Page 1 of 4

The Rings - Boston band 1981

PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2004 10:27 am
by tinman999
I did a search and found only one reference to The Rings in the forums.

Boston band circa 1981, 2 albums, got a decent amount of radio play from their 1st album in the Boston/Providence RI markets.

Their radio hits were:
Let Me Go
My Kinda Girl
Third Generation

Unfairly compared to The Cars and unsupported by their record label MCA.

I see that their 2 albums are available on one cd on the Obscure 80's list. Check them out. Anyone else a Rings fan???

PostPosted: Thu Dec 16, 2004 3:03 pm
by romanticide
One of my all time favorites. "Third Generation", "My Kinda Girl", "Opposites Attract", "Take the Chance", .... Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

Fantastic bio at http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/r/rings.htm.

Growing up in NC, I never had the opportunity to see them, but several of my friends were also fans, and my (now)-brother-in-law's band covered "My Kinda Girl".

PostPosted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 5:21 am
by tinman999
Cool, I thought this topic would die without a response.

I'm from the Boston area, where they had quite a following back in the day.

I have copies of their better stuff available on the Hub, but you probably are already set with that.

My files are from my albums, so there's an occassional pop and click. I encourage all who haven't heard them to do yourself a favor and give a listen.

PostPosted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 3:48 pm
by romanticide
tinman999, what are some of your other Boston faves contemporary with the Rings? I'm partial to New Models ("Strangers in Disguise", "Just a Motion", "Looking for a Reason") and the Lines ("Standby", "Statues").

PostPosted: Sun Dec 19, 2004 10:13 am
by randy
Rings were decent.
Remember The Neighborhoods anyone?

PostPosted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 11:41 pm
by pilon
[:)][:)][:)]

[quote][i]Originally posted by randy[/i]
<br>Rings were decent.
Remember The Neighborhoods anyone?
[/quote]

yeah it's a great band especially their firsts recordings

bye

pilon

PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:19 am
by tinman999
How about the Providence, RI band "The Schemers".

Only non-Boston band to win the WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble in Boston in 1984.

Great band that never got a record contract and never released an album, until this year. Finally, in 2004, everyone can hear the Schemers.

Read their story and buy the CD here:
http://www.emersontorrey.com/index.cfm?sec=stuff

PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 5:54 am
by Major Tom
New wave was big in Boston in the early 1980's. I particularly remember a great compilation album put out by WBCN, "A Wicked Good Time" that featured, among other songs, "We Dance" by The November Group.

I was also particularly into "Human Sexual Response" which put out two great albums in the early 1980's. I even got to interview them backstage when they played Portland (ME) in 1982. Pity they didn't last.

Wasn't Mission of Burma also from Boston?

PostPosted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 11:22 pm
by tinman999
Mission of Burma was a Boston Band. Rhino has a great Boston compilation with a glaring omission of The Rings:

D.I.Y.: Mass. Ave.: The Boston Scene (1979-83)
Rhino Records

1. Mass. Ave. - Willie "Loco" Alexander
2. Do the Boob - The Real Kids
3. Loretta - Nervous Eaters
4. They Saved Hitlers Brain - Unnatural Axe
5. Better off Dead - Peste
6. You're All I've Got Tonight [Demo Version] - The Cars
7. No Place Like Home - The Neighborhoods
8. Jackie Onassis - Human Sexual Response
9. I'm Talking to You - Maps
10. That's When I Reach for My Revolver - Mission of Burma
11. 1 + 1 = 2
12. Help You Ann - The Lyres
13. 6 - Neats
14. Hey! (Not Another Face in the Crowd) - The Thrills
15. When Things Go Wrong - Robin Lane & The Chartbusters
16. Lonely Hearts - The Atlantics
17. Alpha Romeo - Dangerous Birds
18. I Always Call Her Back - The Del Fuegos
19. Knock Me Down - Outlets

PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 12:54 am
by Frau_Blucher
How about the omission of Lou Miami too? Still haven't gotten around to ripping those two records.

PostPosted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 8:38 am
by Rob
The Neighborhoods are my favorite band of all time! Best live shows!!! Also saw Lou Miami and the Kozmetics a few times and they also put on some great shows.

PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 2:21 pm
by randy
Tinman!!!At last another Schemers fan. Saw them many times live in th early 80's!!!!!!!!

PostPosted: Tue Dec 28, 2004 2:23 pm
by randy
Hi Beams?
Blind Dates?
Detectives?
Blue Ruin?
Boys Life?
November Group?
Angry Young Bees?
Probers?

remember these folks?

PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2004 1:57 pm
by Rokkr
Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band
La Peste
The Lyres
The Real Kids
Gang Green
Unnatural Axe
Nervous Eaters
Human Sexual Response

All bands I remember seeing from Boston in the late 70's early 80's.
I had a roommate that dated Jeff Connolly (Monoman) from the Lyres as well.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 04, 2005 10:39 pm
by workjobb
You guys are talkin' my talk-I spent a lot of weekends at clubs in the Providence area from '79 to '82, and saw many of these bands-the 'Hoods, Nervous Eaters, Robin Lane and the Chartbusters, the Probers, and the Atlantics, but I especially went out of my way to see Private Lightning and Robert Ellis Orrall, both great Boston-based acts of the time. Anyone remember TV station 68 out of Boston that has a daily show called Boston Live with local rock groups on every day? They had everybody-from the obscure, as randy mentioned, the Hi Beams, Schemers, Angry Young Bees, and so on(including the Mundanes, a Providence based band with a young John Linnell(They Might Be Giants)on keyboards). Thankfully, I recorded a lot of the performances on VHS at the time, and am able to go back and relive those times. If anyone else has any of the local Boston bands of the era on video, I'd love to work out a trade. As far as I'm concerned, that time and place was the greatest music of all time!!!
(Yes, I do have both of the Rings' albums on vinyl also)