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Quarterflash

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This article is about the American rock band. For the band's first album, see Quarterflash (album).
Quarterflash
OriginPortland, Oregon, U.S.
GenresRock, hard rock
Years active1980–1985;
1990–present
LabelsGeffen Records, Epic Records
Past membersMarv Ross
Rindy Ross
Jack Charles
Rich Gooch
Rick Digiallonardo
Brian David Willis
Websitewww.quarterflash.net

Quarterflash is an American rock group formed in 1980 in Portland, Oregon. The band was originally made up of the only two current members, Rindy Ross (lead vocals and saxophone), her husband Marv Ross (guitars), along with Jack Charles (guitars), Jon Propp (keyboards/synthesizers), Rich Gooch (electric bass), and Brian David Willis (drums and percussion).[1] Having a lead singer who also played the saxophone made Quarterflash notable. In a 1982 interview, Rindy Ross said that she viewed the saxophone as an extension of her voice, enabling her to express things she could not express with her voice alone.[2]

Recording history

The group was formed by merging two popular Oregon bands, Seafood Mama and Pilot (not to be confused with the Scottish band of "Magic" fame).[3][4][5] Continuing under the name Seafood Mama, the band originally released the picture-sleeved single "Harden My Heart" on a local private label, Whitefire Records, in the spring of 1980 (with the B-side track being "City of Roses"). "Harden My Heart" was a big hit on Portland radio stations and got the band a one-hour TV special, Seafood Mama In Concert, on KOIN on June 5, 1980. "Harden My Heart" would later be rerecorded by the band after they renamed themselves Quarterflash. The name came from an Australian slang description of new immigrants as "a quarter flash, three quarters foolish", which the Rosses found in a book at producer John Boylan's house.[1][6]

Quarterflash signed to Geffen Records and released their self-titled debut album Quarterflash in September 1981. It reached No. 8 on Billboard's Top LPs & Tape chart, and sold over a million copies, earning RIAA platinum status on June 30, 1982. The album contained the new version of "Harden My Heart", which became their biggest single, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and the Top 20 in France). The follow-up single from the album, "Find Another Fool", reached No. 16. A second one-hour Portland television special, Quarterflash In Concert, was broadcast on KOIN on October 22, 1981, and simulcast on KGON. This concert was taped at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on October 15, 1981.

In between albums, the band appeared on soundtracks of two of 1982's biggest films, charting the theme to Ron Howard's Night Shift up to #60 on the Billboard Hot 100, and landing one of their B-sides, "Don't Be Lonely", in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Quarterflash released their second album, Take Another Picture, in 1983. It reached No. 34 in Billboard, and scored the single "Take Me to Heart", which reached No. 14. The group released their final album, Back Into Blue, in 1985. It peaked at No. 150 in Billboard. The group later disbanded after getting dropped from Geffen Records.

In 1990, Quarterflash reunited, hiring session musicians, including bassist–vocalist Sandin Wilson, drummer Greg Williams, guitarist Doug Fraser, and Mel Kubik on saxophone and keyboards. The group released Girl in the Wind on Epic Records. In 1991, Rindy and Marv Ross founded the historic music ensemble The Trail Band, which was formed at the request of the Oregon Trail Advisory Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail.[7]

In June 2008, Marv and Rindy Ross released a new Quarterflash album, Goodbye Uncle Buzz, but it did not chart.[8] In September 2013, the band released a new album, Love Is a Road.[9]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album US Top 200
1981 Quarterflash 8
1983 Take Another Picture 34
1985 Back Into Blue 150
1991 Girl in the Wind -
2008 Goodbye Uncle Buzz -
2013 Love Is a Road -

Compilation albums

Singles

Year Song U.S. Hot 100 U.S. Mainstream Rock U.S. Adult Contemporary UK Singles Chart [10] Album
1981 "Harden My Heart" 3 1 41 49 Quarterflash
1982 "Find Another Fool" 16 12 - -
"Right Kind of Love" 56 - - -
"Night Shift" 60 - - - Night Shift soundtrack
1983 "Take Me to Heart" 14 6 28 - Take Another Picture
"Take Another Picture" 58 - - -
1985 "Talk to Me" 83 - - - Back Into Blue

References

  1. ^ a b Clarke, SP. "Part 1: Introduction". History of Portland Rock. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  2. ^ Night Flight 1982, concert clips and interviews, see esp. 4:04 into the video for Rindy Ross talking about what the saxophone adds to her music.
  3. ^ Sundial, Tri-City Herald (Washington state), Cleveland (AP), Quarterflash burning hot, Dec. 8, 1981, page 22.
  4. ^ "Quarterflash". Allmusic. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
  5. ^ According to Alain Gardinier in Rindy, Marv and Jack's French interview, Coup de foudre ?, Rock, # 53, June 1982, p. 14, the name of the second band was "Union".
  6. ^ Bradley, Clyde. "What Ever Happened to Quarterflash?". Classic Rock Revisited. Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  7. ^ "Meet the Trail Band". The Trail Band. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
  8. ^ "Marv & Rindy Ross / Quarterflash - Goodbye Uncle Buzz". Quarterflash. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  9. ^ Ham, Robert (September 30, 2013). "Quarterflash brings humility to 'Love is a Road', their first album in 20 years, plans Oregon Music Hall of Fame show". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  10. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 444. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

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