Holly and the Italians were a short-lived American power-pop band that form… Read Full Bio ↴Holly and the Italians were a short-lived American power-pop band that formed Los Angeles, California in 1978 by Chicago born singer and guitarist Holly Beth Vincent, bassist Mark Sidgwick, and drummer Steve Young.
Unable to garner much attention in Los Angeles, the band flew to London shortly after forming in hopes of securing a record deal and possibly gaining an audience in the New Wave and post-punk scene that was quite popular in Britain at the time. After playing on the pub circuit extensivley, they came to prominence as the opening act for fellow Americans Blondie, and were signed to disc jockey Charlie Gillett's record label, Opal.
The 1979 release of the single "Tell That Girl To Shut Up" garnered the band a recording contract with Virgin Records. While the single wasn't a very big hit for Holly and the Italians, it would be in 1988 when covered by Transvision Vamp. The band recorded their only album, The Right To Be Italian, produced by Richard Gottehrer. Their next two singles, "Youth Coup" and "Miles Away," (the latter written by bassist Mark Henry), failed to chart and the group disbanded at the end of 1981.
In 1982 Holly Beth Vincent issued a solo album entitled Holly and the Italians even though the band was now defunct and the album was solely credited to Vincent. The album featured a minor hit with the completely overhauled cover of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," and the subsequent video gained some airtime on MTV. Later that year Vincent recorded a cover of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" with Ramones frontman Joey Ramone.
After a brief period replacing Patty Donahue in The Waitresses, she appeared in a combo called the Wild Things with Anthony Thistlethwaite of The Waterboys, and in 1995 teamed up with Concrete Blonde singer Johnette Napolitano for a musical side project entitled Vowel Movement.
Unable to garner much attention in Los Angeles, the band flew to London shortly after forming in hopes of securing a record deal and possibly gaining an audience in the New Wave and post-punk scene that was quite popular in Britain at the time. After playing on the pub circuit extensivley, they came to prominence as the opening act for fellow Americans Blondie, and were signed to disc jockey Charlie Gillett's record label, Opal.
The 1979 release of the single "Tell That Girl To Shut Up" garnered the band a recording contract with Virgin Records. While the single wasn't a very big hit for Holly and the Italians, it would be in 1988 when covered by Transvision Vamp. The band recorded their only album, The Right To Be Italian, produced by Richard Gottehrer. Their next two singles, "Youth Coup" and "Miles Away," (the latter written by bassist Mark Henry), failed to chart and the group disbanded at the end of 1981.
In 1982 Holly Beth Vincent issued a solo album entitled Holly and the Italians even though the band was now defunct and the album was solely credited to Vincent. The album featured a minor hit with the completely overhauled cover of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," and the subsequent video gained some airtime on MTV. Later that year Vincent recorded a cover of Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" with Ramones frontman Joey Ramone.
After a brief period replacing Patty Donahue in The Waitresses, she appeared in a combo called the Wild Things with Anthony Thistlethwaite of The Waterboys, and in 1995 teamed up with Concrete Blonde singer Johnette Napolitano for a musical side project entitled Vowel Movement.
Rock Against Romance
Holly and the Italians Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Holly and the Italians:
Do You Say Love You broke my heart 'cause I couldn't dance, You didn't even…
For What It's Worth Hope you don't mind But I changed my point of view 'Cause…
Honalu What do you think you are doing here How did you…
It's Only Me My one and only prayer is that some day you'll…
Just For Tonight My baby don't care for shows My baby don't care for…
Lonely Plant my feet on the cold bathroom floor Square up to…
Miles Away I've been waitin' up at Clermont Park since half past…
One More Dance She said you're look good でも one more 誰も知らないこの one time 邪魔は出…
Tell That Girl to Shut Up Well you got that girl and she lives with you And…
Unoriginal Sin Let's not get too serious I came as just a toy Do…
Weekend Well I'm makin' alright from Monday morning to Friday night …
You Can Love Her Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid. It's not a…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Marty Ramone
Truly a forgotten classic. A transcendent piece of pop music. Why this was never a top ten hit I will never know.
carrite
The music business is not a meritocracy.
greg1lewin
THE most underrated song....most underrated group of the 20th Century! I love this song! Used to put my big, clunky Koss headphones on and blast the LP on my turn table. Love the violins and the chorus, too! Holly, you ROCK!!
zoo Ropa
There might be better technical guitar players, better singers, and better song writers. But, every note she sings, and plays on 90% of her songs strikes a place in me no other musician can. Has to be the most under rated artist I have ever heard. Even her new compositions are unreal. Thank you HBV!
New Adventure
I have this album on cassette tape years ago, and I loved it! I wish I still had it. It was great!
KC Bondurant
I knew her. Holly. She was my mother's best friend at the time. I had no idea who she was to the music world back then. I just thought she was another one of my mother's friends who played music (like Richard Lloyd). omfg did I miss out on an opportunity to learn from and play with and basically have a mentor who genuinely liked me and would have been happy to guide me and teach me music, writing, and anything I wanted to learn. I am still kicking myself to this day for having such a lack of interest growing up back then.
80sadventurer
Such an amazing song. The driving guitars and percussion, sustained by the baseline and checked by Holly's measured lyrics. Aurally orgasmic.
Ken Griggs
I've loved Holly Beth Vincent since 1982 when she became a huge hit on dance tapes I put together for our Fraternity parties when we didn't have a live band. The dance floor was filled as soon as this song started playing. This album and her name sake "Holly Beth Vincent". Check them out if you can find them. So many good songs. Must have had a bad agent and/or record label...never got radio play.
Ian Campbell
My mom grew up nextdoor to Holly Vincent and would talk about this band like they were some mythical thing when I was a child....Over the years these songs have embedded themselves into my mind, influencing my own music, and I'm very happy to see there are a bunch of people here who still remember. Rock n roll will never die. \_/
hammersmom
One of my most favorite songs ever. :) I wish there was a cd...