Real Life (band)
| Real Life | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | New wave, synthpop |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | Curb Records, A Different Drum |
| Website | Official website |
| Past members |
David Sterry Danny Simcic Scott Ingram Alan Johnson Richard Zatorski Steve Williams Rob Burke George Pappas |
Real Life are a Melbourne-based Australian new wave/synthpop[1] band that achieved international chart success with their 1983 singles "Send Me an Angel" and "Catch Me I'm Falling". Both singles appeared on the band's debut album, Heartland, released in 1983.
History
The band originally consisted of David Sterry (lead vocals and guitar), Richard Zatorski (violin and keyboard), Alan Johnson (bass) and Danny Simcic (drums). Steve Williams (keyboard) replaced Zatorski in 1986, who was then replaced by George Pappas in 1996 after a long hiatus of band activity.
The group's debut single, "Send Me an Angel", was released in May 1983 and became a top 10 hit in Australia,[2] and topped the chart in New Zealand[3] and Germany.[4] It also entered the top 30 in the US.[5] Follow-up single "Openhearted" was released in September 1983 and peaked at number 72. In December 1983, "Catch Me I'm Falling" was released and reaching the top 10 in Australia and Germany,[2][4] and top 40 in the US.[5] The band's debut album Heartland entered the top 40 in Australia,[2] Germany,[4] New Zealand,[3] and Switzerland,[6] and reached No. 58 in the US.[7] The album was produced by Steve Hillage.
Real Life released their second studio album in October 1985, titled Flame. The first single, "No Shame", failed to chart. Follow-up single "Face to Face" was a minor hit, but neither the album nor subsequent singles repeated their earlier success. Saxophonist Rob Burke toured with the band for 6 months during this period.
In 1986, they recorded the controversial song "Babies" for a new North American album, Down Comes the Hammer, but this also failed to chart. "Babies" was the first new recording by the band that was not written by David Sterry and Zatorski. There were two other new songs and a remix of "Send Me an Angel" on the album. This was to be the first of three compilation albums after the band had only recorded two studio LPs. Zatorski left the band due to management pressure and attended law school and is now a practising lawyer in Melbourne.
The movie Rad featured "Send Me an Angel" on its soundtrack,[8] as one notable scene from the film featured riders on BMX cross-country bikes performing various freestyle stunts as the song played.
In 1989, Real Life released a new version of "Send Me an Angel", titled "Send Me an Angel '89", which fared slightly better than the original in the United States.[5] The video for the 1989 version was identical to the original except Zatorski was edited out of all shots. The Australian video of "Send Me An Angel '89" was filmed in Ormond College, The University of Melbourne, with Steve Williams on keyboard.
In 1990, the group released Lifetime, their first album of all-new material in five years, which spawned minor hits with "God Tonight" and "Kiss the Ground". Steve Williams (keyboard) replaced Zatorski in the band, and was later replaced by George Pappas. A falling-out occurred between Sterry and the remaining two original members Simcic and Johnson.
In 1998, the band released the album Happy, which was followed in 2004 by Imperfection, this time featuring only David Sterry and George Pappas. In 2004, the band toured the West Coast of the US to promote the album Imperfection with additional member Scott Ingram on drums. For this tour the band consisted of David Sterry, George Pappas and Scott Ingram. In November 2005, Pappas announced his departure from the band. Sterry has continued to carry the band name on his own.
In spring 2008, Real Life (David Sterry) performed live for the first time in the Philippines along with When in Rome and A Flock of Seagulls as part of the Lost 80's live Tour in Manila.
Also in 2008, George Pappas released his debut solo album Don't Open Till Doomsday under the artist name of Alien Skin.
On 19 May 2009, Real Life released an album of their cover versions of 1980s classics (including a new 2009 version of "Send Me an Angel") called Send Me An Angel – '80s Synth Essentials on Cleopatra Records in the US.
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Chart peak position | Certifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [2] |
GER [4] |
NZ [3] |
SWI [6] |
USA [7] | |||
| Heartland |
|
30 | 12 | 38 | 10 | 58 | |
| Flame |
|
42 | - | - | - | - | |
| Lifetime |
|
- | - | - | - | - | |
| Happy |
|
- | - | - | - | - | |
| Imperfection |
|
- | - | - | - | - | |
| Send Me An Angel – '80s Synth Essentials[9] |
|
- | - | - | - | - | |
Reissue albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Down Comes the Hammer |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Chart peak position | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [2] | |||
| Master Mix |
|
74 | |
| Best of Real Life: Send Me An Angel |
|
- | |
| Let's Fall In Love |
|
- | |
| So Far |
|
- | |
Singles
| Year | Song | AUS [2] |
AUT [10] |
CAN | GER [4] |
NZ [3] |
SPA | SWI [6] |
US [5] |
US Dance [11] |
US Modern Rock [12] |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Send Me an Angel" | 6 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 2 | 29 | 54 | – | Heartland |
| "Openhearted" | 72 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Catch Me I'm Falling" | 8 | – | – | 9 | – | – | 12 | 40 | – | – | ||
| 1984 | "Always" | – | – | – | 54 | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1985 | "Face to Face" | 32 | – | – | 52 | – | – | – | – | – | – | Flame |
| "No shame" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "One Blind Love" (Love's Not Easy) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1986 | "One Blind Love" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Down Comes the Hammer |
| "Babies" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Hammer of Love" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1989 | "Send Me an Angel '89" | 51 | – | – | – | 22 | – | – | 26 | 5 | – | Best of Real Life |
| "Let's Fall in Love" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 21 | – | Let's Fall In Love | |
| 1990 | "God Tonight" | 83 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | 15 | Lifetime |
| "Kiss the Ground" | 161 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 27 | – | ||
| 1996 | "Deep Sleep" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Happy |
| 1997 | "Like a Ghost" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | non-album single |
| 2004 | "Oblivion" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Imperfection |
| 2005 | "Send Me an Angel" (Starcity with Real Life) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | non-album single |
| 2015 | "Way to Nowhere"/"Small World" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | non-album single |
References
- ↑ Bush, John. "Real Life | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Australian chart peaks:
- Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to 19 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 247. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.
- "Send Me an Angel '89" (ARIA Chart) peak: "Chartifacts > Week Ending September 23 1990 (from The ARIA Report Issue No. 37)". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- Top 100 (ARIA Chart) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- "Kiss the Ground" (ARIA Chart) peak: "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 14 June 2017". Imgur.com. Retrieved 2017-06-14.
- 1 2 3 4 "charts.org.nz > Real Life in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- 1 2 3 4 5 German chart peaks:
- Heartland: "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Real Life – Heart Land (album)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- "Send Me an Angel": "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Real Life – Send Me an Angel (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- "Catch Me I'm Falling": "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Real Life – Catch Me I'm Falling (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- "Always": "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Real Life – Always (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- "Face to Face": "Offizielle Deutsche Charts > Real Life – Face to Face (single)" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- 1 2 3 4 "Billboard > Artists / Real Life > Chart History > The Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- 1 2 3 "hitparade.ch > Real Life in der Schweizer Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- 1 2 "Billboard > Artists / Real Life > Chart History > Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- ↑ "Rad (1986) : Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
- ↑ "austriancharts.at > Real Life in der Österreichischen Hitparade" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Real Life > Chart History > Dance Club Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- ↑ "Billboard > Artists / Real Life > Chart History > Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
External links
- Official website
- Real Life on Facebook
- Alien Skin (George Pappas) current solo project
- Real Life at VH1.com
- Heartland – The Unofficial REAL LIFE Homepage
- Where Are They Now? – Real Life at bmusic.com.au
- Dan Simcic on Drums...
- Real Life on IMDb
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