left to right: Robert Palmer, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, and Tony Thompson

Power Station was a pop group made up of singer Robert Palmer, bassist John Taylor and guitarist Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, and former CHIC drummer Tony Thompson; two other CHIC members, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers were also involved on the studio side. The band was formed in New York City late in 1984 during a break in Duran Duran's schedule, and were named after the Power Station recording studio where their album was conceived and recorded. Power Station publicity photo - fair use A publicity photo distributed by Capitol Records in the bands press kit This work is copyrighted. ... Power Station publicity photo - fair use A publicity photo distributed by Capitol Records in the bands press kit This work is copyrighted. ... Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and mostly distributed commercially. ... The Riptide album was Palmers best selling work. ... Taylors first solo recording was a hit single for the 9½ Weeks movie soundtrack. ... Taylor in 2001 Andy Taylor (born 16 February 1961) is an English guitarist who plays guitar in the electronic rock/pop band Duran Duran. ... Duran Duran are a New Wave music band, often classified into the aggregate 80s rock genre and notable for a long series of catchy, synthesizer-driven hit singles and vivid music videos. ... CHIC is an American band that was formed in 1976 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. ... Tony Thompson (November 15, 1954 – November 12, 2003) was a session drummer with a long list of studio credits. ... Bernard Edwards (1953-1996), born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of Chic and on his own. ... Nile Rodgers (born September 19, 1952) is a prolific guitarist and music producer. ... Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Avatar Studios, formerly known as the Power Station, is a renowned recording studio on 48th Street in Manhattan, New York City. ...

Origin

The group began as something of a whim -- it was a one-time gathering of friends to provide backing to model and would-be singer Bebe Buell who wanted to record a cover of the T. Rex song "Bang A Gong (Get It On)". Both Taylors were eager to branch out from the synthesizer-heavy pop of Duran Duran and play some Led Zeppelin-flavored rock'n'roll; the participation of their idols from CHIC lent the project a horn-inflected funk vibe that meshed surprisingly well with the crunching guitars and booming drums. Bebe Buell traveled in celebrity circles most of her life. ... Famous Bolans cover photo by Ringo Starr for the album The Slider, 1972 T. Rex (originally known as Tyrannosaurus Rex), was a British rock band fronted by Marc Bolan. ... A synthesizer (spelling var. ... Led Zeppelin was a British rock band that became one of the most successful and influential artists in popular music history. ... Rock and roll (also spelled rock n roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

Soon the project evolved into the idea of a revolving supergroup; a tentative name for the band was Big Brother. The original plan for the one-album project was for the three musicians (Taylor, Taylor and Thompson) to provide musical continuity to an album full of material, with a different singer performing on each track. Those who were approached included Mick Jagger, Billy Idol, Mars Williams and Richard Butler (of The Psychedelic Furs), and Mick Ronson. In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe music groups comprising members who had already achieved fame or respect in other groups or as individual artists. ... Mick Jagger 1995 Sir Michael Philip Mick Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English rock musician, actor, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. ... Billy Idol Billy Idol (born William Michael Albert Broad on November 30, 1955 in Middlesex, England) is an English hard rock musician. ... Richard Butler (born on 5 June 1956, in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, England) is lead singer of the Psychedelic Furs, which he formed in 1977 along with his brother Tim Butler and guitarist John Ashton. ... The Psychedelic Furs are an influential British post-punk band founded in the 1970s. ... Mick Ronson (May 26, 1946 – April 29, 1993) was a British guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer. ...

The group then invited eclectic soul singer Robert Palmer to record vocals for the track "Communication". When he heard that they had recorded demos for "Bang A Gong", he asked to try out vocals on that one as well, and by the end of the day, the group knew that they had found that elusive chemistry which distinguishes successful bands. Before long, they had decided to record the entire album with Palmer. A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. ...

History

On February 16, 1985, the band performed "Some Like It Hot" and "Bang A Gong" on the Saturday Night Live TV show; this was Palmer's only live performance with the band. Power Station CD album cover - fair use The album cover for the original release on vinyl; note the 33 1/3 in the lower right: This is an album cover. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC nearly every Saturday night since its debut on October 11, 1975. ...

In March of 1985, the band issued the album Power Station (originally released on vinyl and subtitled 33⅓ for the turntable speed). The album was produced by Bernard Edwards, with some informal assistance from Nile Rodgers. This article is about the year. ... 33â…“ LP vinyl record album from the 1960s A gramophone record (also phonograph record, or simply record) is an analogue sound recording medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove. ... Edison cylinder phonograph ca. ... Bernard Edwards (1953-1996), born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of Chic and on his own. ... Nile Rodgers (born September 19, 1952) is a prolific guitarist and music producer. ...

The band had two hit singles. The first, "Some Like It Hot", reached number 14 on the UK singles charts and number 6 in the USA. (The music video featured the transsexual model Caroline Cossey, credited as "Tula".) The second single was "Bang A Gong (Get It On)", a remake of the 1972 T. Rex hit, which went to number 22 in the UK and number 9 in the US, while competing against the Duran Duran single "A View to a Kill," which was a number one for Duran Duran. A third single, "Communication", was not as successful; it barely reached the Top 40 in the US, and disappeared after hitting a dismal number 75 in the UK. A music video (also promo) is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... A transsexual (sometimes transexual) person establishes a permanent identity with the opposite gender to their assigned (usually at birth) sex. ... Caroline Tula Cossey (born August 31, 1954, in Brooke, Norfolk, England), is a British model and actress. ... In popular music a cover version is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Famous Bolans cover photo by Ringo Starr for the album The Slider, 1972 T. Rex (originally known as Tyrannosaurus Rex), was a British rock band fronted by Marc Bolan. ...

The album itself reached number 12 in the UK and number 6 on the US album chart. Incidentally, the album's cover graphics and color scheme, which were also used in the videos, were based on sketches by John Taylor. Later he said about the rather sexy sketches that he had used all his fantasies and considered himself - with self-deprecating irony - "an old pervert". (Source: Interview with German music magazine "Pop/Rocky, issue 3/1985.) The band also released a collection of the band's three music videos called "The Power Station Video EP".

The group's unexpected success led to two results: the band decided to do a summer tour in America, and Robert Palmer decided to record a new album (eventually produced by Edwards with Tony Thompson contributing some drum tracks) to take advantage of his sudden name recognition. This inevitably led to Palmer's departure from the band. Power Station went on to tour with singer Michael Des Barres (formerly of Silverhead and Checquered Past). Des Barres also performed with them at the enormous Live Aid charity concert in Philadelphia that summer. Michael Des Barres as Murdoc Michael Des Barres (born 24 January 1948) is an English actor and rock singer. ... Silverhead were an Anglo-American band, based in Los Angeles, led by singer-actor Michael Des Barres. ... Live Aid at Wembley Stadium Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on July 13, 1985. ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ...

Des Barres' friendship with actor Don Johnson led to the band's guest appearance on an episode of the TV drama Miami Vice. Similarly, his friendship with producer Joel Silver led to Power Station writing a song called "We Fight For Love" for the Arnold Schwarzenegger action film Commando (1985). The track was originally titled "Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay". Don Johnson (born Donald Wayne Johnson on December 15, 1950) is an American actor well known for his film and television appearances. ... Miami Vice was a popular television series (five seasons on NBC from 1984-1989) starring Don Johnson (James Sonny Crockett) and Philip Michael Thomas (Ricardo Rico Tubbs) as two Miami police detectives working undercover. ... Joel Silver (born July 14, 1952) is a successful Jewish-American Hollywood film producer. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, and Republican politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of California. ... Commando (first released on October 4, 1985) is a Hollywood action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. ...

The band folded late in 1985, as its members turned to other projects: John Taylor returned to Duran Duran, while Andy Taylor chose to leave Duran Duran in favor of a solo career. Tony Thompson was to take the place of John Bonham in a re-formed Led Zeppelin, but he was nearly killed in a 1986 car accident before that reunion could get off the ground. Palmer went on to record a string of chart-topping hits, including "Addicted To Love", "Simply Irresistible", and "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On". John Bonham in 1972 John Henry Bonzo Bonham (May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980), was a British drummer and member of the highly successful rock band Led Zeppelin. ... Led Zeppelin was a British rock band that became one of the most successful and influential artists in popular music history. ...

Reunion

The band reunited ten years later with its original members, including Palmer. However, divorce and drug rehabilitation forced bassist John Taylor to withdraw from the project before the album was complete. Bernard Edwards (former CHIC bassist) stepped in and completed the album Living In Fear (1997) in his stead, and was prepared to tour with the group, but then died suddenly of pneumonia during a trip to Japan. The group was staggered, but decided to press on, and toured with bassist Manny Yanes and second guitarist Luke Morley instead, to moderate success. The group quietly disbanded shortly after. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the ending of a marriage before the death of either spouse, which can be contrasted with an annulment, which is a declaration that a marriage is void, though the effects of marriage may be recognized in such unions, such as spousal support, child custody... Drug rehabilitation (often shortened to drug rehab) is an umbrella term for the processes of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the microscopic, air-filled sacs (alveoli) responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ... Luke Morley (born 19 June 1960) is the lead guitarist, chief songwriter and producer for the hard rock band Thunder. ...

After the Band

• Bernard Edwards died of pneumonia in April 1996.

• Robert Palmer died of a heart attack in September 2003

• Tony Thompson died of kidney cancer in November 2003.

• John Taylor and Andy Taylor reunited with the original members of Duran Duran in 2001. They released the album Astronaut in October 2004.

• EMI released a new version of Power Station on February 21, 2005, to commemorate the album's 20th anniversary. The package includes the original 8 track album, 7 bonus tracks and a 40-minute 8-chapter DVD. Among the bonus tracks on the album is the Michael Des Barres-sung track "We Fight For Love" -- now retitled "Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay" (from the Commando OST)

Duran Duran are a New Wave music band, often classified into the aggregate 80s rock genre and notable for a long series of catchy, synthesizer-driven hit singles and vivid music videos. ... Astronaut is an album by British band Duran Duran, first released on October 11, 2004 (see 2004 in music). ... February 21 is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Personnel

• Robert Palmer - Vocalist
• Andy Taylor - Guitarist
• John Taylor - Bassist
• Tony Thompson - Drummer

The Riptide album was Palmers best selling work. ... Taylor in 2001 Andy Taylor (born 16 February 1961) is an English guitarist who plays guitar in the electronic rock/pop band Duran Duran. ... Taylors first solo recording was a hit single for the 9½ Weeks movie soundtrack. ... Tony Thompson (November 15, 1954 – November 12, 2003) was a session drummer with a long list of studio credits. ...

Other Members

• Michael Des Barres - Tour Vocalist (1985)
• Bernard Edwards - Bassist (1995)

Michael Des Barres as Murdoc Michael Des Barres (born 24 January 1948) is an English actor and rock singer. ... Bernard Edwards (1953-1996), born in Greenville, North Carolina, was a bass player and record producer, both as a member of Chic and on his own. ...

Discography

Albums

1. The Power Station (1985)
2. Living In Fear (1997)
3. Best Of (2003)
4. Power Station: 20th Anniversary Edition (2005)

Singles The Power Station is the debut album by Power Station. ... The Power Station is the debut album by Power Station. ...

1. "Bang A Gong (Get It On)"
2. "Some Like It Hot"
3. "Communication"
4. "She Can Rock It"