OUR FIRST TRACK THAT WE TRIED TO SHOP AROUND WAS A REMAKE OF THE 4 SEASONS SONG WALK LIKE A MAN.  WE THOUGHT IT WOULD GO OVER IN GAY CLUBS DUE TO THE TITLE, AND WORLDS.  WE HAD SOME UK FRIENDS, WHO INVITED US TO STAY WITH THEM IN LONDON, SO WE GOT ON A PLANE TO THE UK, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR LIVES.  WE WERE FINALLY GOING TO SWING IN LONDON (A FANTASY FOR US).  WE BROUGHT ALONG WALK LIKE A MAN, AND STARTED TO MAKE PHONE CALLS TO DANCE LABELS IN TOWN TO SEE IF WE CULD DROP OFF A TAPE.  WE GOT GOOD RESPONSE, BUT NO DEAL.  WE WENT TO DIVINE’S LABEL, AND THEY LOVED IT THE MOST.  WE EVEN GOT TO DO A SHOW AT HEAVEN, THE BIGGEST GAY CLUB IN LONDON.  WHEN WE RETURNED TO NY, WE WENT BACK TO WORK AT MEDIA SOUND.  WE PLANNED TO RELEASE WALK LIKE A MAN ON RECCA.  A MONTH LATER, WE WERE IN OUR LOCAL RECORD SHOP AND TO OUR HORROR WE SEE DIVINE’S NEW 12 INCH, WALK LIKE A MAN, WITH THE EXACT PRODUCTION AS OURS, ONLY WITH DIVINE SINGING.  YES, WE WERE MAD, BUT WE SOMEHOW KNEW THAT WE WERE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.  WE SAID “IT WAS EASY TO PRODUCE THAT SONG.”  WE COULD DO IT WITH ANOTHER.  THIS TIME, LET’S NOT DO A COVER, BECAUSE SOMEONE CAN STEAL IT.  WE HAD ANOTHER FRIEND, MARTY BISI, WHO HAD A STUDIO IN BROOKLYN.  HE WORKED WITH MATERIAL, WHITE ZOMBIE, SONIC YOUTH, HERBIE HANCOCK, AND OTHERS.  WE WENT INTO HIS STUDIO, AND RECORDED HOTTEST OF THE HOT.  IT WAS KIND OF A RIPOFF OF I FEEL LOVE, WITH A LITTLE BRONSKI BEAT, AND DEAD OR ALIVE THROWN IN.  WE RELEASED THAT, AND WALK LIKE A MAN AS A B-SIDE, ON RECCA, UNDER OUR NEW NAME, MAN 2 MAN.  DENNY GOT EVERY HIGH ENERGY DJ IN NY TO PLAY HOT, DURING THE SUMMER OF ’85.  WE GOT A CALL FROM MEXICO, WANTING TO LISCENCE IT.  WE DID, AND IT WENT TO #1 IN MEXICO.  WE WENT DOWN THERE FOR 6 MONTHS, OFF AND ON, AND WORKED AS POP STARS IN MEXICO.  WE WOULD DO SHOWS IN FRONT OF UP TO 10,000 KIDS. THEY LOVE HIGH ENERGY MUSIC.  IN BETWEEN STINTS IN MEXICO, I BUMPED INTO MAN PARRISH IN THE WEST VILLAGE.

Who is Man Parrish?

MAN PARRISH HAD A SONG IN ’83 CALLED HIP HOP BE BOP.  IT WAS A HUGE CLUB AND DANCE RADIO RECORD THEN.  ELECTRO FUNK LIKE PLANET ROCK WAS VERY INFLUENTIAL THEN.  WE MET HIM IN ’85, WHEN HE WAS SIGNED TO MAINMAN MANAGEMENT, AND DOING PRODUCTION.  HE ASKED TO CO-PRODUCE MAN TO MAN. IN ENGLAND, HIS TRACK WAS A POP HIT.  HE WORKED WITH LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, INCLUDING BOY GEORGE IN THE 80’S.  HIS PARTNER WAS THE GUY WHO DIED IN GEORGE’S HOUSE, WHEN GEORGE WAS A JUNKIE.  REMEMBER THAT?

Yeah, that was a huge tabloid scandal.

I ASKED MAN PARRISH IF HE WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON A TRACK OR TWO.  WE WENT TO HIS HOUSE IN BROOKLYN, AND IN HIS BEDROOM, RECORDED AND MIXED (ON AN 8 TRACK REEL TO REEL TAPE PLAYER) MALE STRIPPER, AND ALL MEN ARE BEASTS.  WE RELEASED THEM ON RECCA, AND SOLD THEM TO THE MEXICAN LABEL AS OUR NEXT 12 INCH.  MALE STRIPPER WAS THE B-SIDE, BUT DENNY SOON FOUND OUT THAT ALL THE DJS WERE PLAYING THAT TRACK.

It’s a great track.  Any fans of early to mid eighties dance (i.e. Yaz, Depeche Mode, etc.) would be well advised to seek it out.

WE WERE STARTING TO GET ORDERS FROM OUR DISTRIBUTORS, ASKING FOR MORE AND MORE RECORDS.  WE ASKED “WHERE ARE YOU SENDING THEM,” AND THE DISTRIBUTORS SAID “TO A RECORD STORE IN LONDON!”  FIRST IT WAS “SEND US A BOX OF 50,” THEN IT WAS “SEND US 200.”  SOON IT WAS “SEND US ANOTHER 200,” THEN “WE NEED 2000 RECORDS!”  OH MY GOD, WE WERE IN SHOCK!

Success at last!  How did touring pick up?

FOR MOST OF ’86, WE WERE GOING TO MEXICO, AND THE UK, TO DO SHOWS, AND RELEASED 2 MORE 12 INCH RECORDS (ENERGY IS EUROBEAT, AND SEX SYMBOL).