The Hooters
Best-remembered for a string of mid-'80s hits including the MTV staple "And We Danced," Philadelphia rockers the Hooters were led by singer/keyboardist Rob Hyman and singer/guitarist Eric Bazilian, whose longtime creative partnership also yielded hits for artists including Cyndi Lauper and Joan Osborne. Hyman and Bazilian first teamed in the group Baby Grand, which also included future producer Rick Chertoff; after a pair of LPs for Arista, the band dissolved in 1978, with the Hooters forming soon after.
Also including guitarist John Lilley, bassist Rob Miller, and drummer David Uosikkinen, the group honed an eclectic blend of rock, folk, and ska, taking their name from the melodica, or "hooter," which lent their sound its distinctive edge; while the Hooters earned a devoted cult following at home in Philadelphia, Hyman and Bazilian also enjoyed busy careers as composers and session players, most notably contributing extensively to Cyndi Lauper's 1983 blockbuster She's So Unusual. The album was produced by Chertoff, who co-wrote the oft-covered ballad "Time After Time" with Hyman.
The Hooters' debut LP, Amore, appeared on the tiny local imprint Antenna in 1983 as well, and the group issued its major-label debut, Nervous Night, in 1985 upon signing to Columbia. The record fell just shy of the Top Ten on the strength of a series of chart hits including "All You Zombies," "And We Danced," "Day by Day," and "Where Do the Children Go"; the follow-up, 1987's One Way Home, also went gold, although no more hits were forthcoming (at least at home; the single "Satellite" was a smash overseas).
Despite their initial success, the Hooters' fortunes continued to dim. After 1989's Zig Zag failed to reach the Hot 100, Columbia dropped the group, and only in 1993 did they resurface on MCA with the little-noticed Out of Body. The following year's The Hooters Live would precede a lengthy hiatus for the group, although Hyman and Bazilian continued their busy writing and arranging careers, appearing on albums from artists ranging from Sophie B. Hawkins to Jon Bon Jovi. In 1995 the duo composed much of Joan Osborne's breakthrough, Relish, including the Grammy-nominated "One of Us."
The Hooters eased back into action early in the 2000s, first playing a local radio gig in Philadelphia before mounting a full reunion tour of Germany in 2003. For the few years, the Hooters played regularly, resuming their recording career in 2007 with Time Stand Still. The group continued to play gigs, occasionally issuing live albums. Both Sides Live appeared in 2008. Almost a decade later, the group released Give the Music Back in 2017.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo
Similar artists
-
-
500 Miles - The Best Of
Pop/Rock - Released by Sony Music Entertainment on 22 Oct 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Super Hits
Pop/Rock - Released by Columbia - Legacy on 12 May 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Playlist: The Very Best of The Hooters
Rock - Released by Columbia - Legacy on 31 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Give the Music Back - Live Double Album
Rock - Released by Hooters Music on 23 Jun 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Both Sides Live (Live at the Secret Sessions)
Rock - Released by Hooters Music on 29 Sep 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
All You Zombies
Pop/Rock - Released by Sony Music Catalog on 7 May 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hooterization: A Retrospective
Pop/Rock - Released by Columbia - Legacy on 3 Sep 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Definitive Collection
Pop/Rock - Released by Columbia on 26 May 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
Hooterization: A Retrospective
Pop/Rock - Released by Columbia - Legacy on 3 Sep 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Time Stand Still
Rock - Released by Hooters Music on 14 Sep 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Super Hits
Pop/Rock - Released by Columbia - Legacy on 12 May 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo