Blackjack (American band)
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Michael Bolton, Bruce Kulick, Sandy Gennaro, Jimmy Haslip |
| Defunct | 1980 |
| Products | Albums: Blackjack (1979), Worlds Apart (1980) |
Blackjack was a rock group from the United States that operated between 1979 and 1980, comprising Michael Bolton (then known as Michael Bolotin), Bruce Kulick, Sandy Gennaro, and Jimmy Haslip. The ensemble produced two albums: their debut Blackjack (1979) and the follow-up Worlds Apart (1980), alongside a brief tour across the United States.
Biography
The inception of Blackjack occurred in late 1978 when Bruce Kulick, recently returned from touring with Meat Loaf on the Bat Out of Hell project, teamed up with Michael Bolton after witnessing his performance at a Connecticut club. Although Bruce's brother, Bob Kulick, declined participation, Bruce accepted the invitation. The band's manager, Steve Weiss—who also served as legal counsel for Led Zeppelin—assembled drummer Sandy Gennaro and bassist Jimmy Haslip to complete the group.
Quickly securing a contract with Polydor Records, Blackjack recorded their first album under the guidance of producer Tom Dowd at Miami's Criteria Studios. Released in 1979, the Blackjack album reached number 127 on the Billboard charts and sold approximately 100,000 units. The lead single "Love Me Tonight" climbed to number 62 on Billboard. The band created music videos for both "Without Your Love" and "Love Me Tonight," which were included in a nine-minute promotional film circulated by their label. Their touring schedule included performances with prominent acts such as Peter Frampton and the Marshall Tucker Band.
In 1980, Bruce Kulick lent his guitar skills to Billy Squier's debut album The Tale of the Tape, produced by Eddy Offord—the same producer who worked on Blackjack’s second release, Worlds Apart. Due to underwhelming sales of their initial album and organizational changes at Polydor, the label offered minimal promotion or tour support for Worlds Apart. This lack of backing contributed to Blackjack disbanding as members moved on to pursue different projects.
After break-up
By 1981, Sandy Gennaro had joined the Pat Travers Band, appearing on their Radio Active album. Jimmy Haslip collaborated once again with former Robben Ford Band members to establish Yellowjackets, releasing their self-titled debut that same year. Bruce Kulick turned down an opportunity to tour with Billy Squier in order to remain with Blackjack; he also recorded Great American Music with The Good Rats in 1981 and played guitar on Michael Bolton’s 1983 Columbia Records debut before becoming a member of Kiss in 1984. Additionally, Kulick contributed lead guitar parts to Bolton's 1985 album Everybody's Crazy and several tracks on his successful 1987 release The Hunger.
Rap appeal
The song "Stay" from Blackjack’s Worlds Apart album was sampled by Jay-Z for his track "A Dream" on the 2002 Billboard No. 1 album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse. In 2004, Kanye West reinterpreted a segment of "Maybe It's the Power of Love," also from the same Blackjack album, for his song "Never Let Me Down" featured on his triple platinum debut The College Dropout, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. Michael Bolton expressed approval of these samples, remarking that the final results were outstanding.
Album re-issues
Both Blackjack and Worlds Apart were initially re-released together on CD by PolyGram in 1990 as a combined set, followed by a Japanese edition in 1996. In 2006, UK-based Lemon Records issued them once again under the title Anthology, including liner notes penned by rock writer Malcolm Dome. Most recently, Universal Music Japan issued separate SHM-CD remastered editions in December 2013 presented in cardboard mini-LP style sleeves.
Band members
- Michael Bolton – lead singer (1979–1980)
- Bruce Kulick – guitarist (1979–1980)
- Jimmy Haslip – bassist, backing vocals (1979–1980)
- Sandy Gennaro – drummer, percussionist (1979–1980)
Discography
- Blackjack (1979)
- Worlds Apart (1980)