The band re-united in 2010 and will be releasing a new album in 2012.
Platinum Blonde was inducted into the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame on March 12, 2010.
History
Platinum Blonde originated in 1983 as a tribute band performing the music of The Police in Canada's university and club circuit. In 1983, they signed to CBS Records Canada and released a self-titled six-song EP, which made it to No. 39 on the Canadian album charts. It was quickly expanded into a full length album titled Standing in the Dark, which featured identical artwork to the EP.
The band's popularity on the airwaves in Canada led to a triple platinum (300,000) album, featuring four hits including two Juno Award nominations: "Standing in the Dark" and "It Doesn't Really Matter". Their music videos were placed into high rotation on the newly created MuchMusic, Canada's national music video network.
In 1985, the band released a second album called Alien Shores, featuring the addition of a fourth member, Kenny MacLean. "Alien Shores" went quintuple platinum (500,000), the group's high-water mark of success. Hits from the second album included "Situation Critical", "Crying Over You", "Somebody Somewhere", and "Hungry Eyes".
In 1988 the band's next album, Contact, was a hit in Canada, going double platinum, but was significantly less successful than their previous record. The title track "Contact" was a modest hit, but the album was an overall commercial disappointment, and they were dropped by CBS. Platinum Blonde changed their name to The Blondes and recorded and released one further album to minimal attention before disbanding.
The entire group appeared as alien bikers in the 1988 episode Eye for an Eye of the television series War of the Worlds.
In 2002, Mark Holmes opened the internationally renowned The Mod Club Theatre on College Street in Toronto's Little Italy. The Mod Club Theatre has showcased the likes of Muse, Amy Winehouse, MGMT, The Killers, The Ruby Spirit, Keane, Feist, Mobile and more.
Rumors of a reunion of the original band, and possibly some new material, continued to swirl, as the band played a few charity concerts in the mid-2000s. A DVD video compilation entitled Platinum Blonde: The Complete DVD Collection is in production. According to the band's official website, the compilation consists of nine music videos as well as several bonus features.
Bassist Kenny MacLean was found dead on November 24, 2008 in his recording studio on Yonge Street in Toronto. He had just released his third solo CD entitled Completely at Toronto's Mod Club on Friday November 21, passing away that night after the show of heart failure.
Present and future plans
On March 10, 2010, Platinum Blonde played their first reunion show at The Mod Club Theatre in Toronto, Ontario. The original line up of Mark Holmes, Sergio Galli & Chris Steffler were inducted into the Radio and Television Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. The next day, the band announced on MuchMusic that a reunion is in the works with a new recording and show dates.
On December 6, 2010, an EP containing a cover of the song "Not in Love" was released by the Canadian electronic band Crystal Castles featuring the vocals of UK singer Robert Smith (The Cure) on the Fiction Records label.
In June 2012, Platinum Blonde released a new single "Beautiful" on iTunes and announced a full new album would also be released. The band is currently touring in 2012 to promote their latest material.
Discography
Albums
Platinum Blonde EP (1983) No. 39 CAN
Standing in the Dark (1983) No. 23 CAN
Alien Shores (1985) No. 3 CAN
Contact (1987) No. 20 CAN
Yeah Yeah Yeah - released under The Blondes (1990)
Best of Live (1993)
Seven Year Itch: 1982-1989 (1999) No. 23 CAN
Now & Never (2012)
Contact
Platinum Blonde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come close, but you impress me the most
And you don't need to boast
Some girls with black silk stockings
I swear, oh I got to come up for air
But they don't compare
The way you take me there
Contact! Contact!
No substitution's gonna satisfy
Contact! Contact!
Baby come on
Sinful ain't no description
I know, your own decision will show
You've got to let it go
I just gotta know
Ain't no way around it
So give me a try
Contact! A little Contact!
Baby come on
Platinum Blonde's "Contact" is a song about the singer's infatuation with a particular woman. The lyrics describe how there are other attractive girls around, but this special woman impresses him the most, and he doesn't need her to boast or wear special clothing to catch his eye. The singer finds himself drawn to her, and he wants her physical touch to feel satisfied. The first verse of the song highlights how the woman takes him to a place no one else has before, and there is a physical and mental connection he shares with her that he wants to explore more.
The chorus of the song focuses on the singer's desire for contact with this woman. He wants something more than just conversation or casual interaction. He wants her to touch him and be intimate with him. He doesn't want anyone else to substitute her; she is the only one who can satisfy him at that moment. The second verse continues to emphasize the same point. The singer knows that the woman is sinful, but he's willing to take the chance and be with her. He urges her to let go of her inhibitions and give in to her desires. In the end, he just wants her to give him a chance and try to be with him.
Line by Line Meaning
Some girls with long dark dresses
There are some women wearing long dark dresses
Come close, but you impress me the most
Despite there being other women around, the person the singer is addressing is the one who impresses them the most
And you don't need to boast
The person the singer is addressing doesn't need to brag since they are already impressive
Some girls with black silk stockings
There are also some women wearing black silk stockings
I swear, oh I got to come up for air
The singer is so taken aback by how attractive the person they are addressing is that they feel like they need to catch their breath
But they don't compare
Even though there are other women around, none of them compare to the person the singer is addressing
The way you take me there
The person the singer is addressing has a certain quality that brings the singer to a positive emotional place
I got something on my mind
The singer has something they want to communicate
Contact! Contact!
The singer is urging the person they are addressing to make contact with them
No substitution's gonna satisfy
The singer cannot be satisfied by anyone else - only the person they are addressing will do
Baby come on
The singer is encouraging the person they are addressing to come to them
Sinful ain't no description
The singer believes that the attraction they feel is intense enough to be considered sinful
I know, your own decision will show
The person the singer is addressing will have to make a decision about whether or not to engage with the singer
You've got to let it go
The person the singer is addressing needs to let go of whatever is holding them back so they can move towards the singer
Ain't no way around it
There is no way to avoid the strong attraction between the singer and the person they are addressing
So give me a try
The singer wants a chance to show the person they are addressing what they can offer
Contact! A little Contact!
The singer is urging the person they are addressing to make physical contact with them
Baby come on
The singer is encouraging the person they are addressing to come to them
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Mark Holmes, Kenny MacLean, David Bendeth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Gilgallon
Awesome
CANUCK METAL HEAD
8️⃣0️⃣s 😎
bruce slaughterback
Yeah