Starz
They had it all -- songs that managed to be both rocking yet melodic (think a merger of Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Kiss), a hunk of a frontman, a pyro-heavy stage show the featured lots of shooting sparks, the same management as Kiss -- but for whatever reason, Starz just didn't hit the big time. The group's roots can be traced back to the early-'70s pop band Looking Glass, which scored a number one hit single, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" in 1972. And it was Looking Glass' rhythm section that would be transplanted to Starz -- bassist Peter Sweval and drummer Jeff Grob (who went under the colorful name Joe. X. Dube upon becoming a member of Starz) -- who were joined by guitarists Richie Ranno and Brendan Harkin, as well as singer Michael Lee Smith (brother of '70s teen heartthrob Rex Smith). Signed to Capitol Records, the label issued the self-titled debut from Starz in 1976, followed by Violation in 1977, Attention Shoppers! in 1978, and Coliseum Rock in 1979. Along the way, the group issued their share of arena-worthy anthems ("Detroit Girls," "Violation"), had some close calls with songs that should have been hit singles ( "Cherry Baby," "Sing It, Shout It"), opened for the era's biggest bands (Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Rush), and Ranno even guested on Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album. But Starz just didn't translate to the masses, and by 1980, they were kaput. In the wake of their split, the group retained a sizable cult following, as quite a few hair metal acts later in the decade were quite vocal about their Starz fandom (Poison, Cinderella, Bon Jovi). A steady stream of releases from the vault appeared -- especially after the launch of the official Starz website -- including a live set recorded in 1978 that has been reissued several times over the years, Live in Louisville, which offers proof that Starz could easily stand alongside the era's big boys of rock (despite including some of the most ridiculous stage raps you'll ever hear on a live recording). The early 21st century saw all of the group's studio albums remastered and reissued via Rykodisc, which resulted in Starz reuniting for live shows -- something they've sporadically done ever since.
© Greg Prato /TiVo
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Coliseum Rock
Rock - Erschienen bei CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) am 30.03.1978
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Violation (Expanded Edition)
Rock - Erschienen bei CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) am 01.05.1977
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Attention Shoppers!
Rock - Erschienen bei CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) am 01.01.1978
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Starz
Rock - Erschienen bei CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) am 21.08.1976
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Brightest Starz: Anthology
Rock - Erschienen bei CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) am 25.04.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live In Louisville
Rock - Erschienen bei Starzcentral am 01.01.1978
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Back in the Day
Rock - Erschienen bei Starzcentral am 01.01.2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Extended Versions
Rock - Erschienen bei Sony - BMG am 01.01.2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live in Cleveland
Rock - Erschienen bei Starzcentral am 01.01.2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Greatest Hits Live
Rock - Erschienen bei GB Music Ltd. am 01.01.1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jamais (feat. Lheg)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Erschienen bei 5877173 Records DK am 10.04.2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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No Te Creas Tan Importante (feat. Flow & New Tropical Swing)
Alternativ und Indie - Erschienen bei Starz am 01.01.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
ORDP 3 (feat. Poizon & Joker)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Erschienen bei 5877173 Records DK am 17.10.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shooting Flow
Hip-Hop/Rap - Erschienen bei 1k Entertainment am 15.06.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Run up a Bag
Hip-Hop/Rap - Erschienen bei Danny Blair Entertainment am 29.03.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
ON (feat. Atom RMS) (instrumental)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Erschienen bei 5989230 Records DK am 18.12.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -