Iluvthe80s
8-30-03, 11:35 AM
*From Cyndi's Missing Persons Website: http://cglass.vinu.edu/mp.html
Before the band began....
In 1975, Patrick O’Hearn and Terry Bozzio were playing in Frank Zappa's band. Enter Dale Consalvi in 1976. A former Playboy Bunny from Boston, Dale was in Los Angeles and came to the studio. Terry and Dale got together soon after that. A keyboardist from Kansas City, named Chuck Wild, did some piano work for Zappa, right about the same time Warren Cuccurullo, from New York, had begun hanging out with the band. Terry and Patrick quit Frank's band and formed their own band, Group 87. Warren got hired into Zappa’s band in December 1978 and joined him on rhythm guitar for the 1979 European tour. Meanwhile, Terry joined yet another band, UK. When Zappa returned from Europe, in April 1979, the Joe’s Garage albums began to take shape. Terry lent vocals to one song, and Zappa used an old bass line of Patrick’s for another song, but Dale and Warren were all over the albums. In late 1979, Zappa laid most of the band off, and this gave Dale and Warren time to experiment with writing their own songs, coming up with "I Like Boys" in one day. Terry and Dale, who had gotten married in 1979, were very close with Warren, and when Dale and Warren came to Terry with a tape of their songs, he quit the band he was playing with, UK. The three of them were best friends, full of energy, potential, and talent, and Missing Persons was born.
1980-1981
It was January, 1980, and Warren got a phone call to go back out on the road with Frank Zappa. He met with Zappa and told him about the new band. Zappa cautioned him that fame could come quickly and disappear, showing him Devo’s album as an example, and then he gave the band his blessing and encouragement. The band was cast as "Teddy and the Ruff Riders" in the movie Lunch Wagon, and they were credited as "U.S. Drag," which was one of several names they went through before choosing "Missing Persons" (another early name was "Mrs. B.") Frank Zappa allowed them to be the first people to use Zappa’s brand new Utility Muffin Research Kitchen studios to make their EP. The engineer, Ken Scott, was also a producer, and he got excited about the band, becoming their manager.
1980 was a year of great transition from disco to the more diverse sounds of the early 80's, and Missing Persons fit right in. After they tried unsuccessfully to get a record deal, the band borrowed $3000 from Warren's father and released the 4 song, 7 inch Missing Persons EP on their producer's label, KoMoS. It contains the two songs from the Lunch Wagon movie (the rowdy Mental Hopscotch and I Like Boys), a loopy cover of the Doors' Hello I Love You, and a disco-tinged Destination Unknown. Patrick O'Hearn and Chuck Wild joined the band, rounding out their distinctive sound, and the band performed absolutely incredible live shows. Over the next two years, the instant success they had envisioned did not materialize, but though they got discouraged, they didn’t give up. With only the promotion done by the band in the form of radio station visits, concerts (which included the unreleased song "Action, Reaction,") and Lunch Wagon, the EP sold (estimates vary) between 7000 and 11,000 copies, making the industry finally take notice, and when they sold out a 3000 seat hall, Capitol Records gave them a contract, in March of 1982.
1982-1983
The first thing Capitol Records did, after signing them to the label, was to re-issue the Missing Persons EP as a 12 inch on its own imprint. Deleting "Hello I Love You," Capitol replaced it with another Missing Persons original, "Words," which was released as a single in June 1982. It peaked at #42, and the "mini-LP" became the best selling debut EP at that time, selling 250,000 copies and charting on the Billboard album chart. Missing Persons were booked on Merv Griffin, where they performed "Words," and they started to do a few interviews with the new MTV music channel.
In October 1982, Missing Persons released its first full length album, Spring Session M, consisting of ten new original songs, plus, at Capitol's insistence, "Destination Unknown" and "Words" from the EP. The band got to keep all ten of their new songs on there in a compromise. Also new to the band were bassist Patrick O'Hearn, who had turned to playing bass on a keyboard, and veteran keyboardist Chuck Wild. At the same time, Capitol released "Destination Unknown" with a lavish video, and it matched Words at the #42 chart position. The new songs were brash and energetic, perfect for a new era of music. It was evident that the five had formed a cohesive musical unit.
The fiery "Noticeable One" starts off the album with a bang, and it doesn't really let up. Although some of these early songs sound a little alike, they all have stand-out moments, such as the down and dirty guitar work on "Here and Now," the beautiful lyrics of "Tears," the demandingly languid "U.S. Drag," the sheer fun of "Rock & Roll Suspension" (check out that bass!), and the driving complexity of "No Way Out." The triumphant "Bad Streets" and the fantastic as always "Destination Unknown" also stand out, along with the plaintive "Windows" and Missing Persons' colossal signature anthem, "Walking in L.A." The album went gold, peaking at #17 and was the band's most successful album, and two more singles were released: "Windows," which reached #63 and "Walking in L.A.", which reached #70, even as it became their most recognized song. Spring Session M remains Missing Persons’ most popular album, and it has also been re-released on CD with a couple of extra tracks from the EP.
This was the band’s peak of popularity, and they appeared on Solid Gold several times, along with interviews on Entertainment Tonight, MTV, and several other shows. The focus remained largely on Dale and her showy outfits and platinum blonde hair, along with her quirky voice, but once in a while a music magazine such as Guitar World or Musician would take interest and do a good interview. The band embarked on a tour and made several videos. On New Year’s Eve, 1982, the band played in front of a sold-out crowd at the Long Beach Arena, which seated 18,000, and in May 1983, they did a set at the US Festival, which was in front of several hundred thousand people. When the tour ended, they began work on their next album.
1984
1984 was a year for even more experimentation within the band. Terry Bozzio designed an electronic drum kit, while Warren and his guitar technician, Thomas Nordegg, worked on his new double-necked guitar. The necks were connected, and the guitar was called "The Missing Link." In early 1984, their most experimental album, Rhyme and Reason, was released. The music is clashing and hard-edged, while also being jazzy and subtle, and the repertoire has expanded to include powerful rock songs, ripping guitar solos, barely-there gently strummed acoustic guitar. The best thing about this album is how cohesively the arrangements manage to be seamless and yet show each member as individuals. Terry's experimentation with drum machines was ahead of its time as well. The songs are stunningly well crafted and complex, and as if that is not enough, the beautiful black and white photography of Helmut Newton emphasizes the contrasts found on the album. Although the production leaves a lot to be desired, the songs themselves, compositionally, are fantastic.
Particular standouts include the mind-blowing "The Closer that You Get," the jazz-rock "Give," the strong "Right Now" and the simple and beautiful "Surrender Your Heart." In "Waiting for a Million Years" the music captures the haunted longing that the lyrics touch upon. The political "All Fall Down" and the stately "Clandestine People" add a touch of experimentation as well. A single, "Give," peaked at #67 in 1984. The last song, "If Only For the Moment," written by Dale and Patrick, seems to foreshadow Patrick's later solo work. Patrick co-wrote for the first time on this album, co-writing "Give," "Surrender Your Heart" and "If Only for the Moment." The band made more videos, appeared on some television shows, including Solid Gold, and then they did another tour. During this tour, Warren injured his neck in a low-ceilinged nightclub in Pennsylvania. Later in 1984, Chuck Wild left the band to pursue a solo career where he would be able to write his own songs.
1985-1986
In 1985, the band began another album, Color In Your Life. The band wanted Bernard Edwards to produce the album, and he was busy with the Power Station project and other commitments, and so the album had to wait. During this time, Patrick O’Hearn recorded his first solo album, and Dale quit the band briefly. Edwards finally was able to give them some time, and the album was released in early 1986.
Each member stands out again, but the equality seems to be gone, and it's very much dominated by Terry and Warren. Dale's vocals have been tamed quite a bit as well. Of course there are layers and LAYERS of guitar, which always pleases me. Patrick does some incredible licks out of the blue. Warren plays in several different styles within some songs, and Terry seems to be in his element (and using a real drumset again!), trying out new techniques and hitting them dead on every time.
Stand-out songs include the powerful and versatile "Go Against the Flow," the hypnotic "I Can't Think About Dancing," the passionate "Come Back for More"(ever heard two trumpets and an unleashed guitar soloing together? It's pretty great). "Boy, I Say to You" with its intriguing guitar parts and brashness, and "No Secrets," in which you can hear Warren perfecting the guitar sound he did so well in Duran Duran's "Serious" and "Sin of the City," show the album's most intricate arrangements. My favorite songs on the album, though, are the Warren-dominated "Face to Face," and the hauntingly sad "We Don't Know Love At All," which closes out the album with Terry on lead vocal, all tied together by Warren's strong, acoustic-sounding guitar.
This is Missing Persons' most conventional and therefore accessible album. Unfortunately, Capitol released the vinyl version with side 2 recorded at a much faster speed than it should have been. All vinyl albums were recalled and replaced, and the band released a single and video for "I Can't Think About Dancing," which failed to chart. A small haphazard and often cancelled tour followed, ending abruptly one day when the band broke up in June 1986.
1986-2001
Capitol Records released The Best Of Missing Persons on CD and cassette in 1987, and a special markets cassette compilation called Walking In L.A. in 1988. The members of Missing Persons all went on to have careers in the music industry. There were a few songs that were recorded in 1985 and never released, and one of them, "I’m The One," was released on Sedated In The 80’s Volume 4. Some of these songs were finally used on the CD re-releases of Rhyme & Reason and Color In Your Life.
In 1995, Warren announced his intention to release an archival trilogy of Missing Persons material. The first album, Late Nights / Early Days, was released in 1998 and included a live show from 1981 as well as the unreleased "Action, Reaction." The next project was Remixed Hits (1999), for which TV Mania (Warren Cuccurullo and Nick Rhodes) contributed their version of "Destination Unknown." Warren hopes to locate some extremely old Missing Persons material from the very beginning of the band and release that.
During this time period, Dale Bozzio toured occasionally with a hired band performing Missing Persons songs. A reunion that had been tentatively planned in 1994 for Terry, Warren and Patrick did not take place. Warren told "Rock and Roll Reporter in their September 1996 issue, There’s a very good chance of Terry, Pat and myself doing something, but I don’t think you could get Terry and Dale in the same room."
2001 Reunion
In May 2001, Warren announced that he was leaving Duran Duran to re-form Missing Persons with original members Terry and Dale, along with the news that he had been writing new music with Dale. Although fans never dared to hope for a reunion, especially considering the fact that Terry and Dale are divorced, the news was greeted with much happiness among this still cohesive and devoted fanbase. In July 2001, the band, joined by Warren's bassist Wes Wehmiller and Dale's keyboardist Ron Poster, played three successful reunion shows in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Anaheim, California. In September 2001, Warren announced that Terry had left the band and he and Dale would continue, replacing Terry with drummer Joe Travers. In October 2001, Warren announced that Dale had left the band and Missing Persons was over. Dale continued to tour and do her solo shows throughout 2002.
2003
In November 2002, Warren surprised everyone by announcing that Missing Persons would perform on a segment of the Access Hollywood television show. The band consisted of himself and Dale, plus Wes Wehmiller, Ron Poster, and new drummer Joe Travers, who had been Warren's drummer for most of his solo shows as well as Duran Duran's tour drummer from 1999-2001 (until Warren left Duran Duran). At that time, Warren announced a new era of Missing Persons, including new shows in February 2003 and beyond, along with a teasing comment that, "Having taken 1 year off from playing, I'm now ready to return to being a full time musician. Writing new material every day, learning new pieces of equipment, & formulating a sound for a new modern rock band, which could very well be MP."
Before the band began....
In 1975, Patrick O’Hearn and Terry Bozzio were playing in Frank Zappa's band. Enter Dale Consalvi in 1976. A former Playboy Bunny from Boston, Dale was in Los Angeles and came to the studio. Terry and Dale got together soon after that. A keyboardist from Kansas City, named Chuck Wild, did some piano work for Zappa, right about the same time Warren Cuccurullo, from New York, had begun hanging out with the band. Terry and Patrick quit Frank's band and formed their own band, Group 87. Warren got hired into Zappa’s band in December 1978 and joined him on rhythm guitar for the 1979 European tour. Meanwhile, Terry joined yet another band, UK. When Zappa returned from Europe, in April 1979, the Joe’s Garage albums began to take shape. Terry lent vocals to one song, and Zappa used an old bass line of Patrick’s for another song, but Dale and Warren were all over the albums. In late 1979, Zappa laid most of the band off, and this gave Dale and Warren time to experiment with writing their own songs, coming up with "I Like Boys" in one day. Terry and Dale, who had gotten married in 1979, were very close with Warren, and when Dale and Warren came to Terry with a tape of their songs, he quit the band he was playing with, UK. The three of them were best friends, full of energy, potential, and talent, and Missing Persons was born.
1980-1981
It was January, 1980, and Warren got a phone call to go back out on the road with Frank Zappa. He met with Zappa and told him about the new band. Zappa cautioned him that fame could come quickly and disappear, showing him Devo’s album as an example, and then he gave the band his blessing and encouragement. The band was cast as "Teddy and the Ruff Riders" in the movie Lunch Wagon, and they were credited as "U.S. Drag," which was one of several names they went through before choosing "Missing Persons" (another early name was "Mrs. B.") Frank Zappa allowed them to be the first people to use Zappa’s brand new Utility Muffin Research Kitchen studios to make their EP. The engineer, Ken Scott, was also a producer, and he got excited about the band, becoming their manager.
1980 was a year of great transition from disco to the more diverse sounds of the early 80's, and Missing Persons fit right in. After they tried unsuccessfully to get a record deal, the band borrowed $3000 from Warren's father and released the 4 song, 7 inch Missing Persons EP on their producer's label, KoMoS. It contains the two songs from the Lunch Wagon movie (the rowdy Mental Hopscotch and I Like Boys), a loopy cover of the Doors' Hello I Love You, and a disco-tinged Destination Unknown. Patrick O'Hearn and Chuck Wild joined the band, rounding out their distinctive sound, and the band performed absolutely incredible live shows. Over the next two years, the instant success they had envisioned did not materialize, but though they got discouraged, they didn’t give up. With only the promotion done by the band in the form of radio station visits, concerts (which included the unreleased song "Action, Reaction,") and Lunch Wagon, the EP sold (estimates vary) between 7000 and 11,000 copies, making the industry finally take notice, and when they sold out a 3000 seat hall, Capitol Records gave them a contract, in March of 1982.
1982-1983
The first thing Capitol Records did, after signing them to the label, was to re-issue the Missing Persons EP as a 12 inch on its own imprint. Deleting "Hello I Love You," Capitol replaced it with another Missing Persons original, "Words," which was released as a single in June 1982. It peaked at #42, and the "mini-LP" became the best selling debut EP at that time, selling 250,000 copies and charting on the Billboard album chart. Missing Persons were booked on Merv Griffin, where they performed "Words," and they started to do a few interviews with the new MTV music channel.
In October 1982, Missing Persons released its first full length album, Spring Session M, consisting of ten new original songs, plus, at Capitol's insistence, "Destination Unknown" and "Words" from the EP. The band got to keep all ten of their new songs on there in a compromise. Also new to the band were bassist Patrick O'Hearn, who had turned to playing bass on a keyboard, and veteran keyboardist Chuck Wild. At the same time, Capitol released "Destination Unknown" with a lavish video, and it matched Words at the #42 chart position. The new songs were brash and energetic, perfect for a new era of music. It was evident that the five had formed a cohesive musical unit.
The fiery "Noticeable One" starts off the album with a bang, and it doesn't really let up. Although some of these early songs sound a little alike, they all have stand-out moments, such as the down and dirty guitar work on "Here and Now," the beautiful lyrics of "Tears," the demandingly languid "U.S. Drag," the sheer fun of "Rock & Roll Suspension" (check out that bass!), and the driving complexity of "No Way Out." The triumphant "Bad Streets" and the fantastic as always "Destination Unknown" also stand out, along with the plaintive "Windows" and Missing Persons' colossal signature anthem, "Walking in L.A." The album went gold, peaking at #17 and was the band's most successful album, and two more singles were released: "Windows," which reached #63 and "Walking in L.A.", which reached #70, even as it became their most recognized song. Spring Session M remains Missing Persons’ most popular album, and it has also been re-released on CD with a couple of extra tracks from the EP.
This was the band’s peak of popularity, and they appeared on Solid Gold several times, along with interviews on Entertainment Tonight, MTV, and several other shows. The focus remained largely on Dale and her showy outfits and platinum blonde hair, along with her quirky voice, but once in a while a music magazine such as Guitar World or Musician would take interest and do a good interview. The band embarked on a tour and made several videos. On New Year’s Eve, 1982, the band played in front of a sold-out crowd at the Long Beach Arena, which seated 18,000, and in May 1983, they did a set at the US Festival, which was in front of several hundred thousand people. When the tour ended, they began work on their next album.
1984
1984 was a year for even more experimentation within the band. Terry Bozzio designed an electronic drum kit, while Warren and his guitar technician, Thomas Nordegg, worked on his new double-necked guitar. The necks were connected, and the guitar was called "The Missing Link." In early 1984, their most experimental album, Rhyme and Reason, was released. The music is clashing and hard-edged, while also being jazzy and subtle, and the repertoire has expanded to include powerful rock songs, ripping guitar solos, barely-there gently strummed acoustic guitar. The best thing about this album is how cohesively the arrangements manage to be seamless and yet show each member as individuals. Terry's experimentation with drum machines was ahead of its time as well. The songs are stunningly well crafted and complex, and as if that is not enough, the beautiful black and white photography of Helmut Newton emphasizes the contrasts found on the album. Although the production leaves a lot to be desired, the songs themselves, compositionally, are fantastic.
Particular standouts include the mind-blowing "The Closer that You Get," the jazz-rock "Give," the strong "Right Now" and the simple and beautiful "Surrender Your Heart." In "Waiting for a Million Years" the music captures the haunted longing that the lyrics touch upon. The political "All Fall Down" and the stately "Clandestine People" add a touch of experimentation as well. A single, "Give," peaked at #67 in 1984. The last song, "If Only For the Moment," written by Dale and Patrick, seems to foreshadow Patrick's later solo work. Patrick co-wrote for the first time on this album, co-writing "Give," "Surrender Your Heart" and "If Only for the Moment." The band made more videos, appeared on some television shows, including Solid Gold, and then they did another tour. During this tour, Warren injured his neck in a low-ceilinged nightclub in Pennsylvania. Later in 1984, Chuck Wild left the band to pursue a solo career where he would be able to write his own songs.
1985-1986
In 1985, the band began another album, Color In Your Life. The band wanted Bernard Edwards to produce the album, and he was busy with the Power Station project and other commitments, and so the album had to wait. During this time, Patrick O’Hearn recorded his first solo album, and Dale quit the band briefly. Edwards finally was able to give them some time, and the album was released in early 1986.
Each member stands out again, but the equality seems to be gone, and it's very much dominated by Terry and Warren. Dale's vocals have been tamed quite a bit as well. Of course there are layers and LAYERS of guitar, which always pleases me. Patrick does some incredible licks out of the blue. Warren plays in several different styles within some songs, and Terry seems to be in his element (and using a real drumset again!), trying out new techniques and hitting them dead on every time.
Stand-out songs include the powerful and versatile "Go Against the Flow," the hypnotic "I Can't Think About Dancing," the passionate "Come Back for More"(ever heard two trumpets and an unleashed guitar soloing together? It's pretty great). "Boy, I Say to You" with its intriguing guitar parts and brashness, and "No Secrets," in which you can hear Warren perfecting the guitar sound he did so well in Duran Duran's "Serious" and "Sin of the City," show the album's most intricate arrangements. My favorite songs on the album, though, are the Warren-dominated "Face to Face," and the hauntingly sad "We Don't Know Love At All," which closes out the album with Terry on lead vocal, all tied together by Warren's strong, acoustic-sounding guitar.
This is Missing Persons' most conventional and therefore accessible album. Unfortunately, Capitol released the vinyl version with side 2 recorded at a much faster speed than it should have been. All vinyl albums were recalled and replaced, and the band released a single and video for "I Can't Think About Dancing," which failed to chart. A small haphazard and often cancelled tour followed, ending abruptly one day when the band broke up in June 1986.
1986-2001
Capitol Records released The Best Of Missing Persons on CD and cassette in 1987, and a special markets cassette compilation called Walking In L.A. in 1988. The members of Missing Persons all went on to have careers in the music industry. There were a few songs that were recorded in 1985 and never released, and one of them, "I’m The One," was released on Sedated In The 80’s Volume 4. Some of these songs were finally used on the CD re-releases of Rhyme & Reason and Color In Your Life.
In 1995, Warren announced his intention to release an archival trilogy of Missing Persons material. The first album, Late Nights / Early Days, was released in 1998 and included a live show from 1981 as well as the unreleased "Action, Reaction." The next project was Remixed Hits (1999), for which TV Mania (Warren Cuccurullo and Nick Rhodes) contributed their version of "Destination Unknown." Warren hopes to locate some extremely old Missing Persons material from the very beginning of the band and release that.
During this time period, Dale Bozzio toured occasionally with a hired band performing Missing Persons songs. A reunion that had been tentatively planned in 1994 for Terry, Warren and Patrick did not take place. Warren told "Rock and Roll Reporter in their September 1996 issue, There’s a very good chance of Terry, Pat and myself doing something, but I don’t think you could get Terry and Dale in the same room."
2001 Reunion
In May 2001, Warren announced that he was leaving Duran Duran to re-form Missing Persons with original members Terry and Dale, along with the news that he had been writing new music with Dale. Although fans never dared to hope for a reunion, especially considering the fact that Terry and Dale are divorced, the news was greeted with much happiness among this still cohesive and devoted fanbase. In July 2001, the band, joined by Warren's bassist Wes Wehmiller and Dale's keyboardist Ron Poster, played three successful reunion shows in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Anaheim, California. In September 2001, Warren announced that Terry had left the band and he and Dale would continue, replacing Terry with drummer Joe Travers. In October 2001, Warren announced that Dale had left the band and Missing Persons was over. Dale continued to tour and do her solo shows throughout 2002.
2003
In November 2002, Warren surprised everyone by announcing that Missing Persons would perform on a segment of the Access Hollywood television show. The band consisted of himself and Dale, plus Wes Wehmiller, Ron Poster, and new drummer Joe Travers, who had been Warren's drummer for most of his solo shows as well as Duran Duran's tour drummer from 1999-2001 (until Warren left Duran Duran). At that time, Warren announced a new era of Missing Persons, including new shows in February 2003 and beyond, along with a teasing comment that, "Having taken 1 year off from playing, I'm now ready to return to being a full time musician. Writing new material every day, learning new pieces of equipment, & formulating a sound for a new modern rock band, which could very well be MP."