Influenced by 60s British Invasion music (such as the songs of The Kinks, The Who, The Beatles, The Hollies, and The Rolling Stones), 70s Detroit garage rock and hard rock (as represented by such performers as Iggy Pop, The Stooges, and the MC5), and the classic punk of Ramones, the Romantics play a hook-based form of rock known as power pop. The band is also commonly classified into the category of "new wave" (probably due more to the band's image and era than the sound of its music) by pop music historians.
The Romantics' original lineup consisted of rhythm guitarist/harmonica player/singer Wally Palmar, lead guitarist Mike Skill, bassist Rich Cole, and drummer/singer Jimmy Marinos. All four band members made songwriting contributions to the group, but Palmar and Skill were considered the band's primary tunesmiths. After a few years of playing local and regional gigs in Detroit and the Midwest, this lineup of the Romantics recorded the band's self-titled debut album for Nemperor Records in 1980. The album yielded the hit "What I Like About You," which reached #48 in the US, and #12 in the Netherlands, where the band was especially popular. "What I Like About You" would become much better known later in the 1980s, when its placement in television commercials and other high profile media made it an evergreen power pop anthem. The band became as well known (if not better known) for its flashy and audacious fashion sense as it did for its exciting music. The Romantics' signature look featured bouffant hairdos and skin-tight red leather suits, as worn by the band members on the cover photo of their debut album.
Mike Skill left the band after the release of its second album, National Breakout, in 1981. He was replaced by lead guitarist Coz Canler. This lineup of the band recorded the album Strictly Personal in 1982 before Rich Cole left the band that year and was replaced by a returning Mike Skill, who then became the band's bassist.
The Romantics achieved their greatest commercial success in 1983/84 with the release of the album In Heat. The first single taken from In Heat, "Talking In Your Sleep", rose to Number Three on the Billboard charts, and was also a substantial international hit. A second single, "One In A Million", charted as high as Number Thirty-Seven during the following year. The Romantics' music videos were frequently shown on the cable television network MTV during this period, solidifying the band's popularity. Also during 1983, the Romantics played well received U.S. and international concert tours in support of In Heat, and appeared on such pop music-themed television shows as Solid Gold, American Bandstand, and Soul Train.
In 1984, drummer Jimmy Marinos, dissatisfied with the artistic direction of the band (which was quickly abandoning its power pop roots in favor of more generic mainstream pop rock) and convinced that he could find success as a solo act, left the Romantics. He was replaced by David Petratos, who would serve as the band's drummer until 1990. This lineup recorded one album, Rhythm Romance, in 1985. On Rhythm Romance, the Romantics eschewed much of the energetic electric guitar- and drums-based modern rock 'n roll sound that had come to define the band's music in favor of the synthesizer pop that had won commercial success for such contemporary bands as Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Culture Club, and other similar New Wave bands during the early 1980s. By 1985, however, synthesizer pop was beginning to fall out of popular favor. Moreover, the style was not the Romantics' strength. As a result, Rhythm Romance was not a commercial success and was also regarded as an artistic nadir by the band's fans.
In the late 1980s, the Romantics discovered that their managers had been misappropriating the profits earned by the band from its hit records and live performances. Additionally, the Romantics' best known song (the aforementioned "What I Like About You") had been licensed for use in television commercials without the band's knowledge or approval. Consequently, the Romantics filed a lawsuit against their management in 1987, and the legalities involved prevented the band from recording new music until the mid-1990s.
Former Blondie drummer Clement (Clem) Burke replaced David Petratos as the Romantics' drummer in 1990. For much of the 1990s, the Romantics played obscure performances in small venues, largely forgotten and out of the public spotlight.
The Romantics' fortunes began to rise again in the middle of the 1990s, as the band's success in its lawsuit against its former management freed the band to record again (and ensured that future earnings from the licensing of Romantics songs would go to the band). The first fruit of the band's new recording activity was the 1993 EP Made In Detroit. Several Romantics greatest hits packages were issued during the 1990s, as was the live album The King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents: The Romantics Live In Concert, a 1996 release of an October, 1983 recording of a Romantics concert in San Antonio, Texas at the height of the band's popularity.
Jimmy Marinos, the Romantics' original drummer, temporarily returned to the band for a series of performances in 1996-1997 (with Clem Burke returning to the Romantics' drumstool after Marinos departed again), and late 1990s nostalgia for 1980s pop culture caused a minor resurgence of interest in the band. In 2003, twenty years after the release of their most commercially successful album, In Heat, the Romantics released 61/49 - a more roots rock and blues-oriented record than the band's previous efforts. The album was not a great commercial success, but won the Romantics a newfound critical respect that they had not enjoyed during their popular and commercial heyday in the early 1980s. 61/49 also offered proof that despite the band's years out of the public spotlight, the Romantics remain a potent musical unit.
A fourth drummer, Brad Elvis, replaced Clem Burke as the Romantics' regular drummer in 2004 after Burke returned full time to a reactivated Blondie. The Romantics continue to play live concerts today (with occasional guest performances by previous members Jimmy Marinos, Rich Cole, and David Petratos). The band is said to currently be working on a follow up to 61/49.
A Night Like This
The Romantics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rememberin' everythin' that I miss
Rememberin' you, rememberin' me
Remember how warm a cold night could be
I need you on a night like this
All your lovin' on a night like this
Remember you, love
I think about all the places we'd hide
Think about different ways that we tried
Think about the crazy thoughts in my mind
Think about the hungry look in your eyes
I need you on a night like this
All your lovin' on a night like this
Remember you, love, such a good love
An' such a hot love on a night like this
I wanna go back to the night I miss
Wanna go back to the lips that I kissed
Wanna hold you, don't wanna let go
Want you to love me, honey, like I know you know
I need you on a night like this
All your lovin' on a night like this
Remember you, love, such a good love
Such a hot love on a night like this, like this
On a night like this, like this
Yes, on a night like this
On a night like this
On a night like this
Yeah, it's on a night like this
The Romantics' song "A Night Like This" is a passionate declaration of a deep desire for someone who is no longer present. The lyrics are full of vivid images that bring to mind memories of intimate moments shared with this person on cold, lonely nights. The singer is consumed with thoughts of this special someone and the incredible love they once shared. The singer longs for the passion and intensity that characterized their relationship and is desperate to recapture those feelings once again. The lyrics are heartfelt and raw and express a deep emotional longing for a lost love.
One of the interesting facts about this song is that it was released in 1985 as a single by The Romantics and later appeared on their album "Rhythm Romance". The song was written by lead singer Wally Palmar and guitarist Mike Skill. The music video, which features the band performing in a dark alley, received heavy MTV airplay and helped to increase the band's popularity. Another interesting fact is that the song was also covered by country artist Mark Chesnutt in 1996 and was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
The chords for the song are as follows:
Intro: G - D - Am - C
Verse: G - D - Am - C
Chorus: G - D - Am - C
Bridge: F - C - G - D
Overall, "A Night Like This" is a powerful and moving song that captures the intense emotions of a lost love. Its lyrics paint a vivid picture of intimate moments shared with someone special, and its passionate vocals and stirring guitar riffs make it a classic love song that continues to resonate with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Rememberin' you on a night like this
Thinking of you on a night like tonight
Rememberin' everythin' that I miss
Thinking of everything I've lost
Rememberin' you, rememberin' me
Remembering us and the memories we shared
Remember how warm a cold night could be
Recalling how your love made the coldest of nights feel warm and comforting
I need you on a night like this
Longing for your presence tonight
All your lovin' on a night like this
Yearning for your affection on this particular night
Think about all the places we'd hide
Recalling all the secret places we would seek refuge in
Think about different ways that we tried
Remembering all the ways we attempted to make things work
Think about the crazy thoughts in my mind
Recalling all my erratic and illogical thoughts about our relationship
Think about the hungry look in your eyes
Recalling the intense passion in your eyes
An' such a hot love on a night like this
A love that burns bright on a night like tonight
I wanna go back to the night I miss
Wishing to relive a precious past moment
Wanna go back to the lips that I kissed
Yearning to feel the warmth of your lips again
Want you to love me, honey, like I know you know
Desiring your love and affection the way I believe you're capable of giving
On a night like this, like this
On a night as special as tonight
Yeah, it's on a night like this
Indeed, a night like tonight
Contributed by Zoe V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Cochran
on What I Like About You
Winter of '84, 4 feet of snow drops on Harrisburg, PA the night the Romantics are to play the local club The Metro, Called to find out the band were there. Took the girlfriend to a venue of a dozen people and the band. They played that song at least 6 times, once me sing it on stage. Best concert I was ever at.