Honeymoon Suite

New Girl Now

Today we have a real treat for all you 80’s nostalgia fans around the world. This band’s classic video has everything that was good and bad with the 80’s. Big hair, video vixens, bad fashion (both men and women) and best of all, a Delorean. The above video ties all of it together with a theme video.

Some of you younger folks don’t realize it but Canada produced some slamming bands back in the 80s and while this band may not have had the commercial success as Loverboy, they still hold a strong place here at The Big 80’s.

Honeymoon Suite was a Canadian rock band, based out of Niagara Falls, Ontario that formed in 1982. The band's name was a nod to the fact that Niagara Falls is the unofficial honeymoon capital.

Biography
They were originally formed in 1982 by lead vocalist Johnnie Dee and guitarist Derry Grehan. They soon signed with WEA Canada after they released their song "New Girl Now", which won them an unsigned band contest put on by Toronto radio station Q107.
Dee and Grehan recruited Ray Coburn on keyboards, Gary Lalonde on bass, and Dave Betts on drums.

In 1984, they released their self-titled debut album, which led to four top-ten hits in Canada: the above video "New Girl Now", "Burning In Love", "Wave Babies", and "Stay In the Light". The song "New Girl Now" was the only single to reach the top-50 in the United States.
Their follow up album, The Big Prize, produced by Bruce Fairbairn, was equally successful in Canada, with four more hits: "Feel It Again", "What Does It Take", "Bad Attitude", and "All Along You Knew". Their song "Feel It Again" managed to reach the Top 40 in the US, but "What Does It Take" only reached no. 52, even buoyed by its inclusion on the soundtrack for the John Cusack film One Crazy Summer. Much later in 1989, "Bad Attitude" was featured in the series finale of Miami Vice, played during a driving segment that mirrored one from the series' pilot episode.

In 1986, founding keyboardist Ray Coburn temporarily left the band, replaced by Rob Preuss of Burlington, Ontario-based Spoons.

Also during 1986 the band produced a track for the Charlie Sheen film The Wraith - "Those Were the Days".

In the winter of 1987, the band started work on their third album in L.A. Unfortunately, Johnnie Dee was hit by a car at L.A.X. airport, breaking his leg in several places, and required surgery to insert a ten inch pin to help the leg heal properly. While recovering in hospital, Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald was brought in to help out with the recording sessions; he wrote lyrics and sang back up on one song.

Also during 1987 the band produced a track for the Mel Gibson film Lethal Weapon - "Lethal Weapon".

In 1988, their third album was released: Racing After Midnight, produced by Ted Templeman of Van Halen fame. That album made the top 10 in Canada, but was not successful in the US. Singles included "Love Changes Everything", "Looking Out for Number One", "Cold Look" and "It's Over Now".

In 1989,the band released a greatest hits compilation, The Singles, which included the new single "Still Loving You". "The Singles" tour would turn out to be the last tour featuring the band's original line-up.

By 1991, Coburn rejoined but Lalonde and Betts had left, and were replaced by Steve Webster (from Billy Idol's band) on bass and Jorn Anderson on drums. That year, they released their fourth album, Monsters Under the Bed. The album featured the singles "Say You Don't Know Me" and "The Road". The album was only moderately successful in Canada and virtually ignored in the US.

The band continued to tour in the '90s, although many line-up changes continued to occur, with only Dee and Grehan remaining as the founding members.
In 2002 they released their first new studio album in 11 years, Lemon Tongue. The album was released under an independent label, and leaned towards a more artistic and adventurous direction than their previous rock releases.

Later in 2002 they released Dreamland which was only available in Europe. It features many of the same songs from Lemon Tongue but included some new songs such as "Dreamland", "Radiant", "Even Now" and "Just Love Somebody".

In 2006 the band continues to tour in Canada, including a co-headlining tour with Glass Tiger. Their latest release is a collection entitled Feel It Again: An Anthology, a 2-CD set featuring the best of their work plus rare and unreleased material.

Discography
Albums
Honeymoon Suite (1984)
The Big Prize (1986)
Racing After Midnight (1988)
The Singles (1989)
Monsters Under the Bed (1991)
13 Live (1995)
Lemon Tongue (2002)
Dreamland (2002) - European only release
HMS Live at the Gods (2005)
Feel It Again: An Anthology (2006)

Singles
"New Girl Now" (1984) #23 CAN, #57 US
"Burning In Love" (1984)
"Stay In the Light" (1985)
"Wave Babies" (1985)
"Feel It Again" (1986) #16 CAN, #34 US
"What Does It Take" (1986) #28 CAN, #52 US
"Bad Attitude" (1986)
"All Along You Knew" (1986)
"Lethal Weapon" (1987)
"Love Changes Everything" (1988) #9 CAN, #91 US
"Lookin' Out for Number One" (1988) #35 CAN
"Still Lovin' You" (1989)
"Long Way" (1990)
"Say You Don't Know Me" (1991)
"The Road" (1992)

External links
Honeymoon Suite official website