Eyes (band)
Encyclopedia
Eyes was a rock band from New Haven, Connecticut
that was active throughout the 1980s
. The band was founded by James Christian
, who would later go on to front the notable hard rock band House of Lords
.
in 1977. The band was a spinoff of the very popular Connecticut-based progressive rock band Jasper Wrath
, which disbanded in 1976 due to commercial and non-commercial musical differences. Vocalist/guitarist James Christian, bassist Phil Stone, and keyboardist Jeff Batter decided to stick together and form a new project. The lineup was later completed with the addition of drummer Richie Catalano and keyboardist Jerry Green. Eyes released their first LP, We're In It Together
, in 1978 through Quiet Cannon Records. Most of the keyboards on the album were done by Jerry Green; Jeff Batter was credited as a special guest rather than a member of the band.
Eyes developed quite a following during their first few years of existence. In addition to new original material at live shows, they continued to play the Jasper Wrath hit song "You" every night as the crowd demanded it. Sooner or later, the band started adding a few cover songs to their set, which increased the size of their audience. James Christian recalls, "We started doing Journey
songs as well as Led Zeppelin's
classics such as "Kashmir
". I must say when we covered a song, it was amazing. We did as close as possible to the original."
In the early '80s, bassist Phil Stone and keyboardist Jerry Green left the group. James Christian switched to bass and Michael Solak was brought in to fulfill the guitar duties. After a while the group got so popular that they never had to ask for any money from club owners. James Christian recalls, "We would just tell the club owner, just book us and we will charge a cover charge for people to get in. Whatever we collect will be ours, so you the club never had to guarantee us anything. We were cleaning up. We were making about $2500 per night and we worked 6- night a weeks. In 1985, that was a lot of money for a club act to make. There were literally lines around the club to get into an EYES performance."
In the mid-'80s, James Christian was called to do some session work in Los Angeles
. He originally intended it to be a one shot deal, but after doing some work and making contacts for a few weeks, Christian became addicted to the Los Angeles music scene. Christian later left Eyes after accepting an offer to become the lead singer of the group L.A. Rocks. Eyes broke up completely after Christian had left the band. About a year after joining L.A. Rocks, Christian accepted an offer to become the lead vocalist of the group House of Lords
.
James Christian
- lead vocals, guitar, and bass (1977–1986)
Jeff Batter - keyboards and vocals (1977–1986)
Michael Solak - guitar and vocals (1982–1986)
Richie Catalano - drums and percussion (1977–1986)
Phil Stone - bass, flute, and vocals (1977–1982)
Jerry Green - keyboards (1977–1982)
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
that was active throughout the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
. The band was founded by James Christian
James Christian
James Christian is a Connecticut-based musician and songwriter who is perhaps best known for being the frontman of the band House of Lords.-Career:...
, who would later go on to front the notable hard rock band House of Lords
House of Lords (band)
House of Lords is a hard rock/AOR band from Los Angeles, California.-History:House of Lords was formed in 1987 by former Angel member and keyboardist Gregg Giuffria from his solo project Giuffria...
.
History
Eyes formed in New Haven, ConnecticutNew Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
in 1977. The band was a spinoff of the very popular Connecticut-based progressive rock band Jasper Wrath
Jasper Wrath
Jasper Wrath was a progressive rock band from New Haven, Connecticut that was active throughout the 1970s. They were founded by Jeff Cannata, who would later go on to form the 1980s band Arc Angel. The band also featured James Christian, who would later go on to front the notable glam metal band...
, which disbanded in 1976 due to commercial and non-commercial musical differences. Vocalist/guitarist James Christian, bassist Phil Stone, and keyboardist Jeff Batter decided to stick together and form a new project. The lineup was later completed with the addition of drummer Richie Catalano and keyboardist Jerry Green. Eyes released their first LP, We're In It Together
We're In It Together (album)
We're In It Together is the first studio album by Connecticut-based rock band Eyes.-Track listing:Side 1# "Deeper In Love"# "Back Seat Driver"# "California By Morning"# "Thinking It Over"# "We Better Get Along"Side 2# "It's Over"...
, in 1978 through Quiet Cannon Records. Most of the keyboards on the album were done by Jerry Green; Jeff Batter was credited as a special guest rather than a member of the band.
Eyes developed quite a following during their first few years of existence. In addition to new original material at live shows, they continued to play the Jasper Wrath hit song "You" every night as the crowd demanded it. Sooner or later, the band started adding a few cover songs to their set, which increased the size of their audience. James Christian recalls, "We started doing Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
songs as well as Led Zeppelin's
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
classics such as "Kashmir
Kashmir (song)
"Kashmir" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their sixth album Physical Graffiti, released in 1975. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant over a period of three years, with the lyrics dating back to 1973.-Overview:The song centres around a signature chord progression...
". I must say when we covered a song, it was amazing. We did as close as possible to the original."
In the early '80s, bassist Phil Stone and keyboardist Jerry Green left the group. James Christian switched to bass and Michael Solak was brought in to fulfill the guitar duties. After a while the group got so popular that they never had to ask for any money from club owners. James Christian recalls, "We would just tell the club owner, just book us and we will charge a cover charge for people to get in. Whatever we collect will be ours, so you the club never had to guarantee us anything. We were cleaning up. We were making about $2500 per night and we worked 6- night a weeks. In 1985, that was a lot of money for a club act to make. There were literally lines around the club to get into an EYES performance."
In the mid-'80s, James Christian was called to do some session work in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. He originally intended it to be a one shot deal, but after doing some work and making contacts for a few weeks, Christian became addicted to the Los Angeles music scene. Christian later left Eyes after accepting an offer to become the lead singer of the group L.A. Rocks. Eyes broke up completely after Christian had left the band. About a year after joining L.A. Rocks, Christian accepted an offer to become the lead vocalist of the group House of Lords
House of Lords (band)
House of Lords is a hard rock/AOR band from Los Angeles, California.-History:House of Lords was formed in 1987 by former Angel member and keyboardist Gregg Giuffria from his solo project Giuffria...
.
Band members
Former MembersJames Christian
James Christian
James Christian is a Connecticut-based musician and songwriter who is perhaps best known for being the frontman of the band House of Lords.-Career:...
- lead vocals, guitar, and bass (1977–1986)
Jeff Batter - keyboards and vocals (1977–1986)
Michael Solak - guitar and vocals (1982–1986)
Richie Catalano - drums and percussion (1977–1986)
Phil Stone - bass, flute, and vocals (1977–1982)
Jerry Green - keyboards (1977–1982)
Discography
- We're In It TogetherWe're In It Together (album)We're In It Together is the first studio album by Connecticut-based rock band Eyes.-Track listing:Side 1# "Deeper In Love"# "Back Seat Driver"# "California By Morning"# "Thinking It Over"# "We Better Get Along"Side 2# "It's Over"...
- 1978 (Quiet Cannon)