Adrenalin (American band)
Encyclopedia
Adrenalin is an American rock band from East Detroit Michigan
, that is perhaps best known for their song "Road of the Gypsy," featured in the 1986 film Iron Eagle
.
Adrenalin is made up of six friends from elementary school (St. Veronica) to high school (Grosse Pointe North). Brian and Mark Pastoria, Jimmy and Mike Romeo, Bruce Schafer and Mike "Flash" Haggerty started the band in the mid-seventies with the help of lead singer David Larson.
Adrenalin created a huge buzz among fans and the music industry alike, as well as quickly earning the respect of musicians such as Bob Seger
and Aerosmith
. They continually won awards throughout the late '70s and well into the '80s when Marc Gilbert joined the band and were getting radio airplay across the country. Their albums boasted heartland rockers like "Don't Be Lookin Back," "Faraway Eyes," and "Road Of The Gypsy," a song featured in the film, Iron Eagle. Adrenalin was even in rotation when MTV was still a fledgling station that actually played music videos. They produced an EP
, Don't Be Looking Back in 1983, and two albums, Road of the Gypsy (1984) and American Heart (1986) both produced by Vini Poncia
.
By the end of Adrenalin's run as a band, the members had coped with the suicide of their original lead singer, David Larson. They were dropped by Polygram
during the mid-'80s collapse of MCA records
. "Through all of this," remembers Brian Pastoria, "we never considered packing it in. We believed in what we were doing...Giving up was not an option."
The Pastoria brothers and the Romeo brothers formed a new band, DC Drive. With the addition of Doug Kahan on bass and Joey Bowen on vocals, DC Drive picked up where Adrenalin left off. They debuted by warming up for Cheap Trick
in front of 50,000 fans.
During all of these changes, the band realized that they wanted to record and produce themselves. "With a $125,000 recording budget, you can pay per diems (to studios on the East or West Coast) or buy the equipment (yourself)," reasoned Brian Pastoria. The band was soon rewarded for their efforts with a recording deal from Capitol Records
/EMI
of Canada
and began working with famed hard-rock producer, Vini Poncia. The result was a self-titled disk full of rock and soul. As bassist Doug Kahan so gracefully put it, "Imagine the MC5 in bed with the Supremes."
The album and the single, "You Need Love," were a success across Detroit and in Canada. In 1993, DC Drive and PR Music garnered many awards and much recognition, including seven nominations and four awards including Best Rock Group and Best Single ("You Need Love") at the Motor City Music Awards. DC Drive disbanded in 1993, when Joey quit to "do his own thing" and Doug went to Nashville.
Adrenalin re-united for a show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 25, 2002 with singer Graham Strachan fronting the band.
The band's current lineup is: Brian Pastoria, (drums); Bruce Schafer, (bass); James Romeo, (saxophone); Mark Pastoria, (keyboards); Michael Haggerty, (guitar); Michael Romeo, (guitar). They currently record at Harmonie Park in Detroit, MI.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, that is perhaps best known for their song "Road of the Gypsy," featured in the 1986 film Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle is a 1986 action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Jason Gedrick and Louis Gossett, Jr. While it received mixed reviews, the film earned US$24,159,872 at the U.S. box office. Iron Eagle was followed by three sequels: Iron Eagle II, Aces: Iron Eagle III and Iron Eagle on the...
.
Adrenalin is made up of six friends from elementary school (St. Veronica) to high school (Grosse Pointe North). Brian and Mark Pastoria, Jimmy and Mike Romeo, Bruce Schafer and Mike "Flash" Haggerty started the band in the mid-seventies with the help of lead singer David Larson.
Adrenalin created a huge buzz among fans and the music industry alike, as well as quickly earning the respect of musicians such as Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
and Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
. They continually won awards throughout the late '70s and well into the '80s when Marc Gilbert joined the band and were getting radio airplay across the country. Their albums boasted heartland rockers like "Don't Be Lookin Back," "Faraway Eyes," and "Road Of The Gypsy," a song featured in the film, Iron Eagle. Adrenalin was even in rotation when MTV was still a fledgling station that actually played music videos. They produced an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Don't Be Looking Back in 1983, and two albums, Road of the Gypsy (1984) and American Heart (1986) both produced by Vini Poncia
Vini Poncia
Vini Poncia is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.In the 1960s, Poncia formed a songwriting team with Peter Anders. An album of songs co-written by these childhood friends The Anders & Poncia Album, was produced by Richard Perry and released in 1969...
.
By the end of Adrenalin's run as a band, the members had coped with the suicide of their original lead singer, David Larson. They were dropped by Polygram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
during the mid-'80s collapse of MCA records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. "Through all of this," remembers Brian Pastoria, "we never considered packing it in. We believed in what we were doing...Giving up was not an option."
The Pastoria brothers and the Romeo brothers formed a new band, DC Drive. With the addition of Doug Kahan on bass and Joey Bowen on vocals, DC Drive picked up where Adrenalin left off. They debuted by warming up for Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
in front of 50,000 fans.
During all of these changes, the band realized that they wanted to record and produce themselves. "With a $125,000 recording budget, you can pay per diems (to studios on the East or West Coast) or buy the equipment (yourself)," reasoned Brian Pastoria. The band was soon rewarded for their efforts with a recording deal from Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
/EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and began working with famed hard-rock producer, Vini Poncia. The result was a self-titled disk full of rock and soul. As bassist Doug Kahan so gracefully put it, "Imagine the MC5 in bed with the Supremes."
The album and the single, "You Need Love," were a success across Detroit and in Canada. In 1993, DC Drive and PR Music garnered many awards and much recognition, including seven nominations and four awards including Best Rock Group and Best Single ("You Need Love") at the Motor City Music Awards. DC Drive disbanded in 1993, when Joey quit to "do his own thing" and Doug went to Nashville.
Adrenalin re-united for a show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 25, 2002 with singer Graham Strachan fronting the band.
Lineup
Over the years the band's lineup consisted of:- David Larson - Vocals (1977–80)
- Marc Gilbert - Vocals (1980–86)
- Michael Romeo - Guitar (1977–Present)
- Brian Pastoria - Drums(1977–Present)
- Mark Pastoria - Keyboards(1981–Present)
- Jimmy Romeo - Sax(1979–Present)
- Michael "Flash" Haggerty - Guitar(1977–Present)
- Bruce Schafer - Bass(1978–Present)
- Glen Young - Bass (1977–78)
- Graham Strachan - Vocals (2002)
- Bill Buda - Keyboards (1977)
The band's current lineup is: Brian Pastoria, (drums); Bruce Schafer, (bass); James Romeo, (saxophone); Mark Pastoria, (keyboards); Michael Haggerty, (guitar); Michael Romeo, (guitar). They currently record at Harmonie Park in Detroit, MI.
Discography
| Release | Label | Year | Format | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Drive | Capitol Capitol Capitol may refer to:**the Capitoline Hill in Rome **a Capitolium, the temple for the Capitoline Triad in many cities of the Roman Empire... |
1992 | LP, CD | "All I Want" (MP3), "You Need Love" (MP3) |
| Iron Eagle Iron Eagle Iron Eagle is a 1986 action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Jason Gedrick and Louis Gossett, Jr. While it received mixed reviews, the film earned US$24,159,872 at the U.S. box office. Iron Eagle was followed by three sequels: Iron Eagle II, Aces: Iron Eagle III and Iron Eagle on the... |
Capitol Capitol Capitol may refer to:**the Capitoline Hill in Rome **a Capitolium, the temple for the Capitoline Triad in many cities of the Roman Empire... |
1985 | Vinyl | "Road of the Gypsy" (MP3) |
| Road of the Gypsy | MCA MCA - Archaeology :* Medieval Climatic Anomaly, an extreme and persistent drought in California and Patagonia during Medieval TimeChodu- Aviation :* Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways... |
1985 | LP, Vinyl | |
| American Heart (Adrenalin Album) | Rocshire/MCA MCA - Archaeology :* Medieval Climatic Anomaly, an extreme and persistent drought in California and Patagonia during Medieval TimeChodu- Aviation :* Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways... |
1984 | LP, Vinyl | |
| Don't Be Lookin Back | Musical Signature | 1983 | EP, Vinyl | |
| I Don't Know When To Quit b/w Everything Is Gonna Be Alright | Musical Signature | 1981 | Single, Vinyl | |
| Gimme Good Lovin b/w Change Of Heart | Musical Signature | 1979 | Single, Vinyl | |
| Rock 'n' Roll Screamer b/w Cumz 'N' Goes | Green Grass Records | 1977 | Single, Vinyl |
Awards
- Best Song (Pop/Rock) - Detroit Music Awards (1993)
- Best Pop Rock Act (Pop/Rock) - Detroit Music Awards (1993)
- Best Record Company/ Harmonie Park - Detroit Music Awards (2002)
- Best Compilation / Christmas in Detroit - Detroit Music Awards (1993)
- Best Studio - Detroit Music Awards (2000)