FOREST PARK CENTENNIAL, 9/1/07
OFFICIAL WEBSITE BIO
The Year: 1979
Following a tempestuous battle among over a dozen major record companies, Atlantic landed "Off Broadway".
John Pazdan, John Ivan, Cliff and Rob Harding Haymakers 1978. Photo by La Femme
In 1980, Off Broadway, a band born out of Chicago, released its first album "ON", including the hit singles "Stay in Time" and "Full Moon Turn Your Head Around".
"ON", the critically acclamied debut album sold nearly 300,000 copies in hometown Chicago alone, however, in other parts of the world, marketing efforts were, to put it kindly, less aggressive. Atlantic eventually re-released this pop masterpiece on CD, which is available through retail outlets, live performances and soon, at the Off Broadway web site.
"OFF BROADWAY - F.U.N."
The band took its live performances to hundreds of venues throughout the country, singularly and among diverse and often mis-matched line-ups from the late 70's through the mid 80's.
A second album, "Quick Turns", was somewhat reluctantly released through Atlantic in 1981, but proved to be a strong offering, spawning the well-received singles "Automatic" and "Are You Alone?".
Today, "Off Broadway": Cliff Johnson, Rob Harding, Ken Harck, Mike Gorman and Mike Redmond have settled into a cozy, unaffected and quite successful niche in today's extremely diverse music community.
Throughout the years, time tested and true, Off Broadway have developed a mature perspective on their material and delivery which translates most effectively - with reciprocation - to their loyal, growing audiences.
Best summed up from the song "Bully, Bully",
it's still about F. U. N.
