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| label = [[415 Records|415]], [[Columbia Records|Columbia]] |
| label = [[415 Records|415]], [[Columbia Records|Columbia]] |
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| website = {{url|romeovoid.net}} |
| website = {{url|romeovoid.net}} |
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| past_members = [[Debora Iyall]]<br>Peter Woods<br>Frank Zincavage<br>Jay Derrah<br>Benjamin Bossi<br>John "Stench" |
| past_members = [[Debora Iyall]]<br>Peter Woods<br>Frank Zincavage<br>Jay Derrah<br>Benjamin Bossi<br>John "Stench" Hanes<br>Larry Carter<br>[[Aaron Smith (musician)|Aaron Smith]] |
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'''Romeo Void''' was an American [[new wave music|new wave]]/[[post punk]] band from [[San Francisco, California]], formed in 1979.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> The band primarily consisted of saxophonist Benjamin Bossi, vocalist [[Debora Iyall]], guitarist Peter Woods, and bassist Frank Zincavage. The band went through four drummers, starting with Jay Derrah and ending with [[Aaron Smith (musician)|Aaron Smith]]. The band released three albums, ''[[It's a Condition]]'', ''[[Benefactor (album)|Benefactor]]'' and ''[[Instincts (album)|Instincts]]'', along with one [[Extended Play|EP]]. They are best known for the songs "[[Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)|Never Say Never]]" and "[[A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)]]"; the latter became a [[Top 40]] pop single. |
'''Romeo Void''' was an American [[new wave music|new wave]]/[[post punk]] band from [[San Francisco]], [[California]], formed in 1979.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> The band primarily consisted of saxophonist Benjamin Bossi, vocalist [[Debora Iyall]], guitarist Peter Woods, and bassist Frank Zincavage. The band went through four drummers, starting with Jay Derrah and ending with [[Aaron Smith (musician)|Aaron Smith]]. The band released three albums, ''[[It's a Condition]]'', ''[[Benefactor (album)|Benefactor]]'' and ''[[Instincts (album)|Instincts]]'', along with one [[Extended Play|EP]]. They are best known for the songs "[[Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)|Never Say Never]]" and "[[A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)]]"; the latter became a [[Top 40]] pop single. |
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The band was started at the [[San Francisco Art Institute]] by Iyall and Zincavage. They released a single on the recently formed [[415 Records]] before recording their debut album, which has been deemed a "masterpiece of American post-punk".<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> The success of their second release, a four-song EP |
The band was started at the [[San Francisco Art Institute]] by Iyall and Zincavage. They released a single on the recently formed [[415 Records]] before recording their debut album, which has been deemed a "masterpiece of American post-punk".<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> The success of their second release, a four-song EP titled ''[[Never Say Never (EP)|Never Say Never]]'' resulted in a distribution deal with [[Columbia Records]]. The band continued to release music and tour until they broke up in 1985. The members have reunited briefly over the years. Iyall has continued to pursue music as a side project. Iyall has garnered acclaim as a skilled lyricist who explores themes like sexuality and alienation from a female perspective with "searing imagery".<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> |
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==History== |
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===1979: Formation=== |
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Romeo Void formed at the [[San Francisco Art Institute]] in February 1979. Vocalist [[Debora Iyall]] occasionally visited the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] to see [[Patti Smith]] perform.<ref name = "Bielawski2003">{{cite web | url = http://www.eastbayexpress.com/gyrobase/punk-prophets/Content?oid=1069071&showFullText=true | title = Punk Prophets | last = Bielawski | first = Toby | publisher = [[East Bay Express]] | date = January 1, 2003 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> She decided to pursue an art education after reading a fortune cookie. "It was in the late '70s at the Indochina Friendship Booth at the annual Fourth of July streetfair in [[Eureka, California]]," she said. "I got a fortune cookie that said 'Art is your fate, don't debate.' That next January, I was enrolled in an art school in San Francisco."<ref name = "Michaels2005">{{cite book | last = Michaels | first = Randolph | title = Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited| publisher = [[iUniverse]] | year = 2005 | isbn = 0-595-37007-1 | page = 156}}</ref> She began frequenting the [[Mabuhay Gardens]], a popular nightclub, to see local alternative rock groups like [[The Nuns]], [[The Mutants (band)|the Mutants]], [[Crime (band)|Crime]], and the [[Avengers (band)|Avengers]].<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> She also formed the Mummers and Poppers, a punk [[Parody music|parody band]] that covered 1960s tunes with guitarist Peter Woods, Charles Hagan and drummer Jay Derrah, .<ref name = "Mason2011a">{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/romeo-void-mn0000831448/biography | last = Mason | first = Stewart | title = Romeo Void biography | publisher = [[AllMusic]]. [[All Media Network]] |access-date = February 21, 2011 }}</ref><ref name = "Gimarc1997">{{cite book | last = Gimarc | first = George | title = Post Punk Diary: 1980–1982 | publisher = [[Macmillan Publishers]] | year = 1997 | isbn = 0-312-16968-X | page = [https://archive.org/details/postpunkdiary19800gima/page/135 135] | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/postpunkdiary19800gima/page/135 }}</ref> Iyall was originally hesitant to perform because she was overweight: "After seeing Patti Smith, I still had it in my mind that you had to be skinny to be up there [on stage], but after going to the Mabuhay [...] you just do whatever you want, be whoever you want, just make it happen."<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> |
Romeo Void formed at the [[San Francisco Art Institute]] in February 1979. Vocalist [[Debora Iyall]] occasionally visited the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]] to see [[Patti Smith]] perform.<ref name = "Bielawski2003">{{cite web | url = http://www.eastbayexpress.com/gyrobase/punk-prophets/Content?oid=1069071&showFullText=true | title = Punk Prophets | last = Bielawski | first = Toby | publisher = [[East Bay Express]] | date = January 1, 2003 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> She decided to pursue an art education after reading a fortune cookie. "It was in the late '70s at the Indochina Friendship Booth at the annual Fourth of July streetfair in [[Eureka, California]]," she said. "I got a fortune cookie that said 'Art is your fate, don't debate.' That next January, I was enrolled in an art school in San Francisco."<ref name = "Michaels2005">{{cite book | last = Michaels | first = Randolph | title = Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited| publisher = [[iUniverse]] | year = 2005 | isbn = 0-595-37007-1 | page = 156}}</ref> She began frequenting the [[Mabuhay Gardens]], a popular nightclub, to see local alternative rock groups like [[The Nuns]], [[The Mutants (band)|the Mutants]], [[Crime (band)|Crime]], and the [[Avengers (band)|Avengers]].<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> She also formed the Mummers and Poppers, a punk [[Parody music|parody band]] that covered 1960s tunes with guitarist Peter Woods, Charles Hagan and drummer Jay Derrah, .<ref name = "Mason2011a">{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/romeo-void-mn0000831448/biography | last = Mason | first = Stewart | title = Romeo Void biography | publisher = [[AllMusic]]. [[All Media Network]] |access-date = February 21, 2011 }}</ref><ref name = "Gimarc1997">{{cite book | last = Gimarc | first = George | title = Post Punk Diary: 1980–1982 | publisher = [[Macmillan Publishers]] | year = 1997 | isbn = 0-312-16968-X | page = [https://archive.org/details/postpunkdiary19800gima/page/135 135] | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/postpunkdiary19800gima/page/135 }}</ref> Iyall was originally hesitant to perform because she was overweight: "After seeing Patti Smith, I still had it in my mind that you had to be skinny to be up there [on stage], but after going to the Mabuhay [...] you just do whatever you want, be whoever you want, just make it happen."<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> |
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The band practiced in Iyall's flat in [[Mission District, San Francisco|Mission District]].<ref name = "Michaels2005"/> It was decided that the group would embrace punk ideals despite the possibility that they become associated with the [[New wave music|new wave]] movement. "Even though I was going to the [Mabuhay Gardens] so much, I also had criticisms: Everyone was leaning against the wall wearing black," Iyall said. "I guess we were considered new wave, but for me Romeo Void was a reaction against the regimentation of everyone having to be bleached blond and everything being about despair and no future, when I thought the [[DIY ethic|do-it-yourself thing]] should encompass all the different kinds of emotions, and all the different colors. [...] I was proud of being [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]], so I purposely never bleached my hair blond."<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> |
The band practiced in Iyall's flat in [[Mission District, San Francisco|Mission District]].<ref name = "Michaels2005"/> It was decided that the group would embrace punk ideals despite the possibility that they become associated with the [[New wave music|new wave]] movement. "Even though I was going to the [Mabuhay Gardens] so much, I also had criticisms: Everyone was leaning against the wall wearing black," Iyall said. "I guess we were considered new wave, but for me Romeo Void was a reaction against the regimentation of everyone having to be bleached blond and everything being about despair and no future, when I thought the [[DIY ethic|do-it-yourself thing]] should encompass all the different kinds of emotions, and all the different colors. [...] I was proud of being [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]], so I purposely never bleached my hair blond."<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> |
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==1980–1982: ''It's a Condition'', ''Benefactor'', and mainstream success== |
===1980–1982: ''It's a Condition'', ''Benefactor'', and mainstream success=== |
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The band became busy playing shows at clubs and warehouses around San Francisco,<ref name = "Michaels2005"/> and quickly became popular.<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> Saxophonist Benjamin Bossi was added to the lineup as an "accident" when Iyall met him while he worked in the New York City Deli on Market Street in San Francisco.<ref name = "Gimarc1997"/> The group released their first single, "White Sweater", which consisted of the title track and a cover of [[Jerry Lordan]]'s popular instrumental composition "[[Apache (instrumental)|Apache]]", in February 1981 on a recently founded local label called [[415 Records]].<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> They worked on the recording of their debut album, ''[[It's a Condition]]'', with producer [[David Kahne]]. Before recording began, Derrah left the band and was replaced by John "Stench" Hanes, who had previously played with [[Pearl Harbor and the Explosions]].<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> Romeo Void's debut was critically acclaimed upon its release through 415 in July 1981,<ref name = "Mason2011a"/><ref name="Riegel"/> and introduced Romeo Void's "unique blend of jazz, funk, rock and confrontational poetry".<ref name = "Payes2011">{{cite web | url = http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=romeo_void | last = Payes | first = Robert | title = Romeo Void biography | publisher = [[Trouser Press]] | year = 2011 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> [[AllMusic]] writer Stewart Mason later heralded it as one of the "masterpieces of American [[post-punk]]".<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> Indie labels were enthusiastic with promotions and the band embarked on several nationwide tours.<ref name = "Evans2010">{{cite web | url = http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/debora-iyall-fills-a-void/Content?oid=1689704 | title = Debora Iyall Fills a Void | last = Evans | first = Kirsty | publisher = [[East Bay Express]] | date = April 14, 2010 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> Eventually |
The band became busy playing shows at clubs and warehouses around San Francisco,<ref name = "Michaels2005"/> and quickly became popular.<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> Saxophonist Benjamin Bossi was added to the lineup as an "accident" when Iyall met him while he worked in the New York City Deli on Market Street in San Francisco.<ref name = "Gimarc1997"/> The group released their first single, "White Sweater", which consisted of the title track and a cover of [[Jerry Lordan]]'s popular instrumental composition "[[Apache (instrumental)|Apache]]", in February 1981 on a recently founded local label called [[415 Records]].<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> They worked on the recording of their debut album, ''[[It's a Condition]]'', with producer [[David Kahne]]. Before recording began, Derrah left the band and was replaced by John "Stench" Hanes, who had previously played with [[Pearl Harbor and the Explosions]].<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> Romeo Void's debut was critically acclaimed upon its release through 415 in July 1981,<ref name = "Mason2011a"/><ref name="Riegel"/> and introduced Romeo Void's "unique blend of jazz, funk, rock and confrontational poetry".<ref name = "Payes2011">{{cite web | url = http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=romeo_void | last = Payes | first = Robert | title = Romeo Void biography | publisher = [[Trouser Press]] | year = 2011 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> [[AllMusic]] writer Stewart Mason later heralded it as one of the "masterpieces of American [[post-punk]]".<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> Indie labels were enthusiastic with promotions and the band embarked on several nationwide tours.<ref name = "Evans2010">{{cite web | url = http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/debora-iyall-fills-a-void/Content?oid=1689704 | title = Debora Iyall Fills a Void | last = Evans | first = Kirsty | publisher = [[East Bay Express]] | date = April 14, 2010 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> Eventually Hanes left the band, leaving Larry Carter to fill the drummer position.<ref name = "Strong2003">{{cite book | last = Strong | first = Martin Charles | title = The Great Indie Discography | publisher = [[Grove/Atlantic, Inc.|Canongate U.S.]] | year = 2003 | isbn = 1-84195-335-0 | page = 487}}</ref> |
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The sudden surge in popularity was disorienting to Iyall. "It was frightening: we played a college in [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]], and there were all these blond people crowding the stage, and I thought 'These are the people who hated me in high school!' When you grow up being 'outside' – because I wasn't white, and I was fat, and always a bit of a free thinker – it was strange. It was like, 'uh-oh, I must be doing something wrong – they like me!'"<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> Highly successful mainstream artists like [[Ann Wilson]] and [[Ric Ocasek]] were eager to meet the band. Ocasek extended an invitation to collaborate at his |
The sudden surge in popularity was disorienting to Iyall. "It was frightening: we played a college in [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]], and there were all these blond people crowding the stage, and I thought 'These are the people who hated me in high school!' When you grow up being 'outside' – because I wasn't white, and I was fat, and always a bit of a free thinker – it was strange. It was like, 'uh-oh, I must be doing something wrong – they like me!'"<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> Highly successful mainstream artists like [[Ann Wilson]] and [[Ric Ocasek]] were eager to meet the band. Ocasek extended an invitation to collaborate at his [[Syncro Sound]] recording studio in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]].<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> The recording sessions in Boston resulted in the ''[[Never Say Never (EP)|Never Say Never]]'' EP in January 1982. The title track became (arguably) their best-known song and has remained synonymous with the band ever since. The song was also featured in the 1984 romantic teen drama ''[[Reckless (1984 film)|Reckless]]''. Additionally, the success of the single directly led to 415 Records signing a deal with [[Columbia Records]], which elevated the indie label's roster to major-label status.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> Romeo Void released their second album, entitled ''[[Benefactor (album)|Benefactor]]'', in November 1982.<ref name = "Ruhlmann2011b">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=R16861|pure_url=yes}} | last = Ruhlmann | first = William | title = ''Benefactor'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011b | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> The album appeared at No. 119 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref name = "AllmusicStaff2011">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p5301|tab=charts-awards|pure_url=yes}}| title = Romeo Void charts and awards | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> ''Benefactor'' was noticeably more commercial sounding than previous endeavors; the music was made more danceable and swearing was removed on the song "Never Say Never".<ref name = "Ruhlmann2011b"/> The different approach in the sound resulted in comparisons to [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]],<ref name = "Strong2003"/> which AllMusic writer William Ruhlmann suggested was a deliberate attempt by Columbia.<ref name = "Ruhlmann2011b"/> Iyall stated that there was more pressure to write sexually laced lyrics for ''Benefactor'': "I do like to be provocative, and I definitely have access to my sexuality, and as a topic I find it ripe, but I wasn't ever going to be a sex-pot diva, so that was kind of odd." She also said there was pressure to produce more singles.<ref name = "Evans2010"/> |
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==1983–present: ''Instincts'', break-up, and post-band endeavors== |
===1983–present: ''Instincts'', break-up, and post-band endeavors=== |
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A third and final album was again helmed by David Kahne, which AllMusic writer Stewart Mason speculated was a "reaction against the more commercial sound of ''Benefactor''.<ref name = "Ruhlmann2011c">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=R16862|pure_url=yes}} | last = Ruhlmann | first = William | title = ''Instincts'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011c | access-date = 2011-02-21}}</ref> By this time, Carter had been replaced by veteran session drummer [[Aaron Smith (musician)|Aaron Smith]].<ref name = "Strong2003"/> ''[[Instincts (album)|Instincts]]'' was released in October 1984, debuted at No. 68 on the Billboard 200,<ref name = "AllmusicStaff2011"/> and proved to be the band's best-selling album.<ref name = "Ruhlmann2011c"/> It also launched their most successful single, "[[A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)]]," which broke the [[Billboard Hot 100|Billboard]] [[Top 40]] and peaked at No. 35.<ref name = "AllmusicStaff2011"/> Critical reactions were positive.<ref name = "Gillis1984">{{cite |
A third and final album was again helmed by David Kahne, which AllMusic writer Stewart Mason speculated was a "reaction against the more commercial sound of ''Benefactor''.<ref name = "Ruhlmann2011c">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=R16862|pure_url=yes}} | last = Ruhlmann | first = William | title = ''Instincts'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011c | access-date = 2011-02-21}}</ref> By this time, Carter had been replaced by veteran session drummer [[Aaron Smith (musician)|Aaron Smith]].<ref name = "Strong2003"/> ''[[Instincts (album)|Instincts]]'' was released in October 1984, debuted at No. 68 on the Billboard 200,<ref name = "AllmusicStaff2011"/> and proved to be the band's best-selling album.<ref name = "Ruhlmann2011c"/> It also launched their most successful single, "[[A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)]]," which broke the [[Billboard Hot 100|Billboard]] [[Top 40]] and peaked at No. 35.<ref name = "AllmusicStaff2011"/> Critical reactions were positive.<ref name = "Gillis1984">{{cite magazine | last = Gillis | first = Kathy | title = Talent in Action: Romeo Void | magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | issue = 90th Anniversary Special Edition |date=December 1984}}</ref> Despite being the band's most successful effort to date, Columbia pulled the band's promotional support while on a nationwide tour. "The very next town we got to after they made that decision, there wasn't an A&R person there," said Iyall. "[There] was no local person there, there were no interviews and in-stores arranged as they had been. All that just ground to a halt." The band returned to San Francisco and soon broke up. Constant touring has been cited by Iyall as the primary reason for the break-up. "You get tired of each other, and you get intolerant of being uncomfortable and away from your family and your friends."<ref name = "Evans2010"/> According to a [[VH1]] reunion episode, the issue of Iyall's weight was the reason for the label dropping them.<ref name = "Evans2010"/> In 2003, Iyall agreed with this claim: "[[Howie Klein|Howie]] sold us from 415 to Columbia Records, and they were like 'Who's this fat chick?' They decided that was as far as it was going to get, and pulled their support."<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> ''[[Crawdaddy!]]'' writer [[Denise Sullivan]] stated that the label spoke to Iyall about losing weight, but she subsequently refused.<ref name = "Sullivan2010">{{cite web | url = http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/11/23/what-makes-a-legend-debora-iyall/ | title = What Makes a Legend: Debora Iyall | last = Sullivan | first = Denise | publisher = [[Crawdaddy!]] | date = December 23, 2010 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> In 2010, Iyall declined to discuss the issue, but added that she may not be taking full responsibility in the matter.<ref name = "Evans2010"/> |
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Iyall released a solo album entitled ''[[Strange Language]]'' with former band members Bossi and Smith in 1986.<ref name = "Mason2011b">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=r173535|pure_url=yes}} | last = Mason | first = Stewart | title = ''Strange Language'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> Afterward she pursued a career as an art teacher.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> The band reunited briefly for a live performance in 1993.<ref name = "Strong2003"/> In 2004, Romeo Void was featured on an episode of VH1's ''[[Bands Reunited]]''. Bossi had sustained too much [[Hearing impairment|hearing damage]] over the years and was unable to perform, although he did meet up with the band again and watched the reunion performance from an adjacent room.<ref name = "Bernstein2004">{{cite news| last = Bernstein | first = Jonathan | title = Jonathan Bernstein's Aerial View of America | newspaper = [[The Guardian]] |date=February 2004 | page = 98}}</ref> Iyall has continued to dabble in music related projects and events. "I still like to sing and I still like to perform," she said.<ref name = "Evans2010"/> In 2003 she was involved in a musical project called Knife in Water.<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> She began collaborating with Peter Dunne, who was known as Peter {{Not a typo|Bilt}} when he played guitar for Pearl Harbor and the Explosions. Iyall and Dunne performed at a support benefit for ''Crawdaddy!'' founder [[Paul Williams (Crawdaddy! creator)|Paul Williams]] in June 2009,<ref name = "RollingStone2009">{{cite web | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rockers-unite-for-benefit-supporting-crawdaddy-founder-paul-williams-20090623 | title = Rockers Unite for Benefit Supporting Crawdaddy! Founder Paul Williams | author = ''Rolling Stone'' staff | publisher = [[Rolling Stone]] | date = June 23, 2009 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> and performed at a concert honoring 415 Records later that September.<ref name = "Selvin2009">{{cite web | url = |
Iyall released a solo album entitled ''[[Strange Language]]'' with former band members Bossi and Smith in 1986.<ref name = "Mason2011b">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=r173535|pure_url=yes}} | last = Mason | first = Stewart | title = ''Strange Language'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> Afterward she pursued a career as an art teacher.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> The band reunited briefly for a live performance in 1993.<ref name = "Strong2003"/> In 2004, Romeo Void was featured on an episode of VH1's ''[[Bands Reunited]]''. Bossi had sustained too much [[Hearing impairment|hearing damage]] over the years and was unable to perform, although he did meet up with the band again and watched the reunion performance from an adjacent room.<ref name = "Bernstein2004">{{cite news| last = Bernstein | first = Jonathan | title = Jonathan Bernstein's Aerial View of America | newspaper = [[The Guardian]] |date=February 2004 | page = 98}}</ref> Iyall has continued to dabble in music related projects and events. "I still like to sing and I still like to perform," she said.<ref name = "Evans2010"/> In 2003 she was involved in a musical project called Knife in Water.<ref name = "Bielawski2003"/> She began collaborating with Peter Dunne, who was known as Peter {{Not a typo|Bilt}} when he played guitar for [[Pearl Harbor and the Explosions]]. Iyall and Dunne performed at a support benefit for ''Crawdaddy!'' founder [[Paul Williams (Crawdaddy! creator)|Paul Williams]] in June 2009,<ref name = "RollingStone2009">{{cite web | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rockers-unite-for-benefit-supporting-crawdaddy-founder-paul-williams-20090623 | title = Rockers Unite for Benefit Supporting Crawdaddy! Founder Paul Williams | author = ''Rolling Stone'' staff | publisher = [[Rolling Stone]] | date = June 23, 2009 | access-date = February 21, 2011 | archive-date = June 28, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110628202903/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rockers-unite-for-benefit-supporting-crawdaddy-founder-paul-williams-20090623 | url-status = dead }}</ref> and performed at a concert honoring 415 Records later that September.<ref name = "Selvin2009">{{cite web | url = https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/2009-09-04/entertainment/17204663_1_romeo-void-debora-iyall-wire-train/2 | title = S.F. concert in honor of 415 Records | last = Selvin | first = Joel | publisher = [[San Francisco Chronicle]] | date = October 4, 2009 | access-date = February 22, 2011}}</ref> They released an album entitled ''Stay Strong'' in 2010.<ref name = "Sullivan2010"/> |
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Drummer Larry Carter died in August of 2021, from what is thought to be heart complications.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CSosNrIHLMe/ | title=Instagram }}</ref> Saxophonist Benjamin Bossi died of complications from Alzheimer's disease on December 13, 2022, at the age of 69.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vaziri |first1=Aidin |title=Benjamin Bossi, saxophonist for S.F. new wave band Romeo Void, dies at 69 |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/benjamin-bossi-saxophonist-for-romeo-void-dies-at-59 |website=SF Chronicle Datebook |access-date=16 December 2022}}</ref> |
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==Music== |
==Music== |
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{{listen | filename = Never Say Never.ogg | title = "Never Say Never" | description = The band's most popular song, "Never Say Never" exhibits a "sexy yet sneering and detached essence" in what has been hailed one of the greatest lines in rock history: "I might like you better if we slept together".<ref name = "Phares2011"/> | format = [[Ogg]] | filename2 = A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing).ogg | title2 = "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)" | description2 = "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)" was the group's highest-charting single. AllMusic called it "a smart, sexy, and spellbinding slice from one of the best and most creative and overlooked artists of the mid-'80s."<ref name = "Horowitz2011"/> | format2 = [[Ogg]]}} |
{{listen | filename = Never Say Never.ogg | title = "Never Say Never" | description = The band's most popular song, "Never Say Never" exhibits a "sexy yet sneering and detached essence" in what has been hailed one of the greatest lines in rock history: "I might like you better if we slept together".<ref name = "Phares2011"/> | format = [[Ogg]] | filename2 = A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing).ogg | title2 = "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)" | description2 = "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)" was the group's highest-charting single. AllMusic called it "a smart, sexy, and spellbinding slice from one of the best and most creative and overlooked artists of the mid-'80s."<ref name = "Horowitz2011"/> | format2 = [[Ogg]]}} |
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Romeo Void has generally been classified as a [[New wave music|new wave]]<ref name = "Sullivan2010"/><ref name = "Hall1992">{{cite news | author = Hall, Dave | author2 = Siegel, Kristi | title = Sound Bites: Pop | newspaper = [[St. Petersburg Times]] |date=June 1992 | page = 21}}</ref> or [[post-punk]] band.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/><ref name = "Gimarc1997"/><ref name = "Niester1982">{{cite news| last = Niester | first = Alan | title = Romeo Void's 'post-punk' Draws a Blank | newspaper = [[The Globe and Mail]] |date=November 1982 }}</ref> Some critics have noted [[Dance music|dance]] elements in the music.<ref name = "Payes2011"/><ref name = "Sullivan2010"/><ref name = "Ruhlmann2011e">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=R60055|pure_url=yes}} | last = Ruhlmann | first = William | title = ''Warm, In Your Coat'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011e | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> According to Stewart Mason, writing for [[AllMusic]], "[The] band's muscular blend of [[Joy Division|Joy Division's]] atmospherics and the [[Gang of Four (band)|Gang of Four's]] rattling momentum, with Benjamin Bossi's splattering [[free jazz]] saxophone coloring everything, made Romeo Void one of the strongest of the American post-punk bands.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> The ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'' wrote that they "had no trouble creating a signature sound for [themselves with a] scratchy guitar, soulful sax, [and] tight, precise drums."<ref name = "Hall1992"/> ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated that they sounded like "an art-school band, with its textural complexity [and] touches of jazz and funk"<ref name = "Palmer1982">{{cite news| last = Palmer | first = Robert | title = The Pop Life | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] |date=August 1982 | page = 19}}</ref> Saxophone player Benjamin Bossi has been observed as the ingredient that "set the band apart" and showed a "talent for both improvisation and arrangement."<ref name = "Marriote1984">{{cite news| last = Mariotte | first = Michael | title = Romeo Void | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |date=November 1984 | page = B4}}</ref> Alan Niester, writing for ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', said that he weaved "in and out [...] like a [[Snake charming|snake charmer]]" and reminded him of [[Andy Mackay]], a saxophonist |
Romeo Void has generally been classified as a [[New wave music|new wave]]<ref name = "Sullivan2010"/><ref name = "Hall1992">{{cite news | author = Hall, Dave | author2 = Siegel, Kristi | title = Sound Bites: Pop | newspaper = [[St. Petersburg Times]] |date=June 1992 | page = 21}}</ref> or [[post-punk]] band.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/><ref name = "Gimarc1997"/><ref name = "Niester1982">{{cite news| last = Niester | first = Alan | title = Romeo Void's 'post-punk' Draws a Blank | newspaper = [[The Globe and Mail]] |date=November 1982 }}</ref> Some critics have noted [[Dance music|dance]] elements in the music.<ref name = "Payes2011"/><ref name = "Sullivan2010"/><ref name = "Ruhlmann2011e">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=album|id=R60055|pure_url=yes}} | last = Ruhlmann | first = William | title = ''Warm, In Your Coat'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011e | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> According to Stewart Mason, writing for [[AllMusic]], "[The] band's muscular blend of [[Joy Division|Joy Division's]] atmospherics and the [[Gang of Four (band)|Gang of Four's]] rattling momentum, with Benjamin Bossi's splattering [[free jazz]] saxophone coloring everything, made Romeo Void one of the strongest of the American post-punk bands.<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> The ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'' wrote that they "had no trouble creating a signature sound for [themselves with a] scratchy guitar, soulful sax, [and] tight, precise drums."<ref name = "Hall1992"/> ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated that they sounded like "an art-school band, with its textural complexity [and] touches of jazz and funk"<ref name = "Palmer1982">{{cite news| last = Palmer | first = Robert | title = The Pop Life | newspaper = [[The New York Times]] |date=August 1982 | page = 19}}</ref> Saxophone player Benjamin Bossi has been observed as the ingredient that "set the band apart" and showed a "talent for both improvisation and arrangement."<ref name = "Marriote1984">{{cite news| last = Mariotte | first = Michael | title = Romeo Void | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |date=November 1984 | page = B4}}</ref> Alan Niester, writing for ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', said that he weaved "in and out [...] like a [[Snake charming|snake charmer]]" and reminded him of [[Andy Mackay]], a saxophonist who played with [[Roxy Music]].<ref name = "Niester1982"/> |
||
Liam Lacey, also writing for ''The Globe and Mail'', described Iyall's voice as "sultry [and] sexy",<ref name = "Lacey1984">{{cite news| last = Lacey | first = Liam | title = Riff Rap: Lead singer of Romeo Void speaks out on rock and roll | newspaper = [[The Globe and Mail]] |date=November 1984}}</ref> while Mason called it "powerful".<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> Her style has sometimes been compared to [[Chrissie Hynde]], vocalist for the [[Pretenders (band)|Pretenders]].<ref name = "Marriote1984"/><ref name = "Lacey1984"/> Richard Harrington of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' acknowledged the similarity, but also noted the influence of other singers in "[[Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)|Never Say Never]]" where Iyall mixed the "aggressive bitchiness of [Hynde], the coy confrontational tactics of [[Patty Donahue]] of [[the Waitresses]] and the slack sensuality of [[Debbie Harry]] of the earliest [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]]."<ref name = "Harrington1982">{{cite news | last = Harrington | first = Richard | title = Lovelorn Translator, Loveless Romeo Void | |
Liam Lacey, also writing for ''The Globe and Mail'', described Iyall's voice as "sultry [and] sexy",<ref name = "Lacey1984">{{cite news| last = Lacey | first = Liam | title = Riff Rap: Lead singer of Romeo Void speaks out on rock and roll | newspaper = [[The Globe and Mail]] |date=November 1984}}</ref> while Mason called it "powerful".<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> Her style has sometimes been compared to [[Chrissie Hynde]], vocalist for the [[Pretenders (band)|Pretenders]].<ref name = "Marriote1984"/><ref name = "Lacey1984"/> Richard Harrington of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' acknowledged the similarity, but also noted the influence of other singers in "[[Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)|Never Say Never]]" where Iyall mixed the "aggressive bitchiness of [Hynde], the coy confrontational tactics of [[Patty Donahue]] of [[the Waitresses]] and the slack sensuality of [[Debbie Harry]] of the earliest [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]]."<ref name = "Harrington1982">{{cite news | last = Harrington | first = Richard | title = Lovelorn Translator, Loveless Romeo Void | newspaper = [[The Washington Post]] |date=September 1982}}</ref> Iyall used to find the comparison annoying, but eventually warmed to it: "When people said I sounded like her, I'd say, 'Oh yeah, thanks a lot.' But this year, I've fallen in love with ''[[Learning To Crawl]]'' so now I don't care if people want to make comparisons."<ref name = "Lacey1984"/> After a live show in 1982, Niester contended that she was the weakest part of the group and had the "vocal range of an automobile horn".<ref name = "Niester1982"/> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' writer Kathy Gillis wrote after a concert two years later that Iyall exhibited a "dramatic range that, while not extreme in either direction, was touching."<ref name = "Gillis1984"/> |
||
[[Patti Smith]] had a great influence on Iyall.<ref name = "Harrington1982"/> "[She was] someone who was both a rock singer and a poet," she said. "She combined things I was interested in. Plus, she wasn't a trumped-up [[sex symbol]]. She was herself on stage. That appealed to me. It looked like something I could do. You didn't have to look like all the other singers."<ref name = "Gimarc1997"/> Iyall was highly critical of the music of the day and found inspiration in other mediums. "I hate rock and roll right now. It's turned into some new kind of stupid religion... I'd rather listen to [[Billie Holiday]], maybe [[Tom Waits]]. Actually, I'll admit I like [[The Bangles]] – they have a great sound. But I'd just as soon read novels or paint pictures as listen to music. I love language – plain speech, used in an enigmatic, subliminal way; I'm not much tied to the literal."<ref name = "Lacey1984"/> |
[[Patti Smith]] had a great influence on Iyall.<ref name = "Harrington1982"/> "[She was] someone who was both a rock singer and a poet," she said. "She combined things I was interested in. Plus, she wasn't a trumped-up [[sex symbol]]. She was herself on stage. That appealed to me. It looked like something I could do. You didn't have to look like all the other singers."<ref name = "Gimarc1997"/> Iyall was highly critical of the music of the day and found inspiration in other mediums. "I hate rock and roll right now. It's turned into some new kind of stupid religion... I'd rather listen to [[Billie Holiday]], maybe [[Tom Waits]]. Actually, I'll admit I like [[The Bangles]] – they have a great sound. But I'd just as soon read novels or paint pictures as listen to music. I love language – plain speech, used in an enigmatic, subliminal way; I'm not much tied to the literal."<ref name = "Lacey1984"/> |
||
==Lyrics== |
==Lyrics== |
||
Iyall was observed by ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'' to be among a new group of female fronted rock bands that displayed a "tough, wry, street-wise, [and] cynical" attitude and sought to redefine the role of women in rock music.<ref name = "Talbot1981">{{cite journal | last = Talbot | first = David | title = New Wave Rockettes! | journal = [[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] | publisher = Foundation for National Progress | volume = 6 | issue = 6 |date=July 1981 | page = 7}}</ref> She developed a sizable following for her writing that covered topics like "frustrated desire [and] sexually motivated rage" from a female perspective.<ref name = "Palmer1982"/> Critics praised her lyrics for their "searing imagery",<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> "seething poetics",<ref name = "Sullivan2010"/> and " |
Iyall was observed by ''[[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]]'' to be among a new group of female fronted rock bands that displayed a "tough, wry, street-wise, [and] cynical" attitude and sought to redefine the role of women in rock music.<ref name = "Talbot1981">{{cite journal | last = Talbot | first = David | title = New Wave Rockettes! | journal = [[Mother Jones (magazine)|Mother Jones]] | publisher = Foundation for National Progress | volume = 6 | issue = 6 |date=July 1981 | page = 7}}</ref> She developed a sizable following for her writing that covered topics like "frustrated desire [and] sexually motivated rage" from a female perspective.<ref name = "Palmer1982"/> Critics praised her lyrics for their "searing imagery",<ref name = "Mason2011a"/> "seething poetics",<ref name = "Sullivan2010"/> and "darkly intelligent lyrics"<ref name = "Payes2011"/> "My approach was always that I had something to say, I had a point of view," Iyall said, commenting on her outspokeness. "I remember seeing [[Penelope Houston|Penelope]] from the [[Avengers (band)|Avengers]] at the [[Mabuhay Gardens]] and thinking, I can do that. I have something to say."<ref name = "Evans2010"/> |
||
Romeo Void's best known song is "Never Say Never", which contains the famous line "I might like you better if we slept together."<ref name = "Evans2010"/> AllMusic writer Heather Phares has argued that Iyall's "teasing, existential musings [...] predated and predicted the aloof yet frank sexuality of early- and mid-'90s artists such as [[Elastica]] and [[Liz Phair]]". Phares concluded that the song was "a subversive, influential classic" and "one of new wave's most distinctive and innovative moments. "<ref name = "Phares2011">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=song|id=t2073117|pure_url=yes}} | last = Phares | first = Heather | title = ''Never Say Never'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> The song has been covered by many artists,<ref name = "Sullivan2010"/> among them are [[Queens of the Stone Age]] |
Romeo Void's best known song is "Never Say Never", which contains the famous line "I might like you better if we slept together."<ref name = "Evans2010"/> AllMusic writer Heather Phares has argued that Iyall's "teasing, existential musings [...] predated and predicted the aloof yet frank sexuality of early- and mid-'90s artists such as [[Elastica]] and [[Liz Phair]]". Phares concluded that the song was "a subversive, influential classic" and "one of new wave's most distinctive and innovative moments. "<ref name = "Phares2011">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=song|id=t2073117|pure_url=yes}} | last = Phares | first = Heather | title = ''Never Say Never'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> The song has been covered by many artists,<ref name = "Sullivan2010"/> among them are [[Queens of the Stone Age]], Amanda Blank and [[Xiu Xiu]].<ref name = "Roth2000">{{cite web | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/queens-of-the-stone-age-talk-tour-20000929 | title = Queens of the Stone Age Talk Tour | last = Roth | first = Kristin | publisher = [[Rolling Stone]] | date = September 29, 2000 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref><ref name = "Elan2009">{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/03/amanda-blank-electro-pop-music?INTCMP=SRCH | title = Why we're Gaga for Amanda Blank | last = Elan | first = Priya | work = [[The Guardian]] | date = October 3, 2009 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Never Say Never, by Xiu Xiu |url=https://xiuxiu69.bandcamp.com/album/never-say-never |access-date=2023-07-24 |website=XIU XIU |language=en}}</ref> The song "[[A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)]]", their highest-charting single,<ref name = "AllmusicStaff2011"/> was reportedly written as a response to [[Michael Jackson|Michael Jackson's]] hit song "[[Billie Jean]]", but can also be seen as a tribute to women who have experienced traumatizing events.<ref name = "Horowitz2011">{{cite web | url = {{Allmusic|class=song|id=t440224|pure_url=yes}} | last = Horowitz | first = Hal | title = ''A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | publisher = [[All Media Guide|All Media Guide, LLC]] | year = 2011 | access-date = February 21, 2011}}</ref> Iyall also wrote songs that touched on themes like [[social alienation]] ("Undercover Kept") and [[generation gap]]s ("Chinatown").<ref name = "Harrington1982"/> |
||
== |
==Band members== |
||
;Classic line-up |
|||
*[[Debora Iyall]] – vocals (1979–1985, 1993, 2004) |
*[[Debora Iyall]] – vocals <small>(1979–1985, 1993, 2004)</small> |
||
*Peter Woods – guitar (1979–1985, 1993, 2004) |
*Peter Woods – guitar <small>(1979–1985, 1993, 2004)</small> |
||
*Frank Zincavage – bass (1979–1985, 1993, 2004) |
*Frank Zincavage – bass <small>(1979–1985, 1993, 2004)</small> |
||
*Benjamin Bossi – saxophone (1980–1985, 1993) |
*Benjamin Bossi – saxophone <small>(1980–1985, 1993; died 2022)</small> |
||
*[[Aaron Smith (musician)|Aaron Smith]] – drums, percussion (1984–1985, 1993, 2004) |
*[[Aaron Smith (musician)|Aaron Smith]] – drums, percussion <small>(1984–1985, 1993, 2004)</small> |
||
;Previous members |
|||
*Jay Derrah – drums, percussion (1979–1981) |
*Jay Derrah – drums, percussion <small>(1979–1981)</small> |
||
*John "Stench" |
*John "Stench" Hanes – drums, percussion <small>(1981)</small> |
||
*Larry Carter – drums, percussion (1981–1984) |
*Larry Carter – drums, percussion <small>(1981–1984; died 2021)</small> |
||
*Sheldon Brown – saxophone (2004) |
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;Live musician |
|||
*Sheldon Brown – saxophone <small>(2004)</small> |
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==Discography== |
==Discography== |
||
===Albums=== |
|||
====Studio albums==== |
|||
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
|||
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title |
|||
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details |
|||
! colspan="3" |Peak chart positions |
|||
|- |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |title=Romeo Void – Billboard 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/romeo-void/chart-history/tlp/ |access-date=2022-05-27 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-07-17 |title=Image : RPM Weekly |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6939b&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6939b.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6939b |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.bac-lac.gc.ca}}</ref> |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web |title=charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal |url=https://charts.nz/search.asp?search=romeo+void&cat=a |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=charts.nz}}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|||
! scope="row" |''[[It's a Condition]]'' |
|||
| |
|||
* Released: July 1981 |
|||
* Label: [[415 Records|415]] |
|||
* Formats: [[LP record|LP]], [[Cassette tape|MC]] |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|46 |
|||
|- |
|||
! scope="row" |''[[Benefactor (album)|Benefactor]]'' |
|||
| |
|||
* Released: August 6, 1982 |
|||
* Label: [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]/415 |
|||
* Formats: LP, MC |
|||
|119 |
|||
|91 |
|||
|— |
|||
|- |
|||
! scope="row" |''[[Instincts (album)|Instincts]]'' |
|||
| |
|||
* Released: October 1, 1984 |
|||
* Label: Columbia/415 |
|||
* Formats: LP, MC |
|||
|68 |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|- |
|||
| colspan="5" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
|||
|} |
|||
=== |
====Compilation albums==== |
||
{| class="wikitable" |
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
||
! style=" |
! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title |
||
! style=" |
! scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row" |''[[Warm, in Your Coat]]'' |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1981 |
|||
| |
|||
| ''[[It's a Condition]]'' |
|||
* Released: 5 May 1992 |
|||
* Label: Columbia/[[Legacy Recordings|Legacy]] |
|||
* Formats: [[Compact disc|CD]], MC |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row" |''A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)'' |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1981 |
|||
| |
|||
| ''[[Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)#Never Say Never (EP)|Never Say Never]]'' (EP) |
|||
* Released: 8 August 2006 |
|||
* Label: [[Collectables Records|Collectables]]/[[Sony BMG]] |
|||
* Formats: CD |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row" |''Never Say Never: Hits, Rarities & Gems'' |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1982 |
|||
| |
|||
| ''[[Benefactor (album)|Benefactor]]'' |
|||
* Released: 19 September 2006 |
|||
* Label: Sony BMG |
|||
* Formats: CD |
|||
|} |
|||
===EPs=== |
|||
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
|||
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Title |
|||
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:15em;" | Album details |
|||
! colspan="2" |Peak chart positions |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name=":0" /> |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1984 |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br /><ref name=":1" /> |
|||
| ''[[Instincts (album)|Instincts]]'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row" |''[[Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)#Never Say Never (EP)|Never Say Never]]'' |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1992 |
|||
| |
|||
| ''[[Warm, in Your Coat]]'' (compilation) |
|||
* Released: December 1981 |
|||
* Label: Columbia/415 |
|||
* Formats: 12", MC |
|||
|147 |
|||
|18 |
|||
|- |
|||
| colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
===Singles=== |
===Singles=== |
||
{| class="wikitable" |
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
||
! style=" |
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:17em;" | Title |
||
! style=" |
! rowspan="2" scope="col" style="width:2em;" | Year |
||
! colspan="6" |Peak chart positions |
|||
! rowspan="2" |Album |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br /><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Romeo Void – Billboard Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/romeo-void/chart-history/hsi/ |access-date=2022-05-27 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1981 |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Dance Club Songs|US Dance]]<br /><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Romeo Void – Dance Club Songs |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/romeo-void/chart-history/dsi/ |access-date=2022-05-27 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> |
|||
| "Myself to Myself" / "White Sweater" |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|US Main]]<br /><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Romeo Void – Mainstream Rock Airplay |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/romeo-void/chart-history/rtt/ |access-date=2022-05-27 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}</ref> |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br /><ref name="aus">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |publisher=Australian Chart Book |year=1993 |isbn=0-646-11917-6 |edition=illustrated |location=St Ives, N.S.W. |page=257 |author-link=David Kent (historian)}}</ref> |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]<br /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-07-17 |title=Image : RPM Weekly |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.9550&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.9550.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.9550 |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=www.bac-lac.gc.ca}}</ref> |
|||
! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]<br /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal |url=https://charts.nz/search.asp?search=romeo+void&cat=s |access-date=2022-05-27 |website=charts.nz}}</ref> |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row" |"White Sweater" |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1982 |
|||
|1981 |
|||
| "[[Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)|Never Say Never]]" |
|||
|— |
|||
|31{{Efn|"White Sweater" charted on the Dance Club Songs chart as a cut from the ''It's a Condition'' album alongside "Myself to Myself" and "Talk Dirty (to Me)".|group=upper-alpha}} |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|''It's a Condition'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row" |"[[Never Say Never (Romeo Void song)|Never Say Never]]" |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1982 |
|||
|1982 |
|||
| "Undercover Kept" |
|||
|— |
|||
|17 |
|||
|27 |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|— |
|||
|''Benefactor'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row" |"[[A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)]]" |
|||
| style="text-align: center;" | 1984 |
|||
| rowspan="2" |1984 |
|||
| "[[A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)]]" |
|||
|35 |
|||
|11 |
|||
|17 |
|||
|74 |
|||
|76 |
|||
|27 |
|||
| rowspan="2" |''Instincts'' |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
! scope="row" |"Say No" |
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| style="text-align: center;" | 1984 |
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| "Say No" |
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| colspan="9" style="font-size:90%" |"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. |
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==References== |
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Latest revision as of 00:31, 1 November 2024
Romeo Void | |
|---|---|
 Romeo Void (left to right): Frank Zincavage, Aaron Smith, Debora Iyall, Peter Woods, Benjamin Bossi | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | San Francisco, California |
| Genres | New wave, post-punk |
| Years active | 1979–1985, 1993, 2004 |
| Labels | 415, Columbia |
| Past members | Debora Iyall Peter Woods Frank Zincavage Jay Derrah Benjamin Bossi John "Stench" Hanes Larry Carter Aaron Smith |
| Website | romeovoid |
Romeo Void was an American new wave/post punk band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979.[1] The band primarily consisted of saxophonist Benjamin Bossi, vocalist Debora Iyall, guitarist Peter Woods, and bassist Frank Zincavage. The band went through four drummers, starting with Jay Derrah and ending with Aaron Smith. The band released three albums, It's a Condition, Benefactor and Instincts, along with one EP. They are best known for the songs "Never Say Never" and "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)"; the latter became a Top 40 pop single.
The band was started at the San Francisco Art Institute by Iyall and Zincavage. They released a single on the recently formed 415 Records before recording their debut album, which has been deemed a "masterpiece of American post-punk".[1] The success of their second release, a four-song EP titled Never Say Never resulted in a distribution deal with Columbia Records. The band continued to release music and tour until they broke up in 1985. The members have reunited briefly over the years. Iyall has continued to pursue music as a side project. Iyall has garnered acclaim as a skilled lyricist who explores themes like sexuality and alienation from a female perspective with "searing imagery".[1]
History
[edit]1979: Formation
[edit]Romeo Void formed at the San Francisco Art Institute in February 1979. Vocalist Debora Iyall occasionally visited the Bay Area to see Patti Smith perform.[2] She decided to pursue an art education after reading a fortune cookie. "It was in the late '70s at the Indochina Friendship Booth at the annual Fourth of July streetfair in Eureka, California," she said. "I got a fortune cookie that said 'Art is your fate, don't debate.' That next January, I was enrolled in an art school in San Francisco."[3] She began frequenting the Mabuhay Gardens, a popular nightclub, to see local alternative rock groups like The Nuns, the Mutants, Crime, and the Avengers.[2] She also formed the Mummers and Poppers, a punk parody band that covered 1960s tunes with guitarist Peter Woods, Charles Hagan and drummer Jay Derrah, .[1][4] Iyall was originally hesitant to perform because she was overweight: "After seeing Patti Smith, I still had it in my mind that you had to be skinny to be up there [on stage], but after going to the Mabuhay [...] you just do whatever you want, be whoever you want, just make it happen."[2]
Bassist Frank Zincavage met Iyall at the SF Art Institute; the two hit it off and discussed putting a band together. They formed one with Woods and Derrah a few weeks later,[4] drawing inspiration from the "burgeoning local punk and post-punk scenes".[1] Iyall recruited Woods because she enjoyed playing with him in the Mommers and Poppers. "[It] seemed only natural that we invite Peter Woods to join us [... He] played clean and was a natural on rhythm guitar."[3] Romeo Void officially formed on Valentine's Day in 1979. According to Iyall, the name Romeo Void referred to "a lack of romance" and came to mind after they saw a local magazine with the headline "Why single women can't get laid in San Francisco."[1] The name "means there are not romantic notions here — and there shouldn't be," Iyall told an interviewer: "We are about reality, not the myths created by other artists."[5]
The band practiced in Iyall's flat in Mission District.[3] It was decided that the group would embrace punk ideals despite the possibility that they become associated with the new wave movement. "Even though I was going to the [Mabuhay Gardens] so much, I also had criticisms: Everyone was leaning against the wall wearing black," Iyall said. "I guess we were considered new wave, but for me Romeo Void was a reaction against the regimentation of everyone having to be bleached blond and everything being about despair and no future, when I thought the do-it-yourself thing should encompass all the different kinds of emotions, and all the different colors. [...] I was proud of being American Indian, so I purposely never bleached my hair blond."[2]
1980–1982: It's a Condition, Benefactor, and mainstream success
[edit]The band became busy playing shows at clubs and warehouses around San Francisco,[3] and quickly became popular.[2] Saxophonist Benjamin Bossi was added to the lineup as an "accident" when Iyall met him while he worked in the New York City Deli on Market Street in San Francisco.[4] The group released their first single, "White Sweater", which consisted of the title track and a cover of Jerry Lordan's popular instrumental composition "Apache", in February 1981 on a recently founded local label called 415 Records.[1] They worked on the recording of their debut album, It's a Condition, with producer David Kahne. Before recording began, Derrah left the band and was replaced by John "Stench" Hanes, who had previously played with Pearl Harbor and the Explosions.[1] Romeo Void's debut was critically acclaimed upon its release through 415 in July 1981,[1][5] and introduced Romeo Void's "unique blend of jazz, funk, rock and confrontational poetry".[6] AllMusic writer Stewart Mason later heralded it as one of the "masterpieces of American post-punk".[1] Indie labels were enthusiastic with promotions and the band embarked on several nationwide tours.[7] Eventually Hanes left the band, leaving Larry Carter to fill the drummer position.[8]
The sudden surge in popularity was disorienting to Iyall. "It was frightening: we played a college in Santa Barbara, and there were all these blond people crowding the stage, and I thought 'These are the people who hated me in high school!' When you grow up being 'outside' – because I wasn't white, and I was fat, and always a bit of a free thinker – it was strange. It was like, 'uh-oh, I must be doing something wrong – they like me!'"[2] Highly successful mainstream artists like Ann Wilson and Ric Ocasek were eager to meet the band. Ocasek extended an invitation to collaborate at his Syncro Sound recording studio in Boston.[2] The recording sessions in Boston resulted in the Never Say Never EP in January 1982. The title track became (arguably) their best-known song and has remained synonymous with the band ever since. The song was also featured in the 1984 romantic teen drama Reckless. Additionally, the success of the single directly led to 415 Records signing a deal with Columbia Records, which elevated the indie label's roster to major-label status.[1] Romeo Void released their second album, entitled Benefactor, in November 1982.[9] The album appeared at No. 119 on the Billboard 200.[10] Benefactor was noticeably more commercial sounding than previous endeavors; the music was made more danceable and swearing was removed on the song "Never Say Never".[9] The different approach in the sound resulted in comparisons to Blondie,[8] which AllMusic writer William Ruhlmann suggested was a deliberate attempt by Columbia.[9] Iyall stated that there was more pressure to write sexually laced lyrics for Benefactor: "I do like to be provocative, and I definitely have access to my sexuality, and as a topic I find it ripe, but I wasn't ever going to be a sex-pot diva, so that was kind of odd." She also said there was pressure to produce more singles.[7]
1983–present: Instincts, break-up, and post-band endeavors
[edit]A third and final album was again helmed by David Kahne, which AllMusic writer Stewart Mason speculated was a "reaction against the more commercial sound of Benefactor.[11] By this time, Carter had been replaced by veteran session drummer Aaron Smith.[8] Instincts was released in October 1984, debuted at No. 68 on the Billboard 200,[10] and proved to be the band's best-selling album.[11] It also launched their most successful single, "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)," which broke the Billboard Top 40 and peaked at No. 35.[10] Critical reactions were positive.[12] Despite being the band's most successful effort to date, Columbia pulled the band's promotional support while on a nationwide tour. "The very next town we got to after they made that decision, there wasn't an A&R person there," said Iyall. "[There] was no local person there, there were no interviews and in-stores arranged as they had been. All that just ground to a halt." The band returned to San Francisco and soon broke up. Constant touring has been cited by Iyall as the primary reason for the break-up. "You get tired of each other, and you get intolerant of being uncomfortable and away from your family and your friends."[7] According to a VH1 reunion episode, the issue of Iyall's weight was the reason for the label dropping them.[7] In 2003, Iyall agreed with this claim: "Howie sold us from 415 to Columbia Records, and they were like 'Who's this fat chick?' They decided that was as far as it was going to get, and pulled their support."[2] Crawdaddy! writer Denise Sullivan stated that the label spoke to Iyall about losing weight, but she subsequently refused.[13] In 2010, Iyall declined to discuss the issue, but added that she may not be taking full responsibility in the matter.[7]
Iyall released a solo album entitled Strange Language with former band members Bossi and Smith in 1986.[14] Afterward she pursued a career as an art teacher.[1] The band reunited briefly for a live performance in 1993.[8] In 2004, Romeo Void was featured on an episode of VH1's Bands Reunited. Bossi had sustained too much hearing damage over the years and was unable to perform, although he did meet up with the band again and watched the reunion performance from an adjacent room.[15] Iyall has continued to dabble in music related projects and events. "I still like to sing and I still like to perform," she said.[7] In 2003 she was involved in a musical project called Knife in Water.[2] She began collaborating with Peter Dunne, who was known as Peter Bilt when he played guitar for Pearl Harbor and the Explosions. Iyall and Dunne performed at a support benefit for Crawdaddy! founder Paul Williams in June 2009,[16] and performed at a concert honoring 415 Records later that September.[17] They released an album entitled Stay Strong in 2010.[13]
Drummer Larry Carter died in August of 2021, from what is thought to be heart complications.[18] Saxophonist Benjamin Bossi died of complications from Alzheimer's disease on December 13, 2022, at the age of 69.[19]
Music
[edit]
Romeo Void has generally been classified as a new wave[13][22] or post-punk band.[1][4][23] Some critics have noted dance elements in the music.[6][13][24] According to Stewart Mason, writing for AllMusic, "[The] band's muscular blend of Joy Division's atmospherics and the Gang of Four's rattling momentum, with Benjamin Bossi's splattering free jazz saxophone coloring everything, made Romeo Void one of the strongest of the American post-punk bands.[1] The St. Petersburg Times wrote that they "had no trouble creating a signature sound for [themselves with a] scratchy guitar, soulful sax, [and] tight, precise drums."[22] The New York Times stated that they sounded like "an art-school band, with its textural complexity [and] touches of jazz and funk"[25] Saxophone player Benjamin Bossi has been observed as the ingredient that "set the band apart" and showed a "talent for both improvisation and arrangement."[26] Alan Niester, writing for The Globe and Mail, said that he weaved "in and out [...] like a snake charmer" and reminded him of Andy Mackay, a saxophonist who played with Roxy Music.[23]
Liam Lacey, also writing for The Globe and Mail, described Iyall's voice as "sultry [and] sexy",[27] while Mason called it "powerful".[1] Her style has sometimes been compared to Chrissie Hynde, vocalist for the Pretenders.[26][27] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post acknowledged the similarity, but also noted the influence of other singers in "Never Say Never" where Iyall mixed the "aggressive bitchiness of [Hynde], the coy confrontational tactics of Patty Donahue of the Waitresses and the slack sensuality of Debbie Harry of the earliest Blondie."[28] Iyall used to find the comparison annoying, but eventually warmed to it: "When people said I sounded like her, I'd say, 'Oh yeah, thanks a lot.' But this year, I've fallen in love with Learning To Crawl so now I don't care if people want to make comparisons."[27] After a live show in 1982, Niester contended that she was the weakest part of the group and had the "vocal range of an automobile horn".[23] Billboard writer Kathy Gillis wrote after a concert two years later that Iyall exhibited a "dramatic range that, while not extreme in either direction, was touching."[12]
Patti Smith had a great influence on Iyall.[28] "[She was] someone who was both a rock singer and a poet," she said. "She combined things I was interested in. Plus, she wasn't a trumped-up sex symbol. She was herself on stage. That appealed to me. It looked like something I could do. You didn't have to look like all the other singers."[4] Iyall was highly critical of the music of the day and found inspiration in other mediums. "I hate rock and roll right now. It's turned into some new kind of stupid religion... I'd rather listen to Billie Holiday, maybe Tom Waits. Actually, I'll admit I like The Bangles – they have a great sound. But I'd just as soon read novels or paint pictures as listen to music. I love language – plain speech, used in an enigmatic, subliminal way; I'm not much tied to the literal."[27]
Lyrics
[edit]Iyall was observed by Mother Jones to be among a new group of female fronted rock bands that displayed a "tough, wry, street-wise, [and] cynical" attitude and sought to redefine the role of women in rock music.[29] She developed a sizable following for her writing that covered topics like "frustrated desire [and] sexually motivated rage" from a female perspective.[25] Critics praised her lyrics for their "searing imagery",[1] "seething poetics",[13] and "darkly intelligent lyrics"[6] "My approach was always that I had something to say, I had a point of view," Iyall said, commenting on her outspokeness. "I remember seeing Penelope from the Avengers at the Mabuhay Gardens and thinking, I can do that. I have something to say."[7]
Romeo Void's best known song is "Never Say Never", which contains the famous line "I might like you better if we slept together."[7] AllMusic writer Heather Phares has argued that Iyall's "teasing, existential musings [...] predated and predicted the aloof yet frank sexuality of early- and mid-'90s artists such as Elastica and Liz Phair". Phares concluded that the song was "a subversive, influential classic" and "one of new wave's most distinctive and innovative moments. "[20] The song has been covered by many artists,[13] among them are Queens of the Stone Age, Amanda Blank and Xiu Xiu.[30][31][32] The song "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)", their highest-charting single,[10] was reportedly written as a response to Michael Jackson's hit song "Billie Jean", but can also be seen as a tribute to women who have experienced traumatizing events.[21] Iyall also wrote songs that touched on themes like social alienation ("Undercover Kept") and generation gaps ("Chinatown").[28]
Band members
[edit]- Classic line-up
- Debora Iyall – vocals (1979–1985, 1993, 2004)
- Peter Woods – guitar (1979–1985, 1993, 2004)
- Frank Zincavage – bass (1979–1985, 1993, 2004)
- Benjamin Bossi – saxophone (1980–1985, 1993; died 2022)
- Aaron Smith – drums, percussion (1984–1985, 1993, 2004)
- Previous members
- Jay Derrah – drums, percussion (1979–1981)
- John "Stench" Hanes – drums, percussion (1981)
- Larry Carter – drums, percussion (1981–1984; died 2021)
- Live musician
- Sheldon Brown – saxophone (2004)
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [33] |
CAN [34] |
NZ [35] | ||
| It's a Condition | — | — | 46 | |
| Benefactor |
|
119 | 91 | — |
| Instincts |
|
68 | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||
Compilation albums
[edit]| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Warm, in Your Coat | |
| A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing) |
|
| Never Say Never: Hits, Rarities & Gems |
|
EPs
[edit]| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US [33] |
NZ [36] | ||
| Never Say Never |
|
147 | 18 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [37] |
US Dance [38] |
US Main [39] |
AUS [40] |
CAN [41] |
NZ [36] | |||
| "White Sweater" | 1981 | — | 31[A] | — | — | — | — | It's a Condition |
| "Never Say Never" | 1982 | — | 17 | 27 | — | — | — | Benefactor |
| "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)" | 1984 | 35 | 11 | 17 | 74 | 76 | 27 | Instincts |
| "Say No" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||
Notes
[edit]- ^ "White Sweater" charted on the Dance Club Songs chart as a cut from the It's a Condition album alongside "Myself to Myself" and "Talk Dirty (to Me)".
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Mason, Stewart. "Romeo Void biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bielawski, Toby (January 1, 2003). "Punk Prophets". East Bay Express. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Michaels, Randolph (2005). Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited. iUniverse. p. 156. ISBN 0-595-37007-1.
- ^ a b c d e Gimarc, George (1997). Post Punk Diary: 1980–1982. Macmillan Publishers. p. 135. ISBN 0-312-16968-X.
- ^ a b Riegel, Richard (December 1982). "Romeo Void: Benefactor". Creem. Retrieved September 14, 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.
- ^ a b c Payes, Robert (2011). "Romeo Void biography". Trouser Press. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Evans, Kirsty (April 14, 2010). "Debora Iyall Fills a Void". East Bay Express. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Strong, Martin Charles (2003). The Great Indie Discography. Canongate U.S. p. 487. ISBN 1-84195-335-0.
- ^ a b c Ruhlmann, William (2011b). "Benefactor review". AllMusic. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Romeo Void charts and awards". AllMusic. All Media Guide, LLC. 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William (2011c). "Instincts review". AllMusic. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Gillis, Kathy (December 1984). "Talent in Action: Romeo Void". Billboard. No. 90th Anniversary Special Edition.
- ^ a b c d e f Sullivan, Denise (December 23, 2010). "What Makes a Legend: Debora Iyall". Crawdaddy!. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ Mason, Stewart (2011). "Strange Language review". AllMusic. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (February 2004). "Jonathan Bernstein's Aerial View of America". The Guardian. p. 98.
- ^ Rolling Stone staff (June 23, 2009). "Rockers Unite for Benefit Supporting Crawdaddy! Founder Paul Williams". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ Selvin, Joel (October 4, 2009). "S.F. concert in honor of 415 Records". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
- ^ "Instagram".
- ^ Vaziri, Aidin. "Benjamin Bossi, saxophonist for S.F. new wave band Romeo Void, dies at 69". SF Chronicle Datebook. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Phares, Heather (2011). "Never Say Never review". AllMusic. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Horowitz, Hal (2011). "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing) review". AllMusic. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Hall, Dave; Siegel, Kristi (June 1992). "Sound Bites: Pop". St. Petersburg Times. p. 21.
- ^ a b c Niester, Alan (November 1982). "Romeo Void's 'post-punk' Draws a Blank". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ Ruhlmann, William (2011e). "Warm, In Your Coat review". AllMusic. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Palmer, Robert (August 1982). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. 19.
- ^ a b Mariotte, Michael (November 1984). "Romeo Void". The Washington Post. p. B4.
- ^ a b c d Lacey, Liam (November 1984). "Riff Rap: Lead singer of Romeo Void speaks out on rock and roll". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ a b c Harrington, Richard (September 1982). "Lovelorn Translator, Loveless Romeo Void". The Washington Post.
- ^ Talbot, David (July 1981). "New Wave Rockettes!". Mother Jones. 6 (6). Foundation for National Progress: 7.
- ^ Roth, Kristin (September 29, 2000). "Queens of the Stone Age Talk Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ Elan, Priya (October 3, 2009). "Why we're Gaga for Amanda Blank". The Guardian. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ "Never Say Never, by Xiu Xiu". XIU XIU. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Romeo Void – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ a b "charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ "Romeo Void – Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ "Romeo Void – Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ "Romeo Void – Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 257. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
External links
[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
Categories:
- American new wave musical groups
- American post-punk music groups
- Musical groups established in 1979
- Musical groups disestablished in 1985
- 1979 establishments in California
- 1985 disestablishments in California
- Musical groups from San Francisco
- 415 Records artists
- Columbia Records artists
- Female-fronted musical groups
- Mixed-gender bands