Animotion

Last updated

Animotion
Animotion (1984 Press Kit Photo).jpg
Animotion, c. 1984
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres New wave, synth-pop
Years active1983–1990, 2001–present
Labels Mercury Records, Polydor Records, Invisible Hands Music
MembersAstrid Plane
Bill Wadhams
Don Kirkpatrick
Greg Smith
Jim Blair
Chris Wadhams
Past members Paul Antonelli
Charles (aka: Char) Ottavio
David O'Brien (deceased)
Kevin Rankin
Paul Engemann
Cynthia Rhodes
Website Animotion Web Site

Animotion is an American synth-pop band from Los Angeles, California, best known for the songs "Obsession", "Let Him Go", "I Engineer", and "Room to Move". [1] Formed in 1983 from the remnants of a retro science-fiction band called Red Zone, they signed a record deal with Mercury Records in 1984 and released four studio albums.

Contents

History

Formation and rise (1983–1986)

Animotion was founded by four former members of Los Angeles-based band Red Zone and the lead singer of the Billy Bond band. [2] Both Red Zone and the Billy Bond Band would play at the popular music venue Madame Wong's and knew of each other. [2] A manager who heard that Red Zone were considering breaking up suggested that Billy Bond Band vocalist Bill Wadhams look into working with them, and particularly their vocalist Astrid Plane. After Wadhams demonstrated some of his original material to the group, the two parties decided to form a new band with the name "Animotion" suggested by Astrid to convey energy and motion. [2] [3]

The initial line-up was made up of dual lead vocalists in Wadhams and Plane, keyboardist Paul Antonelli, bassist Charles Ottavio, and drummer David "Frenchy" O'Brien. With Wadhams already handling some guitar duties, lead guitarist Don Kirkpatrick was brought into the band to supplement their sound. The now-six-piece lineup recorded their 1984 self-titled debut album, further augmented by session keyboardist Greg Smith. [4] [3] Released near the end of the year, a single from this album, "Obsession", written by hit American songwriter Holly Knight and noted British singer/actor Michael Des Barres (who originally cut the song themselves as "Knight and Des Barres" for the 1983 movie A Night in Heaven ), became a worldwide success and the band's first US Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten single, peaking early the following year. The follow-up single from this album, "Let Him Go", also cracked the US Top 40 after being remixed to sound more like its predecessor.

Following the departures of Antonelli and O'Brien, Smith became an official member of the band, along with new drummer Jim Blair, prior to the recording of the follow-up album, Strange Behavior (1986). While several singles were released from this album, its success in the US paled in comparison to the debut album, whereas the band became very famous in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Africa, thanks to the LP's single "I Engineer", another Holly Knight composition which was co-written with Bernie Taupin and Mike Chapman. "I Engineer" reached the Top 20 (and sometimes as high as the Top 5) in those countries. During 1986 and 1987 Animotion toured extensively, appearing alongside such performers as Phil Collins, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Genesis, Howard Jones, INXS, and Simply Red.

Departures and decline (1987–1990)

In the midst of recording their third album, Animotion went through personnel changes, as all three of the remaining founding members (Ottavio, Plane, and Wadhams) departed, along with Blair. The split was not amicable; Ottavio and Plane (who by this point were a couple, and later married) were fired from the band at the behest of the management, while Wadhams' departure was the culmination of a refusal of the record label to allow him to continue to write songs for the band (on their first album he had served as principal songwriter and, along with Kirkpatrick and Smith, had performed the same role on the second), a condition which he felt uncomfortable with. [5]

Actress/dancer/singer Cynthia Rhodes replaced Plane as female lead singer, and former solo artist/Device member Paul Engemann replaced Wadhams as the male lead for Animotion's second self-titled album, informally known as "Room to Move" (due to the success of this song) to distinguish it from their first LP. Incidentally, Engemann's former band, Device, had also included Holly Knight (co-writer of "Obsession"). By the time of this third album's release, only Kirkpatrick and Smith remained officially in the "band" along with Rhodes and Engemann, and a slew of session musicians contributed to the recording. The single "Room to Move", a remake of a 1988 song by the group Climie Fisher, became a radio hit in April 1989, and the band's second Top 10 hit in the US, aided by its inclusion in the movie My Stepmother Is an Alien . However, the album itself did not crack the top 100 on the charts, and Animotion broke up afterwards.

Reformation (2001–present)

Animotion performing at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, July 27, 2012 Animotion.jpg
Animotion performing at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, July 27, 2012

Several of the original members reunited on February 8, 2001, in response to a request from Alex Hart and 94.7 NRK Radio Station in Portland, Oregon, performing for a sold-out crowd. Plane, Wadhams, Kirkpatrick, and Smith have continued to perform as Animotion since this time; with drummer Kevin Rankin joining them in 2002, and Bill's son Chris Wadhams joining as bass player in 2011. Don Kirkpatrick also plays in Rod Stewart's band. When he is unavailable, Portland, Oregon guitarist Kevin Hahn deputizes in the position. They have performed many shows with A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, Berlin and the Motels in recent years.

In the summer of 2005, Ottavio made a guest appearance alongside Plane and Wadhams who appeared as Animotion in the American version of the TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, performing their hit "Obsession" and a cover of Dirty Vegas' "Days Go By".

In 2014, Wadhams heard a remix of "Obsession" by a Colorado DJ named Joman. After reaching out to the DJ, Joman offered to remix new material from the band. Wadhams sent a recording of "Raise" and the remixed product was used to obtain a record deal with Invisible Hands Music in London. [6] After 26 years, the band—featuring core members Plane, Wadhams, Kirkpatrick, and Smith—released a new album entitled Raise, which was released in 2016 [7] in the UK and a month later on January 20, 2017 (as Raise Your Expectations) in the US. [8] Joman's rendition of "Raise" along with Animotion's classic "Let Him Go" are featured on the album. [6] A music video, directed by producer Chuck Kentis' son Noah, was made for the song "Last Time"; [9] it features a mix of live-action and animated elements. The album cover was created by Jay Vigon, who created Animotion's original logo and the logo for Prince's film Purple Rain . [10]

The band's original drummer, David "Frenchy" O'Brien (born May 23, 1947 in Worcester, Massachusetts), died on January 13, 2019, at age 71. [11]

In January 2023, a US show was announced: the band played at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California on May 20, 2023. [12]

Personnel

Members

Line-ups

19831983–19851985–19881988–1990
  • Astrid Plane – lead vocals
  • Bill Wadhams – lead vocals, guitars
  • Paul Antonelli – keyboards
  • Charles Ottavio – bass
  • David "Frenchy" O'Brien – drums
  • Astrid Plane – lead vocals
  • Bill Wadhams – lead vocals, guitars
  • Don Kirkpatrick – lead guitar
  • Paul Antonelli – keyboards
  • Charles Ottavio – bass
  • David "Frenchy" O'Brien – drums
  • Astrid Plane – lead vocals
  • Bill Wadhams – lead vocals, guitars
  • Don Kirkpatrick – lead guitar
  • Greg Smith – keyboards
  • Charles Ottavio – bass
  • Jim Blair – drums
1990–20012001–20022002–20112011–present

Disbanded

  • Astrid Plane – lead vocals
  • Bill Wadhams – lead vocals, guitars
  • Don Kirkpatrick – lead guitar
  • Greg Smith – keyboards
  • Astrid Plane – lead vocals
  • Bill Wadhams – lead vocals, guitars
  • Don Kirkpatrick – lead guitar
  • Greg Smith – keyboards
  • Kevin Rankin – drums
  • Astrid Plane – lead vocals
  • Bill Wadhams – lead vocals, guitars
  • Don Kirkpatrick – lead guitar
  • Greg Smith – keyboards
  • Wyatt Blair – bass/guitar
  • Chris Wadhams – bass
  • Jim Blair – drums

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbum detailsPeak chart
positions
US
[13] 		SWI
[14] 		CAN

[15]

GER

[16]

1984 Animotion 28—21—
1986 Strange Behavior 7121—19
1989Animotion (Room to Move)110———
2017Raise Your Expectations————
—"—" denotes releases that did not chart

+ The band's self-titled debut album was re-titled The Language of Attraction for its Canadian release (which also omitted the song "Turn Around") [19]

Compilation albums

YearAlbum details
1996Obsession: The Best of Animotion
  • Release date: April 1996
  • Label: Mercury Records
200620th Century Masters: The Best of Animotion

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positions Certifications
(sales threshold)		Album
US CB [20] US
[21] 		US AC
[22] 		US Dan
[23] 		CAN
[24] 		AUT
[25] 		GER
[26] 		NZ
[27] 		SWI
[28] 		UK
[29] 		SA
[30] 		NL

[31]

1984"Obsession"66—35717810—5942 Animotion
1985"Let Him Go"3539————41——78——
1986"I Engineer"—76—27—192—6—4— Strange Behavior
"I Want You"7484————27—————
1989"Room to Move"12946—11——34—87——Animotion (Room to Move)
"Calling It Love"5453——————————
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Related Research Articles

Real Life are an Australian new wave and synth-pop band that achieved international chart success with their 1983 singles "Send Me an Angel" and "Catch Me I'm Falling", both of which were taken from their debut studio album, Heartland (1983). The band originally consisted of David Sterry, Richard Zatorski, Allan Johnson (bass), and Danny Simcic (drums). Steve Williams (keyboards) replaced Zatorski in 1986, and was replaced by George Pappas in 1995 after a long hiatus of band activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burning Love</span> 1972 single by Elvis Presley

"Burning Love" is a 1972 song by Elvis Presley, written by Dennis Linde, originally released by Arthur Alexander earlier in 1972. Presley found major success with the song, it becoming his final Top 10 hit in the American Hot 100 or pop charts, peaking at number 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lettermen</span> American male pop vocal trio

The Lettermen are an American male pop vocal trio whose trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. The group started in 1959. They have had two Top 10 singles, 16 Top 10 singles on the Adult Contemporary chart, 32 consecutive Billboard chart albums, 11 gold records, and five Grammy nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fray</span> American rock band

The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut studio album, How to Save a Life (2005) was released by Epic Records and received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as well as platinum certification in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Its release was supported by their first hit single, "Over My Head ", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The band saw their furthest success with its follow-up, "How to Save a Life", which peaked at number three on the chart and was also a hit in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Both songs received Grammy Award nominations: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Hot Chili Peppers discography</span>

Since 1983, the American funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers has released 13 studio albums, two live albums, 12 compilation albums, 11 video albums, five extended plays, 66 singles, and 53 music videos. To date, the band has sold over 120 million records worldwide. According to the RIAA the Chili Peppers have 6× Multi-Platinum, 2× Platinum and 3× Gold albums in the US, totalling 28.5m. They also have 9× Multi-Platinum, 3× Platinum and 6× Gold singles too, totalling 46m. They have been nominated for 19 Grammy Awards, of which they have won 6. They have the most no.1 singles (15), the most cumulative weeks at no.1 (91) and most top-10 songs (28) on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen discography</span> Cataloguing of published recordings by Queen

British rock band Queen have released 15 studio albums, 10 live albums, 16 compilation albums, 2 soundtrack albums, 2 extended plays, 73 singles, and 7 promotional singles. Queen was formed in London by Freddie Mercury, Brian May (guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums), and in 1971, John Deacon (bassist) became a member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obsession (Animotion song)</span> Song by Animotion

"Obsession" is a 1983 song by Holly Knight and Michael Des Barres, covered in 1984 by American synth-pop band Animotion. The song hit number six in the United States, and number five in the United Kingdom in June 1985, helped by a distinctive video that MTV played frequently. "Obsession" also hit the top 40 on the US dance chart, twice: once in 1984 ; then in 1986, as a double-sided hit, along with the track "I Engineer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-ha discography</span>

The discography of A-ha, a Norwegian synthpop/rock band, consists of eleven studio albums, eight compilation albums, six box sets, ten extended plays, and fifty singles. This list does not include solo material or other projects recorded by A-ha band members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bananarama discography</span>

English group Bananarama have released 12 studio albums, two live albums, 16 compilation albums, two extended plays, 51 singles and four video albums.

Paul Engemann is an American former pop singer. He is best known for performing vocals on the 1983 Giorgio Moroder song "Scarface ", which was featured prominently in the film Scarface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison discography</span>

The following is a comprehensive discography of Poison, an American glam metal band that achieved huge success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. Poison sold more than 16 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including six Top 10 singles and the Hot 100 number-one single, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". The band became icons of the 1980s MTV era and have had widespread commercial success. The band's breakthrough debut album, the multi-platinum Look What the Cat Dragged In was released in 1986 and they hit their peak with the second album, the multi-platinum selling Open Up and Say... Ahh! which became the band's most successful album ever. The popularity continued into the new decade with their third consecutive multi-platinum selling album Flesh & Blood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Device (pop-rock band)</span> American pop-rock trio

Device was an American pop-rock trio from the mid 1980s, formed by keyboardist, bassist and vocalist Holly Knight. It also included frontman Paul Engemann and guitarist Gene Black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boondocks (song)</span> Song co-written and recorded by American country music group Little Big Town

"Boondocks" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music group Little Big Town. It was released in May 2005 as the first single from their second studio album The Road to Here. It became their first Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. It was written by Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads, Phillip Sweet, Jimi Westbrook and Wayne Kirkpatrick. The song is one of the band's most enduring and popular hits and they often perform it at the end of their concerts.

"Room to Move" is a pop song written by Simon Climie, Rob Fisher and Dennis Morgan. It first appeared on Climie Fisher's debut album Everything, released in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonesome Day</span> 2002 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Lonesome Day" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and initially performed by Springsteen and the E Street Band. It is the opening track of his 2002 album The Rising. It was released as a single as the follow-up to the title track on December 2, 2002 and reached #36 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart, #39 in the UK, and #47 in Sweden. It fared much better on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, reaching #3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Huron</span> American indie folk band

Lord Huron is an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles. The band is composed of Mark Barry, Miguel Briseño, Tom Renaud (guitar) and its founder, Ben Schneider. Following some solo and self-produced EPs, the group's debut album Lonesome Dreams was released in 2012 and their fourth and most recent album Long Lost was released in May 2021.

<i>Animotion</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Animotion

Animotion is the self-titled debut album from Los Angeles synthpop sextet Animotion. It was released in 1984 on Mercury Records and features the group's biggest hit single, "Obsession".

<i>Strange Behavior</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Animotion

Strange Behavior is an album by Animotion released by Casablanca Records. It was the last album to be released by Casablanca before the record label folded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haddaway</span> Trinidadian-German singer

Nestor Alexander Haddaway is a Trinidadian-born German singer best known for his 1993 hit single "What Is Love", which reached number 1 in 13 countries.

"Let Him Go" is a 1985 song by American synthpop band Animotion from their self-titled debut album. The song was their second single to reach the top 40 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100, the first being "Obsession". The song also reached number 41 in Germany and number 78 in the United Kingdom. The song, in both 7" and 12" edits, appeared on the band's greatest hits album 20th Century Masters: The Best of Animotion.

References

  1. ↑ "Allmusic bio". All Media Guide . Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Valcourt, Keith (October 4, 2016). "Animotion: 'Beyond the Obsession'". The Washington Times. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "animotion". Lost 80s Live!. January 5, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  4. ↑ History of the band Sideshow, which briefly included Frenchy O'Brien Archived October 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 9, 2011.
  5. ↑ Chiu, David (July 24, 2015). "Animotion Talks About the Hit Song That's Been an 'Obsession'". PopMatters . Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Geller, Wendy (January 18, 2017). "Album Premiere: Hear Animotion's First New Set in 26 Years". Yahoo. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Animotion - Raise". Dutch Charts. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  8. ↑ Lynch, Joe (December 14, 2016). "'80s Hitmakers Animotion Debut New Single 'Last Time' From First Album In 28 Years". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  9. ↑ Zupko, Sarah (March 13, 2017). "Animotion – "Last Time" (video) (premiere)". popmatters. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  10. ↑ Lynch, Joe (December 14, 2016). "'80s Hitmakers Animotion Debut New Single 'Last Time' From First Album In 28 Years: Exclusive". billboard. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  11. ↑ "David O'Brien 1947 - 2019". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  12. ↑ Jones, Damien (January 23, 2023). "Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop lead Cruel World Festival 2023 line-up with other acts including the Human League". NME. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Animotion Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". hitparade.ch. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  15. ↑ "RPM100 Albums". Library and Archives Canada. June 8, 1985. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Animotion" . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Animotion - Raise Your Expectations". Invisible Hands Music. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Raise Your Expectations by Animotion". Apple Music. December 2, 2016. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  19. ↑ Animotion – The Language of Attraction @Discogs.com Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  20. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996 . Sheridan Books, Inc. ISBN   978-0-89820-209-0.
  21. ↑ "Animotion Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Animotion Chart History". billboard. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Animotion Album & Song Chart History – Dance/Club Songs". Billboard . Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Results – RPM – Library and Archives Canada – Top Singles". RPM . Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  25. ↑ "austriancharts.at – Austria Top 40". austriancharts.at. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  26. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts – German Singles". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  27. ↑ "charts.nz – New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". hitparade.ch. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  29. ↑ "The Official Charts Company – Animotion". Official Charts Company . Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  30. ↑ "South African Charts 1969-1989: Artists (A)".
  31. ↑ "Dutch Charts". dutchcharts. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Gold & Platinum Search – Music Canada – Animotion". Music Canada. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.