Last updated: 7 hours ago
The Bongos, fronted by vocalist/guitarist Richard Barone, were pioneers of the influential Hoboken pop scene of the 1980s. With bassist Rob Norris and drummer Frank Giannini, the group recorded their debut album 'Drums Along the Hudson,' a critical hit on both sides of the Atlantic that became a college radio staple. Adding guitarist James Mastro, the group toured relentlessly, and signed with RCA Records in 1983. Their stunning RCA debut, 'Numbers with Wings,' featuring the sweeping title song and tracks like “Barbarella” and “Tiger Nights,” fared well with support from MTV and the fledgling alternative radio format, further raising the group’s profile. The rhythmically explosive 'Beat Hotel' album followed in 1985, a year that saw them perform over 300 concerts across the U.S. By the decade’s end, each member of the group began to pursue their own solo projects and collaborations. Performances by The Bongos became rare, though special concert events and reunions continued, including an appearance at New York’s Lincoln Center in 2022. In December 2023, RCA Records released The Bongos' new holiday single “Rock the Christmas Cheer!” — their first new studio recording in decades — that echoed Christmases past while looking to the future with their trademark energy and buoyant Bongo charm. In 2025, following expanded 40th Anniversary releases of "Numbers With Wings" and "Beat Hotel," RCA released the long-awaited Bongos live album, 'The Shroud of Touring: Live in 1985.'
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