Quarterflash

Quarterflash (previously stylized as QuarterFlash) was an American rock group formed in 1980 in Portland, Oregon. The band was originally made up of lead vocalist and saxophonist Orinda Sue "Rindy" Ross (born June 26, 1951) and her husband, guitarist Marvin "Marv" Ross (born January 30, 1951), along with Jack Charles (guitars), Rick DiGiallonardo (keyboards/synthesizers), Rich Gooch (electric bass), and Brian David Willis (drums and percussion).

Recording history

The group was formed by merging two popular Oregon bands, Seafood Mama (formerly Beggars Opera) and Pilot (not to be confused with the Scottish band of " Magic" fame). Continuing under the name Seafood Mama, the band originally released the single " Harden My Heart" on a local private label, Whitefire Records, in the spring of 1980 (with the B-side track being "City of Roses"). "Harden My Heart" was a big hit on Portland radio stations and got the band a one-hour TV special, ''Seafood Mama In Concert'', on KOIN on June 5, 1980. "Harden My Heart" would later be rerecorded by the band after they renamed themselves ''Quarterflash''. The name came from an Australian slang description of new immigrants as "a quarter flash, three quarters foolish", which the Rosses found in a book at producer John Boylan's house.

Quarterflash signed to Geffen Records and released their self-titled debut album '' Quarterflash'' in September 1981. It reached No. 8 on ''Billboards Top LPs & Tapes chart and sold over a million copies, earning RIAA platinum status on June 30, 1982. The album contained the new version of "Harden My Heart", which became their biggest single, reaching No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 (and the Top 10 in France). The follow-up single from the album, "Find Another Fool", reached No. 16. A second one-hour Portland television special, ''Quarterflash In Concert'', was broadcast on KOIN on October 22, 1981, with a radio simulcast on KGON. This concert was taped at the Paramount Theatre (the present-day Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall) on October 15, 1981. In an interview from 1982, Rindy Ross said that she viewed the saxophone as an extension of her voice, enabling her to express things she could not express with her voice alone.

In between LPs, the band appeared on the soundtrack albums of two of 1982's biggest films, charting the theme to Ron Howard's ''Night Shift'' up to No. 60 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and landing one of their B-sides, "Don't Be Lonely", in '' Fast Times at Ridgemont High''.

Quarterflash's second album, '' Take Another Picture'', was released in March, 1983. It reached No. 34 in ''Billboard'' and featured the single "Take Me to Heart", which charted at No. 14. Both Charles and DiGiallonardo left the group after the release of this album. Opting to continue as a four-piece, the group completed a third album featuring contributions from unofficial group keyboardist/guitarist Daniel Brandt. Released in 1985, '' Back Into Blue'' peaked at No. 150 on ''Billboard''; following the lackluster reception of this album, the group was dropped by Geffen Records and they disbanded.

Quarterflash reunited in 1990, hiring session musicians, including bassist–vocalist Sandin Wilson, drummer Greg Williams, guitarist Doug Fraser, Mel Weith and Mel Kubik on saxophone and keyboards. The group's fourth album '' Girl in the Wind'' was released only in Europe by Epic Records in late 1991. That same year, Rindy and Marv Ross founded the historic music ensemble The Trail Band, which was formed at the request of the Oregon Trail Advisory Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail.

In June 2008, Marv and Rindy Ross released a new Quarterflash album, ''Goodbye Uncle Buzz'', but it did not chart. In September 2013, the band issued the album, ''Love Is a Road'', which also failed to chart. The Rosses announced their March 23, 2019 concert at the Alberta Rose Theater in Portland would be their final show as Quarterflash; they will continue to perform as a duo.

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

*''The Best of Quarterflash: The Millennium Collection'' (1996)
*''Harden My Heart: The Best of Quarterflash'' (1997)

Singles

References

Sources

*

External links

Quarterflash
(official website)
*
*
*''Bangor Daily News'' (Maine), Dave Cheever
Band is all flash, no part foolish
Sat.-Sun., February 20–21, 1982, page ME 9, includes black-and-white photo of band
Flashbacks to Happiness, Eighties Music Revisited
Randolph Michaels, Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse Books, 2005 (by Michael R. Smith), "From the Desk of Marv Ross, Guitarist for Quarterflash", pages 152–155. On page 153, Marv states that "Take Another Picture" is probably his favorite Quarterflash song which was released as a single.

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1980 establishments in Oregon
1985 disestablishments in Oregon
American pop rock music groups
Epic Records artists
Female-fronted musical groups
Geffen Records artists
Mixed-gender bands
Musical groups established in 1980
Musical groups disestablished in 1985
Musical groups reestablished in 1990
Musical groups disestablished in 2019
Rock music groups from Oregon
Musical groups from Portland, Oregon