Baltimora was an
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
New Wave dance outfit active in the mid to late 1980s. The group comprised Jimmy McShane (fronting), Maurizio Bassi (
keyboardsA keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, lead vocals), Giorgio Cocilovo (guitar), Claudio Bazzari (guitar), Pier Michelatti (
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
) and Gabriele Melotti (
drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
). They are best known for their 1985 hit single
Tarzan Boy"Tarzan Boy" is a 1985 Italo disco song recorded by Italy-based act Baltimora. It was the group's debut single, released in April 1985, from its first album Living in the Background, on which it features as first track...
.
Jimmy McShane, from
DerryDerry or Londonderry often called the Maiden City, is a city in Northern Ireland. It is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and fourth largest city in the island of Ireland...
in
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, was the frontman of the group. Lead vocals were performed by Maurizio Bassi, including lead vocals on their biggest hit
Tarzan Boy despite the fact that McShane lip synched while appearing in the
Tarzan Boy music video and not Bassi.
Baltimora was an
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
New Wave dance outfit active in the mid to late 1980s. The group comprised Jimmy McShane (fronting), Maurizio Bassi (
keyboardsA keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organs as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, lead vocals), Giorgio Cocilovo (guitar), Claudio Bazzari (guitar), Pier Michelatti (
bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
) and Gabriele Melotti (
drumsA drum set is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person . The term "drum kit" first became used in the 1700s in Britain...
). They are best known for their 1985 hit single
Tarzan Boy"Tarzan Boy" is a 1985 Italo disco song recorded by Italy-based act Baltimora. It was the group's debut single, released in April 1985, from its first album Living in the Background, on which it features as first track...
.
Jimmy McShane, from
DerryDerry or Londonderry often called the Maiden City, is a city in Northern Ireland. It is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and fourth largest city in the island of Ireland...
in
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, was the frontman of the group. Lead vocals were performed by Maurizio Bassi, including lead vocals on their biggest hit
Tarzan Boy despite the fact that McShane lip synched while appearing in the
Tarzan Boy music video and not Bassi. Bassi was also the group's keyboardist. Both the music and the lyrics of Baltimora were written mostly by Bassi and Naimy Hackett, though McShane wrote the lyrics to some of their songs, such as the single
Survivor in Love.
Baltimora is often considered a
one-hit wonderA one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
due to the success they experienced with
Tarzan Boy compared to their other singles.
Early years
In early 1984, Maurizio Bassi, a music producer and musician for a few acts in Italy, was in search of a new project. He came across Jimmy McShane (23 May 1957 - 29 March 1995), an EMT for the Red Cross in Ireland, known as "Ruby" in the gay community, and had him do some vocals and be the group's frontman, due to his appearance and talented dancing. McShane was noted for having multiple hair styles and his big red rimmed glasses.
He also recruited other musicians to record the tracks which would eventually appear on the albums
Living in the Background and
Survivor in LoveSurvivor in Love is the second and final album by pop group Baltimora. The album was only released in select countries, such as Italy, Germany, UK, Japan, and Mexico. It was later re-released in 2003 on CD to many more countries....
.
Success with "Tarzan Boy"
"
Tarzan Boy"Tarzan Boy" is a 1985 Italo disco song recorded by Italy-based act Baltimora. It was the group's debut single, released in April 1985, from its first album Living in the Background, on which it features as first track...
," released in the summer of 1985, was a huge success, debuting in the top five of the Italian single chart as well as in some other European countries, including
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
,
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, The Netherlands and
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
. Soon afterwards Baltimora found similar success in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
with "Tarzan Boy," where it reached #3 in August 1985. However, it took a while for the single to enter the Hot 100 single chart in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(where it was released on
EMIThe EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm- EMI Music Publishing- based in New York City...
), it remained on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart for six months ultimately peaking at #13 in the early spring of 1986. Baltimora performed on the American TV show
Solid GoldSolid Gold was an American syndicated music countdown television series which aired from 1980 to 1988, usually on Saturday in the early evening time slot...
, which helped further their success in America. The second single "Woody Boogie," which also gained notable success, entered the Top 20 in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.
Baltimora's first album,
Living in the Background, was released in Europe at the end of 1985, and was released in United States in 1986. Despite the enormous success that Baltimora achieved with the single "Tarzan Boy,"
Living in the Background only charted moderately entering the Top 20 album charts in only a few countries in Europe..
Baltimora attempted a comeback in 1987 with a second album,
Survivor in LoveSurvivor in Love is the second and final album by pop group Baltimora. The album was only released in select countries, such as Italy, Germany, UK, Japan, and Mexico. It was later re-released in 2003 on CD to many more countries....
, but the single "Key Key Karimba" was the only notable track that managed to enter the Top 100 charts in only a few countries.
Break-up and aftermath
After the release of
Survivor in Love, with no label support of a follow up album and due to its poor success, Bassi decided it was time to move onto other projects, and Baltimora disbanded.
The single "Tarzan Boy" bounced back into the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in March 1993 as a
remixA remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. This name is also used for any alterations of medias other than a song ....
, climbing to #51, at the time of its appearance in a
Listerine commercial. The song was also featured in the films
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IIITeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III is a 1993 live-action film, the second and final sequel of the 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film. It was produced by Clearwater Holdings Ltd. and Golden Harvest. This was the last Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film released by New Line Cinema and...
(1993) and
Beverly Hills NinjaBeverly Hills Ninja is a 1997 action comedy film starring Chris Farley as a bumbling ninja in Beverly Hills. Written by Mark Feldberg and Mitchell Klebanoff and directed by Dennis Dugan. Also starring Nicollette Sheridan, Nathaniel Parker, Robin Shou, Soon-Tek Oh, and Chris Rock.Chris Farley plays...
(1997).
Jimmy McShane died on 29 March 1995, of complications from
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
.
Albums
| Year |
Album details |
Chart positions |
Certifications
(sales thresholds) |
| US The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling new music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
ITAItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
|
SWESweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
|
| 1985 |
Living in the Background
- Released: 1985
- Label: EMI-Manhattan Records
Manhattan Records is a United States record label, owned by EMI and operates as a subsidiary of The Blue Note Label Group.-Company history:Manhattan Records was formed in 1984 by Bruce Lundvall, and was later renamed EMI Manhattan Records after absorbing EMI America Records imprint...
- Format: CS
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. Although originally designed for dictation, improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant reel-to-reel tape recording in most...
, CD, LPLong-playing record albums are 33⅓ rpm vinyl gramophone records , generally either 10 or 12 inches in diameter. They were first introduced in 1948, and served as a primary release format for recorded music until the compact disc began to significantly displace them by 1988...
|
49 |
26 |
18 |
CANThe Canadian Recording Industry Association is a non-profit trade organization that was founded in 1964 to represent the interests of companies that create, manufacture and market sound recordings in Canada. The organization is based in Toronto....
: Gold |
| 1987 |
Survivor in Love Survivor in Love is the second and final album by pop group Baltimora. The album was only released in select countries, such as Italy, Germany, UK, Japan, and Mexico. It was later re-released in 2003 on CD to many more countries....
- Released: 1987
- Label: EMI
The EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm- EMI Music Publishing- based in New York City...
- Format: CD, LP
|
— |
— |
— |
|
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. |
Singles
| Year |
Song |
U.S. The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday; while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
UK The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
|
FRA The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organisation which protects the interests of the French record industry...
|
SWI The Swiss Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:*Singles Top 100...
|
NE The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the pirate radio channel Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the pirate radio channel was forced to stop. Joost den Draaijer was the initiator of...
|
Album |
| 1985 |
"Tarzan Boy "Tarzan Boy" is a 1985 Italo disco song recorded by Italy-based act Baltimora. It was the group's debut single, released in April 1985, from its first album Living in the Background, on which it features as first track...
" |
13 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
Living in the Background |
| "Living in the Background "Living in the Background" is the second single from Baltimora's debut album, Living in the Background, and second released single in total. The song reached #87 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" |
87 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1986 |
"Woody Boogie" |
- |
- |
- |
15 |
32 |
| "Juke Box Boy" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| 1987 |
"Key Key Karimba" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Survivor in Love |
| "Survivor in Love" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| "Global Love" (with Linda Wesley) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| "Call Me in the Heart of the Night" |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
External links