Modern Romance are back!
U Roy On Tour Info Trojan Records 70's Reggae Chartbusters Gregory Isaacs Dennis Bovell Mighty Sparrow
THE ORIGINAL LATIN PARTY SOUND RETURNS
Modern Romance emerged in the summer of 1981, and achieved 8 UK hit singles, and three albums. Appearances on all the major UK T.V. entertainment shows of the time, including �The Russell Harty Show�, �Des O�Connor Tonight�, & �The Kenny Everett Show�, were a regular occurrence, as were spots on Top of the Pops, and various Royal Variety Performances.
On an international level, Modern Romance were extremely popular in Europe. Amongst the countries to be drawn to the Latin sound, for which the band became known, were Spain, Italy, Sweden, Holland, Belgium and Greece. In the Far East, the single �Walking in the Rain� reached No.1. The album �Adventures in Clubland� was No.1 in Venezuela, for which the band received a gold disc. They also achieved success in various other parts of Latin America. The single �Can You Move� reached No. 1 in the U.S. dance charts.
In recent times, the band have been performing in various UK venues. They appeared with the Human League & Limahl (Kajagoogoo), at a special look back at the 80�s night, in conjunction with BBC�s UK Horizons TV, and went down an absolute storm. Following on from that, they performed at many shows with an 80�s theme, featuring ABC, Curiosity, and Howard Jones, which proved to be a massive success, and more similarly themed nights are set for this year.
Modern Romance also performed at the highly acclaimed School Fields Event, on Clapham Common, with ABC, The Human League & Marc Almond, in front of 30,000 people.
They have recently finished recording an album which includes 8 of their hits and two new Latin tracks, for release later in the year.
Last year, the band had to turn down a two week tour of South America, opening in Rio. However, lead singer Andy Kyriacou is confident that they will be able to go later this year, to the place where they have had incredible success in the past, without so much as a single tv appearance or radio interview! In August, they are due to go to Cyprus, for six shows, followed in November, by a one-off show in Ibeza. In between that, it�ll be all over the UK. Also in the pipeline is a 30 date tour of the UK, with sponsorship by major outlets � dates to be confirmed.
Despite the passing of time, the band still have a reputation for being very lively, & having fun on stage. Trumpet player Martin, (ex-Jamiroquai) and keyboard player & Musical Director Chaz, a.k.a. �Da Bat�, (Andy says Chaz is a genius), have on more than one occasion, performed impromptu, unrehearsed, dance routines, which seem to grab the attention � whether for the right reasons or not, is a matter of opinion! Guitarist Simon (also unable to stand still), Bass player Jon, and Percussionist Gabriel (ex-Ricky Martin), complete the line-up. Complete, that is, except for the duo known as the �Love Hearts � the two gorgeous girls (Ellie & Shelley) who provide sweet backing vocals, and visually, lots of colour on stage. Andy may be bringing in a couple more musicians at a later date, to �give things another dimension�.
However, for the time being, 9 bodies on-stage is enough to keep things lively!
A bonus for the band was the release of the movie, �Shrek�, the animated film from Dreamworks. The voices for the main characters were provided by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow. However, the boost for the band was the inclusion of a cover version of the song, �Best Years of Our Lives�. It is played in its entirety, as the credits go up at the end of the film � which means that at the end of the film, everybody is singing / whistling or humming this memorable song! Great stuff, considering the album which the band are due to release, includes a re-recording of �Best Years�, with the possibility of releasing it as a single. The band are currently finalising a record deal, after which a concentrated campaign will begin to actively promote the album and of course, a selected track as a single.
Recently, Andy became interested in the work of ECHO, a charity set up by Chicago Rock Caf�, with whom Modern Romance did some work. The charity was designed to help local hospitals, but specifically, those which treat children. Having two children of his own, as well as a few godchildren and nieces, Andy felt compelled to do something for Echo. As a result of a quick meeting with one of the chiefs at Chicago�s, Andy is now doing a P.A. along with his backing vocalists, the Love Hearts, at the Live Music Festival 2003, with all proceeds going to the charity. The event takes place on Monday 26th May, between 11 am and 5 pm. Andy and the girls are on stage at 1.00 pm. One regret Andy has about this forthcoming event, is that he will not be able to share the stage with one of his boyhood idols, the legendary Edwin Starr. Edwin was due to headline the event, with Andy as a very humble guest act. �I was going to be on the same bill as Edwin Starr � what a buzz that would have been. What a loss, to the music world. I was even going to ask Edwin if I could join in on the chorus of �Eye to Eye contact�, but that�s been shot to pieces. It�s also a big loss to ECHO, as I am sure he would have done so much to raise awareness about the charity. So, I guess it�s down to me this time�.
Back on the subject of Modern Romance in general, Andy intends to work �all over the land�, taking with him his band, and their recipe for fun and sunshine. Whatever the weather, it�s always a sunny Latin party when Modern Romance are in town.
Marcia Griffiths Formerly Of Bob Marley's
I Three Backing vocalists.
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