Breakfast Club (band)
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 in New York City, United States |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Music (albums, singles) |
Breakfast Club is a musical ensemble from the United States, best recognized for their 1987 single "Right on Track," which climbed to number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. This song was given a dance remix by John "Jellybean" Benitez, enabling it to secure a position within the top ten of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. After disbanding for 35 years, the group reunited in 2022 and subsequently released new singles titled "Could We Not Stop Dancing?" and "Fantasy Street" in December 2023.
History
Originating in New York City in 1979, Breakfast Club experienced multiple lineup changes, including a period when future pop superstar Madonna served as their drummer. Initial members featured Madonna, bassist Angie Smit, and brothers Dan (lead vocals and guitar) and Ed Gilroy (guitar). Dan Gilroy briefly dated Madonna and permitted her to perform lead vocals before she departed to establish Emmy and the Emmys.
By the middle of the 1980s, the group consisted of Dan Gilroy (vocals), Ed Gilroy (guitar), Gary Burke (bass), and Stephen Bray (drums). Both Bray and Burke had previously collaborated with Madonna in Emmy and the Emmys.
Under contract with ZE Records, they issued the single "Rico Mambo" in 1984, which did not chart. Their self-titled album released in 1987 through MCA Records featured their breakthrough hit "Right on Track." The majority of their music videos, including that for "Right on Track," were directed by Jeff Stein, renowned for his work on The Kids Are Alright. The band received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1988. Following this period, Randy Jackson joined as bassist alongside original member Burke.
Their last single was a rendition of the Beatles' "Drive My Car" featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 film License to Drive. Around 1988, they recorded a second album which MCA rejected, resulting in it remaining unreleased at that time and contributing to the group's dissolution.
After disbanding, Bray co-authored several major hits with Madonna throughout the 1980s. Meanwhile, Dan Gilroy took on acting roles in productions such as Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme (1990) and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (1994).
In 2008, The Daily Beast unveiled previously unreleased Breakfast Club tracks, including early songs featuring Madonna like "Tell the Truth," recognized as her first composition.
On April 5, 2016, Breakfast Club released an EP titled Percolate, containing songs from their shelved second album—marking their first new output in nearly thirty years.
Madonna and the Breakfast Club
The docudrama Madonna and the Breakfast Club, directed by Guy Guido and starring Jamie Auld as Madonna, debuted digitally and via on-demand services in 2019. The film chronicles Madonna’s early years with Breakfast Club in New York prior to her initial solo recording contract.
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US |
AUS | ||
| Breakfast Club |
|
43 | 26 |
EPs
- 2016 – Percolate
Singles
| Title | Year | Highest chart rankings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US (Billboard Hot 100) |
US Dance (Dance Club Songs) |
Australia (ARIA Charts) |
New Zealand (Official NZ Music Chart) |
Canada | UK (UK Singles Chart) | ||
| "Rico Mambo" | 1984 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "Right on Track" | 1987 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 30 | 19 | 54 |
| "Kiss and Tell" | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Rico Mambo" (re-recorded version) | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Never Be the Same" | — | 8 | — | — | — | 91 | |
| "Expressway to Your Heart" | 1988 | — | 30 | — | — | — | — |
| "Drive My Car" | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | |