Roman Holliday
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | November 1980 |
| Founder | Brian Bonhomme, Steve Lambert, Simon Cohen, Peter Noone |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Roman Holliday was a British group active during the 1980s, primarily recognized in the United Kingdom for their hit track "Don't Try to Stop It", which climbed to number 14 on the UK Singles Chart in the summer of 1983. Their subsequent single, "Motormania," reached number 40.
Career
The band originated in November 1980, founded by Brian Bonhomme, Steve Lambert, Simon Cohen, and Peter Noone (who exited shortly after formation). Later additions included Rob Lambert, Jon Durno, and the Soho Square street performer John Eacott. Adrian York joined as their pianist towards the end of 1982. Tony Wallman was briefly part of the lineup before they achieved commercial success. After John Peel witnessed their performance at London's Jive Dive swing venue, they recorded two sessions for his radio program. Mick Jones from the Clash invited them to open for his band, which led to their contract with Jive Records. Their second release under Jive, "Don't Try to Stop It," became a summer 1983 hit. The album Cookin' on the Roof, issued later that year, experienced moderate sales despite the single’s popularity.
Roman Holliday toured both England and the United States, supporting acts such as Missing Persons, Culture Club, and Stray Cats. In 1984, brass instrumentalists Rob Lambert and John Eacott left the group.
In America, they gained visibility through MTV's broadcast of their "Stand By" music video. The single reached number one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart in November 1983. In Japan, they achieved top 10 chart positions with "Hear It in the Night" and "One Foot Back in Your Door," a track written and produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange.
Currently, Brian Bonhomme serves as a professor at Youngstown State University, specializing in Russian history and teaching courses on modern European history as well as environmental history.
Band members
The members of Roman Holliday were:
- Steve Lambert (born 14 March 1962, Mile End, London) – lead vocals
- Brian Bonhomme (born 30 September 1962, Harlow, Essex) – guitar and vocals
- Simon Cohen (born 11 January 1963, Kings Cross, London) – drums
- Adrian York (born 11 July 1961, Chiswick, London) – piano
- Jon Durno (born 4 March 1962, Ilford, London) – bass guitar
- John Eacott (born 19 December 1961, Reading, Berkshire) – trumpet
- Rob Lambert (born 22 February 1963, Epping, Essex) – saxophone
Albums
- Roman Holliday (1983) Jive / Arista / Sony / BMG – U.S. chart position No. 142
- Cookin' on the Roof (1983) Jive / Arista / Sony / BMG – UK chart position No. 31; U.S. No. 116
- Fire Me Up (1984) Jive / Arista / Sony / BMG – U.S. No. 201
Singles
- "Stand By" (1983) – UK No. 61; AUS No. 71; U.S. No. 54
- "Don't Try to Stop It" (1983) – UK No. 14; U.S. No. 68
- "Motormania" (1983) – UK No. 40
- "One Foot Back in Your Door" (12")
- "Fire Me Up" (1984)
- "Touch Too Much" (1984)
- "One Foot Back in Your Door" (1985) – U.S. No. 76
Japanese releases
Albums:
- ローマの休日/Cookin' on the Roof (CBS Sony)
- 涙のラストクルーズ/Fire Me Up (CBS Sony)
- ティーチャーズ/TEACHERS – soundtrack album for Aaron Russo's film One Foot Back in Your Door
Singles:
- "スタンバイ/Stand By"
- "俺らはハリキリボーイ/Don't Try to Stop It"
- "恋のモーターマニア/Motormania"
- "涙のラストクルーズ/Hear It in the Night"
- "ワン•フット•バック/One Foot Back in Your Door"
DVD and LaserDisc
- Live in Tokyo (1985) <Koseinenkin Big Hall/厚生年金大ホール>