Animotion
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
| Products | Studio albums, singles, live performances |
Animotion is a synth-pop group originating from Los Angeles, California, recognized for chart-topping tracks including "Obsession", "Let Him Go", "I Engineer", and "Room to Move". Established in 1983 by former members of the retro sci-fi ensemble Red Zone, Animotion surfaced amid the rise of new wave and synth-pop, combining electronic music elements with rock influences. They secured a contract with Mercury Records in 1984 and went on to produce four studio albums.
Their first album, Animotion (1984), featured the hit "Obsession," which achieved significant international success, breaking into the US Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 and gaining global recognition. Later releases included Strange Behavior (1986) and a second self-titled album (1989), during which time founding members Astrid Plane and Bill Wadhams departed.
Following a breakup in the early 1990s, Animotion reassembled in 2001 with original personnel and continues to perform live. In 2017, they issued Raise Your Expectations, marking their first studio album release in nearly thirty years.
Formation and early success (1983–1986)
Animotion was created by four ex-members of Los Angeles’ Red Zone along with vocalist Bill Wadhams from the Billy Bond Band.[1] Both bands regularly played at Madame Wong's and were well acquainted. When Red Zone was close to dissolving, a manager recommended that Wadhams collaborate with their singer Astrid Plane. After exchanging original songs, they formed a new group called "Animotion," a name selected by Plane to symbolize vitality and movement.[1][2]
The original ensemble featured dual lead vocals by Wadhams and Plane, supported by keyboardist Paul Antonelli, bassist Charles Ottavio, drummer David "Frenchy" O'Brien, and lead guitarist Don Kirkpatrick complementing Wadhams’ guitar parts. This six-member lineup recorded their debut album Animotion in 1984, with session keyboardist Greg Smith contributing.[2] Released later that year, the single "Obsession," penned by Holly Knight and Michael Des Barres, became a global sensation and marked Animotion’s first US Top Ten entry on the Billboard Hot 100. The subsequent single "Let Him Go," remixed to echo the style of "Obsession," also entered the US Top 40 charts.
Following the departure of Antonelli and O'Brien, Greg Smith became an official member alongside new drummer Jim Blair prior to recording Strange Behavior (1986). Although this album did not replicate their debut’s US success, it expanded Animotion’s fanbase in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and South Africa through the single "I Engineer," co-written by Knight with Bernie Taupin and Mike Chapman. In these territories, "I Engineer" frequently reached the Top 20 or even Top 5 positions. From 1986 to 1987, Animotion toured extensively alongside prominent acts such as Phil Collins, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Genesis, Howard Jones, INXS, and Simply Red.
Departures and downturn (1987–1990)
While working on their third studio album, Animotion underwent major lineup shifts as the last three founding members—Ottavio, Plane, and Wadhams—exited along with Blair. Management dismissed Ottavio and Plane, who were romantically involved at the time, whereas Wadhams left after the label declined to allow him to maintain his role as primary songwriter, a position he held on their first two records.
Cynthia Rhodes stepped in to replace Plane as the female vocalist, and Paul Engemann, formerly of Device, succeeded Wadhams as the male lead for Animotion’s second self-titled release, commonly referred to as "Room to Move" due to its popular single. By this point, only Kirkpatrick and Smith remained from the original ensemble, with additional parts performed by session players. The track "Room to Move" reached the US Top 10 in April 1989, aided by its feature in the movie My Stepmother Is an Alien. Despite this success, the album did not break into the top 100 charts, which contributed to the group’s dissolution.
Reunion and ongoing activity (2001–present)
In 2001, original members Plane, Wadhams, Kirkpatrick, and Smith came together again for a sold-out concert in Portland, Oregon. Since then, they have continued performing under the Animotion name, with drummer Kevin Rankin joining in 2002 and bassist Chris Wadhams in 2011. Don Kirkpatrick also performs with Rod Stewart's band; guitarist Kevin Hahn serves as a substitute when necessary. The band has toured alongside groups such as A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, Berlin, and The Motels.
Ottavio made a guest appearance in 2005 on Hit Me Baby One More Time, performing "Obsession" alongside Plane and Wadhams.
In 2014, after hearing a remix of "Obsession" by Colorado-based DJ Joman, Wadhams collaborated with him on reworking new tracks. This partnership resulted in a contract with London’s Invisible Hands Music. In 2016, Animotion released Raise, marking their first new album in 26 years and featuring core members Plane, Wadhams, Kirkpatrick, and Smith. The record included Joman’s remix of "Raise" as well as the classic "Let Him Go." It was initially released in the UK in 2016 and later issued in the US under the title Raise Your Expectations in January 2017. A music video for the single "Last Time," directed by Noah Kentis—son of Chuck Kentis—blended live-action footage with animation. The album artwork was created by Jay Vigon, who designed both Animotion’s original logo and the emblem for Prince's film Purple Rain.
Original drummer David "Frenchy" O'Brien (born May 23, 1947) died on January 13, 2019, at age 71.
In January 2023, Animotion announced their participation in a US show at the Cruel World Festival scheduled for May 20, 2023, in Pasadena, California.
Members
- Current members
- Astrid Plane – lead vocals (1983–1988, 2001–present)
- Bill Wadhams – lead vocals, guitars (1983–1988, 2001–present)
- Don Kirkpatrick – lead guitars (1983–1990, 2001–present)
- Greg Smith – keyboards (1985–1990, 2001–present)
- Jim Blair – drums (1985–1988, 2017–present)
- Chris Wadhams – bass (2011–present)
- Wyatt Blair – bass/guitar (2018–present)
- Touring musician
- Kevin Hahn – lead guitars (2003–present; substitute for Don Kirkpatrick)
- Former members
- Paul Antonelli – keyboards (1983–1985)
- David "Frenchy" O'Brien – drums (1983–1985; died 2019)
- Charles "Char" Ottavio – bass (1983–1988; guest appearances 2005, 2022)
- Kevin Rankin – drums (2002–2016)
- Paul Engemann – lead vocals (1988–1990)
- Cynthia Rhodes – lead vocals (1988–1990)
Line-ups
| 1983 | 1983–1985 | 1985–1988 | 1988–1990 |
|---|---|---|---|
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|
|
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| 1990–2001 | 2001–2002 | 2002–2011 | 2011–present |
|
Disbanded |
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Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Highest chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
SWI |
CAN |
GER | |||
| 1984 | Animotion
|
28 | — | 21 | — | |
| 1986 | Strange Behavior
|
71 | 21 | — | 19 | |
| 1989 | Animotion (Room to Move)
|
110 | — | — | — | |
| 2016 | Raise Your Expectations
|
— | — | — | — | |
| — | "—" indicates titles that did not enter the charts | |||||
+ For the Canadian market, the debut album was renamed The Language of Attraction, with the track "Turn Around" excluded.
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Obsession: The Best of Animotion
|
| 2006 | 20th Century Masters: The Best of Animotion
|
Singles
| Year | Track | Highest chart rankings | Certifications (sales criteria) |
Album | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US CB | US |
US AC |
US Dan |
CAN |
AUT |
GER |
NZ |
SWI |
UK |
SA |
NL | |||||
| 1984 | "Obsession" | 6 | 6 | — | 35 | 7 | 17 | 8 | 10 | — | 5 | 9 | 42 |
|
Animotion | |
| 1985 | "Let Him Go" | 35 | 39 | — | — | — | — | 41 | — | — | 78 | — | — | |||
| 1986 | "I Engineer" | — | 76 | — | 27 | — | 19 | 2 | — | 6 | — | 4 | — | Strange Behavior | ||
| 74 | 84 | — | — | — | — | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Room to Move" | 12 | 9 | 46 | — | 11 | — | — | 34 | — | 87 | — | Animotion (Room to Move) | ||||
| 54 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1983 establishments in California
- American musical sextets
- American new wave musical groups
- American synth-pop groups
- Casablanca Records artists
- Mixed-gender bands
- Musical groups established in 1983
- Musical groups disestablished in 1990
- Musical groups reestablished in 2001
- Musical groups from Los Angeles
- Synth-pop new wave musical groups
- Pages with reference errors