Novo Combo “Novo Combo”
Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#1038 in the series) is the self-titled debut from Novo Combo.
This is yet another album of the day that you just can’t find any longer. Why more cut-outs aren’t on at least iTunes, I’ll never understand. I can see not printing any issues of some of these great nuggets, but at least toss the master up on a download site and let us buy away!
“Novo Combo” was released in 1981. It was a combination power pop/new wave production. Besides some wonderful music, Novo Combo was mostly known for their drummer, former Santana member, Michael Shrieve. (Think Woodstock and Soul Survivor!)
Pete Hewlett handled guitars and some vocals. He went on to
do some work with Billy Joel, Joe Jackson, Carly Simon and Eric Carmen. Bassist and lead vox were Steven Drees, he later would do some work with Hall and Oates and Tony Carey before forming his own band, the Bandees . Lead guitar? Jack Griffith. He also played with Mick Jagger, Carlos Santana and Gary Moore.
The two most well known songs on the album were “Up Periscope” and “City Bound.” You can hear them both below. As mentioned earlier, this was 1981, they just missed the MTV years. Maybe they would have had a better fate if this were a few years later. They did release a follow up titled Animation Generation the next year.
One last thing. If you like early ‘Police’ You’ll like Novo Combo.
— Larry Carta
Track Listing
Side One
- Up Periscope (Stephen Dees)
- City Bound (E train) (Stephen Dees/Desmond Child)
- We need love (Pete Hewlett/Michael Shrieve/Jack Griffith/ Stephen Dees)
- Long Road (Stephen Dees/Jack Griffith)
- Tattoo (Pete Hewlett)
Side Two
- Don’t do that (Stephen Dees/Michael Shrieve /Pete Hewlett/Jack Griffith)
- Sorry (for the delay) (Stephen Dees)
- Axis will turn (Jack Griffith)
- Light of world (Pete Hewlett/Michael Shrieve/Jack Griffith/ Stephen Dees)
- Do you wanna shake? ( Stephen Dees/Jack Griffith/ Pete Hewlett/Michael Shrieve)
- Hard to Say goodbye (Pete Hewlett)
Links
Worked in radio in 1980-1982. We were a small indie station. The PD would get all these albums from the labels every week. The jocks would go through them. a lot your really good but they wouldn’t make the Top 40 AOR paradigm. Novo Combo made the cut. “..Periscope” made the rotation, and throughout the fall of ’81 it was quite popular. Michael Schrieve could play a soup can and make it sound steller.
Thanks Larry. You’re absolutely right. This should at least available as a digital download, and I am going to personally look into it.
One of my most favorite albums of all time.. i own over 3,000 of them.. thaks Novo Combo for producing a timeless amount of music.. Mick
Jack Griffith was, and still is, a smokin’ player.
A great LP and a band that deserved better. Lead Singer Pete Hewlett has been a friend for decades and we played together in a couple of pre-Combo bands in Pittsburgh. Pete brought MIchael to my wedding reception in 1980 and we all sat in with the band.
Thanks for dropping by and please share our post with Pete if you would. Thanks.