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Patty Smyth, both with her hit band
Scandal and as a solo artist, has always been, at heart, a rock and roll
chick, but she’s also earned both Oscar and Grammy nominations, recorded
a series of hit singles and albums and enjoyed a successful reunion on
VH1’s Bands Reunited series
With a platinum album, The Warrior, and a self-titled debut that is the
best-selling EP in Columbia history, Patty Smyth and Scandal are one of
the '80s signature female-fronted rock bands. Spurred by an impromptu
reunion in 2004 on VH1's Bands Reunited series and a stint on the
network's "We Are the '80s" tour in the summer of 2006 with Rick
Springfield, Patty Smyth and Scandal have regrouped, including two
original members in guitarist Keith Mack and keyboardist/guitarist Benjy
King along with the new rhythm section of bassist Tom Welsch and drummer
Eran Asias, "I really wanted to get back out there gigging and doing
shows," says Smyth, who also attributed the decision to the fact her
kids are now all grown up.
Smyth was born in New York City,
played her first gig at New York’s Folk City, and spent the next several
years honing her craft by performing short musical sets at Catch A
Rising Star in between then-unknown comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Paul
Reiser, Larry David and Chris Rock. Patty met Zack Smith, who would
later ask her to front a band with him called Scandal.
Smyth and Scandal first burst onto
the scene in 1982 with a self-titled EP that produced a pair of hits in
"Goodbye to You," a 1 MTV video, "Love's Got a Line on You." and “Win
Some, Lose Some.” The group’s first full-length album , The Warrior,
released in 1984, climbed into the Top 20 on the sales chart, eventually
earning RIAA-certified platinum status, with more than a million in
sales, producing the Top 10 single, "The Warrior" as well as "Hands
Tied" and "Beat of a Heart."
“The Warrior” remains popular to this day, featured on the radio station
Flash FM in the video game Grand Theft Auto and in the third installment
of Guitar Hero, Rocks the ‘80s. The song is also featured in a parody of
an iPod commercial on the popular animated Fox series Family Guy.
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www.pattysmythandscandal.com
For all her ‘80s achievements Smyth’s
most impressive successes came in the ‘90s. Her 1992 solo album turned
out to be a career peak. “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough,” a song
Patty wrote and featuring a performance by Don Henley, became Smyth’s
biggest hit ever. The song reached #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and stayed
there for six consecutive weeks, going #1 on the AC chart for four
straight weeks, as well as number one on many other national charts. The
song was also named BMI song of the Year. The album and single both earned platinum status by
selling more than a million units apiece. The album also produced the
hits “No Mistakes,” “I Should be Laughing” and “Shine.”
Two years later, Patty was brought in to
sing and co-write “Look What Love Has Done,” the Oscar, Golden Globe and
Grammy-nominated theme from the hit Arnold Schwarzenegger/Danny DeVito
comedy, Junior. That year, she was asked to perform it live at the 1995
Academy Awards telecast. Patty’s Greatest Hits album was released in
1999 with two new tracks, one of which was on the Armageddon Soundtrack
and sold over 8 million copies.
“This is probably the best band I’ve
ever been in,” says Smyth, who has begun touring and even writing new
material. “We have so much fun together. To say I’m rejuvenated is an
understatement. With new songs in the can like “Make It Hard ” and “End
of the Girl,” Patty plans to return to the studio to record the new
material.
Patty Smyth & Scandal
Patty Smyth - Vocals
Keith Mack - Guitar
Benjy King - Keyboard / Guitar
Eran Asias - Drums
Tom Welsch - Bass |
