Roman Holliday
Encyclopedia
Roman Holliday was a 1980s British
band
, whose style of music
was a mixture of swing
and pop
. They are best known in the UK
for their hit
single
, "Don't Try To Stop It
", which reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart
in the summer of 1983. A follow-up, "Motormania," peaked at number 40.
men, Rob Lambert and John Eacott
also left the band.
In the United States
the group achieved exposure through MTV
, which aired their "Stand By" video
. The single went to number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart in November 1983. Roman Holliday also charted in Japan
on the international, as well as the domestic market, with "Hear It in The Night"; and the Robert John "Mutt" Lange written
and produced
track, "One Foot Back in Your Door." Both singles went Top 10.
Bonhomme is currently employed at Youngstown State University
. He is a professor of Russian history, and teaches a number of courses in modern European history and environmental history
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, whose style of music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
was a mixture of swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
and pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. They are best known in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for their hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Don't Try To Stop It
Don't Try To Stop It
"Don't Try to Stop It" is the third single released by British band Roman Holliday. It was released on 10 June 1983 as a 7", 12" and 7" shaped picture disc single.-Track listing:*Side A: "Don't Try to Stop It" written by Brian Bonhomme...
", which reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in the summer of 1983. A follow-up, "Motormania," peaked at number 40.
Career
The band started in 1980, composed of Bonhomme, Lambert, Cohen and Noone - who left the band shortly thereafter. In 1984 both brassBrass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
men, Rob Lambert and John Eacott
John Eacott
John Eacott is a British composer and Principal Lecturer in Music at the University of Westminster.-Life:Eacott's career started in the 1980s with anarchic jazzers Loose Tubes, post-industrial metal bashers Test Dept, Roman Holliday, acid jazz group Vibraphonic, and a diverse array of artists...
also left the band.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
the group achieved exposure through MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, which aired their "Stand By" video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. The single went to number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart in November 1983. Roman Holliday also charted in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on the international, as well as the domestic market, with "Hear It in The Night"; and the Robert John "Mutt" Lange written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
track, "One Foot Back in Your Door." Both singles went Top 10.
Bonhomme is currently employed at Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
. He is a professor of Russian history, and teaches a number of courses in modern European history and environmental history
Environmental history
Environmental history, a branch of historiography, is the study of human interaction with the natural world over time. In contrast to other historical disciplines, it emphasizes the active role nature plays in influencing human affairs. Environmental historians study how humans both shape their...
.
Band members
Roman Holliday was mainly composed of:- Steve Lambert (born 14 March 1962, Mile EndMile EndMile End is an area within the East End of London, England, and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) — (singer) - Brian Bonhomme (born 30 September 1962, HarlowHarlowHarlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
, EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
) — (guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
/ vocals) - Simon Cohen (born 11 January 1963) — (drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s) - Adrian York (born 11 July 1961) — (pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
) - Jon Durno (born 4 March 1962) — (bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
) - John Eacott (born 19 December 1961) — (trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
) - Rob Lambert (born 22 February 1963) — (saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
)
Albums
- Roman Holliday (1983) Jive / Arista / Sony / BMG - U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
#142 - Cookin' on the Roof (1983) Jive / Arista / Sony / BMG - UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
#31; U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
#116 - Fire Me Up (1984) Jive / Arista / Sony / BMG - U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
#201
Singles
- "Stand By" (1983) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#61; U.S. Hot 100 #54 - "Don't Try To Stop ItDon't Try To Stop It"Don't Try to Stop It" is the third single released by British band Roman Holliday. It was released on 10 June 1983 as a 7", 12" and 7" shaped picture disc single.-Track listing:*Side A: "Don't Try to Stop It" written by Brian Bonhomme...
" (1983) - UK #14; U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Hot 100Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
#68 - "Motormania" (1983) - UK #40
- "One Foot Back in Your Door" (1985) - U.S. #76
External links
- Bonhomme's website
- Roman Holliday official website
- Lambert's official website
- Tribute Japanese website
- http://www.discogs.com/search?type=all&q=steve+lambert&btn=Search