The Pasadenas’ arrived, “Riding On A Train”, but are they doin’ fine now, over thirty years on?
The Pasadenas were a British R&B/Pop group that formed in 1988 and notched up eight UK top 40 hit singles. The five piece consisted of twins Michael and David Milliner (b.1962), Hamish Seelochan (b.1964), Aaron Brown (b.1964) and Andrew Banfield (b.1964), whose sister Susan was one half of the rap duo the Cookie Crew. The group largely wrote their own songs, apart from a covers album in 1992 and made their debut in the early Summer of 1988 with the single, “Tribute (Right On)”, which went top five in the UK and also entered the US singles chart at No.52.
They followed this with “Riding On A Train” (UK No.13) before releasing their first album, “To Whom It May Concern” that Autumn. The album would make the top three at home and find its way to No.89 on the US chart, selling over a million copies worldwide. One further single was released at Christmas time, “Enchanted Lady” (UK No.31) before the boys moved on to something newer and fresher, but not before taking part in the second Band Aid single, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in 1989, which became the festive number one in the UK.
Their first new single, “Love Thing”, arrived in the Summer of 1990 at peaked at No.22 in the UK, this was followed by “Reeling” and “Another Lover” in early 1991, but both of these missed the top 40 as did their second album, “Elevate”. The boys made a comeback at the beginning of 1992 with a covers album, “Yours Sincerely” (UK No.6), which was preceded by the release of “I’m Doin’ Fine Now”, a song by New York City in 1973, which had reached No.17 in American and No.20 in the UK. The Pasadenas took their version to No.4 in the UK, their highest charting position still to this day.
This was followed by David Gates’ 1970 US number one hit, “Make It With You”, which The Pasadenas took to No.20 in the UK. The original had reached No.5. Three further singles were released during 1992 including a cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”, which reached No.22 and “I Believe In Miracles” (UK No.34). After a break, the group came back in 1995 with a new single, “Round And Round”, although this fared very badly as did their fourth album, “Phoenix”, after which The Pasadenas were dropped by their record label, Columbia.
The group reformed, less Hamish, in 2005 for the TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, bringing former chart stars and groups back together to compete against each other for the chance to record new music and hopefully a new start. The Pasadenas revived “Tribute” in week three of the contest, against 70’s duo Baccara, Mica Paris, Nick Heyward and T’Pau‘s Carol Decker, who won the heat. The foursome have continued to perform, albeit irregularly, ever since at 80’s revival festivals. Ride that train and make sure they’re doin’ fine if you can…
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