Bros (British band)

Bros

Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	1986 in Camberley, Surrey, England
Founder	Matt Goss, Luke Goss, Craig Logan
Headquarters	Camberley , England
Products	Music albums and singles

Bros () emerged as an English musical group in 1986, originating from Camberley, Surrey. The founding members were twin siblings Matt Goss and Luke Goss, along with their schoolmate Craig Logan, all of whom attended Collingwood School in Camberley. Under the guidance of former Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins, the band achieved commercial success and developed a significant teenage following by 1988, propelled by hits such as "When Will I Be Famous?" and "I Owe You Nothing". Logan departed early in 1989, after which the Goss twins continued as a duo until the group's dissolution in 1992.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Bros have certified sales of 1.3 million albums and 750,000 singles within the UK. Globally, their record sales are estimated at around 16 million. In 2017, the Goss twins reunited for two concerts held at London's O₂ Arena.

Early years

Luke Goss and Matt Goss (born 29 September 1968 in Lewisham, London) relocated to Camberley, Surrey following their parents' separation. Their mother fostered their musical development by providing Luke with an electronic drum kit and Matt with a saxophone. The brothers attended Collingwood College, where they played in a band named Blue. There they encountered Craig Logan (born 22 April 1969 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland), who was a bassist in another school group called Stillbrook. After leaving Blue, the Goss twins invited Logan to join them in forming a new ensemble initially called Gloss.

The trio caught the interest of Bob Herbert, an aspiring manager introduced through his son Chris, who was a fellow student. Herbert supported them by offering rehearsal facilities and financing demo recordings but was unable to formally manage them due to their minor status.

During this period, Gloss connected with songwriter-producer Nicky Graham, who worked alongside manager Tom Watkins. Although Watkins was initially skeptical about their musical style, he saw potential in marketing them as a boy band aimed at teenage girls. Graham and Watkins composed songs under the alias "The Brothers" to imply that the Goss twins were the authors. Once all members reached adulthood at 18, Gloss parted ways with Herbert and signed with Watkins’ management firm, which then rebranded them as Bros.

Success

The band's first single, "I Owe You Nothing", released in August 1987, reached number 80 on the UK Singles Chart. Their major breakthrough arrived with their second single, "When Will I Be Famous?", released in November 1987; it climbed to number two in the UK and secured the top spot in Ireland. The track also entered the top ten across ten other countries throughout Europe and Australia and attained number ten on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Their third release, "Drop the Boy", also peaked at number two on UK charts, earned Silver certification from the BPI, topped charts in Ireland, and ranked within the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and West Germany.

On 28 March 1988, Bros launched their debut album Push, which debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and was awarded quadruple platinum status in the UK. The album also achieved double platinum certification in Australia, platinum in New Zealand, and gold status across France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. A special deluxe 3-CD edition commemorating its 25th anniversary was reissued in 2013 featuring additional tracks.

A remixed version of "I Owe You Nothing" was re-released as a single in June 1988 and became their sole UK chart-topper. It also reached number two in Ireland and entered top ten positions internationally, including another top ten placement on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. Other singles from Push included "I Quit," which peaked at number four in the UK, and "Cat Among the Pigeons," released as a double A-side with "Silent Night," reaching number two on UK charts.

Their inaugural UK tour titled Bros Push Live sold out fourteen dates within an hour; additional performances were added due to overwhelming demand. The phenomenon known as "Brosmania" was fueled by a devoted teenage audience called "Brosettes." In September 1988, a record signing event at HMV's Oxford Street location attracted such large crowds that police had to close part of the street. The Bros Front fan club amassed over six million members worldwide; a dedicated telephone line engaged approximately 70,000 fans during its initial month.

In early 1989, Logan departed from the band citing health issues including chronic fatigue syndrome, which hindered his ability to perform. Following hospitalization and recovery efforts, he chose to step away from his music career. His exit was publicly confirmed during an interview on BBC1's Wogan, where he also disclosed ongoing legal disputes concerning unpaid royalties.

The Goss twins continued Bros as a duo, embarking on a sold-out international tour named 'The Global Push,' performing throughout Australia, Japan, Europe, and the United Kingdom.

Subsequent to this tour, they released their sophomore album The Time on 16 October 1989; it reached number four on the UK Albums Chart. Singles from this album included "Too Much", "Chocolate Box", "Madly in Love", and "Sister".

In August 1989, Bros held a one-off concert entitled "Bros in 2 Summer" at Wembley Stadium, drawing an audience exceeding 77,000 attendees. Supporting acts featured Salt 'n' Pepa and Debbie Gibson.

Their third and final studio album, Changing Faces, appeared in 1991 prior to their disbandment in 1992. Singles released included "Are You Mine?" which reached UK No.12 and "Try" peaking at No.27. The album debuted at number 18 but received minimal promotional support.

Throughout their career, Bros secured eleven UK top 40 singles and three albums within the top 20. Despite substantial global sales estimated at sixteen million records, they did not achieve significant commercial impact within the US market.

Careers Following Bros

In the 1990s, Matt Goss embarked on a solo path, attaining chart recognition with tracks such as "The Key" and "If You Were Here Tonight". He also enjoyed prestigious residencies in Las Vegas at venues including The Palms, Caesars Palace, and The Mirage.

Luke Goss pursued an acting career in the United States, featuring in Hollywood productions like Blade II and Hellboy II: The Golden Army. He appeared in the British film Interview with a Hitman (2012) and made his directorial debut with Your Move (2018).

After departing from the group in 1989, Craig Logan moved into songwriting and artist management. He co-wrote numerous songs for singer Kim Appleby, who was his partner at the time. Between 2006 and 2010, he held the position of head of RCA Records UK before establishing his own management firm.

Reunion

On 1 July 2008, Matt Goss revealed that band members had tentatively agreed to reunite, though Luke Goss denied any involvement. By September 2010, Matt Goss dismissed the possibility of a reunion in the near term.

Marking nearly three decades since their farewell at Wembley, Matt and Luke reunited for a 30th anniversary performance on 19 August 2017 at London's The O2 Arena. While Craig Logan supported their reunion efforts, he chose not to participate directly. A UK tour was scheduled; however, most shows outside London and Manchester were canceled due to "unforeseen logistical circumstances".

The documentary Bros: After the Screaming Stops, which documents their reunion and rehearsal process, premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2018. It subsequently received a limited theatrical release along with DVD and digital distribution. The film reached number one on the UK's Official Music Video Chart, was broadcast on BBC Four, and became a notable Christmas viewing highlight via BBC iPlayer.

Following the documentary's acclaim, Bros performed at London's O2 Brixton Academy in July 2019 and resumed touring across the UK. They also announced intentions to re-record their debut album Push with updated arrangements and to release new music.

Awards and nominations

Award	Ceremony Date	Category	Outcome	Ref(s)
Brit Awards	13 February 1989	British Breakthrough Act	Template:Won

Studio albums

Title	Album information	Highest chart positions											Certifications (sales thresholds)
		UK	AUS	AUT	GER	JPN	NLD	NZ	NOR	SWE	SWI	US
Push	Released on 28 March 1988 Label: CBS Available formats: LP, CD, cassette	2	4	14	6	1	32	1	6	29	3	171	UK: Four times Platinum AUS: Double Platinum GER: Gold status NZ: Platinum certification SWI: Gold certification
The Time	Released on 16 October 1989 Label: CBS Formats available: LP, CD, cassette	4	34	—	34	7	90	—	—	42	—	—	UK: Gold certification
Changing Faces	Released on 30 September 1991 Label: Columbia Formats issued: LP, CD, cassette	18	176	—	—	78	—	—	—	—	—		} Compilation and Remix Collections Title Album Information Certifications (sales milestones) The Best of Bros Release date: 1 March 2004 Record label: Columbia Available formats: CD UK: Silver I Owe You Nothing: The Best of Bros Release year: 2011 Record label: Sony Music Available formats: CD Bros: The Remix Release year: 1991 Record label: Epic Available formats: CD Bros: Gold Release date: 27 March 2020 Record label: Demon Available formats: LP, CD During the week ending 9 April 2020, Bros: Gold attained the No.8 position on the UK Official Physical Albums Chart, indicating robust sales in physical media including CDs and vinyl. Singles Year Title Highest Chart Positions Certifications Album UK AUS AUT BEL FRA GER IRE NED NZ NOR SWE SWI 1987 "I Owe You Nothing" 80 — — — — — — — — — — — Push "When Will I Be Famous?" 2 5 9 4 7 4 1 5 43 2 20 2 1988 "Drop the Boy" 2 9 17 34 — 9 1 23 8 2 — 5 UK: Silver "I Owe You Nothing" (re-release) 1 6 — 4 7 13 2 5 5 — — 9 - "I Quit" 4 14 — 17 25 38 23 30 47 — — - "Cat Among the Pigeons" / "Silent Night" 1988 || "Cat Among the Pigeons" / "Silent Night" || 2 ||15 || — || — ||41 ||26 ||4 ||91 ||27 || — || — || — || UK: Silver || Push 1989 || "Too Much" ||2 ||11 || — ||21 ||37 ||28 ||1 ||42 ||6 || — || — ||24|| UK: Silver|| The Time 1989 || "Chocolate Box" ||9||23|| —||35||—||—||2||87||29||—||—||—|| —|| The Time 1989 || "Sister" ||10||98|| —||36||—||—||5||—||—||—||—||—|| —|| The Time 1990 || "Madly in Love" ||14||68|| —||29||—||—||7||—||—||—||—||—|| —|| The Time 1991 || "Are You Mine?" ||12||98|| —||27||—||—||6||—||—||—||30|| —||| Changing Faces 1991 || "Try" ||27||168||| —|||39||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| Changing Faces 2017 || "Love Can Make You Fly" || —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| —||| Non-album single Year Title UK AUS AUT BEL FRA GER IRE NED NZ NOR SWE SWI Certifications Album Music videos 1987 – "I Owe You Nothing" 1987 – "When Will I Be Famous?" 1988 – "Drop the Boy" 1988 – "I Owe You Nothing" (re-release) 1988 – "I Quit" 1988 – "Cat Among the Pigeons" 1988 – "Silent Night" 1989 – "Too Much" 1989 – "Chocolate Box" 1989 – "Sister" 1990 – "Madly in Love" 1991 – "Are You Mine?" 1991 – "Try" Videography The debut video album by Bros, titled Push Live Tour, came out in mid-1988 on VHS and LaserDisc formats exclusively in Japan, featuring footage from their performance at the Hammersmith Apollo. Their follow-up, Push Over, gathered the music videos from singles off their Push album. These videos, along with subsequent releases, were later compiled into the third video collection, The Big Picture, which was issued in March 2005. Bros Live (1988) Push Over (1989) The Big Picture (2005) Bros: After the Screaming Stops (2018) The Big Push Tour Date City Country Venue United Kingdom 23 June 1988 Sheffield England Sheffield City Hall 24 June 1988 Newcastle England Newcastle City Hall 25 June 1988 Edinburgh Scotland Playhouse Theatre (matinee & evening) 27 June 1988 Manchester England Manchester Apollo 28 June 1988 Newport Wales Newport Centre 30 June – 2 July 1988 London England Hammersmith Apollo 4 July 1988 Nottingham England Nottingham Theatre Royal 5 July 1988 Southampton England Mayflower Centre 6 July 1988 Brighton England Brighton Dome 7–8 July 1988 London England Wembley Arena The Global Push Tour Palatrussardi / Sanremo Music Festival | } In 2 Summer (concert) Date City / Town Country Venue Australia 28–29 October 1988 Melbourne Australia National Tennis Centre (Rod Laver Arena) 31 October 1988 Brisbane Australia Brisbane Entertainment Centre 3–4 November 1988 Sydney Australia Sydney Entertainment Centre Europe 9 December 1988 Copenhagen Denmark Valby-Hallen 12 December 1988 Glasgow Scotland Glasgow SEC Centre 13 December 1988 Whitley Bay England Whitley Bay Ice Rink 15–16 December 1988 Brighton England Brighton Centre Date City Country Venue 19 August 1989 London England Wembley Stadium (crowd: 77,000) Bros Live Date City Country Venue 19 August 2017 London England The O2 Arena 20 August 2017 External links Official Bros website Bros discography at Discogs Matt Goss Official website