Post by Pete70s on Oct 8, 2006 17:20:50 GMT -5
Today we have an artist who's profile can easily be sub-titled "How to kill your career in one cheesy video!":
Billy Squier
In the early 80's, Arena Rock ruled supreme, and perhaps the hottest breakout artist of 1981 was Billy Squier. Born May 12, 1950 in Wellsley, Massachusetts (Hey, a local boy!!), Billy played in bands such as The Sidewinders and Piper, earning the opportunity to open for Kiss at Madison Square Garden in 1977.
He broke away from Piper after two albums and released his debut solo album "The Tale Of The Tape" in 1980. a modest hit, but the real success came one year later with the #5 album, "Don't Say No". Produced by Reinhold Mack (who had produced "The Game" for Queen one year earlier), the album spawned four FM radio hits: "In The Dark", "The Stroke", "My Kinda Lover", and "Lonely Is The Night".
Success continued in 1982 with "Emotion In Motion", which also reached #5 and gave us the hit "Everybody Wants You". But things would take a sharp downward turn with his 1984 album "Signs Of Life" and single/video "Rock Me Tonite". While the record was a sizable hit, the video featured him dancing around ala Jennifer Beals in "Flashdance", which totally alienated Squier's macho rock fanbase.
His career never recovered from that fiasco, and subsequent albums failed to recapture the success of his early 80's output. He had a modest rock-radio hit in 1989 with "Don't Say You Love Me" before kissing the charts goodbye entirely.
Billy Squier
In the early 80's, Arena Rock ruled supreme, and perhaps the hottest breakout artist of 1981 was Billy Squier. Born May 12, 1950 in Wellsley, Massachusetts (Hey, a local boy!!), Billy played in bands such as The Sidewinders and Piper, earning the opportunity to open for Kiss at Madison Square Garden in 1977.
He broke away from Piper after two albums and released his debut solo album "The Tale Of The Tape" in 1980. a modest hit, but the real success came one year later with the #5 album, "Don't Say No". Produced by Reinhold Mack (who had produced "The Game" for Queen one year earlier), the album spawned four FM radio hits: "In The Dark", "The Stroke", "My Kinda Lover", and "Lonely Is The Night".
Success continued in 1982 with "Emotion In Motion", which also reached #5 and gave us the hit "Everybody Wants You". But things would take a sharp downward turn with his 1984 album "Signs Of Life" and single/video "Rock Me Tonite". While the record was a sizable hit, the video featured him dancing around ala Jennifer Beals in "Flashdance", which totally alienated Squier's macho rock fanbase.
His career never recovered from that fiasco, and subsequent albums failed to recapture the success of his early 80's output. He had a modest rock-radio hit in 1989 with "Don't Say You Love Me" before kissing the charts goodbye entirely.
