Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (Full Version)

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Rufas2000 -> Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/12/2008 3:25:25 PM)

How many of you who lived in the 80s or are fans of 80s rock remember Tony Carey? He started off as a keyboardist in Rainbow (like most people did [:D]) and then forged out on his own.

He recorded albums under his own name and the pseudonym Planet P Project (P3 for short, where he sang and played most of the instruments). The albums under his own name were more straight ahead rock with down to earth 80s lyrics (some typical of the time period, some above average with some intriguing "story" songs) whereas P3 dealt more in sci fi & concept topics. They were also more progressive and "spacey" but still rocked (production may have been a bit on the "lite" side though).

He was all over rock radio and MTV in the 80s (albeit not well remembered). Some of his hits with P3 include "Why Me" and "King for a Day" (I didn't remember them either until I heard the samples on Amazon, then I was like "oh yeah"). He had more hits as a solo artist including "We Wanna Live", "I Won't Be Home Tonight", "The First Day of Summer", "A Fine, Fine Day", "She Moves Like a Dancer" and many more.

He fell out of popular favor with American audiences toward the end of the 80s but continued to be popular in Europe.

I just ordered the debut CD from Planet P Project which has "Why Me" and "King For a Day". It was between that or the new release Tony Carey / A Lonely Life: The Anthology which includes all the songs mentioned in this post. I decided on P3 because it was much cheaper and I'm not enarmored with greatest hits albums. It should be an interesting listen as well although that anthology would bring back memories.

This followed a frustrating trip to the mall / Best Buy to do some CD shopping. That might be the topic of a later post.

So what do you think?



humbleinspirit -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/12/2008 9:54:56 PM)

He was part of Planet P (Project)? I didn't know that at all, are you sure? I do not hear any resemblence between the 2 names at all.

I remember when A Fine Fine Day came out. It wasn't a very big hit, but rememberable. Then I remember the follow-up The First Day of Winter came out, right in the middle of Summertime! Which reminds me, Cruel Summer by Banannarama was a hit in the winter, but I digress.

There was another song by him that made the top 100 that I never heard at all called West Coast Summer Nights also.



Rufas2000 -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/12/2008 11:52:09 PM)

Thanks for the response.

I think it was "The First Day of Summer". actually looking at the anthology I'm sure of it. I hate to disrupt a great case of irony. Maybe you're thinking of another song?

Yes he was part of Planet P Project. No parathesis. Maybe that's the difference.

Here's the link to my latest purchase (at a super low cool price). The second review confirms that Carey was in P3

link 1

And for info purposes a link to the anthology I mentioned. Note that two of the songs from the P3 CD in the first link are here as well.

Link 2

quote:

Cruel Summer by Banannarama was a hit in the winter, but I digress.


Ah yes, more great memories. Not that I would listen to them now but still. And the irony lives. Good stuff.

quote:

There was another song by him that made the top 100 that I never heard at all called West Coast Summer Nights also.


Not great but good nonetheless. 30 second sample on link 2. I'm willing to bet you heard it and just don't remember.



humbleinspirit -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/12/2008 11:55:14 PM)

quote:

I think it was "The First Day of Summer". actually looking at the anthology I'm sure of it. I hate to disrupt a great case of irony. Maybe you're thinking of another song?


Yeah, I think you're right, its been a long while!

quote:

Yes he was part of Planet P Project. No parenthesis. Maybe that's the difference.


If memory serves me correctly, they had to change their name to Planet P Project to prevent a lawsuit. That was why I had put the Project in parentheses instead.



Rufas2000 -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/12/2008 11:59:40 PM)

I'm just happy one person remembers him. I was beginning to think I had made him up! [:D] And Amazon was indulging me. But he was a staple on rock radio in the early to mid 80s, at least in Tampa (on 95 WYNF, more great memories).

As the Greg Khin band says, "They don't write 'em like that anymore". Not that I have anything against the modern stuff but well, you know.



humbleinspirit -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/13/2008 12:01:07 AM)

He is occasiionally played on a local radio show here that used to be national too called "The Lost 45's." I still remember when MTV and different shows used to play his video and when the Top 40 station at the time played him also.



Rufas2000 -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/20/2008 2:33:26 AM)

Well I received the Planet P Project CD. Uh, nothing special, it was OK but I got 500 CDs, nothing special will probably never be played again. It was nice and pleasant sounding but never really got going or created a sense of drama. Nothing really stood out in a musical sense and it was plagued with the 80s ultra clean, no grit production. Rhythm guitar and fat bass need not apply. The two songs I remembered were pretty good though, I'll probably listen to those again. Oh well, only 7 bucks (8 with delivery). It was worth a shot, to harken back to happier, teenage days.

I still hold Tony Carey in high regard, its remarkable that he was able to create solo albums in the 80s rock singer / songwriter / storyteller vein while at the same time create albums in a different style with the Planet P Project (a sort of 80s rock / new wave hybrid with a little bit of prog thrown in, creating concept / story records). And while he wasn't a huge seller or a critic's darling he was at least fairly well regarded critically and had several songs that got gobs of airplay at least on my local rock station.

Not to mention that most of the songs sounded familiar on the Project P CD. I suspect I hadn't heard most of them but that's a sign that Carey had a knack for good melodies.



SteveSund -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/20/2008 9:28:58 AM)

I worked at a college radio station when P3 came out. I recall that the album was pink vinyl.



Rufas2000 -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/20/2008 9:45:29 AM)

quote:

I worked at a college radio station when P3 came out. I recall that the album was pink vinyl.


Now that's just awesome. I'd buy it if I could find it and I don't own a turntable!



humbleinspirit -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/22/2008 12:48:38 AM)

I did like their song Why Me.



Rufas2000 -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/22/2008 12:53:46 AM)

quote:

I did like their song Why Me.


Me too, I listened to it a few more times. One case where the hit songs were better than the others.



humbleinspirit -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/22/2008 12:56:18 AM)

I do not think it ever made the top 40, but my local top 40 station did play it though. MTV had the video in regular rotation too.



rlj -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/22/2008 5:24:39 PM)

Oh wow you're stirring up the dirt, dust and dead brain cells in my head with this thread. You guys threw me off mentioning "King For A Day" because I only remember the Thompson Twins song that was on the album "Into the Gap". I didn't like First Day of Summer that much but I absolutely loved "It's a Fine Fine Day".



humbleinspirit -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/22/2008 5:39:24 PM)

It didn't have a bad video either, or did I mention that already?



rlj -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/23/2008 8:11:02 AM)

quote:

It didn't have a bad video either, or did I mention that already?


Yes I had to watch a few seconds of it and it was a cool video.



gtrdave -> RE: Tony Carey (80s rock artist) (7/23/2008 1:18:53 PM)

I remember the video for "Why Me" and barely remember the song "King for a Day".

It was neat to see him reach some popular acclaim after his stint with Rainbow in the late '70s.
The album he played on "Rising" is probably my favorite Rainbow disc. His synth intro to "Tarot Woman" needs to be played extra loudly. [;)]



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