Anyone Here Love The Romantics?

Lately I've been listening to a lot of their music .What's available isn't much -we have The What I like about you 90's best of (great track selection but could use a remastering) their 1998 Super Hits (super short -super budget collection) and that's about it.If you want proof the A&R folks at Sony are Morons look at the way this catalog been's treated their smash 1983 album In Heat which had their greatist hit "Talking In Your Sleep " is oop.They have a new album out called 61/49 (title relates to the street corner where Robert Johnson sold his soul supposedly).This album flat out smokes!Kinks covers,Pretty Things covers good originals (think 60's Yardbirds/Kinks) and you got the just of the album.

 

I did not know that In Heat was out of print, nor was I aware that they had a new album out. Thanks for sharing the info.

Which Romantics compilation would you recommend? Does one compilation stand out in terms of song selection and sound? I only have The Romantics and In Heat on CD. Do I need anything else?

 

Little Steven has played selections of the new Romantics on his Underground Garage radio program. They sound great!! The CD is nowhere to be found in the stores in Canada I have checked. The songs sound as good as anything on the S/T release, In Heat or National Breakout.

Barry

 

Hi Tom,

I love the Romantics. "What I Like About You" is one of my favorite songs. My son's band plays it all the time and the people love it. I also have "What" by Michael Morales - also a rocker.

Tom Kennedy

 

God, but I hate "What I Like About You"! Got totally burned on this one in the 80's on MTV.

To deflect the thread crapping, I will admit I really like "Talking In Yer Sleep".

 

Which Romantic's Compilation Would I Recommend?

To answer Keith H's question I would say the 1990 comp:What I Like About You (and Other Romantic Hits) as it contains most fans favorites like "Rock You Up" from In Heat which was left off their painfully short super budget comp "Super Hits" in 1998.I have gone on the Legacy site and put in a request for a new greatist hits under Sony's "The Essential" series for which by now Sony's done for about EVERY artist that's ever been on their label BUT The Romantics

 

I'll always have a soft spot for THE ROMANTICS, as my fraternity brothers (Delta Sigma Phi - rah!) and I serenaded several sororities with "What I Like About You" back in '82, calling our group "Squid & The Squidtones." We were Animal House-meets-The Romantics, prep style. Ya had to be there! Ah, the early 80's...
I was bummed when the song was used for a lousy TV commercial, but that trend seems to be the way of the world these days.

 

I have a good Romantics story:
They did a free concert at the start of the Fall Semester on the quad at the campus of George Washington University. This was in the Eighties I guess...Anyway it was one of those Septermber days in DC where it still felt like August you know? Really hot outside. Humid too.
Anyway these cats rolled out in total leather. I mean leather jackets, leather pants, boots...all leather gear. And they managed to look pretty cool doin' it too, but man it was hard to watch those guys slammin away up there in that heat.
Good show though. Drummer sang better than he played drums IMO...

Peace-
Norm

 

I love "When I Look in Your Eyes". Perfect power-pop song from start to finish, all 3:00 of it!

 

Anyone familiar with this label?

http://www.culturefactoryusa.com/

They have reissued 3 of the first 4 Romantics albums in mini-LP replicas. Good to see their stuff getting back in print! Anyone get any of these reissues? Looks like this label focuses on late 70s/early 80s stuff.

 

They didn't do much in the UK, although "Talking In Your Sleep" was covered by Bucks Fizz here and made the top 20. It's their best record by a mile IMO. A great interpretation of the song with a much more sinister production than The Romantics version (which is still excellent and a classic song, although the Jellybean 12" mix is a letdown and clearly Jellybean was asleep doing it).

 

Now you're talking, this is one of the absolute best power pop bands ever!

I like so many of their songs I don't know where to begin, but here's a few I like.

What I like about you, of course.
Rock You Up
Talking In Your Sleep
Shake A Tail Feather
Little Linda Lupey Lou

 

I'm hip
It's a real shame their catalog has bin neglected by Sony.

 

I still have their first four albums onNemperor I bought in high school. Bands I was in at the time always played their songs not only because they were good but they were easy to play. I only ever saw them in concert once opening for The Kinks in 1984.

 

I've got the What I Like About You (And Other Romantic Hits) comp from 1990, and thought that was all I needed. This thread makes me think I should dig a little deeper.

 

I'm not veryb familiar with their music, but I like those 2 or 3 hits. Seems like a 10 track comp doesn't do them justice, but what about the recent Playlist compilation? Does that one offer a decent selection of their best songs?

Does anyone own it? How's the sound? And do these Playlist CDs come in crappy eco-packaging? I'm not familiar with them since they don't offer them in music stores over here in Europe.

 

There are gobs of original Romantics LPs floating around in excellent condition, typically in the $5 range. I'd go with those.

 

Was this band in the same league as The Cars and Cheap Trick in the USA in the eighties ?

 

Yes.

Love their song Talking In Your Sleep.

 

Their first album is pretty strong all the way through. I'm keeping my eyes open for a copy of National Breakout, their second album.

 

I really like them. This is one of my favorites.

 

Here's one of mine, from the debut LP.

 

Great band. "One In A Million" is a fantastic tune.

 

Go see 'em live - their drummer will knock you out!
(BTW he keeps a log of every gig he's ever played - as of August '16, it was over 4,100)

 

An interesting cover of Talking In Your Sleep by the band The Life And Times.
Talking in Your Sleep, by The Life and Times »