The Hooters

[grsnovi]

I'm surprised that there are no threads here discussing this Philadelphia-based band from the '80's/'90's

Eric Bazilian played mandolin on a majority of the tracks on their four studio releases. At the time, Eric and Rob both worked with Cyndi Lauper and Joan Osborne.

Recently Eric has played mando on Dar Williams recordings (produced by Rob).

[John Flynn]

I have posted about the Hooters before. Once, I got flames from someone who didn't know about them and thought they were some sort of counter-culture punk/porno band or something, LOL! I love the "Hooterization" CD, especially that live rendition of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." Great band!

[mandopete]

Yes, I mentioned this a long time ago when the "rock" category was added to the message board. Whatever happened to these guys? As I recall they featured a mandolin and a "hooter" (which I think is really called a melodica). I liked their music.

[grsnovi]

They ran out of steam in the early '90's

Rob decided to do a "concept" album and used a lot of guests on it. Eric, Davey and Fran were all on it (it was based on the "Largo" movement from Dvorak's New World Symphony).

Eric has self-produced and self-released at least two solo CD's since.

Rob has been producing/writing and playing with Dar Williams.

I understand that Eric and Rob are both again working with Joan Osborne on a new record.

Eric plays from time to time in the Philly area - recently with John Lilley sitting in.

The Hooters as a band did a month long tour of Germany last summer and I thought they were going to do another record. Perhaps that collaboration turned into the work Eric/Rob did with Dar last year or with Joan this year.

I always liked the mando/accordion/concertina stuff they did.

I only saw them live once. Eric had a pretty cool electric guitar/mando double neck.

A lot of their (later) tunes sound "Celtic" - at least there is a flavor.

I do an instrumental version of KARLA WITH A K on mandolin as well as a mand only version of SILENT EMOTION (which I believe Eric "gave" to Ricky Martin as he was working with him for a while - I can't imagine Mr. Shake Your Bon-Bon doing that... lol).

I also always liked WHERE DO THE CHILDREN GO although I have never worked out a mando-only arrangement.

[Dagger Gordon]

Funnily enough, I've been listening to the Hooters 'One Way Home' vinyl record nearly every day recently.

I bought it after seeing them do Satellite on Top of the pops, (which is a British pop hits TV show) years ago, and my kids have discovered it.

We live in the Scottish Highlands, and my kids are into Celtic music with a modern edge. They think the Hooters are great!
At first I wondered if they were basically a typical US rock band who were using the 'Celtic' instruments as some sort of gimmick, but listening to it again, I don't think that was the case.