After Duran Duran's third album Seven and the Ragged Tiger, the members of the band split into two projects. One of these was the band Arcadia, which maintained the melodic and atmospheric aspects of Duran Duran's previous recordings. The other was the Power Station, in which John and Andy Taylor worked with Palmer, Thompson, and Edwards to create a rhythmic harder rock sound. Roger Taylor was mainly the drummer for Arcadia but also contributed percussion to the Power Station. The group began as something of a whim—it was a one-time gathering of friends to provide backing to model and would-be singer Bebe Buell who wanted to record a cover of the 1972 T.Rex  song "Get it On". Both Taylors were eager to branch out from the synthesizer pop of Duran Duran and play some Led Zeppelin flavored rock and roll. The participation of their idols from Chic lent the project a horn-inflected funk vibe that meshed surprisingly well with the crunching guitars and booming drums. Soon the project evolved into the idea of a revolving supergourp; a tentative name for the band was Big Brother. The original plan for the one-album project was for the three musicians (Taylor, Taylor and Thompson) to provide musical continuity to an album full of material, with a different singer performing on each track. 

The group then invited Robert Palmer to record vocals for the track "Communication". When he heard that they had recorded demos for "Get It On", he asked to try out vocals on that song as well. Before long, they had decided to record the entire album with Palmer. The group was quickly signed with Capitol Records. 

 

The group's unexpected success led to two incompatible results: the band decided to do a summer tour in America, and Robert Palmer decided to record a solo album to take advantage of his sudden name recognition. This led to Palmer's departure from the band. (Tony Thompson, Andy Taylor and Bernard Edwards from Power Station contributed to Palmer's very successful 1985 solo album Riptide) Power Station went on to tour with singer/actor Michael Des Barres. Des Barres also performed with them at the Live Aid charity concert in  that summer. Des Barres' friendship with actor don Johnson led to the band's guest appearance on an episode of the TV drama Miami Vice. Similarly, his friendship with producer Joel Silver led to Power Station writing a song called "We Fight for Love" for the action film Commando (1985). The track was originally titled "Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay." An EP containing the song plus some live songs from their tour was planned for release that same year, but was scrapped by their record company. The band folded late in 1985, as its members turned to other projects: John Taylor returned to Duran Duran, while Andy Taylor chose to leave Duran Duran in favour of a solo career. Tony Thompson was to take the place of John Bonham in a re-formed Led Zeppelin, but he was nearly killed in a 1986 car accident before that reunion could get off the ground. The reformed Led Zeppelin only played one gig at the Live Aid concert in 1985. Palmer continued his revitalized solo career, while Des Barres released his second solo album in 1986.

"Some Like It Hot" It was the first single released from the album. Released by Parlophone Records in 1985, the song features heavy drum beats from Tony Thompson and vocals from Robert Palmer. It was the band's biggest hit, peaking at number six on the singles chart. The video featured the transsexual model Caroline Cossey (aka Tula). The song was featured in some movies in 1985.

The Power Station is the debut album by The Power Station. It was released in 1985 on EMI. The album peaked at no. 6 on U.S. and no. 12 in the UK. The album is sometimes referred to as Power Station 33 1/3 as the sleeve for the original vinyl record release bore that subtitle, indicating the speed of a record turntable. Later compact disc issues used CD as a subtitle instead. The album's cover graphics and color scheme, which were also used in the videos, were based on sketches by John Taylor.

THE POWER STATION  ALBUM

Some Like It Hot, Murderess, Lonely Tonight, Communication, Get It On, Go To Zero, Harvest For The World, Still In Your Heart

"Get It On" was covered by the band in 1985. Their version – titled "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" – was released as their second single from their album. The track was a hit in both the UK, reaching number 22 on the UK, and the U.S., where the song peaked at number nine (one place higher than the original). When Robert Palmer heard that the other Power Station members had recorded demos for "Bang a Gong", he asked to try out vocals for it. Before long, the band had decided to record the entire album with Palmer. The dancer in the video is Sara Carlson.The song was performed live on the Miami Vice episode "Whatever Works", with Michael Des Barres on vocals, where all of the then-touring group had cameos.

GET IT ON (BANG A GONG) 7 INCH SINGLE (MAY 1985) 

CAT NR R6096

A: Get It On

B: Go To Zero

"Communication" was released as the third single from the debut album. It featured "Communication" (Special Club Mix), "Communication" (Remix) and "Murderess" as the B-side. The remixes were done by Bernard Edwards and Josh Abbey. The video contained an array of footage showing communication in the world with clips of the band performing the song in the studio.

COMMUNICATION 7 INCH SINGLE (AUGUST 1985) 

CAT NR R6114

A: Communication (Remix)

B: Murderess

COMMUNICATION 12 INCH PROMO

Communication (Extended Remix)

Murderess

"Murderess" Only released as a promo 12 Inch

MURDERESS 12 INCH PROMO

Murderess

Murderess (Edit Version)

01. July: The Ritz, New York
02. July: Jones Beach Theatre, Long Island, New York
05. July: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland
07. July: Raleigh Civic & Convention Centre, Raleigh, North Carolina
09. July: Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, Florida
10. July: Florida State Expo Hall, Tampa, Florida
13. July: "Live Aid", JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, Penn
14. July: Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee
15. July: The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia
17. July: U.N.O. Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Lousiana
19. July: Southern Star Amphitheatre, Houston, Texas * Got the Sow on Cdr.
20. July: South Park Meadows, Austin, Texas * Got the Show on Cdr.
21. July: Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
23. July: Compton Terrace, Phoenix, Arizona
25. July: Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, Irvine, California
28. July: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, California  * Got the Show on Cdr.
29. July: Cow Palace, San Francisco, California
31. July: PNE Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

02. August: Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
06. August: The Fox Theatre, St. Louis, Missouri
08. August: St. Paul Civic Arena, St. Paul, Minneapolis
10. August: Castle Farms Music Theatre, Charlevoix, Michigan
11. August: Alpine Valley, East Troy, Wisconsin
12. August: Poplar Creek Amphitheatre, Chicago, Illinois
14. August: Pine Knob Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan
15. August: Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky
16. August: Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
17. August: Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, Ohio
19. August: Centrum, Worcester, Massachusetts
20. August: Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
21. August: Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
23. August: Red Rocks Amphitheater, Denver, Colorado
24. August: CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Canada
25. August: Central Canada Exhibition, Ottawa, Canada
28. August: Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Living in Fear is the second album from the group. The band had the same lineup as for their previous album in 1985. However, John Taylor was going through a divorce at the time, as well as entering drug rehab, and pulled out before the album was recorded. Instead Bernard Edwards, the producer, played all Taylor's bass parts on the record. Unfortunately, Edwards died in Japan before the album was released; the album is dedicated to his memory. These two events did not help the album and it was not a commercial success. Despite John Taylor's absence, he still received credit on the album. The band toured in support of the album in 1996. The set-list contained a mix of Palmer, Chic, old and new Power Station songs. Luke Morley of Thunder played with them. Due to the lack of record sales, as well as the deaths of Tony Thompson and Robert Palmer, the album is presumed to be the band's last recording together.

LIVING IN FEAR CD

Notoriety, Scared, She Can Rock It, Power Trippin, Life Forces, Fancy That, Living in Fear, Shut Up, Dope, Love Conquers All, Taxman

LIVING IN FEAR CD

Notoriety, Scared, She Can Rock It, Let's Get It On, Life Forces, Fancy That, Living In Fear, Shut Up, Love Conquers All, Taxman

1996-11-06 Cologne (Germany), Underground

1996-12-01 Osaka (Japan),

1996-12-03 Fukuoka (Japan),

1996-12-05 Nagoya (Japan) * Got the Show on Cdr.

1996-12-07 Tokyo (Japan), Shibuya Kokaido

1996-12-09 Tokyo (Japan), Nakona Sun Plaza

1996-12-11 Yokohama (Japan), Kanagawa Kemnin Hall

1997-09-02 New York NY (USA), Fashion Café

1997-09-04 Detroit MI (USA), Clutch Cargo

1997-09-05 Chicago IL (USA), House Of Blues * Got the Show on Dvdr

1997-09-06 Minneapolis MN (USA), First Avenue

1997-09-08 St. Louis MO (USA), Mississippi Nights

1997-09-10 Denver CO (USA), Ogden Theatre

1997-09-12 San Francisco CA (USA), The Fillmore

1997-09-13 Las Vegas NV (USA), Station Casino

1997-09-14 Hollywood CA (USA), House Of Blues

1997-09-15 San Diego CA (USA), 4th and B

1997-09-18 Fort Worth TX (USA), Sundance Square

1997-09-19 Fort Lauderdale FL (USA), Chili Pepper

1997-09-20 Orlando FL (USA), Embassy

1997-09-22 New Orleans LA (USA), House Of Blues

1997-09-23 Atlanta GA (USA), Masquerade

1997-09-25 Washington DC (USA), 9:30 Club

1997-09-26 Philadelphia PA (USA), Electric Factory * Got the Show on Cdr.

1997-09-27 Boston MA (USA), Avalon

1997-09-28 New York NY (USA), Supper Club

"She Can Rock It" is their only official single from their album. It was their fourth and final single. It featured "Power Trippin'" as its B-side, a rock-funk song written by the band for the U.S. version of the album, and also "Charanga" written by Palmer. Charanga was released in 1998 on the Robert Palmer compilation album, Woke Up Laughing.

While promoting the single, the band was asked to change a tongue-in-cheek rude line in the song on an American talk show. They refused and the song was never played on the show. The band also recorded a live performance for Top of the Pops. Despite this the single peaked at number 63 on the UK Singles Chart.

SHE CAN ROCK IT CD SINGLE (1997)

She Can Rock It (Radio Edit), Power Trippin', She Can Rock It (Full Album Version), Charanga

"Scared" Only released as a promo cds

SCARED CD more pictures

CAT NR DPRO 7087 6 11862 2 2 PROMO

Scared 4:09

Best Of: Ten Best Series was the first compilation album by The Power Station and was released in 2003.

An anniversary edition was released 21 February 2005, featuring 7 bonus tracks, as well as a 35 minute DVD."

Include We Fight For Love" (1985) Michael Des Barres on vocals, written by Michael & Andy Taylor. Appeared in the ending credits of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film "Commando". The only Power Station studio recording with Michael on vocals. Here with a different title "Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay").

THE POWER STATION  (FEBRUARY 2005) CD /DVD

Some Like It Hot, Murderess, Lonely Tonight, Communication, Get It on (Bang a Gong), Go to Zero, Harvest For the World, Still in Your Heart

Bonus tracks: Someday, Somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay, The Heat Is On, Communication - (long remix), Get It On - (7" mix), Some Like It Hot and the Heat Is On, Communication - (7" mix), Some Like It Hot - (7" edit). + 35 minute DVD

Got this personal signed autograph from Michael des Barres in back in 2003.

 

MY BOOTLEGS

...

NO ART

THE POWERSTATION DVDR

Featuring Documentary and the Videos : Some Like It Hot, Get it On (Bang a Gong) and Communication + Bonus Saturday Night Live - Some Like it Hot

THE POWERSTATION LIVE HOUSE OF BLUES 5 SEPT 1997 DVDR *

House Of Blues 5 Sept 1997

THE POWERSTATION - THE PERFORMANCES DVDR

Live Aid performances Videos, Miami Vice aparence Performance, Saturday Night Live, Powerstation comp (Some Like it Hot, Miami Vice, Get It On, Get It On vid), Powerstation press conf. (MTV), MTV Year in Rock '85 (Powerstation & Arcadia), Japan T.V: Powerstation Int. '96 (Some like it hot, and She can rock it LIVE ), She can rock it (Top Music '96), Comunication Video, Live in Chicago, Full Show

THE POWERSTATION THE TV HISTORY DVDR

The TV History

THE POWER STATION - THE VIDEOS VCD

Some Like it Hot, Get it On, Communication

 

LIVE IN PHILLY, PA, USA 26 SEPT 1997 CDR *

Get It On, Murderess, Notoriety, She can Rock It, Dope, Simply Irresistible, Hot Pants, Go To Zero, Every Kind of People, Scared, Harvest for the World, Power Trippin', Living in fear, Bad Case of Loving You Secrets, Some Like It Hot, Addicted to Love

LIVE IN NAGOYA, JAPAN 5 DEC 1996 CDR *

Murderess, Notoriety, She can Rock It, Dope, Simply Irresistible, Hot Pants Hot Pants, Go To Zero, Every Kind of People Double Fun, Scared, Life Forces, Harvest for the World (Vocal: Andy Taylor), Power Trippin', Living in fear, Bad Case of Loving You Secrets, Some Like It Hot, Tell Me Something Good Rags to Rufus,  Addicted to Love

RADIO SPECIAL OFF THE RECORDS WESTWOOD ONE PROMO 24 JUNE 1985 CDR

Interviews : John Taylor / Robert Palmer. Songs : The Powerstation / Robert Palmer

LIVE IN LA 28 JULY 1985 KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR CDR

Murderess, Dancing In The Street, Some Like It Hot, Some Guys Have All The Luck, Communication, White Light White Heat, Obsession, Hungry Like the Wolf, Get it On, Bonus Tracks - Dead On The Money, Angel Eyes, Take it Easy, Wings of Love

LIVE IN LA 28 JULY GET IT ON TOUR 1985 CDR

Disc 1:Intro, Murderess, Dancing In The Street, Some Like It Hot, Comercials, Lonely Tonight, Go To Zero, Too Good To Be Bad, Harvest For The World, Thinking With Your Body

Disc 2:Still In Your Heart, Some Guys Have All The Luck, Communication, The Reflex, White Light White Heat, Obsession, Hungry Like The Wolf, Get It On (Bang A Gong)

LIVE IN DETROIT 14 AUG 1985 CDR

Disc 1:Murderess, Dancing In The Street, Some Like It Hot, Lonely Tonight, Go To Zero, Too Good To Be Bad, Harvest For The World, Thinking With Your Body, Still In Your Heart

Disc 2:Some Guys Have All The Luck, Communication, The Reflex, White Light White Heat, Obsession / It's Only Rock & Roll, Hungry Like The Wolf, Get It On (Bang A Gong)

LIVE IN HOUSTON 19 JULY 1985 CDR

Disc 1:Murderess, Dancing In The Street, Some Like It Hot, Lonely Tonight, Go To Zero, Too Good To Be Bad, Harvest For The World, Thinking With Your Body, Still In Your Heart

Disc 2:Some Guys Have All The Luck, Communication, The Reflex, White Light White Heat, Obsession Medley, Hungry Like The Wolf, Get It On (Bang A Gong), Interview

LIVE IN SOUTH PARK MEADOWS, AUSTIN TX, USA 20 JULY 1985 CDR *

Disc 1:Murderess, Dancing In The Street, Some Like It Hot, Lonely Tonight, Go To Zero, Too Good To Be Bad, Harvest For The World, Thinking With Your Body, Still In Your Heart, ??

Disc 2:Some Guys Have All The Luck, Communication, The Reflex, White Light White Heat, Obsession, Hungry Like The Wolf, Get It On (Bang A Gong)

SOMEDAY, SOMEHOW, SOMEONE'S GOTTA PAY CDR IN CARDBOARD SLEEVE

Someday, somehow, Someone's Gotta Pay, Dancing in the street (Live version)