Huey Lewis & The News: Huey Lewis (vocals, harmonica); Chris Hayes (guitar, vocals); Johnny Colla (saxophone, guitar, vocals); Sean Hopper (keyboards, vocals); Mario Cipollina, John Pierce (bass); Bill Gibson (drums).
The Horns: Rob Sudduth (tenor & baritone saxophones); Ron Stallings (tenor saxophone); Marvin McFadden (trumpet).
Additional personnel includes: The Tower Of Power Horn Section (horns).
San Franciscan Huey Lewis and his band exploded onto the 1980s music scene with a radio-friendly brand of proletarian pop that followed the basic structural formula of '50s and '60s rock and roll and overlaid it with '80s tech trappings (synths, multitracked, processed instruments and vocals) for maximum accessibility. In the process, they endeared themselves to the American heartland to the tune of a dozen top-10 hits and album sales of over 12 million. TIME FLIES combines those hits with some key album tracks to present a comprehensive portrait of the band.
The album opener, "The Heart Of Rock & Roll," serves as the band's manifesto, with a message that boils down to "Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay" over a chugging 4/4 rhythm. "Workin' For A Living" (along with the inexplicably omitted "Hip To Be Square") cemented Lewis' reputation as the man who made living in the middle of the road seem fun. For all of Lewis' traditionalism, the catchy horn lines and synth bass of "I Want A New Drug" place that track squarely in the mid-'80s. If you thought old-time rock and roll was long gone, you probably haven't heard the News.
Personnel: Huey Lewis (vocals, harmonica); Johnny Colla (vocals, guitar, saxophone); Chris Hayes (vocals, guitar); Sean Hopper (vocals, keyboards); Bill Gibson (vocals, drums); Rob Sudduth (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Rev. Ron Stallings (tenor saxophone); Marvin McFadden (trumpet); Jack Jacobsen (organ); Alexandria Griffith, Conesha Owens, Joseph Andre White (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Huey Lewis; Joseph Andre White; Larry Alexander ; Bob Missbach; Bob Clearmountain.
Recording information: Apt 2 Recording, Novato, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); Kabuki Theater, San Francisco, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); Muther's Recording, Sausalito, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); SOuthern Tracks Recording, Atlanta, GA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); Studio D Recording, Sausalito, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); The Automart, San Francisco, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); The Automatt, San Francisco, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); The Kabuki Theater, San Francisco, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); The Plant Studios, Sausalito, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996); The Site, Marin County, CA (02/21/1985-07/21/1996).
Photographers: Norm Fisher; Amos Binkley; Robert Specter; Ross Marino; Robin Kaplan; Roger Ressmeyer; Ron Slenzak.
Though Huey Lewis's musical origins are in the British pub rock scene of the early '70s, he made his name on a string of hugely successful, slick pop-rock tracks released during the 1980s. Backed by his trusty bar band the News (something of a poor man's E Street Band), Huey Lewis was a seemingly unstoppable force during the Reagan years, and TIME FLIES collects the key tracks that marked his incredible run. "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "Do You Believe in Love," "If This is It," and "I Want a New Drug," among many others, display a keen pop acumen, as they incorporate everything from doo wop to new wave to stadium rock into an easily digestible, radio-friendly framework. While some might accuse Huey Lewis & the News of playing it way too safe, they were certainly never about danger in the first place. TIME FLIES' 16 tracks perfectly embody the News' m.o. This is crisp pop music, with a tailgate-party vibe and smile on its face.
