THE ROMANTICS IS AN AMERICAN NEW WAVE BAND FROM DETROIT, MICHIGAN, FORMED IN 1977. THE BAND ADOPTED THE NAME “THE ROMANTICS” BECAUSE THEY FORMED ON VALENTINE’S DAY 1977.
THE ROMANTICS ACHIEVED POPULARITY INTERNATIONALLLY DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE 1980S ON THE STRENGTH OF THE BAND’S SONGS AND MUSIC VIDEOS.
THEY WERE INFLUENCED BY 1960S BRITISH INVASION ROCK (MOST NOTABLY THE MUSIC OF THE KINKS THE WHO, THE BEATLES, THE HOLLIES, AND THE ROLLING STONES).
THE ROMANTICS ACHIEVED THEIR GREATEST COMMERCIAL SUCCESS IN 1983/84 WITH THE RELEASE OF THE ALBUM IN HEAT. THE FIRST SINGLE TAKEN FROM IN HEAT, “TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP”, IT WAS A BIG INTERNATIONAL HIT
1960, DRUMMER TOMMY MOORE MADE THE FATEFUL DECISION TO QUIT THE BEATLES AND RETURN TO HIS JOB OF DRIVING A FORKLIFT AT GARSTON BOTTLE WORKS. HE WAS BRIEFLY REPLACED BY NORMAN CHAPMAN, WHO WAS CALLED INTO NATIONAL SERVICE AFTER JUST THREE GIGS. AFTER GOING DRUMMERLESS AND MOSTLY JOBLESS FOR A FEW WEEKS, THE BAND HIRED PETE BEST ON AUGUST 12TH, ONLY ONE DAY BEFORE THEY WERE TO GO TO HAMBURG TO PLAY A STRING OF CLUB DATES.
1977, JOE STRUMMER AND TOPPER HEADON WERE DETAINED OVERNIGHT IN PRISON IN NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HAVING FAILED TO APPEAR AT MORPETH MAGISTRATES ON MAY 21ST. BOTH CLASH MEMBERS WERE TO ANSWER A CHARGE RELATING TO THE THEFT OF A HOLIDAY INN PILLOWCASE. THEY WERE BOTH FINED £100 ($170).
1977, KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND BECAME ONLY THE SECOND GROUP AFTER THE JACKSON FIVE TO ACHIEVE FOUR US NO.1’S WHEN ‘I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN’ WENT TO THE TOP OF THE CHARTS.
1988, NELSON MANDELLAS 70TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TOOK PLACE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON, FEATURING WHITNEY HOUSTON, PHIL COLLINS, DIRE STRAITS, STEVIE WONDER, TRACY CHAPMAN, GEORGE MICHAEL, ERIC CLAPTON, UB40, THE EURYTHMICS AND SIMPLE MINDS. THE EVENT WAS BROADCAST LIVE ON BBC 2 TO 40 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WITH AN ESTIMATED AUDIENCE OF 1 BILLION.
1977, AS BRITAIN CELEBRATED THE QUEEN’S SILVER JUBILEE, THE SEX PISTOLS REACHED NO. 2 IN THE SINGLES CHART WITH ‘GOD SAVE THE QUEEN’.
2011, PINK FLOYD’S 1973 ALBUM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, RE-ENTERED THE BILLBOARD ALBUM CHART AT NO. 47, AND REACHED THE MILESTONE OF 1,000 WEEKS ON BILLBOARD’S CHARTS. THE ALBUM WHICH WAS RELEASED IN 1973 HAS DONE CONSISTENTLY WELL REACHING NO.1 ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.
BORN ON THIS DAY
1947, BORN ON THIS DAY, GLENN LEONARD, VOCALS, THE TEMPTATIONS, (1971 UK NO.8 SINGLE ‘JUST MY IMAGINATION’ AND RE-ISSUED ‘MY GIRL’ UK NO.2 IN 1992).
1948, BORN ON THIS DAY, ALAN SKIPPER, DRUMS, THE PRETTY THINGS, (1964 UK NO.10 SINGLE ‘DON’T BRING ME DOWN’).
1949, BORN ON THIS DAY, FRANK BEARD, DRUMS, ZZ TOP, (1984 US NO.8 & 1985 UK NO.16 SINGLE ‘LEGS’).
1961, BORN ON THIS DAY, ROBERT BIRCH, VOCALS, STEREO MC’S, (1992 UK NO.12 SINGLE ‘STEP IT UP’)
1947, BORN ON THIS DAY, GLENN LEONARD, VOCALS, THE TEMPTATIONS, (1971 UK NO.8 SINGLE ‘JUST MY IMAGINATION’ AND RE-ISSUED ‘MY GIRL’
1951, BORN ON THIS DAY, LYNSEY DE PAUL, UK SINGER, SONGWRITER. BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO WIN AN IVOR NOVELLO SONG-WRITING AWARD
