■ The following BIOGRAPHY and DISCOGRAPHY is about THE REDS® from Philade… Read Full Bio ↴■ The following BIOGRAPHY and DISCOGRAPHY is about THE REDS® from Philadelphia, PA, USA a/k/a RICK SHAFFER and BRUCE COHEN.

∎ The Philadelphia band's first album on A&M, self entitled THE REDS, produced by David Kershenbaum, showed the band's impressive sound — a blend of Rick Shaffer's guitar and Bruce Cohen's keyboards into an interestingly textured drone, short guitar and keyboard figures, rising then disappearing back into the drone, while Shaffer's voice provides the punch and definition for their overall sound. The album was supported with live appearances with The Police, Joe Jackson, Blondie, The Ramones, The Psychedelic Furs, and Public Image. An EP, GREEN WITH ENVY, followed featuring The Doors song, "Break On Through," which suggests some of the band's roots. (Universal Music digitally re-released The Reds, and Green With Envy, August 2012.) In 1980 A&M released a compilation album, Propaganda, that included tracks from The Reds, The Police, Joe Jackson, The Granati Bros, Bobby Henry, Shrink, David Kubinec, and Squeeze.

∎ After leaving A&M, The Reds® went forward with two indie albums, STRONGER SILENCE and FATAL SLIDE (Stony Plain/RCA), that continued The Reds® sound, receiving critical acclaim internationally. They next recorded a tense and powerful album for Sire/WB entitled, SHAKE APPEAL, produced by Mike Thorne (Blur, Soft Cell, Wire). This forcible record led the band to work with director/producer, Michael Mann. Mann incorporated numerous songs by The Reds® into episodes of Miami Vice, then hired Shaffer and Cohen to write songs and score for two motion pictures, Band Of The Hand (Tri-Star) and Manhunter (De Laurentiis), based on the novel "Red Dragon." Soundtrack albums from both films were released on MCA, a Manhunter CD, with an added Reds® track, “Jogger’s Stakeout”, was released by Intrada Records (2010), and Universal Music digitally released both albums (2012).

∎ During this time, solo projects for Cohen were writing score for the productions, "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" and "Down The Road" at Philadelphia's Walnut Theatre; "The Speckled Band," starring Quentin Crisp, and Charles Busch' play, "Vampire Lesbians Of Sodom" for NYC's Pulse Theatre Company; and a forty minute electronic film noir piece, "Goodbye Johnny Staccato." While solo projects for Shaffer included recording guitar tracks on a Marianne Faithfull album (Island); Hilly Kristal's, "Mad Mordechai" (Stereo Society); Peter Murphy's, "Holy Smoke" (Beggars Banquet/BMG); and Marc Almond's, "Fantastic Star" (Some Bizarre/Mercury). While Shaffer wrote and recorded, "Looking For Right," for director Michael Mann"s film, "Collateral."

∎ The Reds® next album, CRY TOMORROW reunited them with British producer Mike Thorne. It captures the driving intensity of earlier albums and the ambient, atmospheric feel from their film scores, resulting in a stark, surreal album, with a sense of mood and mystery. The pulsing opening track, "Terror In My Heart," was featured in the film, "Nightmare On Elm Street 2" (New Line), directed by Jack Sholder, along with a searing non-stop groove of the Stones' "Gimme Shelter."

∎ In 2007, FUGITIVES FROM THE LAUGHING HOUSE was written and produced by The Reds®. The album is a straight forward raw nerve reflection of life in America. The Reds® February 2009 release, EARLY NOTHING, was also written and produced by Shaffer and Cohen. The album has a hypnotic quality, that leaves the listener free to let their subconscious play itself out, no matter where it goes. With the release of Early Nothing, The Reds®, shamans of dark, brooding, loud rock continued to explore and define their sound.

∎ At this point in time, both Shaffer and Cohen began releasing solo albums. Bruce released ONE BC in 2009, and Rick released NECESSARY ILLUSION in 2010. Although they have been recording separately, a new album by The Reds is still a possibility as soon as Shaffer and Cohen can be in the same location at the same time. See their entire discography below.

■ PLEASE NOTE: The Reds® is a Registered Trademark, with the first use date of March 17, 1977.

THE REDS® OFFICIAL WEBSITE is TarockMusic.com

DISCOGRAPHY
∎ RICK SHAFFER
2017 • STOLEN MOMENTS (Tarock Music #TM-CD15)
2016 • OUTSIDE OF TIME (Tarock Music #TM-CD13)
2015 • JITTERBUG SHAKE (Tarock Music #TM-CD11)
2014 • HARD TIMES SIXTY — Single (Tarock Music)
2014 • LINK — Single (Tarock Music)
2014 • MISADVENTURE (Tarock Music #TM-CD10)
2013 • STACKED DECK (Tarock Music #TM-CD9)
2012 • IDIOT FLATS (Tarock Music #TM-CD8)
2011 • HIDDEN CHARMS (Tarock Music #TM-CD6)
2010 • NECESSARY ILLUSION (Tarock Music #TM-CD5)
1971 • JUST THE BEGINNING — RICK SHAFFER & FREIGHT TRAIN (Fly By Night #LPFBN1001

∎ BRUCE COHEN
2017 • FOUR BC (Tarock Music #TM-CD14)
2015 • THREE BC — IN A TRANCE (Tarock Music #TM-CD12)
2014 • BIG FUN 3 — FADEOUT Bruce Cohen, Peter ”Babe” Lucas, Tony Foster (RopeADope #N/A)
2013 • BIG FUN 3.2 — Bruce Cohen, Peter ”Babe” Lucas, Tony Foster (RopeADope #N/A)
2011 • TWO BC (Tarock Music #TM-CD7)
2010 • BIG FUN 3 — Bruce Cohen, Rik Myers, Brandon Cruz (RopeADope #N/A)
2009 • ONE BC (Tarock Music #TM-CD4)

∎ THE REDS®
2009 • EARLY NOTHING (Tarock Music #TM-CD3)
2007 • FUGITIVES FROM THE LAUGHING HOUSE (Tarock Music #TM-CD2)
2001 • CRY TOMORROW (Stereo Society #SS004)
1992 • CRY TOMORROW (Tarock Music #TM-CD1)
1986 • MANHUNTER — FILM SOUNDTRACK (MCA #6182)
1986 • BAND OF THE HAND — FILM SOUNDTRACK (MCA #6167)
1986 • WAITING FOR YOU — SINGLE (Music Action - France #N/A)
1985 • SHAKE APPEAL (Music Action - France #MAP9009)
1984 • SHAKE APPEAL (Sire/Warner Bros #21-04261)
1983 • FATAL SLIDE (Helter Skelter - Italy #HS93CD26)
1982 • FATAL SLIDE (Stony Plain - Canada #SPL10481981)
1981 • STRONGER SILENCE (Helter Skelter - Italy #HS93CD26)
1981 • STRONGER SILENCE (Stony Plain - Canada #SPL1037)
1981 • STRONGER SILENCE (Kingdom - UK #KVL90051981)
1981 • THE DANGER / DO YOU PLAY THE GAME — SINGLE (Kingdom - UK #KV8019)
1981 • STRONGER SILENCE — EP (Ambition #AM1981)
1980 • PROPAGANDA (A&M #SP4786)
1979 • GREEN WITH ENVY — EP (A&M #SP3301)
1979 • WHATCHA′ DOIN' TO ME — SINGLE (A&M #N/A)
1979 • WHATCHA′ DOIN' TO ME — GREEN VINYL (A&M - UK #N/A)
1979 • JOEY / VICTIMS — SINGLE (A&M #SP3178)
1979 • THE REDS — GREEN VINYL (A&M #SP4772)
1979 • SELF REDUCTION / VICTIMS — SINGLE (EKE #N/A)
1977 • JOEY / AUTOMATIC BOY — SINGLE (Go Go #00011971)

So Long
The Reds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We are aligned in the dark as I'm faded
So maybe you and I should part cause we wasted for
So long from me cause you know
That I am freedom
We have arrived in our place of complacency
So maybe you remind me of days I spent wasting for
So long from me cause you know
That I am freedom

So long from me cause
You know that
Weeks spent so wasted
That we are erased with
Unless I come get you
The past will forget you
So let me
There's nothing less, there's nothing more
There's nothing next and there's nothing before
There's nothing less, there's nothing more
There's nothing next and there's nothing before
Weeks spent so wasted
That we are erased with
Unless I come get you
The past will forget you
So let me
Weeks spent so wasted
That we are erased with
Unless I come get you
The past will forget you
So let me
Weeks spent so wasted
That we are erased with
Unless I come get you

The past will forget you
So let me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Reds's song So Long express the concerns and worries of the singer who has made the tough decision to move on from a past relationship. The opening lines, "I'm worried in mind, stay worried all the time, Someday I'll be satisfied" highlight the singer's current state of mind which is characterized by worry and uncertainty. They hope for a future where they will find contentment and be free of their worries.

The lyrics continue to describe the singer's situation in the relationship, where now it is the other person's time to be in control, but soon it will be their turn again. The lines "It's your time now but it's my time after a while, Oh, say if things don't get no better, I'm gonna move on down the line" show that the singer is giving the other person a chance, but if things don't improve, they are ready to walk away.

The chorus "So long people's and sweetheart, I'll soon be on my way, You're goin' to be sorry that you let me go 'round still" is a final goodbye to the past relationship. The singer is confident that the other person will regret their actions and misses out on the love that they had. Overall, the lyrics of So Long capture the emotions of someone who is struggling to move on from a past love, but ultimately realizes that it's time to leave the relationship behind and explore new possibilities.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm worried in mind, stay worried all the time
I'm anxious and preoccupied all the time

Someday I'll be satisfied
I hope to find contentment someday

It's your time now but it's my time after a while
You may be successful now, but my turn will come eventually

Oh, say if things don't get no better
If things don't improve, then...

I'm gonna move on down the line
I'll move on with my life

'Cause when you was my baby
When you were mine

I treated you nice and kind
I treated you well

But, baby, I have changed my mind
But now I've made up my mind

I was crazy 'bout you, baby
I was deeply in love with you

Crazy as a man could be
As crazy in love as anyone could be

So now when I leave ya now, baby
So now that I'm leaving you