The Romantics

The Romantics are one of power pop's success stories. The Detroit combo took their danceable, British Invasion-influenced sound from tiny clubs in their home town to airwaves and arenas all over the world. "What I Like About You," from their self-titled 1980 debut album, became a hit single and a perennial favorite that helped define their spunky attack, and 1983's In Heat spawned "Talking In Your Sleep," a lean, atmospheric number that would rise to the upper reaches of the singles charts. Legal matters kept the band out of the studio through much of the 1990s, but they remained a hard-working live act and made a rousing return to form with 2003's 61/49.

The band was formed on Detroit's East Side in 1977 by singer and guitarist Wally Palmar, guitarist and vocalist Mike Skill, bassist and vocalist Rich Cole, and drummer and vocalist Jimmy Marinos. Not impressed with the arena rock that dominated the Detroit music scene though much of the 1970s, the band embraced a style that recalled the mid-1960s – three-minute songs with strong melodic hooks, ringing guitars, powerful rhythms, solid harmonies, and sharp matching suits. The band played their first show on Valentine's Day, opening for Rob Tyner's short-lived New MC5. They wasted no time making themselves known on the Midwest club circuit, and later that year, they issued their debut single, "Little White Lies" b/w "I Can't Tell You Anything," on the local Spider Records label. While the Romantics were a long way from punk rock, their energetic brand of power pop won them a following in the burgeoning new wave scene, and tastemaker Greg Shaw brought out their single, "Tell It To Carrie" b/w "First In Line," on his Bomp! label. The Romantics toured heavily in support, blanketing the Midwest and making frequent appearances in major East Coast markets. A successful gig in New York City brought the Romantics to the attention of Nemperor Records, distributed by CBS Records, who signed the group and took them into the studio to cut "When I Look In Your Eyes" and a re-recorded version of "Little White Lies" as their first single for the label. It was released in late 1979, as was a 45 of "What I Like About You," in advance of their first album, The Romantics, which arrived in stores in February 1980.

"What I Like About You" didn't break into the Top 40, topping out on the singles charts at Number 49, but it performed well regionally, particularly in Michigan, and it would be a hardy perennial that would appear on radio and in TV and movies for decades to come. The song's success helped The Romantics sell over 200,000 copies, a more than respectable figure for a debut disc from a power pop group, and by the end of 1980, their second album, National Breakout, was in stores. A noticeably harder-edged collection than the debut, National Breakout didn't fare as well with critics or fans, and the two singles taken from the LP, "Forever Yours" and "A NIght Like This," failed to chart. In the wake of the album's disappointing reception, Mike Skill dropped out of the band, and Coz Canler took his place on guitar. Peter Solley, who produced the Romantics' first two albums, was passed over for their third full-length, 1981's Strictly Personal, in favor of Mike Stone, who had also worked with Queen, Journey, and April Wine. Its chart performance was even weaker than that of National Breakout, and Rich Cole left the group; in need of a bassist, the Romantics welcomed Mike Skill back into the band, who switched from six to four strings.

After Skill returned to the Romantics, the group hit the arena circuit, opening for the likes of Cheap Trick and the Kinks as they refined their talents on larger stages. Peter Solley came back to produce their fourth album, 1983's In Heat, and it became the biggest success of their career. The disc's first single, "Talking In Your Sleep," was a major hit thanks to extensive radio and MTV play, peaking at Number 3 in the United States and going all the way to Number One in Canada, while the album went Gold in both America and Canada. A second single, "One In A Million," also made the Top 40, and the band toured extensively behind the success of In Heat. In 1984, Jimmy Marinos left the group, and David Petratos became their drummer. The Romantics expected their next release to enjoy success similar to In Heat, and they booked an expansive arena tour in support of 1985's Rhythm Romance. However, Rhythm Romance got poor reviews, and sales were not up to the band or label's expectations, while the single "Test of Time" rose no higher than Number 71. The tour proved to be a financial bust, and Nemperor dropped the Romantics.

As the Romantics planned their next move, they discovered their management had been misappropriating monies owed to the band, as well as licensing their songs for use in commercials without their knowledge. The band fired their managers and filed a lawsuit against them. The legal proceedings dragged on for years, and the band was unable to record while they were in litigation. The group kept body and soul together through frequent touring, playing clubs and small venues across the country. In 1990, David Petratos dropped out, and Clem Burke, best known as a member of Blondie, took over on the drums. In 1995, the Romantics finally prevailed in their suit against their former management, and received a settlement of over $1 million, as well as ensuring they would receive proper record and publishing royalties in the future. After Blondie reunited for recording and live work, Clem Burke left the Romantics, and Jimmy Marinos regained his spot behind the drum kit. With their fortunes on the rise, the group blocked out plans to record a new album, and 2003's 61/49 was a strong return to form that added a bluesy undercurrent to their sound. Around the same time, the Romantics cut a split single with Detroit garage-soul powerhouse the Dirtbombs; they recorded an acoustic version of the Dirtbombs' "Can't Stop Thinking About It" for the project, though it was never released. In 1997, Clem Burke returned as the group's drummer, and toured with them until 2004. After Burke's departure, Brad Elvis, formerly of the Elvis Brothers, joined them on drums. Rich Cole rejoined the Romantics in 2010, and shortly afterwards, Coz Canler left, allowing Mike Skill to return to his original position on guitar. While a follow-up to 61/49 failed to appear, the Romantics continued playing live shows well into the 2020s. ~ Mark Deming