Canadian Music Hall of Fame group, LOVERBOY, celebrates the 40th anniversary of their 5x Platinum-certified, self-titled album Loverboy this year. To commemorate this sonic work of art, the group releases a special limited-edition vinyl of the legendary rock classic today via Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc. Loverboy the album is available for purchase now HERE.
Originally released in October 1980, Loverboy features many fan-favourite singles, including “The Kid Is Hot Tonight”, “Turn Me Loose” and “Little Girl” – the latter serving as the inspiration behind the iconic album sleeve artwork. Contemporary Canadian artist Barbara Astman was commissioned to create the cover art, and brilliantly typed the lyrics from “Little Girl” onto a self-portrait Polaroid as it developed. The 2020 special edition is printed with a full cover emboss on Astman’s typed text to pay homage to this process.
While reminiscing about making the album and the musical test of time, lead vocalist Mike Reno reveals, “Boy did we get lucky in late 1979 to work with the best in the business, Bruce Fairbairn and Bob Rock…oh and don’t forget Mike Frazer. This record still sounds great.” Echoing Reno, Guitarist Paul Dean confirms, “I remember playing the clubs around Vancouver in ’79-’80, and taking a survey of our fans so they could pick their favourites from the 20 or so songs we were performing. Here they are, in hi-def.”
Loverboy went on to become a major Canadian rock hit, winning a record-breaking six awards at the 1982 Juno’s – a record the band still holds today. Upon release, the album sold more than 700,000 copies in Canada, two million copies in the U.S. and four million copies worldwide.
The band’s success catapulted them into the Top 5 touring acts in the world, making them the first Canadian group to ever earn Columbia Records’ exclusive Crystal Globe Award, celebrating the sale of over five million albums outside their native country. Since 1992, the band has maintained a steady road presence, with Sony/Legacy releasing a greatest hits compilation. The group was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2009 Juno Awards.
Loverboy Tracklisting
Side A
The Kid is Hot Tonite
Turn Me Loose
Always On My Mind
Lady of the 80’s
Side B
Little Girl
Prissy Prissy
Teenage Overdose
D.O.A
It Don’t Matter
More About LOVERBOY:
For more than 40 years, LOVERBOY has been “Working for the Weekend” (and on weekends), delighting audiences around the world since forming in 1978, when vocalist Mike Reno was introduced to guitar hot shot Paul Dean – both veterans of several bands on the Canadian scene – at Calgary’s Refinery Night Club. Along with Reno and Dean, LOVERBOY still includes original members Doug Johnson on keyboards and Matt Frenette on drums, with Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve replacing the late Scott Smith on bass.
LOVERBOY signed with Columbia Records Canada, entering the studio with producer Bruce Fairbairn and engineer Bob Rock to record their self-titled debut album, which went on to sell more than 700,000 records in Canada. Columbia U.S. released the album in Nov. 1980, which went on to sell more than 2 million albums in the States and four million worldwide.
Soon the band found themselves playing on mega tours with Journey, Bob Seger, Cheap Trick, ZZ Top, Kansas and Def Leppard, to name a few. They quickly became MTV darlings, being one of the first bands ever featured on the music channel.
With their trademark red leather pants, bandannas, big rock sound and high-energy live shows, LOVERBOY has sold more than 10 million albums, earning four multi-platinum plaques, including the four-million-selling “Get Lucky”, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983’s Keep It Up and 1985’s Lovin’ Every Minute of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the anthem “Working for the Weekend,” such arena rock staples as “Lovin’ Every Minute of It,” “This Could Be the Night,” “Hot Girls in Love,” “The Kid is Hot Tonite,” “Notorious”, “Turn Me Loose,” “When It’s Over,” “Heaven In Your Eyes” and “Queen of the Broken Hearts.”
In 2005, LOVERBOY celebrated 25 years together by performing in selected cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. During the summer tour, the band introduced a couple of brand-new songs, which led to Just Getting Started, their first new studio album in a decade. In March 2009, the group was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards show in Vancouver.
