Description
Area Code 415 is the first release from the Eric Martin Band (under the original band name, 415). Their debut album features Steve Perry of Journey on backing vocals. Eric Martin went on to front the band Mr. Big. John Nymann and Eric Martin played together in a band called Romance but after recording a nien track demo Journey/Santana manager Herbie persuaded the band to change their name and suggested using the area code from San Francisco: 415. He also instructed the guys that he would book some studio time to to cut their first real album and that happened in March of 1980. The band also got Journey frontman Steve Perry doing back up vocals on the track Im Alone. After this the band started opening for more national acts such as Eddie Money, Cheap Trick, Thin Lizzy and a sold out show with Loverboy at the Old Waldorf. Momentum moved in 415’s favor as their fanbase continued to grow. Herbie then called for a band meeting where he told the band he wanted to see more harmony. Herbie paid and booked for vocal lessons from Judy Davis who was known as the vocal coach for Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand. This was a three-year training with intense vocal sessions and plenty of homework. The band reflects on how demanding Judy could be, but what a sweet and kind individual she was. Judy’s warmup and techniques are still used by Eric to this very day. On July 1981 the band got the opening slot on Bill Graham’s Day On The Green festival a day that got the band several new fans. Herbie then paid for more studio ttime and in August of 1981 the band recorded their second album, Boys Night Out. In 1982 the punk rock record label 415 Records was threatening a lawsuit if they did not change their name. Herbie suggested the name Eric Martin Band and without too much disagreement, the name became the EBM (Eric Martin Band). Herbie then used his connections and got the band a one album record deal with Elektra. Their two 415 albums, Area Code 415 and Boys Night Out album was shelved and instead the band recorded new material for their debut album, Sucker For A Pretty Face, in 1983. The band toured as support to ZZ Top and was working on their next album, Looks Can Be Deceiving, when they got the news from Herbie that they had been dropped by Elektra. This had nothing to do with the band but due to an old argument betweek Elektra CEO and Herbie regarding Santana. The argument went so far that Herbie sent a dead bird in the mail to this CEO with a message that he hoped he would f*****g die. That meant the end for EBM and John Nymann was picked up by Y&T, Troy Luccketta went onto City Kidd who became Tesla. Tom Duke joined several bands and played thousands of live shows over the years. Mark Ross went onto play with the band Jet Red and Dave Jacobsen did a tour with the band UFO. Eric Martin recorded two solo albums before joining forces with what would become one of the top 1980s supergroups, appropriately titled Mr. Big. Then in late 2023 and early 2024 John Nymann and Eric Martin re-released the old material that had been locked away in the vault for more than forty years. So for the first time ever we get the chance to hear the two 415 albums as well as the original session for Sucker For A Pretty Face. 8 of these tracks were re-recorded for Elektra as well as two new ones. However the Original Session album features these 8 tracks in its original forms as well 7 tracks never before released tracks and a cover tune. Fans of Mr.Big, Eric Martin, Journey and other AOR acts these are must haves.
Track list:
1. She’s Gone
2. New Girl
3. I’m Alone
4. Tears
5. Ten Scale
6. Kiss Off
7. I Want To Have It All
8. Cover Girl
9. More Than Enough
10. Sorry, I Don’t Even Care