Origin: Michigan (USA)

DANNY SPANOS

Danny Spanos

Danny Spanos albums:

	st - 1980
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	Passion in the dark - 1983 (with lyrics)
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	Looks like trouble - 1985 (with lyrics)
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Notes about Danny Spanos:

 Text in English

- George Spannos, who recorded as Danny Spanos, was born and raised in South Lyon, Michigan, and began his career as a drummer. He played with several groups, among them Redbone, best known for "Come and Get Your Love", and he also drummed on the theme music of the 1970s television series *Starsky and Hutch* [1].

At the turn of the decade he moved from the drum stool to the microphone. His first album, *Danny Spanos*, was released by Windsong Records in 1980, with "One Night Stands" as its single [1]. The sessions included guitarist Earl Slick, known for his work with David Bowie and John Lennon, and keyboardist Duane Hitchings, formerly of Cactus [2, 3]. AllMusic would later describe his style as halfway between Jimmy Barnes and Bryan Adams [2].

His breakthrough came with *Passion in the Dark* (1983), a five-song mini-album produced by Spencer Proffer for Pasha and released by Epic. It was recorded and mixed at the Pasha Music House in Hollywood, with Duane Baron as engineer [4]. Its core band was, in effect, DNA: the sleeve credits drummer Carmine Appice and guitarist Rick Derringer "of DNA", while keyboardist Duane Hitchings and bassist Jimmy Johnson completed the same quartet that recorded DNA's album *Party Tested* that year [4, 5, 6]. On "Excuse Me", Frankie Banali of Quiet Riot took over the drums and Randy Kerber the keyboards, with Richard Bennett adding acoustic guitars. Backing vocals came from Randy Bishop, Tommy Faragher and Spanos himself [4]. Bishop also co-wrote three of the five songs: "One Track Heart (Passion in the Dark)" and "Anita" with Appice and Hitchings, and "Hot Cherie" with Jeff Neill, Kenny Shields, Spider Sinnaeve and Daryl Gutheil of the Canadian band Streetheart [4, 7].

Streetheart's original recording of "Hot Cherie", made during the sessions for its self-titled album at Century 21 Studios in Winnipeg, remained unreleased until 1984, when it appeared on the compilation *Buried Treasure*, whose notes acknowledge the song as a 1983 hit for Danny Spanos [1, 7]. Spanos's single climbed to No. 15 on Billboard's rock radio chart, now Mainstream Rock, in the summer of 1983, after the video for "Excuse Me" had entered MTV's rotation earlier that year [1]. His music also reached the cinema: the title track was used in the comedy *Up the Creek* (1984), and "This Could Be Our Last Chance", which is not on the mini-album, in the Tom Cruise film *All the Right Moves* (1983) [1, 4].

Spanos was arrested in 1984 [1]. His next album, *Looks Like Trouble*, came out on Epic in early 1985 [1]. Proffer again produced and arranged it at the Pasha Music House, this time with Hans Peter Huber as engineer, George Marino mastering at Sterling Sound and a new studio line-up: Dana Strum, later a founder of Slaughter, on bass, Joey DePompeis on drums, Jawn Bertzer and Ron Mancuso on guitars, and Ross Bolton on keyboards [8]. The songs again drew on Bishop and Streetheart: "Comin' True" came from the same writing team as "Hot Cherie", Jeff Neill wrote "Lorraine", and "Excuse Me" was carried over from the mini-album, while Spanos co-wrote the title track with Strum and Mancuso, and "Good Girl" with the same pair and Bishop [8].

The album opened with "I'd Lie to You for Your Love", written by Frankie Miller and Jeff Barry, which Spanos was the first to record [9]. It was the album's only single and received little airplay, stalling at No. 42 on the same Billboard chart, and the album's sales were disappointing [1]. Later in 1985 the Bellamy Brothers took their own version, with David and Howard Bellamy added to the writing credits, to No. 2 on Billboard's country chart [9].

*Looks Like Trouble* was his last album [1]. In 1992 Hardline recorded "Hot Cherie" for its debut album, *Double Eclipse*, and released it as a single [10]. -

Notas sobre Danny Spanos:

 Texto en Español

- George Spannos, que grabó como Danny Spanos, nació y se crio en South Lyon (Míchigan) y empezó su carrera como batería. Tocó en varios grupos, entre ellos Redbone, conocido sobre todo por «Come and Get Your Love», y también grabó la batería de la sintonía de *Starsky y Hutch*, la serie de televisión de los setenta [1].

Con el cambio de década dejó la batería por el micrófono. Su primer larga duración, *Danny Spanos*, apareció en 1980 en el sello Windsong Records, con «One Night Stands» como sencillo [1]. En aquellas sesiones participaron el guitarrista Earl Slick, conocido por su trabajo con David Bowie y John Lennon, y el teclista Duane Hitchings, antiguo miembro de Cactus [2, 3]. Años después, AllMusic situaría su estilo a medio camino entre Jimmy Barnes y Bryan Adams [2].

Su despegue llegó con *Passion in the Dark* (1983), un miniálbum de cinco canciones producido por Spencer Proffer para Pasha y publicado por Epic. Se grabó y mezcló en la Pasha Music House de Hollywood, con Duane Baron como ingeniero [4]. Su banda base era, en la práctica, DNA: la contraportada acredita al batería Carmine Appice y al guitarrista Rick Derringer como miembros de DNA, mientras que el teclista Duane Hitchings y el bajista Jimmy Johnson completaban el mismo cuarteto que ese año grabó *Party Tested*, el disco de DNA [4, 5, 6]. En «Excuse Me», Frankie Banali, de Quiet Riot, se hizo cargo de la batería y Randy Kerber de los teclados, mientras Richard Bennett añadía guitarras acústicas. Los coros corrieron a cargo de Randy Bishop, Tommy Faragher y el propio Spanos [4]. Bishop coescribió además tres de las cinco canciones: «One Track Heart (Passion in the Dark)» y «Anita», con Appice y Hitchings, y «Hot Cherie», con Jeff Neill, Kenny Shields, Spider Sinnaeve y Daryl Gutheil, del grupo canadiense Streetheart [4, 7].

La grabación original de «Hot Cherie» de Streetheart, realizada durante las sesiones de su larga duración homónimo en los Century 21 Studios de Winnipeg, permaneció inédita hasta 1984, cuando apareció en el recopilatorio *Buried Treasure*, cuyas notas reconocen que la canción había sido un éxito de Danny Spanos en 1983 [1, 7]. El sencillo de Spanos llegó al número 15 de la lista de Billboard de las emisoras de rock, la actual Mainstream Rock, en el verano de 1983, después de que el vídeo de «Excuse Me» entrara en la rotación de MTV a principios de ese año [1]. Su música llegó también al cine: el tema titular sonó en la comedia *Up the Creek* (1984), y «This Could Be Our Last Chance», que no figura en el miniálbum, en *All the Right Moves* (1983), película protagonizada por Tom Cruise [1, 4].

Spanos fue detenido en 1984 [1]. Su siguiente disco, *Looks Like Trouble*, apareció en Epic a principios de 1985 [1]. Proffer volvió a producirlo y arreglarlo en la Pasha Music House, esta vez con Hans Peter Huber como ingeniero, masterización de George Marino en Sterling Sound y una formación de estudio nueva: Dana Strum, más tarde cofundador de Slaughter, al bajo; Joey DePompeis a la batería; Jawn Bertzer y Ron Mancuso a las guitarras, y Ross Bolton a los teclados [8]. El repertorio volvió a tirar de Bishop y de Streetheart: «Comin' True» salió del mismo equipo de autores que «Hot Cherie», Jeff Neill escribió «Lorraine» y «Excuse Me» se recuperó del miniálbum, mientras que Spanos coescribió el tema titular con Strum y Mancuso, y «Good Girl» con ambos y con Bishop [8].

El disco se abría con «I'd Lie to You for Your Love», de Frankie Miller y Jeff Barry, que Spanos fue el primero en grabar [9]. Fue el único sencillo del álbum y apenas sonó en la radio: se quedó en el número 42 de la misma lista de Billboard, y las ventas del disco fueron decepcionantes [1]. Más tarde, ese mismo 1985, los Bellamy Brothers llevaron su propia versión, con David y Howard Bellamy añadidos como autores, al número 2 de la lista country de Billboard [9].

*Looks Like Trouble* fue su último disco [1]. En 1992, Hardline grabó «Hot Cherie» para su álbum de debut, *Double Eclipse*, y la publicó como sencillo [10]. -

Sources/Fuentes

[1] Wikipedia, "Danny Spanos". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Spanos

[2] AllMusic, "Danny Spanos" (artist biography and discography). https://www.allmusic.com/artist/danny-spanos-mn0000678350

[3] AOR Night Drive, "Danny Spanos – Danny Spanos (1980)" (line-up of the 1980 album). https://aornightdrive.blogspot.com/2017/07/danny-spanos-danny-spanos-1980.html

[4] Danny Spanos, *Passion in the Dark* (Epic, 1983; barcode 0 7464-38805-1), back-cover credits of the original LP.

[5] Bibliothèque nationale de France, authority record "DNA (groupe de heavy metal)", listing Rick Derringer, Carmine Appice, Duane Hitchings and Jimmy Johnson as members. https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb142487989

[6] Rick Derringer official website, discography (DNA, *Party Tested*, 1983). https://rickderringer.com/rick-derringer-discog

[7] Streetheart, *Buried Treasure* (Capitol Records-EMI of Canada, 1984; CD STCD 6514-3), booklet notes and credits. Release overview: https://www.discogs.com/master/613653-Streetheart-Buried-Treasure

[8] Sessiondays, "1985 Danny Spanos – Looks Like Trouble" (credits). https://sessiondays.com/?p=75073

[9] Wikipedia, "Lie to You for Your Love". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie_to_You_for_Your_Love

[10] Wikipedia, "Double Eclipse". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Eclipse

Editorial note: the original sleeve of *Passion in the Dark* credits no saxophonist, although "Hot Cherie" features a saxophone solo; the player remains unidentified.