The band was originally formed in 1981 by Johnnie Dee (vocals, guitar), Brad Bent (keyboards, vocals) and Mike Lengyell (drums, formerly with The Diodes). By 1983, the line-up changed, with Dee (the only original remaining member) now on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, along with new recruits Derry Grehan on lead guitar and Dave Betts on drums, both of whom had recorded two albums as members of Toronto-based new wave group Steve Blimkie and the Reason.[2] Grehan became the band's primary songwriter, and penned "New Girl Now," which won them an unsigned band contest put on by Torontoradio stationQ107.[3]
Various keyboard players and bassists came and left during this time, but on the strength of "New Girl Now," WEA Canada signed the band to the label. Ray Coburn was added as a permanent new member on keyboards as the sessions got underway for the group's debut LP, but the band still had no bass player so bassist Brian Brackstone was recruited as a session player. Brackstone played on the entire album; bassist Gary Lalonde (formerly with Rose and Toronto) was added to the line-up after the album was completed and appeared in the album's group photos and played with the band live.
The band's self-titled debut album, produced by Tom Treumuth, was released in June 1984. The album featured four charting hits in Canada: a completely re-recorded version of "New Girl Now," "Burning In Love," "Wave Babies," and "Stay In the Light." "New Girl Now" was also Honeymoon Suite's first single to reach the top-50 in the United States.
Their follow-up album, The Big Prize, produced by Bruce Fairbairn, was equally successful in Canada with four more hits: "Bad Attitude," "Feel It Again," "What Does It Take," and "All Along You Knew." Grehan still wrote the lion's share of the band's material, but Dee and Coburn also contributed songs to this album; "Feel It Again", a Coburn composition, reached the Top 40 in the US, while Grehan's "What Does It Take" reached #52, buoyed by its inclusion on the soundtrack for the John Cusack film One Crazy Summer. In 1989, "Bad Attitude" was featured in the series finale of Miami Vice, played during a Ferrari driving segment that mirrored one from the series' pilot episode, continuing throughout Crockett and Tubbs' final battle.
1986–2001
In 1986, keyboardist Ray Coburn left the band, replaced by Rob Preuss of Burlington, Ontario-based Spoons. Also during 1986, the band produced the track "Those Were the Days" for the Charlie Sheen film The Wraith.
In the spring of 1987, the band performed the title track for the Mel Gibson film Lethal Weapon, which was composed by Michael Kamen. In the winter of 1987, the band started work on their third album in L.A. Unfortunately, Johnnie Dee was hit by a car at LAX airport, breaking his leg in several places and required surgery to insert a ten-inch pin to help the leg heal properly.[3] While Dee was recovering in the hospital, one-time Doobie Brothers member Michael McDonald was brought in to help out with the recording sessions; he wrote lyrics and sang back up on "Long Way Back," a forthcoming track for their next album.
In 1988, their third album was finally released: Racing After Midnight, produced by Ted Templeman (of Van Halen fame) and Jeff Hendrickson. That album made the top 10 in Canada, but was not as successful in the U.S. Singles included "Love Changes Everything," "Looking Out for Number One," "Cold Look" (Europe only), and "It's Over Now." By now, while Grehan was still the primary songwriter, Dee and Preuss frequently co-wrote with Grehan.
In 1989, the band released their first greatest hits compilation, The Singles, which included two new charting singles in Canada: "Still Loving You" and "Long Way," both written by Grehan. Preuss left and Coburn rejoined the band in time to embark on "The Singles" tour, which would turn out to be the last tour featuring the band's classic line-up until 2007.
By 1991, Lalonde and Betts had left the band, and were replaced by Steve Webster (from Billy Idol's band) on bass, and Jorn Anderson (from Fludd and Alannah Myles) on drums. The band returned to the studio to craft Monsters Under the Bed with Paul Northfield producing and the team of Grehan/Coburn/Dee was responsible for the songwriting. Singles "Say You Don't Know Me" and "The Road" were moderately successful in Canada.
Ray Coburn left the band again after the release of this album and was replaced on keyboards by Peter Nunn. Jorn Anderson also left the band during this time and was replaced by drummer Creighton Doane (from Harem Scarem) for the Monsters Under the Bed Tour. Creighton continued to play drums with the band for next few years, appearing on their first live album 13 Live released in 1995.
The band continued to tour in the '90s, although many line-up changes continued to occur, with only Dee and Grehan remaining as the consistent members. Sass Jordan bassist Stan Miczek joined in 1998 for the first of his 3 two-year stints with the band.
In 2002, they released their first new studio album in 11 years, Lemon Tongue. Playing on the album were Grehan and Dee, who were by now the group's only official members, and who also wrote all the songs as a team. Also appearing on Lemon Tongue were Peter Nunn and Gary Brent on keyboards; Rob Laidlaw on bass; and Randy Cooke on drums. The album was released on an independent label and leaned towards a more artistic and adventurous direction than their previous rock releases.[4] The European release of this album was titled Dreamland and featured many track changes, dropping five songs and adding four others, including a remake of their 1989 Canadian hit "Still Lovin' You." The credited band on the Dreamland album (and presumably the band that recorded the new tracks) consisted of Dee, Grehan, Laidlaw, Nunn and new drummer Bret Carrigan.
In 2004, Dee released a solo album (Songs in Dee) featuring backing by the other members of Honeymoon Suite, along with guest musicians such as Kim Mitchell and Rik Emmett.
In 2006, the band released another greatest hits collection entitled Feel It Again: An Anthology, a 2-CD set featuring most of the band's singles, selected album tracks, and rare and unreleased material.
In June 2007, the band officially announced the return of a reunited classic line-up of Johnnie Dee, Derry Grehan, Ray Coburn, Gary Lalonde, and Dave Betts. The band toured extensively throughout Canada in 2007 and 2008. However, only Johnnie Dee and Derry Grehan appeared on the new 2008 CD Clifton Hill, produced by Tom Treumuth (who produced the self-titled Honeymoon Suite debut album in 1984), and named after the famous landmark in the centre of the tourist activity in Niagara Falls. The album was released in Canada in late September 2008 on Koch Records and subsequently by Italian melodic rock label Frontiers Records on October 10, 2008. The new album is described by guitarist Derry Grehan as "somewhat of a return musically to the sound that we had in the '80s."
In 2009, the band continued to tour Canada and select Northeastern United States cities. However, on September 1, 2009, it was announced that the band had again parted ways with original keyboardist Ray Coburn. Peter Nunn returned to the band's line-up to replace him for the second time.[5] The band made an appearance at Firefest 6 Nottingham, England in October, 2009.[6]
On 18 November 2016, Honeymoon Suite released a 9 track EP, the first new music in 8 years, titled Hands Up on PledgeMusic website.[7]
In February 2017, it was announced that Honeymoon Suite would appear at Rockingham Festival 2017, this to be held at Nottingham Trent University, UK, between 20 and 22 October 2017, the band scheduled to appear on Friday 20th.[8] In the months approaching Rockingham 2017, the band cancelled their show to pursue a different opportunity. Their slot was replaced by John Parr.
On 26 September 2019, the band released their new single "Tell Me What You Want" on YouTube. On 19 June 2020, they issued another single entitled "Find What You're Looking For."
On February 16, 2024, Honeymoon Suite released their new album entitled "Alive" through Frontiers music.[9]
Touch is an American rock band from New York City formed in 1978. The band consists of Mark Mangold, Glen Kithcart (drums), Craig Brooks (guitars), and Doug Howard. Mangold, Kithcart, and Brooks had previously been in the band American Tears and had released three albums under Columbia Records.
Spoons is a Canadian new wave band, formed in Burlington, Ontario in 1979. They recorded several Canadian chart hits between 1982 and 1989, and in 1983, they were nominated for Most Promising Group of the Year at the Juno Awards. Their most popular songs include "Romantic Traffic", "Nova Heart", "Old Emotions", and "Tell No Lies".
The Desert Rose Band was an American country rock band from Los Angeles, California, founded in 1985 by Chris Hillman, with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson. The original lineup included Bill Bryson on bass guitar, JayDee Maness on pedal steel guitar, and Steve Duncan on drums. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band charted several hit singles on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts until disbanding in February 1994.
Idle Eyes is a Canadian rock and roll band from Vancouver, British Columbia. They are best known for the Canadian hit single "Tokyo Rose", which peaked at #16 on RPM's Canadian singles chart in June 1985. There is also a Hardcore band from Australia with the same name.
Frozen Ghost, stylized as Frōzen Ghōst, was a Canadian rock band formed in 1985 in Toronto by Arnold Lanni and Wolf Hassel, who were previously with the band Sheriff. The band received a Juno Award for "Most Promising Group of the Year" in 1987.
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The Big Prize is the second album by Honeymoon Suite, released in 1986. It featured four hit singles, including the band's biggest hit in the U.S., "Feel It Again," and "Bad Attitude," which was notably featured in a sequence in the final episode of Miami Vice 4 years later. In 1990 the album was certified Triple Platinum in Canada by the CRIA.
Harem Scarem is a Canadian hard rock/melodic hard rock band from Toronto, Ontario. Harem Scarem initially achieved popularity in their native Canada and Japan. The band was active from 1987 to 2008, and again from 2013 after reforming. Throughout their career, they have released 15 studio albums, plus numerous live and compilation albums, and a re-record of Mood Swings in 2013. Totals record sales are in excess of one million worldwide.
John Richard DeGiuli, known as Johnnie Dee, is a Canadian rock vocalist best known as the lead singer for the rock band Honeymoon Suite. Dee and guitarist Derry Grehan formed Honeymoon Suite in Niagara Falls, Ontario in the early 1980s. Together they produced five studio albums and numerous hits including songs such as "New Girl Now" and "Feel It Again" which were both featured on the Miami Vice TV series. In 1986, Honeymoon Suite won a Juno Award for "Group of the Year" and was also nominated that same year for "Album of the Year".
"New Girl Now" is a song by the Canadian rock band Honeymoon Suite. It was written by Derry Grehan, and released as a single in 1984, from the album Honeymoon Suite. The single reached No. 23 in Canada and No. 57 in the United States.
Dermot Fergus "Derry" Grehan is a Canadian guitarist best known as a member of the rock band Honeymoon Suite. The band was co-founded by Johnnie Dee, keyboardist and vocalist Brad Bent, and drummer Mike Lengyell in 1981.
Born Ruffians are a Canadian indie rock band based in Toronto. Officially founded in 2004 in the Georgian Bay town of Midland, Ontario, the band is composed of frontman Luke Lalonde, bassist Mitch DeRosier, drummer Steve Hamelin, and keyboardist Maddy Wilde. During the 2010s, they were also joined by Andy Lloyd (guitar/keyboards) and Adam Hindle (drums). Born Ruffians released their debut album Red, Yellow & Blue in 2008, and have since released eight albums in total, including the latest albums being Juice and Squeeze, released in 2020; and Pulp released in 2021.
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Honeymoon Suite is the debut album by Canadian rock band Honeymoon Suite, released in 1984 on Warner Bros. Records. In 1990 it was certified Triple Platinum in Canada. All four singles - "New Girl Now", "Burning in Love", "Wave Babies" and "Stay in the Light" - were also certified Gold in Canada.
Clifton Hill is the seventh studio album by Canadian pop metal band Honeymoon Suite, released in late 2008.
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Racing After Midnight is the third studio album by Canadian pop metal band Honeymoon Suite, released on March 8, 1988. In 1989 the album was certified Double Platinum in Canada. It is also the only Honeymoon Suite album to feature Spoons keyboardist Rob Preuss.
"Feel It Again" is a song by Canadian hard rock band Honeymoon Suite. Written by the band's keyboardist, Ray Coburn and released in 1986 as a single from Honeymoon Suite's second album, The Big Prize, the song was the band's first top 20 hit in Canada and was also the band's biggest stateside hit, reaching #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the week ending May 10, 1986. It remains Honeymoon Suite's only top 40 hit in the U.S. to date.
Monster Truck is a Canadian rock band from Hamilton, Ontario. Members include bassist and vocalist Jon Harvey, guitarist Jeremy Widerman and keyboardist Brandon Bliss.
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References
↑ “Honeymoon Suite.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, February 7, 2006. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/honeymoon-suite-emc.
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