During the late 1980s and 1990s, The Hooters found significant commercial success internationally, especially in Europe, where they played at The Wall Concert in Berlin in 1990, before they went on hiatus in 1995.
Since reuniting in 2001, The Hooters have staged successful tours in Europe and 2007 saw the release of their first album of new material since 1993, Time Stand Still.
Early years (1980-1984)
The Hooters were formed in 1980 and played their first show on July 4 of that year. They took their name from a nickname for the melodica, a type of keyboard harmonica which is German in origin and made by Hohner. Two of the members, Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman, originally played in a band in the late 1970s called Baby Grand and released two albums on Arista Records.
During the 1980s, The Hooters played on the Philadelphia club scene, boosted by airplay on WMMR, the major rock radio station in Philadelphia at the time. They soon became a huge success along their native East Coast, playing everything from clubs to high schools, while appearing on local television shows.
In 1982, Bazilian and Hyman were asked to write, arrange and play on the debut album of a relatively unknown singer named Cyndi Lauper She's So Unusual who was being produced by their former bandmate from Baby Grand, Rick Chertoff. Hyman co-wrote the song Time After Time which would go on to hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
In 1983, The Hooters released their first independent album, Amore, which sold over 100,000 copies and introduced the original versions of songs like All You Zombies, Hanging On A Heartbeat, Fightin' On The Same Side and Blood From A Stone, all of which would reappear in different versions on later albums. Although a studio album, Amore captured the same spirit that made The Hooters admired for their live performances.
The Hooters presence, as performers and as songwriters, was recognized when, on July 26, 1984 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, Columbia Records signed them to their first major recording contract.
Mainstream success (1985-1989)
The Hooters' 1985 Columbia Records debut album Nervous Night achieved platinum status around the world, selling in excess of 2 million copies and included Billboard Top 40 hits Day By Day (No. 18), And We Danced (No. 21) and Where Do The Children Go (No. 38). Rolling Stone named The Hooters the Best New Band of the Year.
Nervous Night, an award winning video, released in 1985
On July 13, 1985, they were the opening band at the Philadelphia Live Aid benefit concert, gaining international recognition for the first time. Their first major overseas tour came later that year when they played throughout Australia.
On June 15, 1986, The Hooters participated in A Conspiracy of Hope, a benefit concert on behalf of Amnesty International, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
On September 5, 1986, The Hooters appeared on the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, where they were nominated in the category of Best New Artist in a Video for And We Danced. They performed two songs on the show, And We Danced and Nervous Night.
At Billboard's 8th Annual Video Music Conference on November 22, 1986, The Hooters won two awards: Best Concert Performance for the Where Do the Children Go video and Best Longform Program for the full length Nervous Night home video. They also placed in five categories in Billboard's Top 100 of 1986: Top Pop Artist, No. 41; Top Pop Album, No. 23; Top Pop Album Artists/Groups, No. 16; Top Pop Album Artists based on one album, No. 27; and Top Pop Singles Artists based on three singles, No. 3.
On November 24, 1987, Thanksgiving night, The Hooters headlined the Spectrum in Philadelphia for the first time. The show was broadcast live on MTV and the Westwood One radio network simultaneously, the first time the two networks had ever joined forces in producing a concert for one artist.
In 1987, The Hooters experienced their first major commercial success in Europe. After heavy airplay in the United Kingdom, Satellite, from the album One Way Home became a hit single, reaching No. 22, with the band performing on the popular British television show Top of the Pops on December 3, where they would meet one of their musical idols, Paul McCartney. Satellite was also featured on an episode of the television show Miami Vice titled "Amen...Send Money," which first aired on October 2, 1987.
1989 saw their final release for Columbia Records. Zig Zag introduced a politically-oriented theme, with Peter, Paul and Mary providing background vocals for an updated version of the 1960s folk song 500 Miles, which became an international hit that lead the way to another international success for the band.
International success (1990-1995)
As the 1990s dawned, The Hooters' success in the United States began to wane, while their popularity overseas, especially in Europe, reached new heights.
Following a show at The Town & Country Club in London, England in March 1988, the band had met Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, who told them that he was a big fan of theirs. This eventually lead to their appearance in Waters' staging of The Wall Concert at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin on July 21, 1990, with Sinéad O'Connor in Mother and three former members of The Band (Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Garth Hudson) providing backing vocals.
1993 saw their debut album for MCA Records, Out Of Body. While not a commercial success in the United States, the album found a large audience in Europe, especially in Sweden and Germany.
The Hooters Live, recorded over two nights in Germany in December 1993, was released in Europe and Asia in 1994, but never saw a release in the United States.
The Hooters continued to tour throughout Europe until 1995, before taking a hiatus as a band.
Hiatus (1995-2001)
For several years, the members of The Hooters went on to pursue individual projects in a variety of fields, both in and outside of music.
Guitarist Eric Bazilian became recognized internationally for being a songwriter, session musician, arranger and producer for numerous artists throughout the United States and Europe. In 1995, he played all those roles for Joan Osborne's debut album Relish, which was nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for the No. 4 Billboard hit One of Us, which Bazilian single-handedly wrote. He also released two solo albums: The Optimist in 2000 and A Very Dull Boy in 2002.
Keyboard player Rob Hyman built his own recording studio, Elmstreet Studios, in suburban Philadelphia, while also contributing to numerous musical artists as a songwriter, session musician, arranger and producer, among them being Joan Osborne and Ricky Martin.
Drummer David Uosikkinen, having moved to San Diego, California, launched an independent record label, Moskeeto Records, while also working as a drummer for various artists including Patty Smyth, Cyndi Lauper, Rod Stewart and Alice Cooper. In 1999, he joined a group of technology experts who created an online music portal, MP3.com, which subsequently contributed to a change in the music industry's distribution and consumer listening habits.
Guitarist John Lilley started his own landscape gardening business, Avantgardeners, in the Philadelphia area.
Bass player Fran Smith Jr. joined the original Broadway cast members as Paul McCartney in Beatlemania. He also played the part of Carlo Cannoli in Tony n' Tina's Wedding, the longest running off-Broadway theatre comedy. From his own recording studio, he produced numerous artists, including Joe Piscopo and Flo & Eddie of The Turtles, as well as local artists and bands. In 1995, he released a solo album, For No Apparent Reason.
Reunited (2001-present)
Except for a small reunion heard on the concept album Largo (which featured appearances by all the members except for Lilley) in 1998, The Hooters did not play together again until November 21, 2001, when they performed at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia for a one off show to celebrate disc jockey Pierre Robert's 20th anniversary at local rock radio station WMMR, the first major station to ever play The Hooters back in the early 1980s.
Time Stand Still, released in 2007, is The Hooters' first studio album since 1993
2003 saw a full-time reunion of The Hooters in Germany, where they completed a successful 17-city tour. The success of the tour prompted two further tours in 2004 and 2005, where they premiered new unreleased songs and played in additional countries, including Switzerland and Sweden.
On May 11, 2004, The Hooters were presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Philadelphia Music Awards.[1]
November 2005 marked the appearance of The Hooters on VH1 Classic's concert series Decades Live Rock as guests of Cyndi Lauper, where they performed And We Danced and All You Zombies.
June 2006 finally saw The Hooters play their first official shows in the United States in over a decade. Over the course of three nights, they performed three shows: a homecoming show at Philadelphia's Electric Factory on June 16; a show at The Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 17; and finally, an outdoor show at Hubbard Park in Rob Hyman's hometown of Meriden, Connecticut on June 18.
Following these shows, The Hooters entered Hyman's Elmstreet Studios to record their first album of new material since 1993. Time Stand Still was released in September 2007, preceded by a tour of Europe from June through August, with shows in Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands and Switzerland.
In November 2007, The Hooters returned to Europe for a short tour of Switzerland and Germany, including a show filmed for television in Basel, Switzerland as part the AVO Concerts Series. They then played two shows in the United States during Thanksgiving week in their hometown of Philadelphia at the Electric Factory on Wednesday, November 21 and Friday, November 23, with the latter show broadcast by radio station WXPN in 85 markets.
On February 28 and March 1, 2008, The Hooters once again entered Elmstreet Studios to begin work on a new album. Accompanied by Ann Marie Calhoun on violin, the band recorded acoustic rearrangements of 14 of their previously released songs, which will be put on a double-disc set to be packaged with an album that was recorded during the band's concerts the previous year at Philadelphia's Electric Factory, and will be released later in 2008.
March 2008 saw The Hooters embark on a series of shows in the United States in support of Time Stand Still, which saw a Stateside release the previous month, including at B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill in New York City on Thursday, March 6, and The Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia on Saturday, March 29.
In July 2008, The Hooters launched a European summer tour, playing shows in Norway, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland.
Band members
PresentEric Bazilian (1980-1995, 2001-present): lead vocals, guitars, mandolin, harmonica, saxophoneRob Hyman (1980-1995, 2001-present): lead vocals, keyboards, accordion, melodicaDavid Uosikkinen (1980-1995, 2001-present): drums, percussionJohn Lilley (1983-1995, 2001-present): guitar, mandolin, dobro, keyboards, vocalsFran Smith Jr. (1987-1995, 2001-present): bass guitar, vocals
PastBobby Woods (1980-1983): bass guitarJohn Kuzma (1980-1983): guitarRob Miller (1983-1984): bass guitar, background vocalsAndy King (1984-1987): bass guitar, background vocalsMindy Jostyn (1992-1994) (deceased): violin, harmonica, background vocals
Discography
AlbumsAmore (1983)Nervous Night (1985) #12 US 2 x PlatinumOne Way Home (1987) #27 US GoldZig Zag (1989) #115 USOut of Body (1993)The Hooters Live (1994)Hooterization: A Retrospective (1996)Time Stand Still (2007)
Singles
Year Song Billboard Hot 100 Mainstream Rock Tracks UK Singles Chart Album
1985 And We Danced 21 3 - Nervous Night
1985 All You Zombies 58 11 - Nervous Night
1986 Where Do the Children Go 38 34 - Nervous Night
1986 Day by Day 18 3 - Nervous Night
1987 Satellite 61 13 22 One Way Home
1987 Johnny B. 61 3 - One Way Home
1988 Karla with a K - - 81 One Way Home
1989 500 Miles 97 20 - Zig Zag
1990 Brother, Don't You Walk Away - 37 - Zig Zag
Video releasesNervous Night (1985)The Ultimate Clip Collection (2003)
All You Zombies
The Hooters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, he tried to set him straight
Looked him in the eye
"Let my people go!"
Holy Moses on the mountain
High above the golden calf
Went to get the Ten Commandments
All you zombies hide your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The pieces gonna fall on you
No one ever spoke to Noah,
They all laughed at him instead
Workin' on his ark
Workin' all by himself
Only Noah saw it comin'
Forty days and forty nights
Took his sons and daughters with him
Yeah, they were the Israelites!
All you zombies hide your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The rain's gonna fall on you
Holy Father, what's the matter?
Where have all your children gone?
Sittin' in the dark
Livin' all by themselves
You don't have to hide anymore!
All you zombies show your faces
All you people in the street
All you sittin' in high places
The pieces gonna fall on you!
All you zombies show your faces
(I see you out there!)
All you people in the street
(Let's see you!)
All you sittin in high places
It's all gonna fall on you!
The Hooters' song "All You Zombies" is a song filled with biblical references and represents a powerful message about individual freedom and responsibility. The song starts with a reference to Holy Moses demanding freedom from the Pharaoh and continues to paint a picture of individuals who claimed independence from the crowd and chose to walk their path. The chorus, "All you zombies, hide your faces," warns those who always followed the crowd or the higher ranks that their time of reckoning is coming. The verses also refer to Noah and how he was working alone to accomplish something significant while everyone else ridiculed him. And similar to Holy Moses, Noah also saw the coming of the flood that would wipe out the wicked from the face of the earth.
The lyrics of the song showcase a message that we all have a responsibility towards ourselves and each other, and it is our duty to be aware of what's happening around us. The biblical references in the song allude to the story of exodus, the ten commandments, and the ark. The song talks of the importance of speaking out, following one's path, and not being afraid to stand alone. The chorus warns those in the higher echelons that the world works in mysterious ways, and their day of judgment might come anytime.
Line by Line Meaning
Holy Moses met the Pharaoh
Moses confronted the Pharaoh, trying to convince him to release the Israelites from slavery
Yeah, he tried to set him straight
He attempted to reason with the Pharaoh and make him understand the gravity of his actions
Looked him in the eye, 'Let my people go!'
Moses made a direct plea to the Pharaoh to release the Israelites from their enslavement
Holy Moses on the mountain
Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments
High above the golden calf
While Moses was away, the Israelites crafted and began worshiping a golden calf
Went to get the Ten Commandments
Moses retrieved the tablets containing the commandments from God
Yeah, he's just gonna break 'em in half!
Moses became so angry upon seeing the golden calf that he smashed the tablets in frustration and anger
All you zombies hide your faces,
The term 'zombies' is used metaphorically to refer to those who blindly follow destructive beliefs or behaviors, and the phrase is a warning to them to hide their faces in shame
All you people in the street,
This line is broadly addressed to all people found in public spaces
All you sittin' in high places,
The phrase is directed especially at those individuals in positions of power and authority
The pieces gonna fall on you
Consequences will inevitably follow the morally bankrupt and oppressive behaviors of these people
No one ever spoke to Noah,
No one listened to Noah when he warned them of the coming flood
They all laughed at him instead
No one took Noah's warning seriously, and they ridiculed him for being foolish and paranoid
Workin' on his ark,
Noah was building his ark, trying to save himself and his family from the impending flood
Workin' all by himself
Despite the ridicule and mockery, Noah continued to work alone to build the ark
Only Noah saw it comin',
Noah was the only one who was aware of the imminent flood and the need to prepare for it
Forty days and forty nights,
The flood lasted this length of time
Took his sons and daughters with him,
Noah took his family with him on the ark
Yeah, they were the Israelites!
The Israelites were the group of people who were led out of slavery by Moses, not Noah and his family who were saved from the flood
Holy Father, what's the matter?
This line is directed at God or any divine being, expressing concern for the welfare of his children
Where have all your children gone?
The artist is asking why people seem to have lost their connection to the divine, and where that connection has gone
Sittin' in the dark,
The line refers to the feeling of being lost, lonely or disconnected from the light, love, and guidance of God
Livin' all by themselves,
This line is connected to the sense of loneliness and isolation felt by those who are disconnected from their faith or spirituality
You don't have to hide anymore!
This line is an encouragement to people to be honest and open about their spirituality or faith, and to not be afraid of ridicule or judgement
All you zombies show your faces,
This line is an invitation to the metaphorical zombies--those who blindly follow corrupt or oppressive ideas--to acknowledge their true selves
All you people in the street,
Again, this is a broad reference to all people in public spaces
All you sittin' in high places,
This line is repeated throughout the song as a direct warning to those in positions of power and authority
It's all gonna fall on you!
The line repeats the warning that those who abuse their power and follow corrupt or oppressive ideas will face consequences for their actions
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eric Bazilian, Eric M. Bazilian, Rob Hyman, Robert Andrew Hyman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@msinterior1
❤️
Holy Moses met the Pharaoh
Yeah, he tried to set him straight
Looked him in the eye,
"Let my people go!"
Holy Moses on the mountain
High above the golden calf
Went to get the Ten Commandments
Yeah, he's just gonna break 'em in half!
All you zombies hide your faces,
All you people in the street,
All you sittin' in high places,
The pieces gonna fall on you
No one ever spoke to Noah,
They all laughed at him instead
Workin' on his ark,
Workin' all by himself
Only Noah saw it comin',
Forty days and forty nights,
Took his sons and daughters with him,
Yeah, they were the Israelites!
All you zombies hide your faces,
All you people in the street,
All you sittin' in high places,
The rain's gonna fall on you
Holy Father, what's the matter?
Where have all your children gone?
Sittin' in the dark,
Livin' all by themselves,
You don't have to hide anymore!
All you zombies show your faces,
All you people in the street,
All you sittin' in high places,
The pieces gonna fall on you!
All you zombies show your faces,
(I see you out there!)
All you people in the street,
(Let's see you!)
All you sittin in high places,
It's all gonna fall on you
@derekbaker3279
Hi Coy. Actually, this song was extremely relevant back in the 80s, which is why it has been a favourite of mine since it was released. Back then (a) the USA was seeing the beginning of far-right politics via Reagan & the Republican Party, paranoia & hate was infecting evangelical/fundamentalist churches, and there was a rise in overt racism/homophobia/xenophobia/misogyny, (b) England was under the thumb of Margaret Thatcher & the Conservatives, who arrogantly attacked the working class, caused massive levels of unemployment & destroyed the lives of so many ordinary Brits, (c) materialism & other excesses of the world's upper classes was being openly flaunted while so many were suffering, (d) the commercialization/corporatization of the arts began to eat away at its creativity & integrity, and (e) many other issues were causing great concern among musicians, futurists, those who cared about social justice, and even mainstream churches/philosophers/moralists.
(The Hooters were/are an Australian band, so I suspect that similar issues - along with matters regarding Indigenous rights that Midnight Oil sang about - were also affecting them.)
It's very easy to get caught up in nostalgia & look back at any era with rose-coloured glasses, but the truth is usually far less enjoyable to remember. In the case of the late 70s & 80s, everything needs to be seen in a much more accurate context, and a lot of the best music we hear today from that era was written in response to a lot of the socio-economic & the domestic & global political problems of the time. IMHO, understanding the context enhances my appreciation for a lot of great art that was created back then. (*) (**)
(*) As a starting point, read up about the massive levels of unemployment in the UK during the late 70s and especially during the Thatcher era, then listen to the beautiful song "Don't Give Up" sung by Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush. It's a powerful 'story' & message directed to millions of Brits.
(**) Also, listen carefully to the lyrics of the oft-misunderstood 80s hit, "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant. While it is generally remembered as a huge party anthem, it really is a protest song re: the massive levels of inequality that Eddy Grant saw at home, in the USA & UK, and elsewhere.
Ok...more than enough said....lol 😎✌
@kacycrenshaw4149
A timeless work of art. You might not believe every word in the Bible or believe in God but you hopefully can appreciate it's effect on millions of people and music throughout recorded history. May you all be blessed.
@rlt37vedj2
you all are illiterate and don't know much history but listen to the theologians history nothing to do with theology because theology is lies
@veseyvonveitinghof9593
...great piece of music...sadly, not enough people paid attn then or now, but they will...
@Thefubeca12
Go look up The Call - I Still Believe. Everywhere I Go, The Walls Came Tumbling Down, and more. They got some serious airplay on New Wave radio stations. You'll enjoy them if you liked this.
@annesagona1866
Here it is 2022 and I heard this song being played over the microphone in my local shopping centre and I am now 54 as I first started hearing this song in my teenage years as history is always repeating just another one of the super greats of the 80s and the 90s.
@washingtonribeiro7336
Sensacional... 5.0. Anos 80. Grandes lembranças. Grande legado.
@TheKeenTribe
I know 80s music is still popular; but it's made a huge comeback here in Alaska! You hear it in passing vehicles, restaurants, stores, school activities, etc.
@talonmc1999
What makes u mad is when they play a song from ur high-school days and they call it Classic!
@pjotrkatzanduro2702
I am 55 and the 80th`s where the best Years in my Life and when I hear the Hooters I got Goosebumps and think about better Times . Hope many people hear good Music and asking thererselves ..... what I´m doing ?
@azteka7419
🇩🇪 Is here, I'm 19 years old and I love it