Baltimora
| Company type | Musical project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1984 in Milan, Italy |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Milan , Italy |
| Products | Music recordings (albums, singles) |
Baltimora was an Italian musical endeavor originating from Milan, active between 1984 and 1987. They gained prominence primarily through their 1985 hit single "Tarzan Boy" and are frequently labeled as a one-hit wonder in both the UK and US markets. However, in several European countries, including Italy, Baltimora also enjoyed success with a subsequent track, "Woody Boogie", released in the same year.
Early years
At the beginning of 1984, producer and musician Maurizio Bassi from Milan joined forces with Jimmy McShane, a singer, dancer, and actor originally from Derry, Northern Ireland. Before this collaboration, McShane had experience acting in the West End theater and had toured alongside Dee D. Jackson. The name Baltimora was conceived when McShane randomly selected Baltimore on a map of the United States and modified the last letter to 'a' to impart an Italian touch.
For their first album, Bassi recruited prominent Italian session musicians such as guitarist Giorgio Cocilovo and drummer Gabriele "Lele" Melotti. Italo disco artist Tom Hooker has asserted that Bassi himself provided the lead vocals, while McShane contributed backing vocals. The songwriting duties were mainly handled by Bassi along with American lyricist Naimy Hackett, although McShane wrote the lyrics for the track "Survivor in Love."
Success with "Tarzan Boy"
The debut single "Tarzan Boy", released in April 1985, enjoyed widespread popularity across Europe. It reached number six on Italy’s charts and secured top-five rankings in countries including West Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, and Norway. In August 1985, it climbed to number three on the UK charts.
When introduced to the Canadian market in October 1985, "Tarzan Boy" eventually peaked at number five by the end of that year. In the United States, distributed by EMI, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 several months later, sustaining a presence for six months and achieving its highest position at number thirteen in February 1986. Its visibility was further enhanced by performances on American television programs such as Solid Gold. The follow-up single "Woody Boogie" also attained chart success in West Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden.
Baltimora’s first album, Living in the Background, was released towards the end of 1985 in Europe and in 1986 within the US market. Despite the hit status of "Tarzan Boy," the album experienced only moderate chart success, reaching top twenty positions in select European countries like Sweden and peaking at number forty-nine on US charts.
Their sophomore album, Survivor in Love (1987), along with its lead single "Key Key Karimba," failed to enter any significant charts. This lack of commercial performance resulted in the withdrawal of label support and ultimately led to the project's dissolution.
Jimmy McShane, one of Baltimora’s founding members, died from an AIDS-related illness in March 1995.
Studio personnel
- Maurizio Bassi: Milan-based arranger, musician, producer, and songwriter.
- Gaetano Leandro: Italian pop keyboardist recognized for his collaboration with American vocalist Amii Stewart. He played keyboards on the Survivor in Love album, complementing Bassi's work.
- Giorgio Cocilovo (born 1956): Jazz fusion guitarist and music educator hailing from Milan, Italy.
- Claudio Bazzari (born 1949, Milan): Italian rhythm guitarist specializing in blues and country genres; session musician who has worked with artists such as Fabrizio De André and Mario Lavezzi.
- Pier Michelatti: Italian bassist known for session work with Pink Project, Fabrizio and Cristiano De André, and Baltimora.
- Dino D'Autorio (born 1954): Music teacher, arranger, and bassist from Penne, Italy; succeeded Michelatti as Baltimora's bassist in 1987.
- Gabriele "Lele" Melotti (born 1953): Session drummer and percussionist originating from Bologna, Italy.
Style
Baltimora's sound is predominantly identified as Italo disco, with occasional elements of New wave music, especially evident on their first album, Living in the Background.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | SWE | US | |||
| Living in the Background |
|
49 | 18 | 49 |
|
| World Re-Mix |
|
— | — | — | |
| Survivor in Love |
|
— | — | — | |
| "—" indicates a release that did not chart or was unavailable in that market. | |||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Tarzan Boy: The World of Baltimora |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITA | AUT | CAN | FRA | GER | NED | SWE | SWI | UK | US | ||||
| "Tarzan Boy" | 1985 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 13 | Living in the Background | |
| "Woody Boogie" | 18 | — | — | — | 20 | 32 | 4 | 15 | 114 | — | |||
| "Living in the Background" | — | — | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 87 | |||
| "Juke Box Boy" | 1986 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Key Key Karimba" | 1987 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Global Love" (with Linda Wesley) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Call Me in the Heart of the Night" | 1988 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" indicates a track that failed to chart or was not released in that region. | |||||||||||||