The Sharks
Encyclopedia
The Sharks are a new wave
band founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
in 1979, by Doug Phillips (drums, vocals), Steve Zero (guitar), Sam Lugar (guitar, vocals), and Dave Schaeffer.
, U2
, and Talking Heads
, but soon progressed to performing their own material as The Sharks. The band built up a regular following, playing gigs up and down the East coast, and their first single caught the ear of Billy Terrel, who asked the band to record a cover of "Fly Like an Eagle
" for the Philadelphia Eagles
Super Bowl XV
team. This led to a guest spot on AM Philadelphia and gigs at venues such as New York's CBGB's.
They won MTV
's Basement Tape Competition in late 1986 by the largest margin in the history of the MTV Basement Tape Competition, leadng to a four-EP contract with Elektra Records
, who immediately put The Sharks into RPM Studios and The Power Station in NYC. to record In A Black and White World which featured "On My Own" and "Only Time Will Tell". Videos for both songs were shot on location in Times Square in NYC. "Only Time Will Tell" was the second most requested song during MTV's Top 10 Countdown for 2 weeks in a row in 1988. With the success of the Elektra release and the support of MTV, the Sharks toured and shared the stage with The Go-Go's
, A Flock of Seagulls
, Robert Palmer, Joan Jett
and The Blackhearts, The Romantics, Night Ranger, The Fixx
, and The Stray Cats. The band had a falling out with Elektra, but continued to tour and record. In 1986 Guitarist Steve Zero, was replaced by Philadelphia based guitarist, Roger Girke, who had previously been with Robert Hazard, The Front and Pegasus. Girke stayed with the band until his departure in 1989. With 12 successful years and a lifetime of great memories, The Sharks decided to call it quits in 1992, when they realized that Elektra records was not holding up to their promise. The Sharks, with members Shea Quinn, Sam Lugar, Doug Phillips, Mark Showers and Steve Zero, have reunited yearly at the Village Nightclub in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for reunion concerts, where the band started. Schaeffer is a music teacher for the ELCO Middle school and Girke has been an active blues performer since 1990.
On October 8, 2009, lead singer, Sam (Lugar) Rawhauser, died of lung cancer
.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band founded in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
in 1979, by Doug Phillips (drums, vocals), Steve Zero (guitar), Sam Lugar (guitar, vocals), and Dave Schaeffer.
History
The band members started by playing cover versions of songs by new wave artists such as Elvis CostelloElvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, and Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, but soon progressed to performing their own material as The Sharks. The band built up a regular following, playing gigs up and down the East coast, and their first single caught the ear of Billy Terrel, who asked the band to record a cover of "Fly Like an Eagle
Fly Like an Eagle (song)
"Fly Like an Eagle" is a song written by Steve Miller and by Steve Miller Band guitarist Steve McCarty on the album Fly Like an Eagle. The song went to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of January 8, 1977. The single edit can be found on Greatest Hits . The song has an...
" for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
team. This led to a guest spot on AM Philadelphia and gigs at venues such as New York's CBGB's.
They won 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....
's Basement Tape Competition in late 1986 by the largest margin in the history of the MTV Basement Tape Competition, leadng to a four-EP contract with Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
, who immediately put The Sharks into RPM Studios and The Power Station in NYC. to record In A Black and White World which featured "On My Own" and "Only Time Will Tell". Videos for both songs were shot on location in Times Square in NYC. "Only Time Will Tell" was the second most requested song during MTV's Top 10 Countdown for 2 weeks in a row in 1988. With the success of the Elektra release and the support of MTV, the Sharks toured and shared the stage with The Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
, A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls are an English New Wave band originally formed by brothers Michael "Mike" Score and Alister "Ali" James Score , with Frank Maudsley , Michael Kuby , H.J...
, Robert Palmer, Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
and The Blackhearts, The Romantics, Night Ranger, The Fixx
The Fixx
The Fixx is an English rock band formed in London in 1979. Their hits include "One Thing Leads to Another," "Red Skies," "Stand or Fall," "Saved by Zero," "Sign of Fire," "Are We Ourselves?," "Secret Separation," "Driven Out," "How Much Is Enough?," and "Deeper and Deeper," which was featured on...
, and The Stray Cats. The band had a falling out with Elektra, but continued to tour and record. In 1986 Guitarist Steve Zero, was replaced by Philadelphia based guitarist, Roger Girke, who had previously been with Robert Hazard, The Front and Pegasus. Girke stayed with the band until his departure in 1989. With 12 successful years and a lifetime of great memories, The Sharks decided to call it quits in 1992, when they realized that Elektra records was not holding up to their promise. The Sharks, with members Shea Quinn, Sam Lugar, Doug Phillips, Mark Showers and Steve Zero, have reunited yearly at the Village Nightclub in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for reunion concerts, where the band started. Schaeffer is a music teacher for the ELCO Middle school and Girke has been an active blues performer since 1990.
On October 8, 2009, lead singer, Sam (Lugar) Rawhauser, died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.