From their subtle explosion onto the international music scene with the release of "Love Waves Hello" in 1977 to their largely unnoticed messy breakup in the mid-80s, Larry Banilow demonstrated a keen knack for bringing memorable and disturbing soft rock to the masses unequaled even today.
Larry Banilow formed in 1975 when recently-fired Grown Man Naked guitarist/ keyboardist Randy Bedfellow met the performance dynamo and emotional rollercoaster that is Captain Sensitive at a facial tissue convention in Bristol, UK. The two were fast friends and inseparable songwriting collaborators from the first moment, penning "I Think I Love Her (Because She Looked At Me)" before even learning each others' names.
Excited by the potential that their new, hyper-emotional soft rock offered, they quickly tapped some of the greatest musicians around to round out the band. Afro'd stickfigure and guitarist extraordinaire Dr. Bong, WS. Ex-Liberace drummer Special Agent Johnny Dapper, whose actual Special Agent responsibilities eventually required him to be replaced with ex-adult film extra Cubby "Cubby O'Toole" O'Toole. Bassist Invisible Funk, who was actually playing bass with the band for six months before the band realized that the bass was not actually coming from Randy Bedfellow's pants.
A veritable hit-making machine, Banilow rode high on the success of "Love Waves Hello," 1981's "Kiss The Girl," 1984's "HUG!" (which the band insists was recorded long before Van Halen's "Jump") and many more before the band was sidelined in the mid-80s by the interests of managers, girlfriends and Captain Sensitive's insanity.
There has been discussion and interest in a reunion tour and album. However, Randy torpedoed such rumours, calling them "wholly unfounded" before remarking that he and the Captain were working on what could be a new Banilow album and that they might even reunite to tour for it.
Stay tuned for new developments in the Larry Banilow saga...
