Breakfast Club (band)
The Breakfast Club was an American musical group. Their biggest hit single was "Right on Track", which peaked at no. 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was remixed for a commercial release in a 12" version for dance and club play by John "Jellybean" Benitez and became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Magazine Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Breakfast Club | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Background information | |
Origin | New York, United States |
Genres | |
Years active | 1979 | –1990
Labels | |
Past members |
|
Band history
The group was formed in New York City in 1979 and went through several line-ups, including one in which future pop star Madonna was the drummer. In the early 1980s, the band included Madonna, Angie Smit on bass, and the Gilroy brothers, Dan and Ed, both on guitar (Dan sang lead vocals as well).[2] Dan Gilroy was also briefly Madonna's partner, and he eventually allowed her to sing some lead vocals. Madonna ultimately left to form a new band, Emmy and the Emmys, with avant garde artist Mark Frazier.[3]
In the mid-1980s, the band consisted of the Gilroys (with Dan exclusively on vocals, while Ed provided all guitars), Gary Burke (bass), Paul Kauk (keyboards), and Stephen Bray (drums). Both Bray and Burke previously had been Madonna's bandmates in Emmy and the Emmys.[4]
The group signed with ZE Records and released its eponymous album in 1987 on MCA Records, which spawned the US hit "Right on Track". A majority of their music videos, including "Right on Track", were filmed by Jeff Stein, director of The Who documentary The Kids Are Alright. They were nominated in the category of Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards in 1988.[5] Later, Randy Jackson (bass) and E. Doctor Smith (The Drummstick) joined the band.[6]
A second album was recorded but never released. The band's last single was a cover version of The Beatles' song "Drive My Car" for the 1988 feature film License to Drive.[7] Shortly afterwards the band broke up; Bray later co-wrote several big hits with Madonna.
Dan Gilroy later starred in Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme as Gordon Goose and in Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle as Pete the Postman.
On April 5, 2016, Breakfast Club released a new EP, Percolate, which features songs from the group's unreleased second album. It was the group's first release of new material in almost three decades.[8]
Discography
EPs
- 2016 – Percolate
Singles
Year | Title | US | USD | UK | AU[10] | NZ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984 | Rico Mambo | - | - | - | - | - |
1986 | Right On Track | 7 | 7 | 54[11] | 4 | 30 |
1986 | Rico Mambo (New) | - | - | - | - | - |
1987 | Kiss And Tell | 48 | - | - | - | - |
1987 | Never Be The Same | - | 8 | 91 | - | - |
1988 | Expressway to Your Heart | - | 30 | - | - | - |
1988 | Drive My Car | - | - | - | - | 20 |
References
- Morton, Andrew (2001). Madonna. Macmillan. p. 86. ISBN 9780312287863.
- Walters, Barry (1 June 1987). "The Breakfast Club: The Breakfast Club". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 34. Retrieved 8 April 2017 – via Google Books.
- Cross, Mary (1 January 2007). Madonna: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 20. ISBN 9780313338113. Retrieved 8 April 2017 – via Google Books.
- "Breakfast Club - Biography, Albums, Streaming Links". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- "GRAMMY Rewind: 30th Annual GRAMMY Awards". grammy.com. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- "The Breakfast Club". Stereo Review. CBS Magazines. 1 January 1987. p. 90. Retrieved 8 April 2017 – via Google Books.
- Castile, Meredith (2015). Driver's License. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 74. ISBN 9781628925647. Retrieved 8 April 2017 – via Google Books.
- "Percolate - EP by Breakfast Club". apple.com. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- https://www.billboard.com/music/the-breakfast-club/chart-history/TLP/song/310667
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 45. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 77. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.