Device was an interesting find amongst the fodder of forgotten 80's. It featured acclaimed writer, Holly Knight on co-vocals and multiple instruments alongside lead vocalist Paul Engemann, and guitarist Gene Black. Their work was short lived, providing music alongside Tina Turner for the Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome soundtrack, and their one and only studio album release, 22B3 in 1986.
With a history that starts and stops right there, it's easy to jump in to today's Retro Spin, giving a listen to their single record.
For me, I wanted to pick this relatively obscure album for its top forty single, Hanging On A Heart Attack. It's one of those tunes that you've probably forgotten, but if you heard it, you'd remember it. Well, if your era of music is the 80's that is.
What I was incredibly pleased to find was that the opening track, which just so happens to be the single, wasn't the only treasure to be found. As a whole, 22B3 delivers in a big way. Are they top forty hits? No, not at all. But, they are catchy tracks that leave you tapping your toes.
If anything, I wish this wasn't the only album from Device, because I definitely would have checked out more from them. Fortunately, this is helped out by the other projects they worked on.
Holly Knight, beyond her stint in the 80's group, Spider, was always best known for her work as a writer, and she continued to do so. She would also go on to release her own self titled solo album in 1988, which included her own version of Love Is A Battlefield, the tune she originally wrote for Pat Benatar.
Paul Engemann would replace Bill Wadham as the lead singer for Animotion, and together they would release the hit, Room To Move, which was included on the soundtrack for My Stepmother Is An Alien, and later on the band's album of the same name. An interesting cross reference is that Holly Knight actually wrote, and recorded herself the first hit for the band, Obsession back in the early 80's.
Gene Black ultimately went back to session work, and would also continue to write top ten hits with Knight. Most notably were Heart's Never, and Rod Stewart's Love Touch. Imagine how big the band would have been if they brought all those hits under there own name.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS Februray 1, 1986 |
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