Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: Big City Rock
Company: ABC
Catalog: D
Year: 1979
Country/State: Boston, Massachusetts
Grade (cover/record): NM / NM
Comments: still in shrink; punch out hole and cut notch top right corner
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5534
Price: $25.00
Boston's The Atlantics (not the 1960s era Australian surf band) were a talented outfit that were plagued by a string of horrible luck.
Inspired by Boston's energetic punk scene, Tom Hauck and Bruce Wilkinson formed the original band in 1976 while attending Tufts University. Rounded out by drummer Bobby Bear, lead guitarist Jeff Locke and singer Bobby Marron (a friend of Wilkinson's) the quintet began attracting considerable attention on the party and local club scene, sealing their local credentials when they opened for The Ramones at their first Boston performance. Ray Boy Fernandes took over for Bear in 1977. Bear reappeared as a member of Willie Loco Alexander's band. Former Bonjour Aviators member Fred Pineau assumed lead guitar duties in 1978. Locke went on to form UXB.
The band's recording debut came with 1978's 'When You're Young' b/w 'Where Would I Be Without You' (Jukebox catalog number ). Ironically 1,000 copies were pressed, but apparently never released, making it a highly sought after collectable.
With the new line up in place band manager Fred Munao started shopping the band around. Signing with a major league label like ABC should have provided the band with their long awaited commercial breakthrough. Naturally it didn't happen. Recording the band in New York' s Hit Factory Studios, John Stronach certainly didn't help the band with his vision of turning the group into a new wave version of The Eagles, nor with his slightly flat and strained production.
Fernandez
himself posted an internet comment about the set's production: "...
you're right the production was awful. While we were making the record
we all had the sinking feeling that something was going terribly wrong. We
could have had Ramones producer Ed Stasium do the album but he told us we
would have
wait until he finished Road To Ruin. But ABC had other ideas ... most
notably selling the label and they weren't about to spring for
producer of Ed Stasium's caliber but they never told us that. Instead
the label enlisted staff producer John Stronach who did records with Dan
Fogelberg to do the production and this guy just didn't have a clue of what
we were about. Anyway...in addition to recording a sub par album,
there was a trucking strike and our record
didn't meet it's release date. I'm really trying to come up with something
positive to say about this experience but there is none except that
thankfully the songs were strong enough that they were still able to shine
through the bad production. Thanks to all the fans who love the album
in spite of it's flaws.
We've been in touch with Universal Music who owns the rights to the master
recordings so we could remix and remaster the record correctly because we
felt we actually played pretty well. But to no avail. The money it would
cost to do this would be impossible to attain. So that brings us to
2006 and the release of material that was recorded after the record contract
and after I left the band.
The Atlantics in 2006 will be releasing an anthology including songs like
Lonelyhearts, Pop Shivers, Weekend, Sorry Wrong Number and much more.
And who knows? Maybe just maybe a reunion could take place. We've
waited almost 30 years. Only time will tell."
That said, these guys played with sufficient energy and enthusiasm to make up for those shortcomings and to show they were than just another skinny tie new wave band. True, Bobby Marron wasn't the most mesmerizing lead singer you've ever heard. His penchant for shifting into dramatic over-emotion was more than irritating, but luckily he kept those tendencies in check throughout most of the album. So what were the highlights? The opener 'One Last Night' and the title track showed flashes of their reported in-concert rock orientation. 'I Can't Help It' and 'Modern Times Girl' were wonderful slices of power pop, while 'When You're Young' , 'Television Girl' sand 'Teenage Flu' showcased their new wave edge without being completely lame. Unfortunately the band's crack at the big time was effectively killed by economics. Just as the album was released ABC was taken over by MCA. In the ensuing corporate shuffle The Atlantics simply fell through the corporate cracks with neither ABC nor MCA doing much to promote the LP. A nice review in The Rolling Stone and an opening slot on a Roxy Music tour didn't help things. Curiously, MCA tapped the LP for a UK single:
- 1979's ''One Last Night' b/w Television Girl' (MCA catalog number MCA-506)
and then unceremoniously dropped the band from it's recording roster.
"Big City
Rock" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) One Last Night
2.) When You're Young
3.) Television Girl
4.) I Can't Help It
5.) Modern Times Girl
(side
2)
1.) Nowhere To Run
2.) Waitin for My Baby
3.) So Long
4.) Teenage Flu
5.) Big City Rock
Fernandes subsequently tendered his resignation and today owns Boston's Butta Beats Studio ( http://www.bostonbuttabeats.com/ ). Former Boston-based trio Sass drummer Paul Caruso was quickly brought in as a replacement. The revamped lineup released a one-shot 45 for the local Alltime label:
- 1980's 'Lonely Hearts' b/w 'Can't Wait Forever' (Alltime catalog number ???)
The single became a huge regional hit, rejuvinating their careers and leading to a steady stream of concert opening slots. Splitting with manager Munao didn't exactly help their careers, though the band continued to play clubs, releasing new material to local Boston radio stations ('Pop Shivers', 'Wrong Number', and 'Weekend') to no avail. In June 1983 they finally called it quits.
Caruso remained active in music, building Bay Farm Sound Studio in his home and producing and engineering a host of Boston-based acts including material for Aerosmith and Joe Perry. Only 50, he died in January 2006.
Marron briefly hooked up with the band Cut 299.
In October 2000 Wilkinson committed suicide. I've yet to find an obituary.
The surviving members reunited in 2005, subsequently releasing a pair of CDs. 2006's "The Atlantics" featured previously recorded, but unreleased material. The collection was dedicated to Caruso and Wilkinson. 2007's "Atlantics Live" captured the band in 1979 right before they hit the road opening for Roxy Music.
- 2006's "The Atlantics" (Something, Hot Communications catalog number ???)
- 2007's "Atlantics Live" (Something, Hot Communications catalog number 12184)
I've never heard it, but Caruso, Hauck and Wilkinson also recorded a early 1980's EP under the name Ball and Pivot.
- 1983's "Ball and Pivot" (Z Club catalog number )
For anyone interested The Atlantics have a MySpace presence at:
http://www.myspace.com/atlantics