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.
the way we were
The Romantics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again
Could we?
Memories may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
The way we were
The Romantics's song 'The Way We Were' is an introspective track that deals with the topic of nostalgia. The singer reminisces about the past and thinks of the memories that have remained in the corners of his mind. He remembers the people and places he used to know and how things used to be simple and carefree. The lyrics "Memories light the corners of my mind, misty water-colored memories of the way we were" portrays this nostalgia.
The singer talks about the scattered pictures that remind him of the smiles they left behind. In the context of the song, these smiles were a symbol of happiness and joy that they gave each other. The singer wonders if life was really simple back then or if time has rewritten every line. The lyrics "Can it be that it was all so simple then, or has time rewritten every line" ask a rhetorical question, as time often changes our perceptions of the past.
The singer then considers the possibility of doing it all again if he had the chance. The lyrics "If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we? could we?" show that the singer is unsure if the past can be replicated or if they would make the same choices again. Lastly, the song concludes on a hopeful note. The singer acknowledges that memories may be beautiful but sometimes too painful to remember, so it's the laughter they will remember whenever they think of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Memories light the corners of my mind
Recollections flicker in my consciousness as if glowing softly in the corners of my mind.
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Vague, dream-like memories of our past appear in my thoughts, tinted with the same color and texture as misty watercolors.
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
I recall various images of moments when we smiled and shared warmth and joy.
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
We exchanged happy expressions with one another as a result of how we used to be together.
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Is it possible that everything was much easier and uncomplicated back then?
Or has time rewritten every line
Maybe the passage of time has altered every aspect of our past, including the details of it.
If we had the chance to do it all again
If the opportunity presented itself to relive our shared experiences from the beginning, would we seize it?
Tell me, would we?
I'm posing this question to you because I don't know the answer myself.
Could we?
Is it even possible to go back and recreate everything the same way it happened before?
Memories may be beautiful and yet
Even though reminiscing can be pleasant and lovely, there are aspects of our shared past that are very painful and difficult to think about.
What's too painful to remember
There are things that happened between us that, when I think about them, cause me too much anguish.
We simply choose to forget
We have made a conscious decision to block out those hurtful memories and focus instead on the moments that made us happiest together.
So it's the laughter we will remember
When we look back at our time together, the moments that we will cherish the most are the ones when we shared laughter and enjoyment with one another.
Whenever we remember
Every time we think about our past together…
The way we were
…we are reminded of how we used to be: close, connected, and happy together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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.