Animotion

Animotion was founded by four former members of Los Angeles-based band Red Zone and the lead singer of the Billy Bond band.{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/4/obsession-singers-animotion-release-new-album/|title=Animotion: 'Beyond the Obsession'|last=Valcourt|first=Keith|date=October 4, 2016|website=The Washington Times|access-date=May 3, 2019}} Both Red Zone and the Billy Bond Band would play at the popular music venue Madame Wong's and knew of each other. A manager who heard that Red Zone were considering breaking up suggested that Billy Bond Band vocalist Bill Wadhams look into working with them, and particularly their vocalist Astrid Plane. After Wadhams demonstrated some of his original material to the group, the two parties decided to form a new band with the name "Animotion" suggested by Astrid to convey energy and motion.{{cite web | title=animotion | website=Lost 80s Live! | date=2021-01-05 | url=https://lost80slive.com/artist/animotion/ | access-date=2022-08-19}}

The initial line-up was made up of dual lead vocalists in Wadhams and Plane, keyboardist Paul Antonelli, bassist Charles Ottavio, and drummer David "Frenchy" O'Brien. With Wadhams already handling some guitar duties, lead guitarist Don Kirkpatrick was brought into the band to supplement their sound. The now-six-piece lineup recorded their 1984 self-titled debut album, further augmented by session keyboardist Greg Smith.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20111005002558/http://60sgaragebands.com/sideshow.html History of the band Sideshow, which briefly included Frenchy O'Brien]}} Retrieved November 9, 2011. Released near the end of the year, a single from this album, "Obsession", written by hit American songwriter Holly Knight and noted British singer/actor Michael Des Barres (who originally cut the song themselves as "Knight and Des Barres" for the 1983 movie A Night in Heaven), became a worldwide success and the band's first US Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten single, peaking early the following year. The follow-up single from this album, "Let Him Go", also cracked the US Top 40 after being remixed to sound more like its predecessor.

Following the departures of Antonelli and O'Brien, Smith became an official member of the band, along with new drummer Jim Blair, prior to the recording of the follow-up album, Strange Behavior (1986). While several singles were released from this album, its success in the US paled in comparison to the debut album, whereas the band became very famous in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Africa, thanks to the LP's single "I Engineer", another Holly Knight composition which was co-written with Bernie Taupin and Mike Chapman. "I Engineer" reached the Top 20 (and sometimes as high as the Top 5) in those countries. During 1986 and 1987 Animotion toured extensively, appearing alongside such performers as Phil Collins, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Genesis, Howard Jones, INXS, and Simply Red.

In the midst of recording their third album, Animotion went through personnel changes, as all three of the remaining founding members (Ottavio, Plane, and Wadhams) departed, along with Blair. The split was not amicable; Ottavio and Plane (who by this point were a couple, and later married) were fired from the band at the behest of the management, while Wadhams' departure was the culmination of a refusal of the record label to allow him to continue to write songs for the band (on their first album he had served as principal songwriter and, along with Kirkpatrick and Smith, had performed the same role on the second), a condition which he felt uncomfortable with.{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/193333-animotion-talks-about-the-hit-song-thats-been-an-obsession-2495532710.html|title=Animotion Talks About the Hit Song That's Been an 'Obsession'|date=July 24, 2015|author=Chiu, David |website=PopMatters |access-date=August 6, 2019 }}

Actress/dancer/singer Cynthia Rhodes replaced Plane as female lead singer, and former solo artist/Device member Paul Engemann replaced Wadhams as the male lead for Animotion's second self-titled album, informally known as "Room to Move" (due to the success of this song) to distinguish it from their first LP. Incidentally, Engemann's former band, Device, had also included Holly Knight (co-writer of "Obsession"). By the time of this third album's release, only Kirkpatrick and Smith remained officially in the "band" along with Rhodes and Engemann, and a slew of session musicians contributed to the recording. The single "Room to Move", a remake of a 1988 song by the group Climie Fisher, became a radio hit in April 1989, and the band's second Top 10 hit in the US, aided by its inclusion in the movie My Stepmother Is an Alien. However, the album itself did not crack the top 100 on the charts, and Animotion broke up afterwards.

File:Animotion.jpg

Several of the original members reunited on February 8, 2001, in response to a request from Alex Hart and 94.7 NRK Radio Station in Portland, Oregon, performing for a sold-out crowd. Plane, Wadhams, Kirkpatrick, and Smith have continued to perform as Animotion since this time; with drummer Kevin Rankin joining them in 2002, and Bill's son Chris Wadhams joining as bass player in 2011. Don Kirkpatrick also plays in Rod Stewart's band. When he is unavailable, Portland, Oregon guitarist Kevin Hahn deputizes in the position. They have performed many shows with A Flock of Seagulls, Wang Chung, Berlin and the Motels in recent years.

In the summer of 2005, Ottavio made a guest appearance alongside Plane and Wadhams who appeared as Animotion in the American version of the TV show Hit Me Baby One More Time, performing their hit "Obsession" and a cover of Dirty Vegas' "Days Go By".

In 2014, Wadhams heard a remix of "Obsession" by a Colorado DJ named Joman. After reaching out to the DJ, Joman offered to remix new material from the band. Wadhams sent a recording of "Raise" and the remixed product was used to obtain a record deal with Invisible Hands Music in London.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/album-premiere-hear-animotions-first-new-set-in-26-years-175305246.html|title=Album Premiere: Hear Animotion's First New Set in 26 Years|last=Geller|first=Wendy|date=January 18, 2017|website=Yahoo|access-date=May 3, 2019}} After 26 years, the band—featuring core members Plane, Wadhams, Kirkpatrick, and Smith—released a new album entitled Raise, which was released in 2016{{cite web |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Animotion&titel=Raise&cat=a |title=Animotion - Raise |website=Dutch Charts |access-date=September 14, 2021}} in the UK and a month later on January 20, 2017 (as Raise Your Expectations) in the US.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7597399/animotion-obsession-new-album-last-time |title='80s Hitmakers Animotion Debut New Single 'Last Time' From First Album In 28 Years |magazine=Billboard |date=December 14, 2016 |access-date=September 14, 2021 |author=Lynch, Joe}} Joman's rendition of "Raise" along with Animotion's classic "Let Him Go" are featured on the album. A music video, directed by producer Chuck Kentis' son Noah, was made for the song "Last Time";{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/animotion-last-time-video-premiere-2495398590.html|title=Animotion – "Last Time" (video) (premiere)|last=Zupko|first=Sarah|date=March 13, 2017|website=popmatters|access-date=May 3, 2019}} it features a mix of live-action and animated elements. The album cover was created by Jay Vigon, who created Animotion's original logo and the logo for Prince's film Purple Rain.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7597399/animotion-obsession-new-album-last-time|title='80s Hitmakers Animotion Debut New Single 'Last Time' From First Album In 28 Years: Exclusive|last=Lynch|first=Joe|date=December 14, 2016|magazine=billboard|access-date=May 3, 2019}}

The band's original drummer, David "Frenchy" O'Brien (born May 23, 1947, in Worcester, Massachusetts), died on January 13, 2019, at age 71.{{cite news|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=david-obrien&pid=191323851|title=David O'Brien 1947 - 2019 |website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=February 24, 2019}}

In January 2023, a US show was announced: the band played at the Cruel World Festival in Pasadena, California on May 20, 2023.{{cite web|first=Damien|last=Jones|url=https://www.nme.com/news/siouxsie-sioux-and-iggy-pop-lead-cruel-world-festival-2023-line-up-3385361|title=Siouxsie Sioux and Iggy Pop lead Cruel World Festival 2023 line-up with other acts including the Human League|publisher=NME|date=23 January 2023|access-date=26 January 2023}}

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;Current members

• Astrid Plane – lead vocals (1983–1988, 2001–present)
• Bill Wadhams – lead vocals, guitars (1983–1988, 2001–present)
• Don Kirkpatrick – lead guitars (1983–1990, 2001–present)
• Greg Smith – keyboards (1985–1990, 2001–present)
• Jim Blair – drums (1985–1988, 2017–present)
• Chris Wadhams – bass (2011–present)
• Wyatt Blair – bass/guitar (2018–present)

;Touring musician

• Kevin Hahn – lead guitars (2003–present; substitute for Don Kirkpatrick)

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;Former members

• Paul Antonelli – keyboards (1983–1985)
• David "Frenchy" O'Brien – drums (1983–1985; died 2019)
• Charles “Char” Ottavio – bass (1983–1988; guest appearance – 2005, 2022)
• Kevin Rankin – drums (2002–2016)
• Paul Engemann – lead vocals (1988–1990)
• Cynthia Rhodes – lead vocals (1988–1990)

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+ The band's self-titled debut album was re-titled The Language of Attraction for its Canadian release (which also omitted the song "Turn Around")[http://www.discogs.com/Animotion-The-Language-Of-Attraction/master/141343 Animotion – The Language of Attraction @Discogs.com] Retrieved November 21, 2015.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.animotionlive.com/}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080619142625/http://www.billwadhams.com/ Bill Wadhams' website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080423050251/http://www.the-trades.com/article.php?id=3648 Bill Wadhams Interview following Hit Me Baby One More Time appearance]
• [http://www.answers.com/topic/donald-kirkpatrick-1?cat=entertainment Brief Don Kirkpatrick bio]
• [https://animotion-obsession.com/the-genius-insanity-tour/ Animotion's Genius Insanity Tour Podcast]

{{Animotion}}

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Category:1983 establishments in California

Category:American musical sextets

Category:American new wave musical groups

Category:American synth-pop groups

Category:Casablanca Records artists

Category:Mixed-gender bands

Category:Musical groups established in 1983

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1990

Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2001

Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles

Category:Synth-pop new wave musical groups