Franke and the Knockouts was a short lived, early 1980s band formed in
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
,
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and fronted by singer/songwriter
Franke PreviteFranke Jon Previte is an Academy Award-winning composer who grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey.He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bull Angus. Franke and the...
. Originally there were five members in the band.
Franke and the Knockouts were signed by
Millennium RecordsMillennium Records originally started at 3 West 57th Street New York in 1977, and was distributed by Neil Bogart's Casablanca label. Their most popular artist was likely electronic music pioneer Meco, whose disco cover of John Williams "Star Wars/Cantina Band" cues from Star Wars was a number 1...
in 1981 and had three U.S. Top 40 singles and two Top 50 albums. Franke and the Knockouts' biggest single, "Sweetheart," was written by Previte and
GuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
Billy Elworthy and became a Top 10 hit in 1981, peaking at #10 in the U.S.
Franke and the Knockouts was a short lived, early 1980s band formed in
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
,
USAThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and fronted by singer/songwriter
Franke PreviteFranke Jon Previte is an Academy Award-winning composer who grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey.He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bull Angus. Franke and the...
. Originally there were five members in the band.
Franke and the Knockouts were signed by
Millennium RecordsMillennium Records originally started at 3 West 57th Street New York in 1977, and was distributed by Neil Bogart's Casablanca label. Their most popular artist was likely electronic music pioneer Meco, whose disco cover of John Williams "Star Wars/Cantina Band" cues from Star Wars was a number 1...
in 1981 and had three U.S. Top 40 singles and two Top 50 albums. Franke and the Knockouts' biggest single, "Sweetheart," was written by Previte and
GuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
Billy Elworthy and became a Top 10 hit in 1981, peaking at #10 in the U.S. They also wrote and released the original versions of
Eric CarmenEric Carmen is a singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored with numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself" "Hungry...
's 1987 hit single "
Hungry Eyes"Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. It is available on the film's soundtrack and it has also been featured in a television advertisement for the Irish fast food restaurant abrakebabra. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood,...
" as well as the song "
(I've Had) The Time of My Life" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison...
," (both of which were featured in the 1987 film
Dirty DancingDirty Dancing is a 1987 romantic film made in the . Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach. The story is a coming of age drama that documents a young débutante's rebellion against her father by...
).
PreviteFranke Jon Previte is an Academy Award-winning composer who grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey.He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bull Angus. Franke and the...
would later be an Academy Award winner. The band switched to
MCAMCA, Inc. was an American corporation in the music and television businesses. MCA published music, booked acts, ran a record company, and distributed television productions and home videos.-The Early Years:...
in 1984 and had several album releases but they disbanded in 1986. The group's other two Top 40 hits were "You're My Girl" and "Without You (Not Another Lonely Night)."
Original Members
- Franke Previte
Franke Jon Previte is an Academy Award-winning composer who grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey.He was with the New Jersey rock quintet Franke and the Knockouts as the singer and songwriter. Previously he had sung with the Oxford Watch Band and the heavy metal band Bull Angus. Franke and the...
- lead vocals
- Billy Elworthy - lead and rhythm guitars
- Blake Levinsohn - keyboards
- Tommy Ayers - keyboards, backing vocals (played on the first album, but didn't officially join the band until the next one)
- Leigh Foxx - bass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blondie_(band)
- Claude LeHenaff - drums (left prior to recording of the second album)
Later Members
- Bobby Messano - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals (1984)
- Tico Torres
Hector Samuel Juan "Tico" Torres is an American drummer and percussionist of Bon Jovi. He also has taken lead vocals on a song on the box set 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong, as well as backing vocals on a couple of the early Bon Jovi tracks, notably "Born to Be My Baby" and "Love for...
- drums (1983-84)
Additionally, several key session men have played with the band:
- Al Wotton: drums on Below the Belt (1982) album
- Charlie Dominici
Charlie Dominici, born 16 June 1951 in Brooklyn, New York, is a singer for progressive metal band Dominici.Perhaps he is best known as the second vocalist for the progressive metal band Dream Theater, having replaced Chris Collins and later being replaced by James LaBrie.-Biography:Charlie...
: backing vocals on self-titled debut
- Dominici would later go on to front the band Dream Theater
Dream Theater are an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Myung, John Petrucci, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, before they dropped out to support the band...
- John DeNicola: bass on Makin' the Point (1984) album
- DeNicola also co-wrote (with Previte) "Hungry Eyes
"Hungry Eyes" is a song performed by Eric Carmen, and was featured in the film Dirty Dancing. It is available on the film's soundtrack and it has also been featured in a television advertisement for the Irish fast food restaurant abrakebabra. The song was recorded at Beachwood Studios in Beachwood,...
" and "(I've Had) the Time of My Life" The Time of My Life" is a song composed by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz. It was recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, after having been selected to be the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing by choreographer Kenny Ortega and his assistant Miranda Garrison...
," the original versions of which were recorded during his tenure with the band but went unreleased, until they both later appeared on The Sweetheart Collection
Discography
LPs
- Franke and the Knockouts - 1981
- Below the Belt - 1982
- Makin' the Point - 1984
CDs
- The Sweetheart Collection - 1999 compilation album (Razor & Tie, OOP)
SINGLES
1981
- 10 - Sweetheart
- 27 - You're My Girl
1982
External links