| Kenny Vance and the Planotones | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | United Artists Records |
| Associated acts | Jay and the Americans |
| Website | planotones.com/ |
| Members | |
| Kenny Vance Johnny Gale Kurt "Frenchy" Yahjian Jimmy Bense Chip Degaard Chip Degaard Tony Gallino |
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Kenny Vance and The Planotones is an American musical group led by Kenny Vance, formerly of Jay and the Americans.
Contents |
Kenny Vance and the Planotones first came to be as a fictional band appearing in the 1978 film American Hot Wax. The band consisted of Kenny Vance, Joe Esposito, Bruce Sudano and Ed Hokenson. They were just a combination of the Vance with the musical group Brooklyn Dreams. In the film they were portrayed as a very popular group with lots of hits and sang songs that were actually by artists like Danny and the Juniors and The Del-Vikings.[1]
After leaving Jay and the Americans for good, Vance formed Kenny Vance and the Planotones in 1992, no doubt influenced by the fictional group he was a part of in 1978. The band currently includes Johnny Gale, Kurt "Frenchy" Yahjian, Jimmy Bense, Chip Degaard and Tony Gallino as his band and they began touring. The group plays lots of doo wop songs of the 1950s and 1960s and their original material is strongly influenced by it.[2] They have released four albums to date which include both original material and covers.[3] In 1996 they had some success with the song "Looking For An Echo."