If the name "The Rockats" seems vaguely familiar, then you're probably scratching your head like I was just before I finally sat down to make sense of this whole Rockats business once and for all.
No doubt adding to your confusion is the existence of one Levi and the Rockats.
Same band.
Long story short, when the band parted ways with Levi after national TV appearances on "The Merv Griffin Show" and Wolfman Jack's "Midnight Special" led only to a failed demo deal with RCA, they became "The Rockats" and became a fixture on New York's punk scene. They even shared a loft with Blondie.
If that's not cool enough for you, their first post-Levi line-up included none other than Jerry Nolan (NY Dolls) on drums, but, by the time they inked a deal with Island Records, Nolan's addiction had forced a hasty exit. The band persevered and weathered a tumultuous relationship with Island Records that yielded Live At The Ritz, which suffered from, among other things, one of the goofiest album covers of any band hoping to be taken seriously.
Pardon my French, but when it comes to making your hard-fought major label debut, who the ever-living fuck lets a five year old handle the typography?
As if that's not bad enough, the cover shot actually manages to makes one of the most formidable live bands in all of New York City look like a gaggle of Potsies.
I STILL BOUGHT IT, THOUGH.
But then the band was dropped by Island due to a contractual clause that allowed Island to drop the band if their line-up changed. When Danny Harvey joined, Island handed them their walking papers and told them to it the bricks, ya lousy bums.
It was this line-up that would sign to RCA Records and issue their first studio album, Make That Move.
As if that's not bad enough, the cover shot actually manages to makes one of the most formidable live bands in all of New York City look like a gaggle of Potsies.
I STILL BOUGHT IT, THOUGH.
But then the band was dropped by Island due to a contractual clause that allowed Island to drop the band if their line-up changed. When Danny Harvey joined, Island handed them their walking papers and told them to it the bricks, ya lousy bums.
It was this line-up that would sign to RCA Records and issue their first studio album, Make That Move.
Dibbs Preston on vocals, Smutty Smiff on bass, Barry Ryan and Danny B. Harvey on guitars, and Mike Osborn on drums.
Within months of getting them signed to RCA, and promising them a Top 10 record, Mottola was luring them to MCA.
Part of the deal was that the band was going to ditch the name and the rockabilly schtick.
Six months later:
Here we have young synth pop band Secret Hearts unleashing their hooky, synth-driven pop sensibilities with this stellar single from their 1984 Pete Solley-produced album for MCA Records.
The Secret Hearts consisted of Dibbs Preston on vocals, Smut Smith on bass, Barry Ryan and Danny Harvey on guitars, and Mike Osborne on drums.
Convinced that the only thing standing between them and the Top 10 was the removal of any trace of their rockabilly past, the band hooked up with Romantics producer Pete Solley to re-work "Make That Move". Sadly, the single stiffed (maybe because they didn't shoot a video?), the album cratered, and Tommy Mottola dropped the band like a dirty shirt.
Tags:
don't make that move