.3FM WMMR in Philadelphia, one of the nation's most recognized rock music stations....
's 20th anniversary at local rock radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
WMMR
WMMR
WMMR is an active rock radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93.3 MHz FM. The station is owned by Greater Media....
, the first major station to ever play The Hooters back in the early 1980s.
2003 saw a full-time reunion of The Hooters in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where they completed a successful 17-city tour. The success of the tour prompted two further tours in 2004 and 2005 where they premiered new unreleased songs and played in additional countries, including Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
On May 11, 2004 The Hooters were presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Music Awards.
November 2005 marked the appearance of The Hooters on VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...
's concert series Decades Live Rock as guests of Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
where they performed "And We Danced" and "All You Zombies
All You Zombies (song)
"All You Zombies" is a song by The Hooters. It was first recorded live and released as a single in 1982. It was subsequently included on the band's debut album Amore and an extended version of the song was included on their second album Nervous Night . This version was released as a single in 1985...
."
June 2006 finally saw The Hooters play their first official shows in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in over a decade. Over the course of three nights they performed three shows: a homecoming show at Philadelphia's Electric Factory
Electric Factory
The Electric Factory is a concert venue in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe original "Electric Factory" venue was a converted tire warehouse at 22nd and Arch Streets, which opened in 1968. The first performers, on February 2, 1968, were the Chambers Brothers...
on June 16; a show at The Borgata
Borgata
The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a luxury hotel, casino, and spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by Marina District Development, a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and a divesture trust established by MGM Resorts International...
in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
on June 17; and finally, an outdoor show at Hubbard Park in Rob Hyman
Rob Hyman
Robert Andrew "Rob" Hyman is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player, accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:Hyman started taking piano lessons at the age of four and grew up playing...
's hometown of Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
on June 18.
Following these shows, The Hooters entered Hyman's Elmstreet Studios to record their first album of new material since 1993. Time Stand Still
Time Stand Still
Time Stand Still is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Hooters, released in 2007.-Background:The Hooters gathered in October 2006 at keyboard player Rob Hyman's Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the recording of basic tracks, followed by additional...
was released in September 2007, preceded by a tour of Europe from June through August, with shows in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In November 2007 The Hooters returned to Europe for a short tour of Switzerland and Germany, including a show filmed for television in Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, Switzerland as part the AVO Concerts Series. They then played two shows in their hometown of Philadelphia at the Electric Factory
Electric Factory
The Electric Factory is a concert venue in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe original "Electric Factory" venue was a converted tire warehouse at 22nd and Arch Streets, which opened in 1968. The first performers, on February 2, 1968, were the Chambers Brothers...
during Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
week on Wednesday, November 21 and Friday, November 23, with the latter show broadcast by radio station WXPN
WXPN
WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts a music radio format called adult album alternative , along with many other format shows supported all with an indie slant...
in 85 markets.
On February 28 and March 1, 2008 The Hooters once again entered Elmstreet Studios to begin work on a new album. Accompanied by Ann Marie Calhoun
Ann Marie Calhoun
Ann Marie Calhoun is an American violinist.- Personal life :...
on violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, the band recorded acoustic rearrangements of 12 of their previously released songs, which resulted in a double-disc set, along with the band's concerts the previous year at Philadelphia's Electric Factory. The album, Both Sides Live
Both Sides Live
Both Sides Live is a live album by American rock band The Hooters released in 2008.-Background:Both Sides Live contains 25 tracks recorded live in Philadelphia, with 13 songs being electric songs recorded at the Electric Factory on November 21 & 23, 2007 during the band's traditional Thanksgiving...
, was released in November 2008.
March 2008 saw The Hooters embark on a series of shows in the United States in support of 'Time Stand Still', which saw a Stateside release the previous month, including at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on Thursday, March 6, and The Birchmere
The Birchmere
The Birchmere is a concert hall in Alexandria, Virginia, known for presenting performers in the bluegrass, country, folk, and jazz genres. The main stage has table seating with dinner service. The room seats 500 people and the tables in front are about two feet from the stage...
in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
on Saturday, March 29.
In July 2008, The Hooters launched a European summer tour, playing shows in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland.
On November 26, 2008, The Hooters returned to the Electric Factory in Philadelphia for their traditional Thanksgiving show, supported by Tommy Conwell.
On October 23, 2009, in one of the last concerts at the Wachovia Spectrum
Wachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, Philadelphia area musicians The Hooters, Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
and Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
headlined a concert titled "Last Call".
On December 8, 2010, the band's original bassist, Bobby Woods, died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 59.
On September 24, 2011, The Hooters played a free concert at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia to celebrate the casinos one year anniversary.
Present
- Eric BazilianEric BazilianEric M. Bazilian , is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
(1980–1995, 2001–present): lead vocals, guitars, mandolin, harmonica, saxophone - Rob HymanRob HymanRobert Andrew "Rob" Hyman is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player, accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:Hyman started taking piano lessons at the age of four and grew up playing...
(1980–1995, 2001–present): lead vocals, keyboards, accordion, melodica - David UosikkinenDavid UosikkinenDavid Uosikkinen is an American drummer and Internet content manager, best known for being a founding member of rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
(1980–1995, 2001–present): drums, percussion - John LilleyJohn LilleyJohn Lilley is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, guitar teacher and landscape gardener, best known for being a member of rock band The Hooters.-Early life:...
(1983–1995, 2001–present): guitar, mandolin, dobro, keyboards, vocals - Fran Smith Jr.Fran Smith Jr.Fran Smith, Jr. is a bass guitar player and vocalist from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. He has enjoyed a successful career in the music industry for over twenty-five years...
(1987–1995, 2001–present): bass guitar, vocals - Tommy WilliamsTommy Williams-1996:-External links:* official TX Senate website* campaign website* profile*Follow the Money - Tommy Williams** campaign contributions...
(2010–present): vocals, guitar, mandolin, mandola
Past
- Bobby Woods (1980–1982) (deceased): bass guitar
- John Kuzma (1980–1982) (deceased): guitar, background vocals
- Bond Collard (1982–1983): drums, percussion, background vocals
- Rob Miller (1983–1984): bass guitar, background vocals
- Andy King (1984–1987): bass guitar, background vocals
- Mindy Jostyn (1991–1993) (deceased): violin, guitar, harmonica, background vocals
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
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| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
CAN RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
JPN Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
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| 1983 | Amore Amore (The Hooters album) Amore is the first studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1983.-Background:The Hooters got their start with their independently released album Amore...
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| 1985 | Nervous Night Nervous Night (album) Nervous Night is the second studio album by the American rock band The Hooters, released in 1985 by Columbia Records and on CBS Records in Europe.-Background:... |
12 | 39 | 46 | — | — | — |
Music Canada Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:... : Gold Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : 2× Multi-Platinum |
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| 1987 | One Way Home One Way Home One Way Home is the third studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1987. The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard 200 chart on August 29, 1987.-Background:... |
27 | 59 | 12 | 15 | — | 14 |
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Gold |
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| 1989 | Zig Zag Zig Zag (The Hooters album) Zig Zag is the fourth studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1989.-Background:With Zig Zag, The Hooters moved toward a more political and folk music direction, contrasting significantly with their previous light-hearted songs... |
115 | 59 | 13 | 12 | 73 |
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| 1993 | Out of Body Out of Body (The Hooters album) Out of Body is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1993.-Background:Out of Body marked a series of firsts for The Hooters. It was their first album for MCA Records after having released their three previous albums on Columbia Records... MCA Records MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003... |
— | — | 13 | 12 | 67 |
33 |
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| 2007 | Time Stand Still Time Stand Still Time Stand Still is the sixth studio album by American rock band The Hooters, released in 2007.-Background:The Hooters gathered in October 2006 at keyboard player Rob Hyman's Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the recording of basic tracks, followed by additional... Megaforce/MRI Associated (US) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2010 | Five by Five: EP
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— | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||||
Live albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
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|---|---|---|---|
| SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
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| 1994 | The Hooters Live The Hooters Live The Hooters Live is an album by American rock band The Hooters released in 1994. It contains eleven tracks recorded live in Germany and two newly recorded studio tracks.-Background:...
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25 | 46 |
| 2008 | Both Sides Live Both Sides Live Both Sides Live is a live album by American rock band The Hooters released in 2008.-Background:Both Sides Live contains 25 tracks recorded live in Philadelphia, with 13 songs being electric songs recorded at the Electric Factory on November 21 & 23, 2007 during the band's traditional Thanksgiving... |
— | — |
Selected compilations
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
NOR VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
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| 1992 | Greatest Hits
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21 | — | — |
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| 1994 | Greatest Hits Vol.2
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— | — | 33 | |
| 1996 | Hooterization: A Retrospective Hooterization: A Retrospective Hooterization: A Retrospective is a compilation album by American rock band The Hooters and was released in 1996.-Background:Hooterization: A Retrospective contains songs from The Hooters' three albums on Columbia Records: Nervous Night , One Way Home and Zig Zag .It also contains two live songs... |
— | 6 [B] |
— | |
Notes
- A^ It was a certification according to old criteria. Until September 24, 1999, Gold album was certified for sales of 250,000 and Platinum album for sales of 500,000 by International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, Germany (IFPI, Musik Industrie).
- B^ In Norway, this compilation was issued under the alternative title The Best of the Hooters.
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Main Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
CAN RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
CAN AC RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
CAN Country RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
UK 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 ... |
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| 1985 | "All You Zombies All You Zombies (song) "All You Zombies" is a song by The Hooters. It was first recorded live and released as a single in 1982. It was subsequently included on the band's debut album Amore and an extended version of the song was included on their second album Nervous Night . This version was released as a single in 1985... " |
58 | 11 | — | — | — | — | Nervous Night |
| "And We Danced" | 21 | 3 | 51 | — | — | — | ||
| 1986 | "Day by Day" | 18 | 3 | 66 | — | — | — | |
| "Where Do the Children Go" | 38 | 34 | 98 | — | — | — | ||
| 1987 | "Johnny B Johnny B (song) "Johnny B" is a song from The Hooters' third studio album One Way Home. It was written by Eric Bazilian, Rick Chertoff and Rob Hyman. "Johnny B" was released as a single in 1987 by Columbia Records, and reached #61 on Billboard Hot 100 list.... " |
61 | 3 | — | — | — | — | One Way Home |
| "Satellite" | 61 | 13 | — | — | — | 22 | ||
| 1988 | "Karla with a K" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | "500 Miles" | 97 | 20 | 60 | 19 | 81 | — | Zig Zag |
| 1990 | "Brother, Don't You Walk Away" | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||
External links
- The Hooters official website
- Eric Bazilian official website
- Rob Hyman official website
- John Lilley official website
- Fran Smith Jr. official website
- David Uosikkinen official website