Adrenalin (band)
Adrenalin is an American rock band from East Detroit Michigan, that is perhaps best known for their song "Road of the Gypsy," featured in the 1986 film Iron Eagle.
Adrenalin is made up of six friends from elementary school (St. Veronica) to high school (Grosse Pointe North). Brian and Mark Pastoria, Jimmy and Mike Romeo, Bruce Schafer and Mike "Flash" Haggerty started the band in the mid-seventies with the help of lead singer David Larson.
Adrenalin created a huge buzz among fans and the music industry alike, as well as quickly earning the respect of musicians such as Bob Seger and Aerosmith. They continually won awards throughout the late '70s and well into the '80s when Marc Gilbert joined the band and were getting radio airplay across the country. Their albums boasted heartland rockers like "Don't Be Lookin Back," "Faraway Eyes," and "Road Of The Gypsy," a song featured in the film, Iron Eagle. Adrenalin was even in rotation when MTV was still a fledgling station that actually played music videos. They produced an EP, Don't Be Looking Back in 1983, and two albums, American Heart (1984) and Road of the Gypsy (1986) both produced by Vini Poncia.
By the end of Adrenalin's run as a band, the members had coped with the suicide of their original lead singer, David Larson. They were dropped by Polygram during the mid-'80s collapse of MCA records. "Through all of this," remembers Brian Pastoria, "we never considered packing it in. We believed in what we were doing...Giving up was not an option."
The Pastoria brothers and the Romeo brothers formed a new band, DC Drive. With the addition of Doug Kahan on bass and Joey Bowen on vocals, DC Drive picked up where Adrenalin left off. They debuted by warming up for Cheap Trick in front of 50,000 fans.
During all of these changes, the band realized that they wanted to record and produce themselves. "With a $125,000 recording budget, you can pay per diems (to studios on the East or West Coast) or buy the equipment (yourself)," reasoned Brian Pastoria. The band was soon rewarded for their efforts with a recording deal from Capitol Records/EMI of Canada and began working with famed hard-rock producer, Vini Poncia. The result was a self-titled disk full of rock and soul. As bassist Doug Kahan so gracefully put it, "Imagine the MC5 in bed with the Supremes."
The album and the single, "You Need Love," were a success across Detroit and in Canada. In 1993, DC Drive and PR Music garnered many awards and much recognition, including seven nominations and four awards including Best Rock Group and Best Single ("You Need Love") at the Motor City Music Awards. DC Drive disbanded in 1993, when Joey quit to "do his own thing" and Doug went to Nashville.
Adrenalin re-united for a show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 25, 2002 with singer Graham Strachan fronting the band.
In June 2015 Adrenalin was inducted into the Michigan Rock n Roll Legends Hall of Fame.[1]
Lineup
Over the years the band's lineup consisted of:
- David Larson - Vocals (1977–80)
- Marc Gilbert - Vocals (1980–86)
- Joey Bowen - Vocals (1991 - 1993)
- Michael Romeo - Guitar (1977–Present)
- Brian Pastoria - Drums(1977–Present)
- Mark Pastoria - Keyboards(1981–Present)
- Jimmy Romeo - Sax(1979–Present)
- Michael "Flash" Haggerty - Guitar(1977–Present)
- Bruce Schafer - Bass(1978–Present)
- Glen Young - Bass (1977–78)
- Graham Strachan - Vocals (2002)
- Bill Buda - Keyboards (1977)
The band's current lineup is: Brian Pastoria, (drums); Bruce Schafer, (bass); James Romeo, (saxophone); Mark Pastoria, (keyboards); Michael Haggerty, (guitar); Michael Romeo, (guitar). They currently record at Harmonie Park in Detroit, MI.
Discography
| Release | Label | Year | Format | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Drive | Capitol | 1992 | LP, CD | "All I Want" (MP3), "You Need Love" (MP3) |
| Iron Eagle | Capitol | 1985 | Vinyl | "Road of the Gypsy" (MP3) |
| Road of the Gypsy | MCA | 1985 | LP, Vinyl | |
| American Heart (Adrenalin album) | Rocshire/MCA | 1984 | LP, Vinyl | |
| Don't Be Lookin Back | Musical Signature | 1983 | EP, Vinyl | |
| I Don't Know When to Quit b/w Everything Is Gonna Be Alright | Musical Signature | 1981 | Single, Vinyl | |
| Gimme Good Lovin b/w Change of Heart | Musical Signature | 1979 | Single, Vinyl | |
| Rock 'n' Roll Screamer b/w Cumz 'N' Goes | Green Grass Records | 1977 | Single, Vinyl |
Awards
- Best Song (Pop/Rock) - Detroit Music Awards (1993) - Joey Bowen vocals on "You Need Love" and "All I Want"
- Best Pop Rock Act (Pop/Rock) - Detroit Music Awards (1993)
- Best Record Company/ Harmonie Park - Detroit Music Awards (2002)
- Best Compilation / Christmas in Detroit - Detroit Music Awards (1993)
- Best Studio - Detroit Music Awards (2000)