Rosetta Stone (1970s band)

Last updated

Rosetta Stone were a Northern Irish pop rock band from Downpatrick, Northern Ireland, which included the ex-guitarist of the Bay City Rollers, Ian Mitchell. The group released two albums and one EP before dissolving in 1984.

The genesis of Rosetta Stone came in 1973, as childhood friends Mitchell, Terry McKee, Damian McKee, and Colin McKee (not the footballer Colin McKee) formed a band called Young City Stars. They played local clubs and dance halls, often opening concerts for the Bay City Rollers with their sound engineer Brian Herron.

In early 1976, Mitchell left the Young City Stars to join the Bay City Rollers. He was replaced by Belfast-born guitarist Andy LeGear. Mitchell would return later that year as the group, now managed by Rollers manager Tam Paton, changed their name to Rosetta Stone. In 1977, Rosetta Stone signed with Private Stock Records. They appeared on Marc Bolan's TV show Marc performing their single, a cover of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love". Their eponymous debut album (known as Rock Pictures in some territories) was released in the United States in May 1978. A second album, Caught in the Act, followed in 1979.

In early 1979 Ian Mitchell once again departed, to be replaced by Paul "Flash" Lerwill. Lerwill (a former Edinburgh DJ at local hotspot "Clouds"). Lerwill left the band in 1982 and was replaced by Enda Walsh. That same year the EP Hiding From Love was released, after which the group permanently disbanded. The tracks "Hiding from Love", "Remember" and "Straight from the Heart", were all penned by Bryan Adams. "Hiding From Love", which had previously been a #64 hit in Canada for Adams in 1980, became a bigger hit for Rosetta Stone, where it reached #46 in Canada in 1982. Adams would later record his own version of "Straight From the Heart" in 1983, and made it a Top 20 hit in Canada and a Top 10 hit in the US. Soon after their Roadie Brian left the band due to family commitments and went on to produce his own record label in Miami, Florida, US.

There have been a number of Rosetta Fests (reunions) where the band have performed together again. The final fest, was held in Toronto in September 2007. [1] In 2012 they held a sold out reunion show in their hometown at Mullan's Bar, Downpatrick.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay City Rollers</span> Scottish pop rock band

The Bay City Rollers are a Scottish pop rock band known for their worldwide teen idol popularity in the 1970s. They have been called the "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh" and are one of many acts heralded as the "biggest group since the Beatles".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Misfits (band)</span> American horror punk band

The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the pioneers of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. The group was founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Glenn Danzig. Danzig's first recruit to the Misfits was drummer Mr. Jim and bassist Diane DiPazza, however, DiPiazza never showed up. Mr. Jim was replaced by Manny Martinez shortly after. Jerry Only joined on bass guitar shortly after. Over the next six years, membership would change frequently, with Danzig and Only being the sole consistent members. During this time period, they released several EPs and singles, and with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with bassist Jerry Only being the only constant member in the group.

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

The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the following year. Their follow-up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, reached the top of the Billboard 200 in 1992. The albums Amorica (1994), Three Snakes and One Charm (1996), By Your Side (1999), and Lions (2001) followed, with each showing moderate popularity but failing to capture the chart successes of the band's first two albums. After a hiatus from 2002 to 2005, the band regrouped and toured for several years before releasing Warpaint in 2008, which reached number 5 on the Billboard chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counting Crows</span> American rock band

Counting Crows is an American rock band from the San Francisco Bay area, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, multi-instrumentalist David Immerglück, bass guitarist Millard Powers, and guitarist Dan Vickrey. Past members include the drummers Steve Bowman (1991–1994) and Ben Mize (1994–2002), and bass guitarist Matt Malley (1991–2005).

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

Sponge is an American rock band formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1992 by vocalist Vinnie Dombroski, guitarist Mike Cross, bassist Tim Cross, drummer Jimmy Paluzzi, and guitarist Joey Mazzola. Dombroski and the Cross brothers were previously in the hard rock band Loudhouse, with Mazzola joining later before the end of the band's tenure. Sponge's discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums, and several charting singles. They are best known for their 1994 hit "Plowed", their 1995 hit "Molly ", and their 1996 hit "Wax Ecstatic ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men Without Hats</span> Canadian synthpop and new wave band

Men Without Hats are a Canadian new wave and synth-pop band, originally from Montreal, Quebec. Their music is characterized by the baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk, as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing. They achieved their greatest popularity in the 1980s with "The Safety Dance", a worldwide top ten hit, and "Pop Goes the World". After a hiatus for most of the 1990s and 2000s, Doroschuk reformed the band in 2010, and released Love in the Age of War (2012). The group, based in Vancouver, has continued to perform, including tour dates announced in support of the release of two studio albums, Men Without Hats Again , in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead</span> American post-hardcore band

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, were an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's earliest stable lineup consisted of Conrad Keely, Jason Reece, Kevin Allen and Neil Busch, though for most of the band's history Keely and Reece were the core members with other musicians serving for varying lengths of time. Trail of Dead gathered a hardcore of fans and were well known for their energetic and protracted live performances. Between 1998 and 2023, the band released eleven studio albums and five EPs along with one live album and twenty-two singles. The artwork for all of the albums was created by Keely using various media. This artwork has strong and recurring mythical and historical themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prism (band)</span> Canadian rock band

Prism is a Canadian rock band formed in Vancouver in 1977. They were originally active from 1977 to 1984 and have been active again from 1987 to present. Their classic line-up consisted of lead singer Ron Tabak, guitarist Lindsay Mitchell, keyboardist John Hall, bassist Allen Harlow and drummer Rocket Norton.

Thomas Dougal "Tam" Paton was a pop group manager, most notably of the Scottish boy band the Bay City Rollers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Throwdown (band)</span> American metal band

Throwdown is an American heavy metal band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1997, the band has endured numerous lineup changes to the point where no original members remain. Throwdown has toured as part of Ozzfest, Sounds of the Underground, Hellfest, and Warped Tour, as well as with bands such as In Flames, Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Korn and Cavalera Conspiracy. The songs "Forever" and "Burn" were staples on MTV2's Headbangers Ball and Revolver Magazine called them part of "The Future of Metal" after hearing the album Vendetta. Initially branded a hardcore punk band, albums like Venom and Tears and Deathless took a sharp turn towards metal, with critics likening the band's sound to that of Pantera and Sepultura. The band are straight edge.

Nicholas George Gilder is a British-Canadian musician who first came to prominence as the frontman for the glam rock band Sweeney Todd. He later had a successful solo career as a singer/songwriter.

Sweeney Todd is a Canadian glam rock band formed in Vancouver in 1975. The band's original lead vocalist Nick Gilder left the band to start a solo career, and was replaced by a 16-year-old Bryan Adams, who later enjoyed international success as a solo artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les McKeown</span> Scottish pop singer (1955–2021)

Leslie Richard McKeown was a Scottish singer. He was the lead vocalist of the pop rock band Bay City Rollers during their most successful period in the 1970s.

<i>Dedication</i> (Bay City Rollers album) 1976 studio album by Bay City Rollers

Dedication is an album by the Bay City Rollers, issued in September 1976. It was the band's fourth original studio album, and the first new album to be released in the wake of their enormous worldwide success of early 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick</span> Grammar school in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland

<i>Its a Game</i> (Bay City Rollers album) 1977 studio album by Bay City Rollers

It's a Game is an album by the Scottish group Bay City Rollers, issued in the summer of 1977.

Brighton Rock is a Canadian hard rock band, who released three albums in their home country during the 1980s and 1990s. They broke up in 1991, before reuniting and releasing a live album in 2002.

Tim Moore is an American pop singer and songwriter who recorded four albums for Asylum Records in the 1970s. Moore's songs were praised by critics and admired by a diverse range of peers including Keith Richards, Jimmy Webb, James Taylor and Michael McDonald.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreadful Shadows</span> German rock band

Dreadful Shadows is a German rock band formed in 1993 in Berlin. Initially part of the gothic rock and dark wave movement, the band had developed considerably by the time of the release of their debut album, incorporating metal elements and modern electronics, causing the band to be considered part of the gothic metal genre. Dreadful Shadows disbanded in 2000 to work on separate projects.

Gregory Gray, born Paul Lerwill, was a Northern Irish singer and songwriter. He began his career as a member of Rosetta Stone, a 1970s boy band, and became an influential cult musician who made indie music and videos under the pseudonym Mary Cigarettes. He published his work on online platforms such as YouTube and SoundCloud. During the course of his career his musical style ranged over an eclectic spectrum of pop, post-punk, indie rock, electronic dance music, jazz and folk.

References

  1. "Rosetta Stone Fest Information Page". Archived from the original on 14 January 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2007.