Face to Face (new wave band) explained

Face to Face
Background:group_or_band
Origin:New Hampshire, United States
Genre:Pop, new wave
Years Active:1979–1988
Label:Epic Records, PolyGram Records
Associated Acts:Twinemen
Current Members:Laurie Sargent
Stuart Kimball
Angelo Petraglia
John Ryder
Billy Beard

Face to Face was an American new wave quintet from Boston, Massachusetts, United States.[1]

Formation

Guitarist Stuart Kimball (born December 21, 1956)[2] formed the band with close friends in New Hampshire during the late 1970s. The lineup was Laurie Sargent on vocals, Kimball on guitars and keyboards, Angelo Petraglia (identified on their albums simply as 'Angelo') on guitars and keyboards, John Ryder on bass and Billy Beard on drums.

They moved to Boston in 1980 and played there until signing with Epic in 1982. The band's biggest hit was "10-9-8" (from their self-titled first album), which peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week ending July 20, 1984.[3]

Breakup of the band

After performing as a band for less than 10 years they disbanded in 1988 approximately one year after switching labels to PolyGram Records.Sargent went on to record as a solo artist, and is currently lead singer for the band Twinemen with former members of Face to Face and Morphine.Beard is a music booker at Toad and Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he plays with Session Americana.Kimball plays guitar as a member of Bob Dylan's band in the Never Ending Tour.Petraglia won a Grammy in 2010 for Record of the Year as the Kings of Leon's producer, a band for which he also assists with songwriting duties.Ryder still plays in Boston, doing fundraisers as a founding member of the James Montgomery & Friends band, who were nominated for a Boston Music Award in 2003, and has been working for the Philips corporation for over 10 years.

Movie appearance

In the 1984 movie Streets of Fire, the fictional band Ellen Aim and The Attackers, supposedly headed by Diane Lane, actually consisted of the male members of Face to Face, with Laurie, billed as being a member of "Fire Incorporated," providing lead vocals on Ellen's "Never Be You" and "Sorcerer" and harmony on the Jim Steinman-penned song "Nowhere Fast."

Discography

Albums:

Singles:

Notes and References

  1. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/face-to-face-p17403/biography AllMusic bio
  2. correspondence with Kimball for Rock Chronicles, Firefly 2012
  3. https://www.billboard.com/music/face-to-face-dupe-1/chart-history Face to Face, Hot 100 (chart history)  - Billboard.