4 Out of 5 Doctors was a Washington D.C. based

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and c ...

band. They released an eponymous LP in 1980 produced by

Alan Winstanley Alan Kenneth Winstanley (born 2 November 1952) is an English record producer and songwriter, active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Clive Langer. His early career during the mid-1970s was as an audio engineer, working on albu ...

, and a second LP in 1982 ("''Second Opinion''", produced by

Jeff Glixman Jeff Glixman is an American record producer. He has produced, mixed or remastered artists such as Kansas, Magnum, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, The Georgia Satellites and Black Sabbath. Combined sales of his projects exceed 30 million units. Ca ...

, producer for

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy met ...

in the 1980s). The Doctors toured the United States extensively. Their eclectic songs and astounding musicianship created a cult following and has been cited as an influence by many musicians. The Doctors were involved in several early 1980s films. In the summer of 2008, after a 17-year hiatus, 4 Out of 5 Doctors reunited for a sold-out show at the Jammin Java club in Vienna, Virginia, and performed at the 2008 Wammie Awards at the State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia, on February 15, 2009.

Members

* Cal Everett - lead vocals, bass * George Pittaway - vocals, guitar * Jeff Severson - vocals, guitars, keyboard * Tom Ballew - vocals, drums According to band member Jeff Severson, the Doctors toured with

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

Ritchie Blackmore Richard Hugh Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English guitarist and songwriter. He was a founding member of Deep Purple in 1968, playing jam-style hard rock music that mixed guitar riffs and organ sounds. He is prolific in creating guita ...

, and

Pat Travers Patrick Henry Travers (born April 12, 1954) is a Canadian rock guitarist, keyboardist and singer who began his recording career in the mid-1970s. Early life Travers was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Soon after picking up the guitar at ag ...

, and opened for

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

The Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes ( keyboard ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

, Steppenwolf,

Jim Carroll James Dennis Carroll (August 1, 1949 – September 11, 2009) was an American author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work '' The Basketball Diaries'', which inspired a 1995 film of ...

, and others

They also opened a few shows on

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

's 1981 Fair Warning tour. The band scored an 82 on

Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting '' American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 19 ...

's '' American Bandstand'' segment titled Rate-a-Record

Film

4 Out of 5 Doctors performed several of their songs ("Waiting for Roxanne", "Mr Cool Shoes", "Modern Man", "Waiting for a Change", and "Dawn Patrol") in the 1983 film ''

The House on Sorority Row ''The House on Sorority Row'' (also known as ''House of Evil'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1982 American slasher film written and directed by Mark Rosman, produced by John G. Clark, and starring Eileen Davidson and Kathryn McNeil. The plot follo ...

'', and two songs ("Not from Her World" and "Baby Baby goes Bye Bye") in the 1980 film ''The Boogeyman''.

Discography

''4 Out of 5 Doctors''

* Year: 1980 * Label: Nemporor/

CBS Records CBS Records may refer to: * CBS Records or CBS/Sony, former name of Sony Music, a global record company * CBS Records International, label for Columbia Records recordings released outside North America from 1962 to 1990 * CBS Records (2006), founde ...

* Recorded at: Coconuts Recording Company, Miami FL

SIDE 1

#Modern Man (Jeff Severson) #Jeff, Jeff (Jeff Severson) #Waiting for a Change (Cal Everett) #Elizabeth (Cal Everett) #Opus 10 (George Pittaway) #I Want Her (Cal Everett)

SIDE 2

#New Wave Girls (George Pittaway) #Mr. Cool Shoes (Cal Everett) #Danger Man (Jeff Severson) #Mushroom Boy (Jeff Severson) #Not from Her World (Cal Everett) Throwing this band in the studio with established producer Alan Winstanley (who, with his "other half", Clive Langer, produced some of the finest albums of the '80s including all of Madness' albums) was a brilliant idea. The Doctors' had three fine songwriters in their ranks (bassist/vocalist Cal Everett and guitarists Jeff Severson and George Pittaway), and, as a whole, the Doctors (and Winstanley) crafted an album of songs that were stylistically varied but were absolutely POP to the core. Although the album itself was geared toward a younger crowd, the Doctors' inventive arrangements were more mature than "clever", creating an album that was more "timeless" than "of its time." Of course, there were attempts to turn the Doctors into a new wave band (just listen to the quirky spy-themed "Danger Man" for proof) but their keen sense of melody saved the day. In fact, the Doctors were classic songwriters, putting as much into the verses, bridges, and middle eights as they did with their choruses. Lyrically, they were clever, not relying too much on the normal new wave themes of the time (though both "Modern Man" and the aforementioned "Danger Man" do allude to their times). The centerpiece of the album is two rockin' songs linked together that close the first side of the album, "Opus 10" and "I Want Her," both rather basic in formula but powerful in their delivery and placement on the album. A touchingly endearing album with more heart than you'd expect. ~ Stephen Schnee, AllMusic

''Second Opinion''

* Year: 1982 * Label: Nemporor/

* Recorded: Atlanta, Georgia * Producer: Jeff Glixman

SIDE 1

#Good Pretender (George Pittaway) #Dawn Patrol (Cal Everett, George Pittaway) #Anna with Antennae (Jeff Severson) #Breaking Rocks (Cal Everett) #Never Say Die (Cal Everett)

SIDE 2

#Waiting for Roxanne (Jeff Severson) #Lonely Ones (Cal Everett) #Heart on a Chain (Jeff Severson) #Call Me at Home (Cal Everett) #Young World (Cal Everett) Though their self-titled debut album met with little or no national success, the Doctors entered the studio to record their second album, this time with hitmaking producer Jeff Glixman, who had handled many commercial rock artists in recent years, including Kansas. Strange as it may seem, the Doctors' '80s outlook and Glixman's hard rock history created an album as exciting as the Doctors' debut, though less varied. Using the first album's "I Want Her" as a jumping-off point, the Doctors rock hard on 2nd Opinion without losing any of their charm or melodicism. Bassist/vocalist Cal Everett sounds more confident vocally and his songs have even more hooks than before. "Breaking Rocks" rocks hard with a vocal that will melt even the most hardened criminal. "The Lonely Ones" is equally wonderful. "Dawn Patrol" is the pop/rocker that Night Ranger wanted to write but was too pompous to do so. Guitarist Jeff Severson's "Waiting for Roxanne" is an absolute classic right out of the box and should have been the big radio hit that the Doctors were waiting for. "Heart on a Chain" is another classic that should not have had to wait for a radio station to play it. Only guitarist George Pittaway's "Good Pretender" fails to live up to the rest of the album, though it is certainly a good track. With another great album under their belts, the Doctors did what all good bands do at this point in their career...they broke up. Disappointed listeners might not forgive them for it. ~ Stephen Schnee, AllMusic

References

* Stephen Schnee, 4 Out of 5 Doctors at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

* Jeff Severson, Jeff Severson Productions (2007)
4 Out of 5 Doctors
at ''Power Pop Lovers''

External links

Jeff Plays Guitar
Jeff Severson's home page

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:4 Out Of 5 Doctors American power pop groups