City Boy

This article is about the band. For the 1948 book by Herman Wouk, see City Boy: The Adventures of Herbie Bookbinder. For the newspaper columnist, see Geraint Anderson.

City Boy were a moderately successful English rock band in the late 1970s, characterised by complex vocal arrangements and heavy guitars. The band consisted of Lol Mason (lead vocals), Steve Broughton (guitar, lead vocals), Max Thomas (keyboards, guitar), Chris Dunn (bass, guitar), Roger Kent (drums), Mike Slamer (guitar, bass), and Roy Ward (drums, vocals). Their most popular songs were "5.7.0.5." and "The Day The Earth Caught Fire."

History

In the early 1970s, Lol Mason, Steve Broughton, Max Thomas and Chris Dunn were playing folk music in the Birmingham area. They toured the clubs of the Midlands and turned professional towards the end of 1975. They were offered a recording contract by Phonogram Records on condition that they change their name from "Back In the Band" and add drums and electric guitar. This prompted them to recruit drummer Roger Kent (who was later replaced by Roy Ward) and guitarist Mike Slamer.

City Boy's first five albums were produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange who was recommended to them by Polygram A&R guy Chris Peers....later nicknamed "Crisp Ears" by the lads...and are among the first albums he produced after relocating to the UK from South Africa. Mutt became the seventh member of the band, helping Chris hone his bass guitar skills and assisting with City Boy's amazing vocal harmonies. Their breakthrough came in 1978 with their hit song "5.7.0.5." (Mutt Lange's first hit single outside of his homeland of South Africa....although City Boy's first single, "Shake My Head And Leave" from their first album did receive some airplay there) and the subsequent album Book Early. Comparisons with ELO were inevitable as the string arrangements were handled by Louis Clark who did the same for Electric Light Orchestra. The single reached the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart,^[1] achieving also a silver award for 200,000 copies sold, although the album failed to scratch the UK Albums Chart.^[1] The single also made the top 30 in the U.S., peaking at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. City Boy toured the USA in 1979 supporting Daryl Hall and John Oates playing a total of 66 concerts.

Their next album, 1979's The Day The Earth Caught Fire, produced a minor UK hit with the title song. This album marked an early recording appearance by Huey Lewis, who played harmonica on the second track "It's Only the End of the World."

Afterwards, Broughton and Dunn (two of the original members) were supposedly democratically ousted from the band, and City Boy released Heads Are Rolling as a quartet in 1980. The track "Speechless" made the band briefly popular in the Philippines. Their final album, It's Personal from 1981, failed to attract any attention. Unable to secure a contract with any of the major companies, the band split up in 1982.

The first four of City Boy's albums were labelled and distributed by Vertigo Records, also known as PolyGram and Polydor. City Boy signed with Atlantic in 1979 and "The Day The Earth Caught Fire" was released on Atlantic.

After City Boy

After the split, Lol Mason formed The Maisonettes and had a moderate hit in the UK with "Heartache Avenue". Mike Slamer went on to record and work as a session musician and staff composer.

"The Day The Earth Caught Fire" has since been covered twice, once in 1999 by Swedish hardrockers Lion's Share, and again in 2000 by Jørn Lande with Ronni Le Tekrø on guitar and Sid Ringsby on bass.

In 2008, several City Boy albums, Book Early, Young Men Gone West, Dinner at the Ritz and the band's eponymous debut, were reissued. In October 2009, City Boy's last studio album, It's Personal, was released for the first time on CD.

Chris Dunn is currently owner of Dreamhire Professional Audio Rentals in New York City, NY, USA

Roy Ward was the lead session singer on the remake of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" which was a major hit by Tight Fit in 1982. He went on to release a remake of Del Shannon's "Runaway" under his band name Tokyo Charm in 1982.

Selected discography

Singles

• "(Moonlight) Shake my Head and Leave" (1975)
• "The Hap-ki-do kid" (1976)
• "Surgery Hours (Doctor, Doctor)" (1976)
• "She's Got Style" (1977)
• "I've Been Spun" (1977)
• "Turn on to Jesus" (1977)
• "5.7.0.5." (1978) UK #8, U.S. #27
• "What A Night" (1978) UK #39
• "The Day The Earth Caught Fire" (1979) UK #67
• "Speechless" (1980)
• "Heads are Rolling" (1980)
• "Lovers" (1981)^[1]

Albums

• City Boy (1976) U.S. #177
• Dinner at the Ritz (1976) U.S. #170
• Young Men Gone West (1977) U.S. #207
• Book Early (1978) U.S. #115
• The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1979)
• Heads Are Rolling (1980)
• It's Personal (1981)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 107. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7. 

• Notes on the Heads Are Rolling CD

External links

• cityboy.org - Unofficial fansite
• Detailed discography
• Allmusic Guide
• Script for a radio documentary about City Boy
• Radio interview with the band's lead guitarist Mike Slamer about his time with City Boy (August 2006)

www.dreamhire.com Chris Dunn's company