Quarterflash
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Quarterflash
- Genres: Rock
Biography
The sax-heavy pop/rock band known as Quarterflash formed in early 1980, joining together two of Oregon's more popular acts: Seafood Mama, which contributed singer/saxophonist Rindy Ross and her guitarist husband Marv; and Pilot, which added guitarist Jack Charles, keyboardist Rick DiGiallonardo, bassist Rich Gooch, and drummer Brian David Willis. The band would release four albums, starting with its 1981 self-titled debut, which sold over two million copies and spawned two of the group's biggest songs, "Harden My Heart," which went to number three on the charts, and the Top 20 hit "Find Another Fool." Subsequent albums would not reach the blockbuster commercial success of their debut, but they continued to sell albums steadily throughout the mid-'80s. Another notable song was "Night Shift," which was the theme for the movie of the same name. They followed up their debut with 1983's Take Another Picture, which produced another Top 20 hit, "Take Me to Heart," as Quarterflash continued forward with their trademark rock sound. By Girl in the Wind in 1984, the band began to run out of clever hooks and issued just one more album, Back into Blue, in 1985. After recording an unreleased album in 1995, a modified version of the band anchored by the Rosses continued to perform live. ~ Stacia Proefrock, RoviWikipedia on Answers.com:
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Quarterflash
This article is about the American rock band. For the band's first album, see Quarterflash (album).
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2008) |
| Quarterflash | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Genres | Rock Pop rock, New Wave |
| Years active | 1980–1985; 1990–1996; 2004-2011 |
| Labels | Geffen Records, Epic Records |
| Website | Official website |
| Past members | |
| Marv Ross Rindy Ross Jack Charles Rich Gooch Rick Digiallonardo Brian David Willis |
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Quarterflash was an American rock group formed in 1980 in Portland, Oregon. The band was made up of Rindy Ross (lead vocals and saxophone), her husband Marv Ross (guitars), Jack Charles (guitars), Rick DiGiallonardo (keyboards/synthesizers), Rich Gooch (electric bass), and Brian David Willis (drums and percussion).[1] Having a lead singer who also played the saxophone is one thing which made Quarterflash notable. In a 1982 interview, Rindy Ross said that she viewed the saxophone as an extension of her voice, enabling her to express things she could not express with her voice alone.[2]
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Contents
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Recording history
The group was formed by merging two popular Oregon bands, Seafood Mama and Pilot (not to be confused with the Scottish band of "Magic" fame).[3][4][5] Continuing under the name Seafood Mama, the band originally released the picture-sleeved single "Harden My Heart" on a local private label, Whitefire Records, in the spring of 1980 (with the B-side track being "City of Roses"). "Harden My Heart" was a big hit on Portland radio stations and got the band a one-hour TV special, Seafood Mama In Concert, on KOIN on June 5, 1980. "Harden My Heart" would later be rerecorded by the band after they renamed themselves Quarterflash. The name came from an Australian slang description of new immigrants as "one quarter flash and three parts foolish", which the Rosses found in a book at producer John Boylan's house.[1][6]
Quarterflash signed to Geffen Records and released their self-titled debut album Quarterflash in 1981. It reached #8 on Billboard's Top LPs & Tapes list, and sold over a million copies, earning RIAA gold certification on February 5, 1982, and platinum status on June 29, 1982. The album contained the new version of "Harden My Heart", which became their biggest single. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (it also reached the Top 20 in France). Their follow-up single off the album, "Find Another Fool", reached #16. A second one-hour Portland television special, Quarterflash In Concert, was broadcast on KOIN on October 22, 1981, and simulcast on KGON. This concert was taped at the Paramount Theatre on October 15, 1981.
Quarterflash released their second album, Take Another Picture, in 1983. It reached #34 in Billboard, and scored the single "Take Me to Heart", which reached #14. The group released their final album, Back Into Blue, in 1985. It peaked at #150 in Billboard. The group later disbanded after getting dropped from their record label.
In 1990, Quarterflash reunited, hiring session musicians, including bassist–vocalist Sandin Wilson, drummer Greg Williams, guitarist Doug Fraser, and Mel Kubik on saxophone and keyboards. The group released Girl in the Wind on Epic Records. In 1991, Rindy and Marv Ross founded the historic music ensemble, The Trail Band, which was formed at the request of the Oregon Trail Advisory Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail.[7]
In June 2008, Marv and Rindy Ross released a new Quarterflash CD, Goodbye Uncle Buzz.[8]
Discography
Albums
- Quarterflash (1981) #8 U.S.
- Take Another Picture (1983) #34 U.S.
- Back Into Blue (1985) #150 U.S.
- Girl in the Wind (1991)
- The Best of Quarterflash: The Millenium Collection (1996)
- Harden My Heart: The Best of Quarterflash (1997)
- Goodbye Uncle Buzz (2008)
Singles
| Year | Song | U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. Mainstream Rock | U.S. Adult Contemporary | UK Singles Chart [9] | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Harden My Heart" | 3 | 1 | 41 | 49 | Quarterflash |
| 1982 | "Find Another Fool" | 16 | 12 | - | - | |
| "Right Kind of Love" | 56 | - | - | - | ||
| "Night Shift" | 60 | - | - | - | Night Shift soundtrack | |
| 1983 | "Take Me to Heart" | 14 | 6 | 28 | - | Take Another Picture |
| "Take Another Picture" | 58 | - | - | - | ||
| 1985 | "Talk to Me" | 83 | - | - | - | Back Into Blue |
References
- ^ a b Clarke, SP. "Part 1: Introduction". History of Portland Rock. Two Louies. http://www.spclarke.com/historyofportlandrockpart1.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ Night Flight 1982, concert clips and interviews, see esp. 4:04 into the video for Rindy Ross talking about what the saxophone adds to her music.
- ^ Sundial, Tri-City Herald (Washington state), Cleveland (AP), Quarterflash burning hot, Dec. 8, 1981, page 22.
- ^ "Quarterflash". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/quarterflash-p5204. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- ^ According to Alain Gardinier in Rindy, Marv and Jack's French interview, Coup de foudre ?, Rock, # 53, June 1982, p. 14, the name of the second band was "Union".
- ^ Bradley, Clyde. "What Ever Happened to Quarterflash?". Classic Rock Revisited. Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20080524195352/http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/Articles/Articles07/WEHQuarterflash.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ "Meet the Trail Band". The Trail Band. http://www.trailband.com/meettheband.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- ^ "Marv & Rindy Ross / Quarterflash - Goodbye Uncle Buzz". Quarterflash. http://www.quarterflash.net/goodbyeunclebuzz.html. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 444. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- Quarterflash (official website).
- Quarterflash at Allmusic
- Ross Productions, Marv Ross' official website.
- Bangor Daily News (Maine), Dave Cheever, special to the News, Band is all flash, no part foolish, Sat.-Sun., February 20-21, 1982, page ME 9, includes black-and-white photo of band.
- Flashbacks to Happiness, Eighties Music Revisited, Randolph Michaels, Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse Books, 2005 (by Michael R. Smith), "From the Desk of Marv Ross, Guitarist for Quarterflash," pages 152-155. On page 153, Marv states that "Take Another Picture" is probably his favorite Quarterflash song which was released as a single.
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(1990 Album by Quarterflash)
Take Another Picture
(1983 Album by Quarterflash)
Gremlins [Soundtrack]
(1984 Album by Original Soundtrack)
Harden My Heart: The Best of Quarterflash
(1997 Album by Quarterflash)
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