The A's

Philadelphia's the A's fused the sharp, urgent pulse of new wave with the gritty drive and swagger of East Coast rock. The group came together in 1978, its lineup anchored by Richard Bush on lead vocals, Rick DiFonzo on guitar, Rocco Notte on keyboards, Terry Bortman on bass, and Michael Snyder on drums. Their muscular stage presence and songs that balanced infectious hooks with raw force quickly built a devoted local audience, leading to a deal with Arista Records. Produced by Rick Chertoff, the band's self-titled debut arrived in 1979 and drew strong critical praise along with steady rotation on Philadelphia stations, though sales remained confined largely to the city and scattered East Coast markets. The follow-up, A Woman's Got the Power, appeared in 1981 under Chertoff's guidance once more; this time the arrangements softened the group's harder contours in favor of a heartland rock sound and a deeper R&B flavor, most evident on the title cut. Even with its broader appeal, the album failed to move significantly more copies than its predecessor, prompting Arista to release the band. In 1982 the A's issued the self-released EP Four Dances, yet it brought little commercial traction, and after settling the studio costs the members parted ways. DiFonzo later built a thriving career as a session guitarist and sideman alongside Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, Roger Waters, and Joan Osborne, while Bush stayed active in the Philadelphia scene fronting the Peace Creeps.