Song Of the Day: January 5, 2006
My high school years were marked by a succession of Boston bands that were trumpeted as the next big national thing by local heavyweight rock radio station WBCN. And why not? After J. Giles, Aerosmith, and, well, Boston became huge, it seemed like the town was developing a reasonably high batting average. The success of the Cars, though, really sent the hype into overdrive. I recall a slew of hyped bands that had big local followings but which never quite achieved escape velocity, probably for the classic reason that their (mostly) major label debuts never lived up to the excitement of the live shows. There were the Stompers (the local Springsteen/South Side Johnny guys), the Jon Butcher Axis (Boston’s answer to Jimi Hendrix), the Rings (Cars wannabe’s who played my high school, much to my glee), Robyn Lane and the Chartbusters (I guess the female Tom Petty, though that’s not quite accurate), and Robert Ellis Oral (sort of a dough-faced one-man Hall and Oats, only with a keyboard). And then there were the Atlantics.
The Atlantics were cuddly skinny red and blue tie new wavers, and they had a pretty big following for a spell into the early 80’s. I think Big City Rock was their only album (what marketing bozo came up with that desperate title?), and it contained their only local “hit”, the catchy ditty “When You’re Young”. ABC records must’ve been a terrible label for the Atlantics, or for anybody around that time. I spent years trying to hunt down a copy of the thing—in Boston, no less. Its first spin on my turntable only brought disappointment. Super clean, bland production and performances. The only time I saw them (at Boston University, in 1981), they were a smokin’ well-oiled rave-up hook-crankin’ machine. They had it going on the way Blondie had it going on. Only without the hot babe. What was it about these Boston bands who suffered through years of lame production and terrible cover design? Maybe that trauma was a national thing. New sounds shoved into a 70’s template for success. Major labels have learned a lot since then, huh?
-Andrew Chalfen
23 Comments:
As much as I enjoyed reading the brief history of Boston rock, I'd rather hear a song that exceeds expectations than one that disappoints. I can be disappointed by music in endless other outlets. I visit littlehits to be pleasantly surprised.
C'mon anonymous, they can't all be gems, it's wicked awesome to hear the Atlantics though.
The Atlantics Lonelyhearts single, I think...was released after Big City Rock and was a bigger hit, at least locally.
It's a great song! If you ever come across it, check it out.
Just fantastic! Hands down, the BEST Boston band from those 'New Wave/Punk' days. I saw them countless times, and I agree that they were quite simply, the most crowd pleasing band in the land! Give a listen to 'Lonely Hearts' and try not to play the air drums! 'Cant Wait Forever' is a rumbler to recon with. 'When Your Young' was a real ripper live - crowds going wild, hot chicks by the score and music aimed to cause a frenzy. Never understood why these guys never made it bigger - sad. Very sad.
I've got the Lonely Hearts single (ripped to MP3 with all the label and sleeve artwork in the file) and it beats the album handily. The Atlantics played a country club near my hometown !
Apparently there was more than one hit from that LP.....i heard the lead track [and have the 45 ] "One Last Night", clear out here in Iowa back in those days. Heard some stuff on a Boston history site by their forerunner band, UXB [or were they after?] that is pretty good, too. and if somebody wanted to send me that Lonelyheartsts mp3...;-)
send it here-dirtbox@cfu.net
Hey ROBERT,
I haven't heard Lonelyhearts in years!!!
Could you forward me the mp3?
Man, I'd be forever in your debt!
Thanks in advance!
John
omkensey@hotmail.com
Great to see so much response about the Atlantics. Geez. Well, if someone does in fact have an mp3 of "Lonely Hearts", I'm game. Send it to andrew@thetrolleyvox.com. Much obliged.
I actually liked the Atlantics record! I used to spin three or four songs off it on my college station (WSBU-FM, about 70 miles south of Buffalo) back in 1979-81. I could never understand why they weren't bigger.
Now I'd really love to hear a live recording from back then!
Elmer Ploetz
"Lonelyhearts" was on the 1993 Rhino comp "Mass. Ave. - The Boston Scene (1975-83)," probably now out of print. Post-Atlantics, some of these guys went on to form Ball & Chain.
Aside from the Rhino comp, I wish someone would (officially or unofficially) make a definitive Boston new wave comp. Limbo Race! The Dark! LaPest! Pastiche! Someone & the Somebodies! Native Tongue!
Despite the dull and cheap sounding production job, "Big City Rock" is a great album.
A fan or the band members have a My Space page, where you can download a couple of live tracks at: http://www.myspace.com/atlantics
Despite the dull and cheap sounding production job, "Big City Rock" is a great album.
A fan or the band members have a My Space page, where you can download a couple of live tracks at: http://www.myspace.com/atlantics
You were right about the record companies neglect and/or destruction of Boston bands. The Atlantics were GREAT live though. The Rings were another casualty of the record company. Great Live, but weak on vinyl. By the way, Lonelyhearts was also covered by David Essex of "Rock On" fame. His version was played nationally. (it sucked) Big City Rock may have been a lame album title, but concertgoers knew the night wasn't over until they tore into that song. Oh, and to the previous commentor, three of the Atlantics formed "Ball and Pivot". They released an EP with alot of local airplay and had national exposure from the dirty single "Down". There was a lot of interest in them reuniting. Unfortunately, the Atlantics bassist and Ball and Pivot's bassist/lead singer died a few years back.
Oh, I have that Ball and Pivot EP. I had no idea there was an Atlantics connection there.
Haven't been to the site in a few weeks and...WOW! Was I thrilled to see an Atlantics song! These guys were a lot of fun live. I saw them 2 or 3 times in 1981 and 1982 while attending Boston University. I think the key to enjoying Big City Rock is seeing them live first. While the songs are much better live than on record, they are great songs, so it's easier to get past the production.
The Rings were also a great Boston band of this era, although I tend to think of them a little more highly than Cars wannabe's...they had the reggae thing going on too. Alas, they were another band that was pretty much destroyed by a crappy major label.
Anyway, thanks for the post. I'm not on blogger yet, but would be interested in hearing from anyone interested in Boston bands of the early 80's. Or from whoever was sending mp3's :-). I have the vinyl of both Big City Rock & Lonelyhearts, but haven't taken the time to figure out how to rip vinyl to a computer. It's on my list.
My email for anyone interested is: seaneff@yahoo.com.
Cheers!
Sean
The Atlantics were a great, great live act. The album Big City Rock was almost impossible to get almost from the day it was released because the record label ABC folded about a month after the release. I have it. Big City Rock wasn't a single, at least not that I recall. Can't wait forever was and When your young was too. And there is a cover of a Martha Reeves song that was a single too. Lonely Hearts was just a single and it came out about two years later. For many years, it was the best selling local single in Boston. The band started breaking up after that. Drummer Ray Boy Fernandes had already left. Then the others split. Hauck and Wilkerson went on to form another band together. Fernandes was in a band called Primary Colors and got married at midnight on stage at the punk club Spit while Billy Idol's White Wedding played.
I may have this album in the basement, if so, I'll happily rip some tracks.
No one's mentioned that without a doubt, the Atlantics are the only band represented on Little Hits with a band member that was featured in a genuine Penthouse letter.
I saw The Atlantics many times in the late 70's and early 80's. The only song I've found online is Lonelyhearts. Please let me know where I can get more of their songs.
Philip@coldworks.com
'When You're Young' is free for download at http://punkmodpop.free.fr
Hi Atlantics Fans!
This is Rayboy Fernandes. I played drums in the band from 1977 to 1979 and appeared on the
ABC Records album Big City Rock and you're right the production was awful.
While we were making the record we all had the sinking feeling that something was going terribly wrong.
We could have had Ramones producer Ed Stasium do the album but he told us we would have
wait until he finished Road To Ruin.
But ABC had other ideas.. most notably selling the label and they weren't about to spring for
a producer of Ed Stasium's caliber but they never told us that.
Instead...the label enlisted staff producer John Stronach who did records with Dan Fogelberg
to do the production and this guy just didn't have a clue of what we were about.
Anyway...in addition to recording a sub par album, there was a trucking strike and our record
didn't meet it's release date.
I'm really trying to come up with something positive to say about this experience but there is none except that thankfully the songs were strong enough that they were still able to shine through the bad production.
Thanks to all the fans who love the album in spite of it's flaws.
We've been in touch with Universal Music who owns the rights to the master recordings
so we could remix and remaster the record correctly because we felt we actually played pretty
well. But to no avail. The money it would cost to do this would be impossible to attain.
So that brings us to 2006 and the release of material that was recorded after the record contract and after I left the band.
The Atlantics in 2006 will be releasing an anthology including songs like Lonelyhearts, Pop Shivers, Weekend, Sorry Wrong Number and much more.
And who knows? Maybe just maybe a reunion could take place.
We've waited almost 30 years. Only time will tell.
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Hi, I'm Tom Hauck from the Atlantics. In early September 2006 we anticipate releasing a CD called "ATLANTICS" with 13 tracks recorded in 1979 to 1982, including "Lonelyhearts," "Wrong Number," "Weekend," and "Pop Shivers." The tracks were digitally restored and mastered by our drummer Paul Caruso, who sadly passed away this spring shortly after completing this project. "ATLANTICS" is dedicated both to Paul and to our friend, songwriter and bass player Bruce Wilkinson, who passed away in 2000. "ATLANTICS" will be available through CDBaby and other outlets, and we can also be contacted at something.hot@hotmail.com. We encourage anyone who wants to hear the Atlantics to call your favorite radio station and help spread the word.
We have also been rehearsing with myself, Bobby Marron, Fred Pineau, Ray Fernandes, and special guest bass player Jeff Thomas. We hope to schedule an informal live performance this fall. Our sincere thanks to everyone who has expressed interest and enthusiasm for the Atlantics music over the years, and we are thrilled that these tracks, many of which have never been released in any form, will soon be available.
I was Bruce Wilkinson's roommate his freshman year in 1971. Very sorry to hear he's now gone. He was a really nice kid -- never stayed in touch though -- I remember that his first instrument was the clarinet!
Dan Stram
Hi Tom
it`s Bruce Campbell
your Old Friend and Stage mananger from Uncle sams on Nantasket Beach.
its great to hear you guys are going to re-release some of your stuff.
and if you play in Boston i Will be sure to be there and say Hi.
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