| Linear | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Genre: | Freestyle, dance-pop |
| Years Active: | 1989–present |
| Label: | Atlantic Futura Records Raw Records Hot Records |
| Current Members: | Charlie Pennachio Wyatt Pauley |
| Past Members: | Joey Restivo Gerald Rappaport Mark Acetelli Ricki Archer Raul Prestol Steve Romanello Phil Conneilly Michael Dean |
Linear (pronounced: ; [1]) is an American freestyle-pop group from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[2]
The lineup originally consisted of founder, vocalist, and main songwriter Charlie Pennachio, bassist and guitar player Wyatt Pauley, Vocalist, Rap and percussion player Joey Restivo, drummer Gerald Rappaport, guitarist Phil Conneilly, and backup vocalist/keyboardist Ricki Archer. In 1990, the band had a hit with the gold single, "Sending All My Love," which was self-released on Futura Records by Pennachio and producer Tolga Katas. After the regional success of the single, founder Charlie Pennachio added the remaining band members Pauley, Restivo, Rappaport, Conneilly and Archer. In January 1990, Linear was signed as a trio after the departure of Rappaport, Conneilly, and Archer by Marc Nathan at Atlantic Records. "Sending All My Love" reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1990. The same year, they released their first, self-titled album, followed in 1992 by their second Caught in the Middle.[3] They had another hit with the single, "T.L.C.", which reached number 30 and was nearly three decades later named one of Rolling Stone's 75 Greatest Boy Band Songs.[4] In subsequent years, the lineup would shuffle many times. Pauley took a brief hiatus from Linear to join his other band, Soko, signed to Atco Records. Pennachio would go on to add Mark Acetelli and Michael Dean to replace Pauley. Pauley would return in 1993, while Restivo would depart. Raul Prestol was then added.
Pennachio and Pauley remain as the current members of the original lineup, while Restivo performs under "Joey from Linear".
After Pennachio and Tolga Katas finished recording "Sending All My Love," they would release it on their record label, Futura Records.
Atlantic Records re-released the single that charted in the U.S. Top 5 and earned RIAA Platinum certification. A self-titled album and two singles followed. Since then, Pennachio has become a music executive, manager, hit songwriter & producer.[5]
| Year | Album details | Positions on parade | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | USA[6] | ||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Linear
| 37 [7] | 52 | ||||||||||||
| 1992 | Caught in the Middle
| - | - | ||||||||||||
| "-" denotes a release that did not make the stop. | |||||||||||||||
| Year | Single | Positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [8] [9] | US [10] | NZ [11] | |||||||||||||
| 1990 | "Sending All My Love" | 20 | 5 | 13 | USA Gold[12] | Linear | |||||||||
| "Don't You Come Cryin'" | — | 70 | — | ||||||||||||
| "Something Going On" | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1992 | "T.L.C." | 43 | 30 | 43 | Caught in the Middle | ||||||||||
| "Smile If You Like Sex" | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 1994 | "Let's Go All the Way" | — | — | — | 12"/CD Single | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not make the stop. | |||||||||||||||