The Pasadenas
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Website | www |
The Pasadenas were a British R&B and pop ensemble notable for achieving two albums within the UK top 10 and eight singles reaching the UK top 40, including hits such as "Tribute (Right On)" (1988), "Riding on a Train" (1988), and "I'm Doing Fine Now" (1992).
Career
Their initial release, "Tribute (Right On)", climbed to number five on the UK charts and secured the top position in the Netherlands in 1988. The track served as a tribute to legendary soul performers like Diana Ross & the Supremes and Aretha Franklin. The follow-up single, "Riding on a Train," achieved a peak position of number 13 in the UK. Both singles were included on their first album, To Whom It May Concern, which reached number 3 on the UK albums chart and sold in excess of one million copies. This debut also contained tracks such as "Enchanted Lady" and a rendition of the Chi-Lites' "Living in the Footsteps of Another Man."
In 1989, The Pasadenas participated in Band Aid II's recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas," collaborating with prominent artists including Cliff Richard and Jimmy Somerville.
A change in musical direction occurred in 1990 with the release of "Love Thing," which peaked at number 22 in the UK, and "Reeling," which narrowly entered the UK top 75. Due to disappointing performance, their 1990 album Elevate was postponed until 1991 and saw release only in limited territories. As Elevate did not enter the charts, they issued a covers collection titled Yours Sincerely in 1992. This album featured their highest-charting UK single: a cover of New York City's 1973 track "I'm Doing Fine Now," produced by Ian Levine and Billy Griffin. This version reached number 4 on the UK chart, surpassing the original by sixteen positions and selling over 200,000 units. Other singles from this album, including a cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," also made appearances within the UK's top 75.
After releasing Yours Sincerely, The Pasadenas were dropped by Columbia/Sony Music. Their later singles were independently released: "Longing For Someone" (1994) on Sounds of London (Solor) and "Round & Round" (1995), which charted at number 96 UK—marking their final entry on the Official Charts.
In 2002, Cherry Red Records reissued To Whom It May Concern on CD format. In April 2005, The Pasadenas took part in the reality television series Hit Me, Baby, One More Time. Members also contributed to Channel 5’s nostalgic music programming in 2021.
Andrew Banfield's sister Susan was one half of the Cookie Crew.
Member details
- Andrew Banfield (full name John Andrew Banfield; born 1964)
- Michael "Mike" Milliner (born 1962)
- David Milliner (born 1962)
- Rockin' Jeff (Aaron Brown; born 12 December 1964)
- Hamish Seelochan (born 1964)
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | US | US R&B | |||
| 1988 | To Whom It May Concern | 3 | 89 | 49 |
|
| 1990 | Elevate | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | Yours Sincerely | 6 | — | — |
|
| 1995 | Phoenix † | — | — | — | |
† – Released exclusively in Japan
Compilation albums
- Tribute: The Best of the Pasadenas (1995)
- Definitive Collection (1997)
Singles
| Year | Single / Songwriter(s) | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | US | US R&B | US Dance | |||
| 1988 | "Tribute (Right On)" The Pasadenas/Pete Wingfield |
5 | 52 | 8 | 27 | |
| "Riding on a Train" The Pasadenas |
13 | — | 73 | — | ||
| "Enchanted Lady" The Pasadenas/Pete Wingfield |
31 | — | — | — | ||
| 1990 | "Love Thing" D. Milliner/M. Milliner/The Pasadenas |
22 | — | — | — | |
| "Reeling" D. Milliner/The Pasadenas/P. Sampson |
— |— |— | | |||||
| 1991 | "Another Lover" M. Milliner/The Pasadenas |
— |— |— | | ||||
| 1992 | "I'm Doing Fine Now" Thom Bell/Sherman Marshall |
— |— |— |
| ||||
| "Make It with You" David Gates |
— |— |— | | |||||
| "I Believe in Miracles" Mark Capanni/Bobby Taylor |
— |— |— | | |||||
| "Moving in the Right Direction" Billy Griffin/Ian Levine |
— |— |— | | |||||
| "Let's Stay Together" Al Green/Willie Mitchell/Al Jackson, Jr. |
— |— |— | | |||||
| 1994 | "Longing for Someone" | — |— |— | | ||||
| 1995 | "Round & Round" D. Milliner/The Pasadenas |
— |— |— | | ||||