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The Producers (American band)

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Origin
  
Atlanta, Georgia

Website
  
www.theproducers.org

Active from
  
1981

Years active
  
1981–present

Past members
  
Record label
  

Labels
  
Portrait, Marathon, One Way

Albums
  
Run For Your Life, The Producers / Make the Heat

Members
  
Kyle Henderson, Van Temple, Tim Smith

Genres
  
Rock music, Rock and roll, Power pop, New wave

Similar
  
Sarah K, The Trevor Horn Band, Ash Soan, Stephen Lipson, Lol Creme

Profiles

The Producers is a new wave and power pop band from Atlanta, Georgia. The original line up included Van Temple on guitar and vocals, former Whiteface member Kyle Henderson on bass and vocals, former Billy Joe Royal sideman Wayne Famous (Wayne McNatt) on keyboards, and Bryan Holmes on drums.

Contents

History

The Producers (American band) Early 3980s powerpop band The Producers to play in New Orleans

Originally formed as a Beatles cover band named Cartoon, they changed musical directions and began performing their own material in nightclubs around the Atlanta area. The response to their music was so good that they were quickly signed to CBS subsidiary Portrait Records by producer Tom Werman, who had worked with Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon and Mother's Finest, among others. They released two albums for the Portrait label, The Producers (1981) and You Make the Heat (1982). The Producers became a regional favorite in the southeastern United States, propelling "What She Does To Me" onto the national Billboard Magazine singles charts. "What's He Got", "Certain Kinda Girl", and "Who Do You Think You Are" had some popularity as music videos but did not chart. They toured extensively opening for Cheap Trick, and The Motels. "She Sheila" from their second album was a popular MTV video. They headlined MTV's New Year's Rockin Eve in 1982.

Aftermath

Despite this success, Portrait Records dropped the band after only two albums. Kyle Henderson became a born-again Christian and left the band shortly after they were dropped to record a solo album for Kerry Livgren's Christian rock label, Kerygma Records and was replaced by future Jellyfish, Umajets, and Sheryl Crow bassist Tim Smith (not to be confused with another musician named Tim Smith — born 1961 — of the Progressive Art Punk outfit Cardiacs). The next Producers album, Run For Your Life, was released in 1985 on a small Atlanta-based independent label. That album featured a collaboration between The Producers and Kansas, "Can't Cry Anymore," a song which appeared on both Run For Your Life and the 1986 Kansas album Power. The Producers regained a major label contract in the late 1980s with MCA Records and recorded what was to be their fourth album, Coelacanth, but the band was one of several dropped in a 1989 label purge at MCA before the album could be released. Coelacanth was finally released in 2001.

Today

The Producers (American band) Lost Gems quotWhat She Does to Mequot by The Producers RiffRaf

Lead vocal/guitarist Van Temple now moonlights with bands The Rainmen and Reason Y in Atlanta. He also occasionally teaches.

Original bass player and vocalist Kyle Henderson resides in Madison, Wisconsin and recently released a new solo album entitled "Brand New Chance". He also fronts a band called Kyle Henderson's Blue Eyed Soul, a four piece that covers songs by Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Otis Redding, plus modern purveyors of that tradition.

The Producers (American band) Life Goes On for Former Producers Star Kyle Henderson Local Sounds

Keyboardist Wayne Famous is currently a taxi driver in the Atlanta area and occasionally doing session, composer and sound effects jobs.

Drummer Bryan Holmes is currently owner and president of Prestige Carpet & Flooring in Jonesboro, GA where he lives with wife and daughters.

Although the band officially "retired" in 1991, The Producers continue to get together and perform live shows, primarily in the southeastern and mid-western United States.

Songs

What's He Got?Debut · 1981
What She Does To MeDebut · 1981
Certain Kinda GirlDebut · 1981

References

The Producers (American band) Wikipedia


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