Holly and the Italians
| Holly and the Italians | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | New Wave, rock, |
| Labels | Virgin/Epic |
Holly and the Italians were a short-lived American new wave band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1978 by Chicago-born singer and guitarist Holly Beth Vincent, bassist Mark Sidgwick, and drummer Steve Young. They relocated to London, England where, after playing on the pub circuit extensively, they quickly came to prominence as the opening act for fellow Americans Blondie and were signed to disc jockey Charlie Gillett's record label, Oval.
The 1980 release of the single "Tell That Girl to Shut Up" garnered the band a recording contract with Virgin Records. While the single was not a very big hit for Holly and the Italians, it would be in 1988 when it was covered by Transvision Vamp. The band recorded their only album, The Right to Be Italian, produced by Richard Gottehrer. The album featured musical backing by several members of what later became "The World's most Dangerous Band": Paul Schaffer, Anton Fig, and Will Lee, now better known as the house band for the Late Show with David Letterman.
In August 1980, Holly & the Italians played the major Heatwave festival near Toronto.
In 1982, Holly Beth Vincent released a solo album entitled Holly and the Italians. The album was critically acclaimed and the subsequent video gained some airtime on MTV. Later that year, Vincent recorded a duet of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" with Ramones frontman Joey Ramone.
After a brief period during which she replaced Patty Donahue in The Waitresses, she sang in a combo called the Wild Things with Anthony Thistlethwaite (The Waterboys) and Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones) and recorded an album, America, under the name The Oblivious for Amy Ray's label Daemon Records. In 1995, Holly toured and teamed up with Concrete Blonde singer Johnette Napolitano for a musical side project entitled Vowel Movement.
In 2007, Holly completed the record, Super Rocket Star which is available at CD Baby/iTunes. In 2009,Holly released Minnesota-California a digital album via iTunes and other stores.
Of note- In May 2012,Holly Beth Vincent is appearing as guest lead and background vocalist with other musicians and singers on the second and final posthumous release of Joey Ramone titled Ya Know? on BMG.
Holly lives in Los Angeles,Ca. and spends time making her own electronic music,as well as creating photography and art.
Holly Beth Vincent//and the Italians discography
- "Tell That Girl to Shut Up" b/w "Chapel of Love", 1980, Oval Records
- Miles Away, 1980, Virgin Records
- The Right to Be Italian, 1981, Virgin Records (reissued with bonus tracks 2002 by Wounded Bird Records)
- Holly and the Italians, 1982, Virgin Records (reissued with bonus tracks 2002 by Wounded Bird Records) Credited to Holly Beth Vincent.
- America, 1994, Daemon Records
- Vowel Movement, 1995, Mammoth Records
- Demos Federico, 2003, Wounded Bird Records
- Super Rocket Star, 2007, CD Baby
- Minnesota-California, 2009, iTunes
External links
- Holly and the Italians at Trouser Press
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