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Huey Lewis And The News

Biography

Huey Lewis & the News were a bar band that made good. With their simple, straightforward rock & roll, the San Francisco-based group became one of America's most popular pop/rock bands of the mid-'80s. Inspired equally by British pub rock and '60s R&B and rock & roll, the News had a driving, party-hearty spirit that made songs like "Workin' for a Livin'," "I Want a New Drug," "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "Hip to Be Square" and "The Power of Love" yuppie anthems. At their core, the group were a working band, and they knew how to target their audience, writing odes to 9-to-5 jobs and sports. As the decade progressed, the group smoothed out their sound to appeal to the aging baby boomers who adopted them, but by the beginning of the '90s, the appeal of their formula had decreased. Nevertheless, the group remained a popular concert attraction, and they continued to have radio hits on adult contemporary stations.

The roots of Huey Lewis & the News lay in Clover, an early-'70s country-rock band from San Francisco that featured Lewis (vocals, harmonica) and keyboardist Sean Hopper. Clover moved to England in 1976 upon the urging of Nick Lowe, who believed they could fit into the U. K.'s pub rock scene. In a short time, the group cultivated a small following. Lowe produced the group's first single, "Chicken Funk," which featured lead vocals by Lewis and, the following year, the band, minus Lewis, supported Elvis Costello on his debut album, My Aim Is True. Polygram released two Clover albums that failed to find an audience and when their leader, John McFee, left the group to join the Doobie Brothers, the band broke up and returned to California. Before returning to the States, Lewis played harmonica on Lowe's Labour of Lust and Dave Edmunds' Repeat When Necessary, which also featured Lewis' song "Bad Is Bad."

Upon their return to America, Lewis and Hopper began jamming at a Marin County bar called Uncle Charlies, which is where they formed American Express with Mario Cipollina (bass), Johnny Colla (saxophone, guitar) and Bill Gibson (drums), who had all played in Soundhole, one of Van Morrison's backing bands in the late '70s. American Express recorded a disco version of "Theme From Exodus," calling it "Exodisco." Mercury released the single, which was ignored. In 1980, the group added lead guitarist Chris Hayes and were offered a contract by Chrysalis who requested that the band change their name. The members chose Huey Lewis & the News and the band's eponymous debut was released later that year to little attention.

Picture This, the group's second album, was released early in 1982 and the record became a hit on the strength of the Top Ten single "Do You Believe in Love," which was written by former Clover producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange. A couple other minor hits, "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do" and "Workin' for a Livin'" followed, and the band began building a strong following by touring heavily. Sports, the group's third album, was released in the fall of 1983 and it slowly became a multi-platinum success, thanks to touring and a series of clever, funny videos that received heavy MTV airplay. "Heart and Soul" (number eight, 1983), "I Want a New Drug" (number six, 1984), "The Heart of Rock & Roll" (number six, 1984) and "If This Is It" (number six, 1984) all became Top Ten hits, and Sports climbed to number one in 1984; it would eventually sell over seven million copies. Late in 1984, Lewis sued Ray Parker, Jr., claiming that his song "Ghostbusters" plagiarized "I Want a New Drug." The suit was settled out of court. The News had their first number one single in 1985 with "The Power of Love," taken from the soundtrack to Back to the Future.

Huey Lewis & the News returned with their fourth album, Fore!, in 1986. The record sailed to number one on the strength of five Top Ten singles: "Stuck With You" (number one, 1986), "Hip to Be Square" (number three, 1986), "Jacob's Ladder" (number one, 1987), "I Know What I Like" (number nine, 1987), and "Doing It All for My Baby" (number six, 1987). The band was riding high on the charts when they decided to expand their musical reach with 1988's Small World, dipping tentatively into various American roots musics. While the record produced the Top Ten hit "Perfect World," it was a commercial disappointment after two chart-topping, multi-platinum albums, stalling at number 11 on the charts and only going platinum.

The News took three years to follow up Small World with Hard at Play, which was released on their new label, EMI. Hard at Play failed to break the Top 20 and only produced one hit, "Couple Days Off." The group's commercial heyday had clearly passed, and the group took the remainder of the '90s rather easy, touring sporadically and releasing the covers album Four Chords & Several Years Ago in 1994. Their first release for Elektra Records, the album generated one adult contemporary radio hit, "But It's Alright," and failed to go gold. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Continued…

Selected Discography

Live At 25
2005

Hard At Play
1991

Fore!
1986

Picture This
1982

Sports (Expanded Edition)

This Is It / The Collection

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dacubsbums says:

09-22-2009

ultimate 80's great music with great memories

Patricia Lou Reece-Hollan d s w o r t h says:

09-04-2009

One of my all time favorite groups!! Next time you see him, Maya, tell him I said "Hello!"...

Mitch says:

09-03-2009

Just a fun concert. Love the horns.

mtarziers says:

08-24-2009

Great Pipes on that guy! Would have loved to see him tackle some Motown stuff.

Maya says:

08-23-2009

Served him Chicken and Chips and a Bass Ale the other night! Nice guy....

cstasell says:

08-22-2009

saw him 2X. great shows. you get your moneys' worth.

oregonjimi says:

08-20-2009

I saw HL in Shreveport in the80s. He threw harmonica to the crowd. Nice touch.

aholter28 says:

07-06-2009

Just saw Huey perform last night on his birthday, very good show although they didn't play Back in Time or the Ghostbusters song...

hlhrutherfor d says:

07-02-2009

I've been to a Huey concert with my daughter. Of course, he showed us a good time. Seen him in movies such as "Duet".

humcmri2 says:

06-08-2009

IT IS OK YOU KNOW.

Papa G. says:

05-29-2009

Saw them New Years eve Dec 31 1984 Oakland Los Lobos opened for them and got booed of the stage it was crazy one of the members of Los Lobos came out on stage and yelled F***You to the crowd, been to hundreds of shows never saw that happen before guess everyone was coked up and wanted them some HUEY.

Lee Ann Brooks says:

05-27-2009

I remember the video on MTV. I miss them, they need to do a concert soon.

keithandmarl a says:

05-05-2009

totally, totally hot-- love this man!

acircio says:

03-24-2009

Huey Lewis has always been a favorite of mine - they are just fun to listen to.

sheshebee says:

03-02-2009

JRS - i just saw that movie Duets and i loved it, especially Huey's parts; he's great!

stephanie.hu b e r says:

02-18-2009

I love Huey Lewis and The News. They are the best! I remember how I thought he was so handsome and I was in 6th grade. I saw him in concert as an adult and they were great. I still thought he looked good too:)

monkeyjohnso n 8 0 says:

02-06-2009

Central Pheonix AZ that was the power of love

JAMES M DOUGLAS says:

01-31-2009

Good stuff,ole Huey has been around since dirt..not a bad Golfer as well...Thank s Pandora

Michael Michael motorcycle says:

10-27-2008

Yea, I remember when they played videos too. What happened? Huey's cool. Rock on.

JRS says:

08-14-2008

When they came out in the 80s I didn't think they were all that great. I still don't think they're the best musicians out there, but Huey sure can sing! And he can even act, the movie "Duets" was actually pretty good.

lmsinger says:

08-05-2008

I love all the videos from "Sports". Back when they played videos.

WingOsoul@ao l . c o m says:

07-29-2008

Huey Lewis and the News brings back some of my best memories of the 1980's to top it off one of my favorite movies of that era "Back to the Future" would have been just another Sci-Fi comedy without the cleaver and excitingly charged music of Huey Lewis and the News. A great band at a great time that sparked some of the best the 80's had to offer.

ejorgensen says:

07-17-2008

Great memories of days gone by when I listen to Huey Lewis and the News. Talented down to earth stuff. Fore is probably my favorite album, every song is just great.

psgurley_321 says:

07-11-2008

I call him "Baby Huey", because I think he is HOT!!!

lauralove111 says:

07-07-2008

huey is my favorite! the news are a fantastic band and people that are "real". lovelovelove them!

Jimmy says:

06-26-2008

I played sax in what was called a top 40's band in the 80's that was second billing to the Tower of Power horns that also featured Huey Lewis in a few songs. An unforgettabl e experience. Huey is a real treat to hear up close and personal. No electronics magic to make him sound good 'cause he is good! If only his stuff could have endured a few more years, I miss it!

mccalebraith says:

06-19-2008

that's not funny.
but huey lewis is pretty great.

Robert™ says:

06-18-2008

......like the live concert conceptually . . . . . . . . . b u t traffic after really bites....... . . s o r t a same for live sports events.....e x c e p t you can always leave during the 7th inning stretch..... . b t w . . . . . . . d o you know how to tell a lady who goes to too many ballgames?

........7th inning stretch marks!!

f8photo says:

06-14-2008

Huey had alot of great tunes on the radio, but his real talent is his group's live show! Fantastic... . a real "must see" show when he brings his band to town with a real rockin horn section.

psgurley_321 says:

05-21-2008

This is my ultimate favorite band of all time!!! I used to call him,"Baby Huey". I always thought he was sooooo cute!!!!

Robert™ says:

05-05-2008

......since score from back to the future, have been big huey lewis fan.......wh a t interesting voice to compliment clever, well produced tunes......g o o d news......me like!!

AL says:

05-04-2008

I've always thought the "News" were an influential band, like the bio says in the 80's, MTV and such, I remember watching between breaks in studying while in college. Very cool.

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