Bad Boys Blue, can't get enough of you

  • 2007-01-24
  • By Julia Balandina

IT TAKES TWO: Although two of the original band members have left, Bad Boys Blue still carry their original '80s pop sound.

RIGA - "You're a woman. I'm a man. This is more than just a game. I can make you feel so right. Be my lady of the night." Sound familiar? Anyone who's an '80s music lover will recognize the lyrics immediately, as well as the band behind them: Bad Boys Blue. But if your CD collection doesn't span back that far, here's a bit of Bad Boys Blue history: The multinational pop group was formed in Cologne, Germany in 1984, but wasn't widely known until the abovementioned hit, "You're a Woman," became an international sensation, making top 10 across Europe.

It wasn't long before the band was spinning out disco hit after hit, including "Pretty Young Girl," "I Wanna Hear Your Heartbeat" and "Come Back and Stay." These songs have been made timeless by 80s disco clubs across the world.

In the begining, Bad Boys Blue was nothing more than a music-market experiment. In search of a "new sound in music," Tony Hendrik and his wife, Karin van Haaren 's the founders of Coconut Records 's began their quest for experimental (yet talented) musicians in England and ended up in Germany, picking up a handful of band members along the way. The original Bad Boys Blue line-up was: vocalist John McInerney from England, Trevor Taylor from Jamaica and America's Andrew Thomas.
The group was especially popular in Eastern Europe, with sold-out performances in Russia and the Ukraine throughout the '80s. Much to their disappointment, Bad Boys Blue never charted in the U.K. and their only single to chart in the U.S.A. 's the dream of every European pop group - was "Save Your Love."

It may be hard to believe, but Bad Boys Blue is still out there, they're just different people. Old timers Trevor Taylor and Andrew Thomas abandoned the group a few years ago, but the band's newest member 's Carlos Ferreira from Mozambique 's has brought only good luck along with him.
With a new album on its way, McInerney and Ferreira are giving the group a makeover. Although they've kept their unique "Bad Boys sound," the duo is also pushing their music to new levels. Baltic fans can get a taste of this new sound at the upcoming concert in Estonia.

In fact, Bad Boys Blue held their biggest concert to date in Tallinn at an open air music festival in 1992, where the crowd was over 100,000. Recalling the event, McInerney writes in an online interview: "We had a great time in Tallinn. I can only say to all the fans out there who support us - thank you all! I am very happy you enjoy our music and of course we'll see each other at the next concert."

Although McInerney is the only original Bad Boy left, some of the group's classic songs will surely be played, "You're a Woman" without question.

Bad Boys Blue
Terrarium Club, Tallinn
Feb. 3 - 24:00
Tickets: 270 kroons (17 euros)
More info: www.piletilevi.ee