The Philadelphia rock outfit the Hooters earned their greatest visibility through several mid-1980s successes, one of which was the widely aired MTV clip “And We Danced.” Fronted by singer-keyboardist Rob Hyman and singer-guitarist Eric Bazilian, the pair’s long-running songwriting alliance also supplied chart material to artists ranging from Cyndi Lauper to Joan Osborne.
Their first joint project was Baby Grand, whose lineup included future producer Rick Chertoff. After issuing two albums on Arista, Baby Grand disbanded in 1978; the Hooters coalesced soon afterward. Guitarist John Lilley, bassist Rob Miller, and drummer David Uosikkinen completed the roster. The group cultivated an eclectic style blending rock, folk, and ska, taking its name from the melodica nicknamed the “hooter” that colored their distinctive sound. While they cultivated a loyal local audience in Philadelphia, Hyman and Bazilian remained active as composers and studio players, most prominently contributing to Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 blockbuster She’s So Unusual. Rick Chertoff produced the album and co-authored its frequently covered ballad “Time After Time” with Hyman.
The Hooters’ first release, Amore, surfaced on the independent Antenna imprint in 1983. Their Columbia debut, Nervous Night, arrived in 1985 and climbed just outside the Top Ten, driven by the singles “All You Zombies,” “And We Danced,” “Day by Day,” and “Where Do the Children Go.” The 1987 follow-up One Way Home also earned gold certification, though further domestic hits proved elusive; the track “Satellite” nevertheless became a major success abroad.
Subsequent fortunes faded. After Zig Zag failed to reach the Hot 100 in 1989, Columbia dropped the band. They resurfaced only in 1993 on MCA with the modestly received Out of Body. The concert set The Hooters Live appeared the next year, after which the group entered an extended hiatus. Hyman and Bazilian nevertheless continued writing and arranging, appearing on projects by artists from Sophie B. Hawkins to Jon Bon Jovi. In 1995 they composed much of Joan Osborne’s breakthrough album Relish, including the Grammy-nominated single “One of Us.”
Early in the 2000s the Hooters began reassembling, starting with a local radio performance in Philadelphia before undertaking a full-scale reunion tour of Germany in 2003. Regular live activity followed, and they resumed recording with Time Stand Still in 2007. Occasional concert releases appeared alongside ongoing gigs, among them Both Sides Live in 2008. Nearly a decade later they issued Give the Music Back in 2017.
