Loverboy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Loverboy
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Loverboy at the 2017 Riptide Music Festival
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| Origin | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
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Loverboy is a Canadian rock band that started in 1979 in Calgary, Alberta. They are famous for hit songs like "Turn Me Loose" and "Working for the Weekend". These songs are still played on many rock radio stations today!
Even though many record labels in the US first said no, Loverboy signed with Columbia Records Canada. They started recording their first album on March 20, 1980.
The original band members were Mike Reno (lead singer), Paul Dean (guitar), Doug Johnson (keyboards), Jim Clench (bass, who was soon replaced by Scott Smith), and Matt Frenette (drums).
In the 1980s, Loverboy had many hit songs in Canada and the United States. They sold millions of albums and earned four "multi-platinum" awards. The band took a short break from 1988 to 1991, but they have been performing live shows regularly ever since. Today, they are based in Vancouver.
Contents
Band History
Early Years: 1979–1983
The band's name, Loverboy, came from a dream Paul Dean had. He had spent time with bandmates and their girlfriends. The girlfriends were looking at fashion magazines, and the guys saw a "Cover Girl" ad. This led to "Cover Boy," and then "Loverboy" in Dean's dream. Mike Reno liked the idea, and the name stuck!
Dean's manager, Lou Blair, brought in Bruce Allen, a big rock manager in Canada. Bruce helped the band get their first live show. They opened for the famous band Kiss in Vancouver, B.C., on November 19, 1979.
After being turned down by many US record labels, the band signed with Columbia Records of Canada. On March 20, 1980, Loverboy went into the studio. They worked with producer Bruce Fairbairn and engineer Bob Rock to record their first album, called Loverboy.
That summer, their first album became a huge hit in Canada, selling over one million copies. It was released in the US in November 1980 and sold over two million copies there. The band toured a lot that year, playing over 200 shows. They opened for bands like Cheap Trick, ZZ Top, Kansas, and Def Leppard.
Their first single, "Turn Me Loose", reached No. 7 in Canada and No. 35 in the US in early 1981. "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" was also a single from the album.
Loverboy's next album, Get Lucky, came out in October 1981. It included hit songs like "Working for the Weekend", "When It's Over", and "Lucky Ones". This album became their best-seller in the US, reaching No. 7 on the Billboard album charts. It sold over four million copies! In the same year, Loverboy won six Juno Awards. These are Canada's top music awards, and it was a record that still stands today.
Loverboy released their third album, Keep It Up, in June 1983. Its first song became their biggest hit at the time, reaching No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The music videos for this song and "Queen of the Broken Hearts" were very popular on MTV.
Mid-1980s to Breakup: 1984–1989
In 1984, Loverboy recorded "Nothing's Gonna Stop You Now" for the US Team at the 1984 Summer Olympics. This song was on The Official Music of the 1984 Games album.
Also in 1984, Loverboy recorded "Destruction" for the soundtrack of a re-edited version of the 1927 film Metropolis.
Lovin' Every Minute of It, the band's fourth album, was released in August 1985. The song "Lovin' Every Minute of It" and "This Could Be the Night" became their first and second top 10 hits in the US.
In 1986, the band recorded "Heaven in Your Eyes" for the movie Top Gun. This song reached No. 12 on the Billboard charts. Keyboardist Doug Johnson chose not to appear in the music video.
The band's fifth album, Wildside, came out in September 1987. It had a small hit with "Notorious," co-written by Jon Bon Jovi. However, the album did not sell well. The band broke up in 1988 because of disagreements between Paul Dean and Mike Reno.
Dean released a solo album, Hardcore, in May 1989. A Loverboy greatest-hits album, Big Ones, was released in October 1989. The band briefly reunited in late 1989 to tour and promote this album. After the tour, they broke up again.
Reunion and Later Years: 1991–1999
On October 6, 1991, the band reunited for a special concert in Vancouver. They played with other rock stars like Bryan Adams to raise money for a fellow musician, Brian MacLeod, who was battling cancer. The band members said this concert was the most fun they had in years. They decided to keep playing together!
They went on another tour in Canada the next year. In 1993, they started a big 64-concert tour in the United States.
The band's record label released two more collection albums: Loverboy Classics and Temperature's Rising in 1994. Loverboy Classics sold enough copies to go Gold by 1998, which happened around the time of another US tour. This was followed by the albums Six and Super Hits in 1997.
2000s: A Sad Loss and New Music
The band continued touring until November 30, 2000. Sadly, bassist Scott Smith passed away in an accident while sailing in San Francisco Bay. He was 45 years old.
In 2001, the band released a live album called Live, Loud and Loose. It had old concert recordings from their busy touring years between 1982 and 1986. That same year, they went on another tour dedicated to Scott Smith. Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve joined the band as the new bass player.
Loverboy celebrated 25 years together in 2005. They played special concerts in different cities to mark this big milestone. This tour continued into August 2006. Also in 2005, Loverboy was featured on the TV show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time. They performed "Working for the Weekend" and a cover of "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias.
In 2006, their album Get Lucky was re-released. It included some songs that had never been heard before, like the original demo of "Working for the Weekend".
In March 2007, Mike Reno confirmed that the band had finished recording a new studio album. It was called Just Getting Started and came out in October. The band continues to tour across Canada and the United States.
Loverboy was honored by being added to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame during the 2009 Juno Awards.
2010s and Beyond
On February 21, 2010, the band performed at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics awards ceremony.
In June 2012, the band announced their album Rock 'n' Roll Revival would be released. The band toured with Journey and Pat Benatar from July to November 2012.
Loverboy continued to tour often in 2013.
In 2014, the band announced a new album of original songs called Unfinished Business. It was released on July 15, 2014. The first song from the album was "Countin' the Nights". The band toured that summer, playing some free shows.
In 2016, the band released two new songs, "Hurtin'" and "Some Like It Hot". Paul Dean described "Some Like It Hot" as the first and only "shuffle" song Loverboy has ever done. This song came from old recordings from the late 1970s. Dean found this "gem" while going through over 230 old tapes. He said the internet makes it easy to share new music right away.
In 2016, a commercial for National Car Rental started airing. It featured the band and actor Patrick Warburton. The commercial used the title of one of their hits, "Lovin' Every Minute of It".
In 2017, the band released a new song, "Stop the Rain". They also performed at the Rockingham Festival in the UK in October 2017. Loverboy was the main act on Sunday, October 22, 2017.
In 2022, the band released a new song called "Release". They also toured with REO Speedwagon and Styx.
Band Members
Current members
- Paul Dean – guitar, backing vocals (1979–1988, 1989, 1991–present)
- Matt Frenette – drums, percussion (1979–1988, 1989, 1991–present)
- Doug Johnson – keyboards, synthesizers, piano, saxophone, harmonica, backing vocals (1979–1988, 1991–present)
- Mike Reno – lead vocals, occasional guitar (1979–1988, 1989, 1991–present)
- Ken "Spider" Sinnaeve – bass guitar, backing vocals (2001–present)
Former members
- Jim Clench – bass guitar (1979; died 2010)
- Scott Smith – bass guitar, backing vocals (1979–1988, 1989, 1991–2000; died 2000)
Touring musicians
- Geraldo Valentino Dominelli – keyboards (1989)
- Richard Sera – keyboards (1996–1997)
- Jerry Wong – guitar, backing vocals (2022)
Albums
- Studio albums
- Loverboy (1980)
- Get Lucky (1981)
- Keep It Up (1983)
- Lovin' Every Minute of It (1985)
- Wildside (1987)
- Six (1997)
- Just Getting Started (2007)
- Rock 'n' Roll Revival (2012)
- Unfinished Business (2014)
See also
In Spanish: Loverboy (banda) para niños
- Canadian rock
- Music of Canada
- Canadian Music Hall of Fame
