City Boy (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham , United Kingdom |
| Products | Rock music albums and singles |
City Boy was a British rock ensemble that emerged in the mid-1970s, distinguished by their memorable melodies, witty lyricism, intricate vocal harmonies, and powerful guitar work. The group consisted of Lol Mason (lead vocals), Steve Broughton (lead vocals, guitar), Max Thomas (keyboards, vocals), Chris Dunn (bass, acoustic guitar), Roger Kent (drums), Mike Slamer (lead guitar), with Roy Ward (drums, vocals) joining later. Their prominent tracks include "5.7.0.5.", "What a Night", "The Day the Earth Caught Fire", and "Speechless".
History
Lol Mason and Steve Broughton first crossed paths as youngsters in Birmingham and began collaborating on songs during their teenage years. In the early 1970s, they performed acoustic sets throughout the Midlands before expanding the lineup to include guitarist Chris Dunn and keyboardist Max Thomas. By late 1974 or early 1975, the band shifted towards an electric sound with the addition of Mike Slamer on lead guitar and Roger Kent on drums. They secured a contract with Vertigo Records, a subsidiary of Phonogram, and adopted the name City Boy.
Robert John "Mutt" Lange produced their initial five albums, playing a crucial role in shaping their sound and artistic growth. Their debut single "Shake My Head and Leave" came out in 1975, followed by "The Hap-Kido Kid," which led to an appearance on the BBC's Top of the Pops.
Their sophomore album, Dinner at the Ritz, garnered favorable reviews but did not achieve significant commercial success. Prior to recording their third album, Young Men Gone West, Roger Kent departed and session drummer Tony Braunagel contributed temporarily. Although showing artistic development, this album failed to produce a hit single. Roy Ward became the permanent drummer before the release of Book Early, which featured their international breakthrough "5.7.0.5."—a track that reached the UK Top 10 and peaked at No. 27 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100—enhancing their reputation across Europe and America where they toured extensively alongside Hall & Oates.
In 1979, City Boy transitioned from Mercury Records to Atlantic Records for distribution in North America. Their debut Atlantic album, The Day the Earth Caught Fire, received strong critical praise and included a minor hit with its title track; it also showcased an early harmonica performance by Huey Lewis. The band maintained an intense touring schedule throughout Europe and North America, but this album marked their final release as a six-piece lineup.
By December 1979, both Broughton and Dunn exited the band. The remaining members continued as a quartet for the 1980 album Heads Are Rolling, whose soft rock single "Speechless" gained popularity in the Philippines. Their last studio effort, It's Personal (1981), did not achieve commercial success; lacking major label backing, City Boy ultimately disbanded in 1982.
After City Boy
Following City Boy’s dissolution, Lol Mason formed the Maisonettes, scoring a UK top ten hit in 1983 with "Heartache Avenue". After The Maisonettes disbanded in 1984, Mason pursued scriptwriting and earned a Radio Times Comedy Award for Total Accident. His six-part Radio 4 series Richard Barton: General Practitioner was well received. Notably, Mason’s father, Edward J. Mason, was the creator and original writer of The Archers, Britain’s longest-running radio drama; interestingly, Chris Dunn’s father and Steve Broughton’s aunt also maintained long-term involvement with The Archers.
Lol Mason passed away on 30 July 2019 at age 69 in Harborne, Birmingham due to a heart attack following complications from a kidney transplant.
Steve Broughton (Lunt) relocated to New York where he became a songwriter and producer under the names Stephen Broughton Lunt and Steve Lunt. He co-wrote Cyndi Lauper’s hits "She Bop" and "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" for the film The Goonies. His production portfolio includes work with Britney Spears, Nick Carter, Joan Jett, Jefferson Starship among others. As Vice President of A&R at Jive Records, he played an instrumental role in launching Britney Spears’ career and oversaw artists such as *NSync, Justin Timberlake, Backstreet Boys, and Laura Izibor. Later serving as VP of A&R at Atlantic Records, he developed the a cappella group Straight No Chaser. In 2021, he received three Independent Music Awards recognizing his contributions to Seth Glier’s album Birds.
Mike Slamer pursued a career as a session musician and staff composer after joining American band Streets, led by Kansas vocalist Steve Walsh during the 1980s. Streets released two albums on Atlantic Records: 1st and Crimes in Mind. Subsequently, Slamer formed Seventh Key alongside bassist Billy Greer.
Chris Dunn returned to the UK in 1982 where he collaborated with Zomba on projects including the Shape Up And Dance roadshow and managed Jive Records’ act Tight Fit, who achieved a number one hit with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". Dunn later managed London’s Battery Studios before founding Dreamhire Professional Audio Rentals. After relocating to the United States in 1988, he expanded Dreamhire operations to New York and Nashville. Following BMG’s acquisition of Zomba in 2001, Dunn acquired full ownership of Dreamhire but announced plans to close it down in 2016.
Roy Ward released a cover version of Del Shannon’s "Runaway" with his band Tokyo Charm in 1982.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart rankings | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | AUS | ||||
| 1976 | City Boy | 177 | — | ||
| Dinner at the Ritz | 170 | — | |||
| 1977 | Young Men Gone West | — | — | ||
| 1978 | Book Early | 115 | 68 | ||
| 1979 | The Day the Earth Caught Fire | — | — | ||
| 1980 | Heads Are Rolling | — | — | ||
| 1981 | It's Personal | — | — | ||
| "—" indicates albums that did not enter the charts. | |||||
Compilation albums
- Anthology (2001)
- Anthology (2008)
- Ten Best (2015)
- BBC Live (2015)
Singles
1981 "Lovers" ― ― ― ―| Year | Title | Highest chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | US | AUS | CAN | ||
| 1975 | "(Moonlight) Shake My Head and Leave" | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1976 | "The Hap-ki-do Kid" | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1976 | "Surgery Hours (Doctor, Doctor)" | "―" | "―" | "―" | "―" |
| 1976 | "Haymaking Time" (US only) | "―" | "―" | "―" | "―" |
| 1977 | "She's Got Style" | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1977 | "I've Been Spun" | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1977 | "The Runaround" | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1977 | "The Violin" (US only) | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1977 | "Turn On to Jesus" | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1978 | "5.7.0.5." | 8 | 27 | 11 | 55 |
| 1978 | "What a Night" | 39 | ― | ― | ― |
| 1979 | "The Day the Earth Caught Fire" | 67 | ― | ― | ― |
| 1979 | "Summer in the Schoolyard" (Scandinavia only) | "―" | "―" | "―" | "―" |
| 1980 | "Mr. Shoes" (Philippines only) | "―" | "―" | "―" | "―" |
| 1980 | "Speechless" (Philippines only) | "―" | "―" | "―" | "―" |
| 1980 | "Heads Are Rolling" | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1980 | "Need a Little Loving" | ― | ― | ― | ― |
| 1980 | "You're Leaving Me" (US only) | ― | ― | ― | ― |
Non-Album B-Sides
- “B.I.T.S.” (1975) – sample edits derived from their debut album
- "Teleulah" (1975)
- "Medicine" (1978)
Reissues
In 1990, the German label Bear Tracks re-released City Boy's first album on both CD and vinyl, followed by reissues of The Day The Earth Caught Fire and Heads Are Rolling in 1993.
Renaissance Records issued the initial four albums as two double-CD collections in 1998. The label also reissued the compilation Anthology in 2004.
By 2008, Renaissance had individually released City Boy's first six studio albums on CD for the first time, along with an updated version of Anthology featuring refreshed cover artwork.
October 2009 saw Renaissance Records issue the band's seventh and final studio album, It's Personal (1981), on CD for the first time.
In 2015, Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings remastered and reissued the first four albums across two double-CD sets, including bonus tracks and new liner notes.
External links
- Articles with short description
- English progressive rock bands
- English soft rock ensembles
- Musical groups formed in 1974
- Musical groups disbanded in 1982
- Rock bands originating from Birmingham, West Midlands
- Progressive pop artists
- Mercury Records signees
- Vertigo Records signees
- Atlantic Records signees
- Musical groups disestablished in 1982