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If you partied at all in the 80s, chances are your soundtrack included Loverboy. The band captivated legions of loyal fans and helped define the original party rock era of the 1980s. They have sold more than 20 million records worldwide and touched generations of music fans.
Formed in 1979 in Calgary, Canada, Loverboy signed their first deal with Columbia Records Canada in 1980 and immediately went into the studio with producer Bruce Fairbairn and Canadian Music Hall of Fame member Bob Rock to record their self-titled debut album. The band’s music was driven by the powerful vocals of Mike Reno, the relentless rock groove of lead guitarist Paul Dean, the bass stylings of Scott Smith, the melodies of keyboardist Doug Johnson and the heavy rhythms of drummer Matt Frenette. They turned their collective talent into hits such as “Turn Me Loose” and “The Kid Is Hot Tonite.” Loverboy flew off the shelves, setting record sales for a debut album at the time with over 700,000 albums sold in Canada.
Soon after its U.S. release, the album surpassed two million copies sold in North America and four million worldwide. At the 1982 JUNO Awards, Loverboy’s debut garnered an unprecedented six wins in one night.
The band struck platinum yet again with their sophomore release, Get Lucky (1981). It featured the mega-party anthem, “Everybody’s Working For The Weekend,” a song entrenched in popular culture and a mantra for the working masses. The band subsequently garnered two more consecutive wins for Group of the Year (1983, 1984) and another JUNO Award for Album of the Year in 1983.
From 1980 through 1987, the band released four multi-platinum bestsellers featuring such classics as “Hot Girls in Love,” “When It’s Over,” and “This Could Be The Night,” as well as the smash hit “Heaven In Your Eyes,” recorded for the movie Top Gun.
On stage, Loverboy delivered energy, skill, style and showmanship, establishing themselves as a major live act and building a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in rock. They played more than 200 shows in 1980, embarked on an eight-month world tour in 1983 to promote their third album Keep it Up, and hit 100 cities across North America with the release of their fourth album, Lovin’ Every Minute of It (1985).
The band filled arena after arena, becoming one of the top five grossing touring acts and the first Canadian group to be awarded Columbia Records’ Crystal Globe Award for selling over five million records outside their native country.
The release of Wildside, their fifth album, followed in September 1987. While the band scored a minor hit with "Notorious", co-written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the album sold relatively poorly and the band broke up in 1988 due to tensions between Dean and Reno.
Dean released a solo album, Hardcore, in May 1989 and a Loverboy greatest-hits album, Big Ones, was released later that same year, in October, to fulfill Loverboy's obligation to Columbia Records. The group briefly reunited in late 1989 to tour to promote it, but broke up again at the tour's conclusion.
The band finally returned to the stage for a benefit concert in 1992 for friend and fellow recording artist Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod. The reception to their performance from music fans and industry professionals was over whelming and prompted the band to go back on tour.
In November 2000, the band suffered a tragic loss when founding bassist Scott Smith lost his life in a boating accident. The surviving members came together and, with the introduction of new bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve, dedicated their next album, a live greatest hits collection called Live, Loud & Loose, to Smith’s memory.
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| Reno & Smith |
In 2005, Loverboy marked their silver anniversary by embarking on a North American summer tour to perform their greatest hits over the previous 25 years, along with some new songs. After a decade away from the studio, the band next recorded the tough-rocking 2007 release, Just Getting Started, starting a creative new chapter in the long history of Loverboy.
The band continues to tour with an average of 60 to 80 shows a year across North America – a testament to their lasting popularity and impressive longevity in the music business. That’s right: they’re still working for your weekend. [extract from the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame Website]
This post consists of MP3's (320kps) ripped from CD and comes with full album artwork for both CD and Vinyl formats, along with label scans. I must admit that I had always thought of Loverboy as being a one hit band, but when I heard this compilation it became immediately evident that Loverboy had produced a string of hits that easily measured up "Turn me Loose". The CD release, featured here contains 14 tracks whereas the vinyl release only has 10. "Working For The Weekend", "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" and "Notorious" (all top 10 hits) are all there along with a string of other catchy tunes, proving that this Canadian band were a force to be reckoned with. So, let me 'turn you loose' and encourage you to grab a copy while it stays Hot Tonite"
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Track Listing
01 Working For The Weekend 3:43
02 For You 5:56
03 The Kid Is Hot Tonite 4:29
04 Lovin' Every Minute Of It 3:34
05 Lucky Ones 3:52
06 Hot Girls In Love 4:01
07 This Could Be Night 5:00
08 Ain't Looking For Love 4:42
09 Turn Me Loose 5:38
10 Notorious 4:42
11 When It´s Over 5:09
12 Too Hot 4:26
13 Take Me To The Top 6:13
14 Heaven In Your Eyes 4:03
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Loverboy were:
Mike Reno (Vocals)
Paul Dean (Guitar)
Scott Smith (Bass)
Doug Johnson (Keyboards)
Matt Frenette (Drums)
Paul Dean (Guitar)
Scott Smith (Bass)
Doug Johnson (Keyboards)
Matt Frenette (Drums)
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