Baltimora

Last updated

Baltimora
Origin Milan, Italy
Genres
Years active1984–1987
Labels
Past members

Baltimora was an Italian music project from Milan, active from 1984 to 1987. [3] They are best known for their 1985 single "Tarzan Boy" and are often considered a one-hit wonder in the United Kingdom and the United States. In other European countries, including their native Italy, Baltimora scored a follow-up hit "Woody Boogie" the same year.

Contents

History

Early years

In early 1984, Maurizio Bassi, a music producer and musician from Milan, met Jimmy McShane, a native of Derry, Northern Ireland. They decided to form an act fronted by McShane, a trained singer, dancer and actor, who had previously tried to break into the West End theater scene and toured with Dee D. Jackson. [4] [5] McShane and Bassi chose the name Baltimora when, one evening together, McShane took a map of the United States, closed his eyes and happened to place his finger on Baltimore. They changed the final letter to an 'a' to make the name more in keeping with the act's Italian roots. [6]

Bassi recruited prominent Italian sessionmen to record their first album, including Giorgio Cocilovo on guitar and Gabriele "Lele" Melotti on drums. Fellow Italo disco producer Tom Hooker has claimed that Baltimora's lead vocals were performed by Maurizio Bassi, [2] as he'd done with Carrara, with McShane sometimes providing the backing vocals. [7] [8] The bulk of Baltimora's song writing fell on Bassi and American lyricist Naimy Hackett, though McShane wrote the lyrics to their track "Survivor in Love". [9]

Success with "Tarzan Boy"

Baltimora's first single, "Tarzan Boy", was released in April 1985, and became a huge European success, peaking at No. 6 on the Italian single chart and entering the top 5 in numerous European countries, including West Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Norway. [10] [11] The song eventually made it to the United Kingdom charts, where it reached No. 3 in August 1985. [12] [13]

"Tarzan Boy" was released in Canada in October 1985 and peaked on the Canadian charts at No. 5 by the end of the year. [14] However, it took a while for the single to enter the Hot 100 single chart in the United States (where it was released on EMI). When it did, it remained on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six months, peaking at No. 13 in February 1986. [15] Baltimora performed on the American TV show Solid Gold , which helped further their success in America. The second single, "Woody Boogie", which also gained notable success, entered the top 20 in West Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. [11] [16]

Baltimora's first album, Living in the Background, was released in Europe at the end of 1985 and in United States in 1986. Despite the success of "Tarzan Boy", Living in the Background only charted moderately, entering the top 20 album charts only in a few countries in Europe, including Sweden, [17] reaching the no. 49 spot on the US charts. [18]

When Baltimora's second album, Survivor in Love (1987) and the single "Key Key Karimba" failed to chart, Baltimora lost label support and Bassi decided to disband.

Jimmy McShane died of an AIDS-related illness in March 1995. [19]

Studio personnel

Style

Baltimora's music style is mainly described as Italo disco [25] [26] [27] [28] and sometimes as new wave, [3] [29] including their first album, Living in the Background . [30]

Discography

Studio albums

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positions Certifications
CAN
[31] 		SWE
[32] 		US
[18]
Living in the Background
  • Released: 4 September 1985
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: CS, CD, LP
491849
World Re-Mix
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: CS, LP
———
Survivor in Love
  • Released: 1987
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: CD, LP
———
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

TitleAlbum details
Tarzan Boy: The World of Baltimora [34]
  • Release date: 26 November 2010
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: CD, digital download

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positions Certifications Album
ITA
[35] 		AUT
[36] 		CAN
[37] 		FRA
[38] 		GER
[11] 		NED
[39] 		SWE
[32] 		SWI
[40] 		UK
[12] 		US
[18]
"Tarzan Boy"198562513124313Living in the Background
"Woody Boogie"18———2032415114—
"Living in the Background"——96——————87
"Juke Box Boy"1986—————————
"Key Key Karimba"198737—————————Survivor in Love
"Global Love"
(with Linda Wesley)		——————————
"Call Me in the Heart of the Night"1988——————————
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Related Research Articles

<i>Kissing to Be Clever</i> 1982 studio album by Culture Club

Kissing to Be Clever is the debut album by the English band Culture Club, released on 8 October 1982 in the United Kingdom. It includes Culture Club's international breakthrough hit single, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me", which reached number one in the band's native UK and the top 10 of many charts around the world. The album has reportedly sold over 4 million copies worldwide, including over 1 million in the US where it has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy McShane</span> Northern Irish singer (1957–1995)

James Harry McShane was a Northern Irish singer who held both British and Italian citizenship. He achieved recognition as the lead singer of the Italian new wave band Baltimora, most notably with their 1985 hit song "Tarzan Boy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarzan Boy</span> 1985 single by Baltimora

"Tarzan Boy" is the debut single by Italian-based act Baltimora. The song was written by Maurizio Bassi and Naimy Hackett, and released in 1985 as the lead single from Baltimora's debut album Living in the Background. The song was remixed and re-released in 1993, and has been covered by several artists throughout the years.

<i>A Funk Odyssey</i> 2001 studio album by Jamiroquai

A Funk Odyssey is the fifth studio album by English funk band Jamiroquai. The album was released on 3 September 2001 in the United Kingdom by Sony Soho Square and 11 September 2001 by Epic Records in the United States.

<i>Amigos</i> (Santana album) 1976 studio album by Santana

Amigos is the seventh studio album by Santana released in 1976. It generated a minor U.S. hit single in "Let It Shine" and was the band's first album to hit the top ten on the Billboard charts since Caravanserai in 1972. In Europe, the song "Europa" was released as a single and became a top ten hit in several countries.

<i>The Age of Consent</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Bronski Beat

The Age of Consent is the debut album by British synth-pop band Bronski Beat, released on London Records in October 1984. This was the only album released by Bronski Beat to feature Somerville, who departed the band in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paninaro (song)</span> 1986 song by Pet Shop Boys

"Paninaro" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, originally a B-side to the 1986 single "Suburbia". In 1995, a re-recording titled "Paninaro '95" was released to a wider market, to promote the duo's B-side compilation album Alternative, though only the original version was included on the compilation.

<i>Tarzan</i> (1999 soundtrack) 1999 soundtrack album by Phil Collins and Mark Mancina

Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack for the 1999 Disney animated feature film Tarzan. The songs on the soundtrack were composed by Phil Collins and the instrumental score was composed by Mark Mancina. The song "You'll Be in My Heart" won both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, while the soundtrack album won a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album. For his contribution to the soundtrack, Collins received an American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.

<i>Living in the Background</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Baltimora

Living in the Background is the debut studio album by Italian-based act Baltimora, released in the United States in April 1985 by EMI-Manhattan Records and in Europe on 4 September 1985 by EMI.

<i>Lisa Stansfield</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Lisa Stansfield

Lisa Stansfield is the fourth solo studio album by British singer Lisa Stansfield, released by Arista Records on 21 March 1997. It was her first new studio album since 1993's So Natural. Stansfield co-wrote most songs for the album with her husband Ian Devaney. The tracks were produced by Devaney and Peter Mokran. Lisa Stansfield garnered favourable reviews from music critics and was commercially successful, reaching number two in the United Kingdom and receiving Gold certification. In the United States, it spawned four number-one singles on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs. Lisa Stansfield was rereleased as a deluxe 2CD + DVD set in Europe in November 2014.

<i>Survivor in Love</i> 1987 studio album by Baltimora

Survivor in Love is the second and final album by Italy-based act Baltimora. The album, released in 1987, was only issued in select countries, such as Italy, Germany, UK, Japan, and Mexico. It was later re-released in 2003 on CD to many more countries, including the United States and Canada due to the current dance/pop uprise in recent years, as well as for Baltimora fans who had not received the original LP in their home countries. The reason the album was not released in certain countries in 1987 was due to the poor sales of the singles on the group's previous album, Living in the Background.

<i>Get Up and Boogie</i> 1976 studio album by Silver Convention

Get Up and Boogie is the second studio album by the German disco group Silver Convention, and perhaps best known for including the song "Get Up and Boogie", which hit #1 on June 15, 1976 in Canada and reached #2 in the United States. Released in 1976, it proved popular on the dance floors and experienced some commercial success as well, reaching #9 on the Billboard Black Albums chart and #13 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. Critical reception of the album, both back then and today, was mixed, although an Allmusic review called it "a respectable, if uneven, Euro-disco effort that boasts the disco smash 'Get Up and Boogie'". The album has since been released on iTunes in several countries, sometimes under the title Silver Convention.

Tom Hooker or Thomas Barbéy is an American singer and fine art photographer. He was the voice and one of the songwriters behind most songs for popular Italo disco artist Den Harrow. The 2018 documentary Dons of Disco covers Hooker's involvement in the Den Harrow project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Den Harrow</span> Italo disco project

Den Harrow was an Italo disco project from the mid 1980s, with Stefano Zandri as the face of the artist, and Tom Hooker doing most of the vocals. It was revealed many years later that Zandri did not sing on any of their hits and that most of the songs were performed and co-written by Hooker. Den Harrow was conceived by producers Roberto Turatti and Miki Chieregato, who based it on the Italian word denaro (money).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woody Boogie</span> 1985 single by Baltimora

"Woody Boogie" is an Italo disco song recorded and released by Italy-based act Baltimora. Released in 1985, it was the group's second single from their debut album Living in the Background, where it appears as the fourth track. Two promotional videos were created for the single. The song notably features a synthesizer replaying cartoon character Woody Woodpecker’s signature laugh, which is incorporated into the chorus as well as other parts of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juke Box Boy</span> 1986 single by Baltimora

"Juke Box Boy" is an Italo disco song recorded by the Italian act Baltimora and released as the group's only single in 1986. The song itself did not appear on any original studio album although it was included on the 1986 Canadian edition of the band's first album Living in the Background and on the album's 1993 re-issue as a bonus track. The single had a promotional video created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key Key Karimba</span> 1987 single by Baltimora

"Key Key Karimba" is a song by Italo disco act Baltimora, released in 1987 as the lead single from their second and final studio album Survivor in Love. The song was written and produced by Maurizio Bassi.

<i>Ti Amo</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Phoenix

Ti Amo is the sixth studio album by French band Phoenix. It was released on 9 June 2017 by Loyauté and Glassnote Records. Recording began in 2014 at La Gaîté Lyrique in Paris, an arts centre that was built at the site of a theatre. The band promoted the album by releasing three singles and embarking on a world tour. "J-Boy" was the first single, released on 27 April 2017, "Ti Amo" was the second, released on 18 May. The third single, "Goodbye Soleil" was released on 2 June. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. It was a modest commercial success, peaking at number 17 in France and within the top 40 in Australia, Belgium, and Switzerland.

Maurizio Bassi is an Italian music composer and musician. He is best known as the singer of Baltimora along with Naimy Hackett and Jimmy McShane.

References

  1. ↑ Castelli, Vittorio (20 December 1986). "Now Italian Talent Can Make That Vital International Breakthrough". Billboard . Vol. 98, no. 51. p. I-6. ISSN   0006-2510.
  2. 1 2 Hooker, Tom (September 2001). "Tom Hooker – Interview". Italo-disco.net (Interview). Interviewed by Zeljko Vujkovic. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 Monger, Timothy. "Baltimora". AllMusic . Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  4. ↑ Knocking on Heaven's Door: Rock Obituaries – Nick Talevski. Omnibus Press. 7 April 2010. ISBN   9780857121172 . Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  5. ↑ McNeilly, Claire (27 April 2016). "Tragic Derry pop star Jimmy McShane's Tarzan Boy a big hit again thanks to new Wonga ad". Belfast Telegraph . Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  6. ↑ Jimmy McShane (Baltimora) (23 August 1985). Bravo TV (TV). RTL II.
  7. ↑ Marx, Tommy (17 July 2009). "One Hit Wonder: Baltimora". PopMatters . Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "Tom Hooker". Euro-Flash.net. 2004. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013.
  9. ↑ Survivor in Love (liner notes). Baltimora. ESonCD. 1987. Retrieved 4 January 2018.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ "Baltimora – Tarzan Boy" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 "Baltimora" (in German). Official Charts. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Baltimora". Official Charts . Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  13. ↑ Wanner, Cheryl (29 March 1986). "Baltimora: Living in the Background". The Morning Call . p. 59. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  14. ↑ "RPM 100 Singles". RPM . Vol. 43, no. 15. 21 December 1985. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Billboard Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 9. 1 March 1986. p. 66. ISSN   0006-2510.
  16. ↑ "Baltimora – Woody Boogie". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  17. ↑ "Baltimora – Living in the Background". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 "Baltimora – Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  19. ↑ Talevski, Nick (2006). Rock Obituaries: Knocking on Heaven's Door. Omnibus Press. p. 18. ISBN   978-1-84609-091-2.
  20. ↑ "Maurizio Bassi". Discogs . Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  21. 1 2 3 "Baltimora – Survivor In Love (1987) MP3". IsraBox. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  22. ↑ "Giorgio Cocilovo". Dvmark. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  23. ↑ "Pier Michelatti – Collaborazioni" . Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  24. ↑ "Gabriele Melotti". Discogs. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  25. ↑ Piazza, Enrico; Fusaro, Francesco (16 January 2012). "RETROTERRA: Storia dell'Italo Disco" (in Italian). Rockit.it. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  26. ↑ Fabbri, Franco; Plastino, Goffredo (2013). "Italo Disco". Made in Italy: Studies in Popular Music. Routledge. p. 211. ISBN   978-0-415-89976-5.
  27. ↑ Morasca, Fabio (29 July 2013). "Nord Sud Ovest Est, la seconda puntata: Edoardo Bennato, Lollipop, Gazebo e Dj Francesco" (in Italian). TvBlog.it. Retrieved 3 May 2015. si parla del genere Italo Disco e di alcuni suoi rappresentanti: Baltimora, Sandy Marton, Taffy, Ryan Paris, Joe Yellow, Jock Hattle e Den Harrow.
  28. ↑ Suiveng, Yannick (30 October 2013). "Flashback Top 50 : qui était n°1 en octobre 1985 ?". Charts in France (in French). Pure Charts . Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  29. ↑ Gaslin, Glenn; Porter, Rick (1998). The Complete, Cross-referenced Guide to the Baby Buster Generation's Collective Unconscious: Baltimora. Berkley Trade; Boulevard trade pbk. p. 13. ISBN   978-1572973350.
  30. ↑ "60 Great Albums You Probably Haven't Heard". Vulture.com . 10 November 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  31. ↑ Peak positions for Canada:
    • For "Living in the Background": "RPM 100 Albums". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 19. 1 February 1986. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  32. 1 2 "Discography Baltimora". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  33. 1 2 "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada . Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  34. ↑ "Tarzan Boy: The World of Baltimora". EMI Germany. Archived from the original on 10 December 2010.
  35. ↑ For Italian peaks:
    • For "Tarzan Boy": "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 38. 28 September 1985. p. 71. see last week position. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
    • For "Woody Boogie": "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 45. 9 November 1985. p. 75. ISSN   0006-2510.
  36. ↑ "Discographie Baltimora" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  37. ↑ Peak positions for Canada:
    • For "Tarzan Boy": "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 43, no. 15. 21 December 1985. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
    • For "Living in the Background": "RPM 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 44, no. 3. 12 April 1986. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  38. ↑ "Discographie Baltimora" (in French). Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  39. ↑ "Top 40: Baltimora". Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  40. ↑ "The Official Swiss Chart – Search for: Artist: Baltimora". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  41. ↑ "French single certifications – Baltimora" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 15 September 2022.Select BALTIMORA and click OK. 
  42. ↑ "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
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.