Yeah Yeah Yeah (The Blondes album)
| Platinum Blonde | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | New Wave / Rock / Power Trio |
| Years active | 1979–1990, 2010–present |
| Labels | CBS Records |
| Associated acts | Crystal Castles The Deserters |
| Website |
www www |
| Members | Mark Holmes Sergio Galli Daniel Todd |
| Past members | Chris Steffler Kenny MacLean Alexander "Sascha" Tukatsch |
Platinum Blonde is a Canadian new wave band formed in Toronto in 1981. At the beginning of its most commercially successful period in the mid-to late 1980s, the band consisted of Mark Holmes (Mansfield, England) on vocals and bass, Sergio Galli on guitar and Chris Steffler on drums. Scottish musician Kenny MacLean joined the group as bassist in 1985, freeing Holmes from bass duties.
Platinum Blonde was initially formed as a punk, new wave, cover original band by Mark Holmes (vocals, guitar) with Joey Ciotti (bass guitar/lead vocals) and Ray Bailey (drums). After playing numerous Toronto gigs and developing a repertoire of punk-pop original material, they recorded and issued a self-financed indie single ("No Regrets"/"Hey Hey You") in 1981.
Dissatisfied with the slow pace of his career, Joey Ciotti quit the band and became the lead singer of Trixie Goes Hollywoood. Holmes subsequently placed advertisements for new musicians. Drummer Chris Steffler (ex-The Next, Suspects) was the first to answer, followed by mutual friend and architecture student Sergio Galli, a guitarist. Within a week the resulting trio were playing Toronto-area gigs as the new Platinum Blonde.
In 1983, they signed to CBS Records Canada and released a self-titled six-song EP that became CBS Canada's biggest EP seller ever and made it to No. 39 on the Canadian album charts. It was quickly expanded into a full-length album titled Standing in the Dark, which featured identical artwork to the EP. The LP version then received a wide release distribution deal through CBS America.
The band's popularity on the airwaves in Canada led to a triple platinum album, featuring four hits including two Juno Award nominations: "Standing in the Dark" and "Doesn't Really Matter". Their music videos were placed into high rotation on Canada's Much Music television and play listed as well on MTV America & MTV EUR.
In 1985, the band released a second album called Alien Shores, featuring the addition of a fourth member, Kenny MacLean. Alien Shores went quintuple platinum, the group's high-water mark of success. Hits from the second album included "Situation Critical", "Crying Over You", "Somebody Somewhere", and "Hungry Eyes".
Chris Steffler left the band in 1987 with tendinitis issues, and was replaced by his drum tech Alexander Tukatsch, who was billed by the single name "Sascha". In 1988 the band's next album, Contact was a hit in Canada, going double platinum, but was significantly less successful than their previous record. The title track "Contact" was a modest hit, but the album was a commercial disappointment, and they were dropped by CBS. Platinum Blonde changed their name to The Blondes and recorded and released one further album Yeah Yeah Yeah before disbanding.
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