Quarterflash was an American rock group formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1980. The band was made up of lead singer and saxophonist Rindy Ross, her husband, guitarist Marv Ross, guitarist Jack Charles, keyboardist Rick DiGiallonardo, bassist Rich Gooch and drummer Brian David Willis.
Recording history
The group was formed by merging two popular Oregon bands, Seafood Mama and Pilot. They originally released the single "Harden My Heart" in Spring 1980. It was a big hit on Portland radio stations, and got the band a one-hour TV special, Seafood Mama In Concert, on KOIN on June 5, 1980. "Harden My Heart" would later be rerecorded by the band after they renamed themselves Quarterflash. The name came from an Australian slang description of new immigrants as "one quarter flash and three parts foolish", which the Rosses found in a book at producer John Boylan's house.
Quarterflash signed to Geffen Records and released their self-titled debut album Quarterflash in 1981. It reached #8 on Billboard's Top LPs & Tapes list, and sold over a million copies, earning RIAA gold certification on February 5, 1982, and platinum status on June 29, 1982. The album contained the new version of "Harden My Heart", which became their biggest single. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (it also reached the Top 20 in France). Their follow-up single off the album, "Find Another Fool", reached #16. A second one-hour Portland television special, Quarterflash In Concert, was broadcast on KOIN on October 22, 1981, and simulcast on KGON. This concert was taped at the Paramount Theatre on October 15, 1981.
Quarterflash released their second album, Take Another Picture, in 1983. It reached #34 in Billboard, and scored the single "Take Me to Heart", which reached #14. The group released their final album, Back Into Blue, in 1985. It peaked at #150 in Billboard. The group later disbanded after getting dropped from their record label.
In 1990, Quarterflash reunited, hiring session musicians, including bassist–vocalist Sandin Wilson, drummer Greg Williams, guitarist Doug Fraser, and Mel Kubik on saxophone and keyboards. The group released Girl in the Wind on Epic Records. In 1991, Rindy and Marv Ross founded the historic music ensemble The Trail Band, which was formed at the request of the Oregon Trail Advisory Council to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Oregon Trail.
In June 2008, Marv and Rindy Ross released a new Quarterflash CD, Goodbye Uncle Buzz.
DiscographyAlbums
* Quarterflash (1981) #8 U.S. * Take Another Picture (1983) #34 U.S. * Back Into Blue (1985) #150 U.S. * Girl in the Wind (1991) * Harden My Heart: The Best of Quarterflash (1997) * Goodbye Uncle Buzz (2008)