Baltimora
| Baltimora | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Milan, Italy |
| Genres | Italo disco, new wave |
| Years active | 1985–1987 |
| Labels | EMI Italiana |
| Past members |
Jimmy McShane (vocals) Maurizio Bassi (keyboards, vocals) Giorgio Cocilovo (guitar) Gaetano Leandro (Keyboards) Dino D'Autorio (bass) Gabriele Melotti (drums) |
Baltimora was an Italian group active in the 1980s. They are often considered a one-hit wonder in the United Kingdom and the United States due to the success they experienced with "Tarzan Boy" compared to their other singles. In other European countries, including their native Italy, the group enjoyed more success.
In early 1984, Maurizio Bassi, a music producer and musician from Milan, met Jimmy McShane, a native of Derry, Northern Ireland. McShane was an emergency medical technician (EMT) who worked for the Red Cross in Northern Ireland. They decided to form a band fronted by McShane, who was a talented dancer with a good voice. Bassi recruited other musicians to record their first album, including Giorgio Cocilovo on guitar and Gabriele Melotti on drums. McShane's look, which was characterised by extravagant and loose clothing, was soon adopted by Bassi and all the other members of the band, who appeared on stage with extravagant hairstyles and wearing large red-rimmed glasses.
Some sources state that lead vocals were performed by Maurizio Bassi, with McShane providing the backing vocals. The bulk of Baltimora's song writing fell on Bassi and Naimy Hackett, though McShane wrote the lyrics to some of their songs, including the single "Survivor in Love".
Baltimora's first single, "Tarzan Boy", was released in April 1985, and became a huge European success, peaking at No. 6 on the Italian single chart and entering the top 5 in numerous European countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, France, the Netherlands and Norway. The song eventually made it to the United Kingdom charts, where it reached no.3 in August 1985.
"Tarzan Boy" was released in Canada in October 1985 and peaked on the Canadian charts at No. 5 by the end of the year. However, it took a while for the single to enter the Hot 100 single chart in the United States (where it was released on EMI). When it did, it remained on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six months, peaking at No. 13 in February 1986. Baltimora performed on the American TV show Solid Gold, which helped further their success in America. The second single, "Woody Boogie", which also gained notable success, entered the top 20 in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.
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