User:The Boyz of The Summer
“A band that will stand the test of time.”
| The Boyz Of The Summer | |||
| Origins | Thorold, Ontario | ||
| Year(s) active | 1978 - 1999 | ||
| Genre(s) | Pop Rock, Progressive Pop | ||
| Label(s) | Faux Gaye © | ||
| Members | Ryan Donnelly Kyle Lehan Cameron Green | ||
“These guys are like rockets of love, my man.”
“They truely brought me to Thunder Island”
The Boyz of The Summer were a Canadian super group that exploded into the music scene in early 1978, after the release of their Destination Love single. The Boyz enjoyed a great deal of success throughout the 1980's, topping charts across the world. In the early 1990's, Cameron Green was admitted to rehab several times for his caffeine addiction. This addiction would prove all too much for The Boyz, as their works from the 1990's were vastly regarded as failures - save for the single Forever Green - and is widely believed to have brought about the break up of The Boyz. The Boyz officially retired in 1999, leaving behind a legacy of success. In 2001 The Boyz released their Best of the Summer album, comprising of The Boyz greatest hits. The album was the last album of The Boyz to reach Number 1 on the mainstream rock charts. The Boyz were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003. During the ceremony, Cameron Green was removed from the premises by security after assaulting fellow musician Don Henley.
Core Members[edit | edit source]
- Ryan Donnelly - Electric Guitar, Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Harmonica, Triangle
- Kyle Lehan - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals, Bass Synthesizer Pedals, Electric Glockenspiel, Backing Triangle
- Cameron Green - Drums and Perucssion, Gong, Glass Breaking Sounds, Backing Triangle
History[edit | edit source]
The Early Days[edit | edit source]
The Boyz met by coincidence in 1973 whilst attending Thorold Secondary School in grade 9. The three of them were exceptional music students. Under constant pressure from their music teacher Cornelius Winstanley, the Boyz entered the battle of the bands competition that winter known as The T-Boyz. The Boyz blew away the competition, and decided to officially form a band known simply as The Boyz. Later, after the memorable summer of 1974, the Boyz once again changed their name to the famed The Boyz of The Summer, after discovering that they all possessed a strong bond in their love for the summer, summer activities, summer vacation, summer clothing, summer food, summer walks along the beach and sunsets, and love making. The Boyz of The Summer were apparently formed on a beautiful, somewhat windy, summer afternoon in the quiet Canadian city of Thorold, Ontario.
“I recall the day vividly. I heard a strange noise echoing from the meadows, and then the clouds parted and the sun has never stopped shining.”
For the next 3 years, the Boyz spent the majority of their time writing songs, rehearsing, and performing gigs at local bars and clubs. In the summer of 1977, while playing a free concert in their hometown, the Boyz were spotted by a Faux Gaye© talent agent. Immediately following the show, the talent agent contacted the Boyz agent, Diaz Ramierez, whom was also Cameron Green's long time best friend. Talks began of Faux Gaye© Records signing the Boyz to a contract, and in the fall of 1977, the Boyz hit the studio to record some tracks for their single album, which was set to be released in early 1978.
Destination Love[edit | edit source]
Destination Love is the single that has gone down in history as being the song that inebriated the world with the concepts of love, and love for the summer. In early January 1978, on the apparent date that all the planets and stars aligned across the entirety of the universe, the Boyz released their first smash single.
“When I looked into the Hubble telescope, I...I saw one thing. I knew of only word in my mind that could describe what I saw on that date....LOVE.”
From that day forth, the Boyz were said to be "Love struck"; the title of a single which would later appear on their first studio album. Destination Love topped the rock charts across North America and Europe. The Boyz were an instant sensation. All across the world, people were buying Boyz of the Summer merchandise, ranging from bobble heads to tin lunch boxes. The Boyz were completely in awe of their renowned success, assuming that their demo tape would merely be tossed aside by Faux Gaye© executives. However, Destination Love provided the "new age" pop wave sensation that Faux Gaye© had been searching for in other bands. Thus, Faux Gaye© Records signed the Boyz of the Summer on February 14, 1978.
“It was a lovely day for us you know...just a lot of loving that day...women, women, men...some house pets...some more women, a herm.”
1980s[edit | edit source]
The Boyz Invade London[edit | edit source]
The Boyz Invade London was the Boyz first album since the success of their major smash hit Destination Love. The Boyz initiated what was believed to be the American counter attack to the British Invasion, even though the Boyz were in fact all Canadian. The Boyz album dealt with their love for the British dish of Beef Wellington, which they were rumored to have spent a week binge eating in their hotel. The Boyz also chronicle their meeting with the Queen, in which Cameron Green having been served tea instead of his favored drink 'Boo-Koo', went on a rampage insulting the British monarchy, the British legal system, and British Soap Opera's. It is believed that Cameron's 16 hour anger fueled rant may have influenced the British Monarchy to reform many parts of the British government. During the Boyz stay in Great Britain, they were the center of controversy many times. In late September of 1982, the Boyz managed to paint their infamous symbol 2 miles high on the Cliffs of Dover overnight, something that would take 200 men three weeks to repair. In November of 1982, the Boyz met with former Beatle, and legendary musician John Lennon. John Lennon argued with the Boyz claiming their album title hinted at war, and invasion as being a good idea. After a long debate John Lennon left the Boyz hotel in a fit of anger. The Boyz would spend the next month in a lengthy public argument with John Lennon.
“How do you feel right now about Mr.Lennon, sir?.”
“I wish someone would just make him go away”
With their adventures aside, the Boyz album topped charts in the U.K., as well as The U.S., Canada, Ireland, Bratislava, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Finland. The album would go platinum 8 times, and win album of the year.
Captain’s on the Seas of Love[edit | edit source]
Following the success of The Boyz Invade London, the Boyz started work on their second full album, Captain’s on the Seas of Love. Much like their previous album, this album focused on the Boyz ability to make love. However it's principle focus was on the idea that making love is the most important thing, even more so then money or power. This album was also a huge success, topping almost all mainstream rock charts from America to Japan.
In addition to the album being a major success, the single Makin’ Love on Wall Street, was the fastest selling single in history. The single dealt with the idea that love was more important than money. Makin’ Love on Wall Street became a radio staple, and is often believed to have been played on the radio more times than Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven.
Airport Love[edit | edit source]
The Boyz continued on their success with the 1988 release of Airport Love. This album focused more on the world as the Boyz saw it, and marked a remarkable change in the sound of the Boyz. The Boyz now relied heavily on the usage of the synthesizer, the bass drum and guitar, and most dominantly, the electric triangle. This album is believed to have been their conceptual album, containing many new sounds and techniques throughout the tracks. On Love at 32,000 ft, the Boyz have a 14 minute introduction in which the sounds of a bustling airport can be heard, followed by the flight attendant informing passengers of the emergency procedures.
It is rumored that a bitter dispute between the Boyz and Faux Gaye© took place during the creation of this album over the Boyz newly acquired tastes. The album's release was delayed as a result, having to be released in 1988 as opposed to December 1986. This dispute with Faux Gaye© was far from over however, and the Boyz would soon see a hiatus in their music making. Contrary to what Faux Gaye© executives believed, this album, like its predecessors saw remarkable commercial success, yet again topping the charts.
Airport Love brought the first Boyz single that appeared to be a sad song. The single entitled We Started Broken Hearted, was a song both heavier, and darker than the Boyz previous singles. This song is believed to have been written by drummer Cameron Green after the death of Juan Pablo del Ramierez from a long and bitter battle with the common cold. A special and rare single was created specifically for all members of the Ramierez family. At each show on the Airport Love tour, the Boyz dedicated this song to Juan Pablo del Ramierez, Diaz Ramierez, and the entire Ramierez family. In fact, the Boyz went as far as to create rare and expensive concert merchandise that featured a caricature of Juan, and the phrase "We Remember". The income from this merchandise was donated to a charity set up in Mexico City to help street children come clean called "The Juan Pablo del Ramierez Charity for F**cked Up Children", or the "JPDRCFUC". In 1996, Cameron Green was charged with embezzling $13.7 million from the charity's accounts.
1990's[edit | edit source]
Return to Thunder Island[edit | edit source]
The bitter feud between the Boyz and Faux Gaye© carried onto this album, as the Boyz had to halt their production due to internal issues. Faux Gaye© threatened to cancel the Boyz contract. However, after their 1989 appearance in POP!'s Pop Goes My Heart video, which earned the Best Music Video of the Year Award, Faux Gaye© quickly changed their mind. Thus, Cameron Green was allowed to take a break from recording and seek help in rehab. After the death of Juan Pablo del Ramierez in late 1987, Cameron became increasingly more aggressive and angry, to the point where Boyz mentor, Don Henley threatened to get a restraining order from Cameron. Also, Cameron had been developing a caffeine addiction, most likely from his constant binge drinking of energy drinks; his favourite being BooKoo. Cameron Green was admitted to the Crossroads Centre in Antigua, where he remained for almost a year. When Cameron Green was deemed stable, the Boyz once again began recording their new album.
Return to Thunder Island was a tribute to the Boyz idol and hero, Jay Ferguson, and his 1977 album, Thunder Island. The album was released, and was the first failure of the Boyz of The Summer. The album released one single, Love Daze, which failed to chart successfully.
Tensions Rise[edit | edit source]
During the recording of Return to Thunder Island it was apparent that the Boyz were having some trouble keeping it together. Cameron Green would often show up high off a dose of caffeine. At this time his love for the drink 'Boo-Koo' had turned from a preference into an obsession. Cameron's deep problems with caffeine made him very angry, and hard to cope with. Eventually Kyle and Ryan realized that they had had enough, and decided to make the biggest change in the Boyz history; fire Cameron Green. On the morning of July 19th, 1991, Ryan Donnelly left the following message on Cameron's answering machine: "Hey Cam it's me Ryan. Me and Kyle are still working hard mixing the new Cd, hoping to see you come around soon. I was wondering about that Camaro you were selling, did you manage to sell it? I have a cousin that might be interested so give me a ring if you haven't sold it. Ummm anyways...yeah..sooo anyways....umm on second thought we don't need you down here....so uhhh...yeah don't worry about coming. Hey did I leave my wallet at your house by chance? oh by the way...uhhh yeah we don't need you for uhh the spring tour. Yeah we got another drummer....so yeah..that's gonna work. Ummm soo ummm you know Cam, ummmm yeah, you're uhhhh out of the Boyz. Well that's all I wanted to say, give me a call if you get a minute, ciao man."
For the next 6 months, a horrific chain of serial murders would occur in the San Diego, California. A total of 27 victims were killed within that span, leaving behind little to no evidence into the insight of the killer. All that is known is that the killer is presumed to have been an avid fan of Boo Koo, for their was always at least 3 to 6 cans at the scene of the murder. Although Cameron Green was considered as a prime suspect, charges were later dropped after 5 of the key witnesses involved in the case mysteriously drowned on a fishing expedition in the Rocky Mountains. The murderer was dubbed the Boo Koo Strangler, and the case still remains cold to this day.
Forever Green[edit | edit source]
Forever Green was the first single released by the Boyz without their famed drummer, Cameron Green. Luckily for the Boyz, it was a far cry from their last work, and once again set record high success on charts. Although the song appears to be expressing the sadness in the deforestation of the evergreens, it is actually about their former band mate. The song is essentially a long tale of how the end came to be for Cameron.
Although Cameron Green was not actually part of this single, he was included on the cover of album. Faux Gaye© believed that by doing this, they would slowly fade Cameron out of the band, easing the tension and confusion felt by all. Also, Cameron appears as though his eyesight is impaired on this album cover. The Boyz meant this to be a statement about how Cameron's problems with anger and raw fuelled energy blinded his visions of love and his love for the summer. Although Cameron appeared on this album, he received no royalties from the single.
Incompatible Love[edit | edit source]
Incompatible Love was the second studio album without famed drummer Cameron Green. Instead Kyle Lehan and Ryan Donnelly used an automated drum machine to produce their sounds, as well as taking on some of the instruments themselves. They also utilized the revolutionary technology of the automated triangle to produce their backing triangle sounds. Kyle Lehan and Ryan Donnelly were rumored to have almost changed their name to 'The Lehannally Buck Hunting Project' until the record company shot down the idea believing it wouldn't sell. The album itself featured heavy use of electronic equipment, and themes of being trapped in a computer like world. Unfortunately the album failed to chart successfully, and was deemed a complete failure.
The Boyz produced one single off this album. Operation Love was a complete failure, and was rumored to have sold only enough albums to fill the trunk of a Chevette; most of which were sold to close friends and family members. The song was apparently a satirical attack on the incompatibility associated with the numerous operating systems for computers at the time. However, there are various secret references to how former band mate Cameron Green had grown incompatible with the Boyz visions of love, summer, and summer love.
The Best of The Summer[edit | edit source]
Three years after the Boyz officially retired from the music industry, they released their final studio album, The Best of the Summer. This album, unlike the Boyz recent failures, was a complete success, topping the charts and establishing itself at number 1 for 51 of the 52 weeks of 2001. Their album was toppled in the last week of 2001 by David Wilcox's Do The Bearcat Remixes. The success of the Boyz new album led to a quick burst of rumours of an up and coming reunion tour with the Boyz in the summer of 2002. However, these rumours were completely untrue, and the Boyz have still yet to confirm a definitive reunion tour date for this upcoming summer.
The Summer Never Dies[edit | edit source]
In 2003, E! True Hollywood stories invited the Boyz to their studios for an official interview about their musical careers. Ryan Donnelly and Kyle Lehan happily obliged, but Cameron on the other hand was a constant nuisance on the set, causing a number of disturbances with staff. The majority of the time he appeared, he was loaded up with Boo Koo, which would turn him into a violent raging lunatic. Cameron was eventually thrown out of the studio and banished for life after assaulting Barbra Walters with a crowbar, and urinating in her gas tank and slashing all four tires on her new BMW. Cameron's part in the rockumentary was purely archived footage. The Boyz were able to spill their guts about many long time mysteries that surrounded the band throughout its duration. The true dark sides of the Boyz in the post-Cameron era were very clear in the rockumentary, as both Ryan and Kyle delivered several heart wrenching statements of lost love for their former brother. The rockumentary was a complete success, and is estimated to have had about 3.6 billion viewers worldwide.
Reunion Tour[edit | edit source]
New Demand[edit | edit source]
After the Boyz released their greatest hits album demand for them grew like never before. Seas of people camped outside the rockstars houses protesting that they go on a reunion tour. There were so many fans that both Ryan Donnelly and Kyle Lehan couldn't exit their driveways, and Cameron Green was charged with 19 counts of assault on fans while trying to leave his. This new demand for a Boyz reunion led the Boyz to do many t.v. appearences as their original trio, giving some light to a reunion tour being in the works.
Early in 2002 Ryan and Kyle were awarded the Order of Canada by the Canadian government, presented to them by the Queen, and Conservative leader Stephen Harper. At the ceremony the Queen commented in her speech of her previous meeting with the Boyz of the Summer, but still believed they were essential to spreading Canadian influence. When Ryan Donnelly took the stand he said 'well that little lady sitting right there may not like our antics, but i love my queeny doll'. It is believed Ryan Donnelly was beaten shortly after the ceremony by members of the Scotland Yard for atleast four hours. It should be noted that Cameron Green was not awarded the honour, and was excluded from the ceremony. Upon hearing this information Cameron burst into a fit of raging, gambling more than 500 000 dollars away, as well as funneling money from the Red Cross into his blackjack fund. He is also believed to have been responsible for the death of groupie hooker Justine Kay Rosalind, who had been with the band since its formation. When questioned about this Cameron Green simply said 'Why don't you get Canada to order me to tell you what happened? God knows that's the only order i'll get from them!' Three weeks later Cameron Green was issued an order demanding he release the information on her whereabouts or risk being charged. Although it is believed he knows the whereabouts of her, possiblly lifeless body, the investigation went cold.
Tough Love[edit | edit source]
Although the Boyz had a constant image of being love frenzied flamboyant -sometimes homosexual- band mates, there was still trouble in paradise. Shortly after the release of their second album, Captain's on the Seas of Love in 1985, the Boyz were hit by their first wave of turbulence on the high seas. It was at this time that Cameron Green first started to experience his severe anger fits and caffeine related addictions on a regular basis. Cameron began to channel money from the accounts of the other Boyz into his account, and was using it in high stakes poker and black jack games, at the horse track, and to fuel his need to intense energy. Eventually, Cameron developed a very grand debt that he owed to various bookies and mobsters. In late 1987, the Boyz mentor Don Henley, was shot in an attempted drive-by on Cameron after the two of them were leaving a Hollywood club. Don Henley later filed for a restraining order from Cameron Green, as there were also number of other events similar to the said event that had brought about severe ramifications on Don Henley. This did not go over so well with the other Boyz, as they frequently met with Don to discuss their music and lyrics. Soon after the shooting, Cameron brought more problems to the Boyz when he left their recording of Return to Thunder Island after being admitted to the Crossroads Rehab Center for his caffeine addiction. While Cameron was away battling his own inner dark lords, Ryan and Kyle were trying to hold on for dear life to their recording contract with Faux Gaye© Records. Finally, after a long fought battle that lasted nearly a year and almost resulted in not only the loss of the Faux Gaye© Records contract, but the other Boyz themselves, Cameron returned to the band. However, the damage had already been done, and Cameron was just re-opening old wounds. Thus, after the release of Return to Thunder Island, the Boyz fired Cameron from the band, citing that he was ultimately responsible for its commercial failure. To make matters worse, Cameron's best friend and the Boyz agent Diaz Ramierez, took his own life after the horrible failure of Return to Thunder Island. Cameron saw this as being the result of his problems, and once again sunk into his old aggressive and energy loaded ways. Eventually, Cameron headed to Las Vegas to feed his gambling addiction. However, it was here that he hit rock bottom, and where he is believed to still exist today.
In interviews with Ryan and Kyle from The Summer Never Dies, the Boyz explained how from day one, Cameron was essentially a huge mistake to the band.
“To put it quite frankly, we actually only used Cameron for his drum set because at the time we couldn't afford one on our budget, and our former drummer died after asphyxiating whilst trying to eat an entire phone book whole after a stupidly tragic dare”
Over the years, Cameron repeatedly ran into trouble with law, receiving charges for various crimes such as assault, assault with a deadly weapon, sexual assault, harassment, sexual harassment, fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, impersonating a police officer, impeding a peace officer, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, loitering, rape, conspiracy to commit murder, grand theft auto, and worst of all, plagiarisms. Furthermore, Cameron was also issued several thousand restraining orders from fellow musicians, such as Don Henley, Neil Diamond, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Billy Idol, Bryan Adams, all members of Duran Duran (including Stephen Duffy prior to his death), Madonna, all members of ZZ Top, David Wilcox, and many, many more. With Cameron on board the Boyz, their reputation was scarred to say the least.
“The Boyz motto has always, and I mean ALWAYS been about quantity and not quality”
However, it was not always just Cameron Green that was stirring up controversy in the Boyz. All three Boyz were continuously belittled and berated about being homosexuals, although these rumors have never actually been confirmed. Many of the Boyz public concerts and events were continually attacked by anti-homosexual gangs or groups, protesting against the Boyz music. On numerous occasions, the Boyz were sent letter bombs from members of the Ku Klutz Klan, the Canadian Heritage Front (on one occasion one was addressed from Wolfgang Droege himself), skin heads, and many more anti-homosexual groups. In 1986, the tirade reached its boiling point when a reported Boyz fan gunned down 17 KKK members at a meeting. The state of Alabama erupted into chaos, eventually leading to martial law. The Boyz were never allowed back into Alabama after that day.
The Boyz were also considered to be very rebellious against the law, believing that they themselves were untouchable from law enforcement. The Boyz have committed, or are believed to have committed an extremely long list of felonies throughout the course of their career. In the late 80’s, the Boyz summer activities were put on hold as they entered the court room. The Boyz were brought before the International Criminal Court, and charged with 47 counts of gross misuse of the word ‘love’ and 89 counts of gross misuse of the word ‘summer’. The Boyz were also charged with assault against their hero Don Henley, as well as copy right infringement on his song ‘Boys of the summer’. When confronted with these charged the Boyz responded “Well that may be true….but go F**k yourself”. At this time Cameron Green attacked the Chief Justice rendering him unconscious with one punch. Although the Boyz actions were deemed unruly, the Boyz were only forced to issue an apology for their actions, and do community service.
The Boyz are also believed to have been behind the Great Balloon and Fireworks Fiasco of 87' in Las Vegas. The Boyz were in Las Vegas on June 17, 1987, performing a show at the Flamingo Hotel, which led investigators to believe that this strange occurrence was done in their part. At exactly 8:43:19 PM, 100,000,000,000 hot pink and baby blue balloons were released into the Las Vegas atmosphere from several different locations throughout the city. Exactly 13 minutes and 51 seconds later, 140,000,000 pounds of fireworks lit up the night sky above Las Vegas, spelling out "Love Life" and forming a gigantic heart. The incident was visible as far away as British Columbia, Canada, and Guatemala. The resulting explosion vaporized 37 commercial aircraft that were in the Las Vegas air space at the time, claiming the lives of some 5063 people. The incident was captured on live television, and via satellite, broadcasting it across the world.
At first, the authorities believed it to be the act of a radical terrorist cell. However, evidence eventually began pouring in that started to point the incident in the direction of the Boyz. The Boyz have always denied these allegations, and were never charged for the incident. It still remains the largest unsolved mystery in the United States. As a result of these initial accusations, the Boyz were later blamed for the "Phoenix Lights" phenomena that occurred on March 13, 1997.
Honourary Members[edit | edit source]
Don Henley[edit | edit source]
The Boyz of the Summer and Don Henley were like two peas in a pod. They went together like mashed potatoes and gravy. The Boyz had always admired Don Henley's talent as a musician, especially Cameron. Cameron emulated many of Don's drumming techniques throughout his music career, and often played alongside Don on several tracks. In 1984, Don released a single that he dedicated to the Boyz called The Boys of Summer. Over the years, Don Henley and the Boyz appeared numerous times on each others albums, and shared a very close bond. Unfortunately though, Don was forced to get a restraining order from Cameron Green after he had received abuse, harassment, sexual harassment, and even took bullets for Cam.
The Best of Both Worlds[edit | edit source]
Sammy Hagar was another large influence to the Boyz, because much like the Boyz, Sammy Hagar was in love with love. Sammy was known for producing excellent love songs, or songs that randomly and sometimes uselessly included the word love merely for the sake of loving love. Much like Don Henley, Sammy Hagar appeared on several of the Boyz tracks. In 2001, Sammy Hagar was crowned the Dean of the Institute of Love in Wilmno, Ontario, Canada. Ryan Donnelly and Kyle Lehan entered into a partnership with Sammy to open 7 Institutes of Love throughout the world, to preach the ways of love to the inspired. Also, in 2007, Ryan and Kyle also joined Sammy in his sponsorship of the Cabo Wabo racing team.
Kyle Lehan has been quoted as saying that Michael Anthony was his biggest influence during his music career. Kyle grew up copying Michael's bass techniques, and even performed several bass duets with Michael on tour. In 2001, Michael Anthony was crowned Head of Campus Affairs at the Institute of Love. Later, in 2003, Michael and Kyle went on a tour performing several shows worldwide. Unfortunately, the tour was a failure, and Michael and Kyle were soon in debt. Luckily, they acquired a lucrative hot sauce business that soon eased their enormous debt. You can still buy Mad Anthony's Hot Sauce by the gallon to this day.
Jay Ferguson[edit | edit source]
It is believed that when Jay Ferguson was born, he had the "Boyz symbol" for a birth mark. Jay Ferguson was destined to become a member of the Boyz of the Summer. He is one of the Boyz greatest influences. The Boyz grew up idolizing his snazzy and catchy love songs, - especially Medicated Goo, Snakes on the Run, and Babylon - and used him as an inspiration for their lyrics. The Boyz appeared on Jay Ferguson's failed Jail Break Love album, and he on their failed Return to Thunder Island album. Although both albums were complete and utter failures, the Boyz and Jay remained close friends. Jay became a member of the Boyz entourage and was responsible for providing back up vocals, writing lyrics, and public relations. In early 1988, The Boyz and Jay purchased a small island in the Galapagos Islands claimed it to be Thunder Island. They then built a large resort and amusement park, small housing community, and recording studio where Return to Thunder Island would later be recorded. In 1996, a mysterious electrical short out occurred, throwing the amusement park into chaos. Several rides crashed, while others stalled in dangerous places, such as loops or over seemingly never ending pits. The Boyz facing a lawsuit decided to merely scrap the amusement park. The Boyz are still unaware of why this electrical short out occurred, as the only out of the ordinary occurrence on Thunder Island that day was that Cameron Green was visiting. It is believed that only the Boyz and Jay still own property on the island.
“It was a horrible experience for me, being the first time that I had returned to the island in nearly 5 years. I could literally feel the surge of electricity flowing through my fingertips. I too did a dance of the folds and took the next ferry back to shore with the other inhabitants. F**k Thunder Island!”
Ryan Cecchini[edit | edit source]
Ryan Cecchini was one of the many honorary Boyz that Ryan and Kyle brought to the Band after Cameron was fired in 1991. He performed backup vocals on several tracks on Incompatible Love, and was also part of their Incompatible Love tour in 1993. After Ryan and Kyle parted ways, Kyle was invited to join B3, Ryan Cecchini's popish boy band. In 1996, Kyle joined B3, changing it's name to Love Fusion. After a short two year stint in Love Fusion, Kyle left. Ryan and the Boyz are still close friends.
Tim Lord[edit | edit source]
Both Ryan and Kyle sought out Tim Lord after the failure of their 1993 album, Incompatible Love. They entered the studio with Tim and produced an album riddled with Tim's famed historical and mystical references to prominent British figures, places, and dishes. In late 1994, Tim Lord released an album entitled, Tim Lord sessions, Featuring the Boyz of the Summer. The album was a complete failure because the country and folk styles of Tim Lord didn't fit in with the pop of the Boyz. The Boyz broke away from Tim after the failure, refusing to go forth on another album with him. They cited the reasons that he, much like Cameron Green, was violently out of control. They regularly meet Tim Lord for lunch every Thursday in a small London pub to enjoy Beef Wellington together, chatting about music, weather, and history.
Cam Stone[edit | edit source]
Cameron Stone was the Boyz long time legal advocate whom was swiftly and smoothly able to get the Boyz out of any legal hangup. The Boyz met Cam when during high school whilst taking his law class. They immediately fell in love with his teaching style, which later led to his hiring at the Institute of Love. The Boyz knew that eventually during their musical career, they would need the help of a lawyer. Thus, they hired Cam Stone to defend them. Cam was able to free them of any charges for their wild escapades in England during The Boyz Invade London Tour and during their gross misconduct and use of words in the late 1980's. Cam's biggest victory was long and bitter fought "Love Tower" dispute in 1989. While recording their new album in Paris in 1989, the Boyz ran into a tremendous amount of legal trouble. Somehow, they managed to deface all the paintings in the Louvre with the Boyz symbol in one evening. Their biggest legal snag however, was when they managed to hire a construction company that disassembled the Eiffel Tower and rebuilt it in the shape of a heart over night. The next day, Paris awoke to see the Love Tower in the horizon. The Parisians were outraged, and demanded blood. After a nearly 2 year court battle, Cam was able to relinquish the death sentence via the guillotine. The Boyz only punishment was that they had to make 10,000 crepes for French President Danielle Mitterrand. Instead, the Boyz made 10 pancakes in the shape of the Boyz symbol, and took the next flight back to Canada, never to return to France again. Although Cam Stone believed he should be the spokesmen of the Boyz legal issues, the Boyz asked him not to release any statements to the medio following his first interview, which went as follows "Hitherto, we had feared that the writ of habeus corpus had been suspended. I had to assure that they did not suffer from vicarious liability, and had that they had lawfully practiced due diligence upon hearing the crown's statements"
The Influential Boyz[edit | edit source]
The Boyz of The Summer have attributed much of their success to their mentors of the rock industry. Jay Ferguson is believed to be amongst the biggest influence of the Boyz. After the Boyz started out in 1978, Jay Ferguson requested them at his chambers to have them play back up on his new album, Jail Break Love. Unfortunately, Jay's new album was a complete failure, and he ceased making music after its humiliation. He did however, jump aboard the Boyz band wagon and acted as a lyrical aid, groupie, and sometimes performed backup vocals for the Boyz.
“You only meet a man like Jay Ferguson once in your lifetime. He's a lyrical genius, a sex symbol, and a complete love maniac. He was born to be a boy!”
Aside from musicians of the past, the Boyz drew influence from fellow rockers of their era. Mainly, the likes of Sammy Hagar of Van Halen. The Red Rocker rocked the socks off the Boyz, blowing them in more ways one with his intense "lovified" lyrics and synthesizer beats. The Boyz and Sammy became great friends. In 2007, Ryan Donnelly and Kyle Lehan entered a partnership with Sammy Hagar to sponsor the Cabo Wabo racing team in the Indy Cart Race League. The Boyz and Sammy were said to have held a series of Love Rituals, in which a deep spiritual state was achieved through group love making. These Love Rituals were responsible for the creation of many of the Boyz lyrics, and have been outlawed in many of the Southern States in the United States, all 3 Territories in Canada, Liechtenstein, and Vatican City. After this extreme boycotting of Love Rituals, the Boyz and Sammy were forced to seek homage elsewhere, finding it in Cape Verde.
“Nothing will ever top that feeling of love we had in Cape Verde. We had so many loving times that summer (1987). Hell, Cape Verde even named the 25th of June after us, declaring it National Love Day.”
In 2001, Ryan Donnelly, Kyle Lehan, and Sammy Hagar opened the first of 7 Institutes of Love in Wilmno, Ontario, Canada. The Institute of Love is a collegiate institute geared at preaching the teachings of lovology, summerology, and love making to open minded youth and musicians. The Boyz named Sammy Hagar as the Dean of the first Institute of Love. Other institutes opened in London, England; Mexico City, Mexico; Berlin, Germany; Tokyo, Japan; Waco, Texas; and Jones town, Guiana.
The Boyz also sought out another musician during their career. In 1984, sensing that the break up of The Police was imminent, The Boyz invited Andy Summers into the band, needless to say because of his name. They offered Andy Summers a lucrative contract deal, as during the mid 1980's the Boyz were at their peak of success. However, Andy Summers refused to join the Boyz, citing that they were to risqué for his career. The Boyz were outraged, and produced a song attacking Andy Summers on their 1985 album Captain’s on the Seas of Love called 4UAND. The song's title was actually the phonetic way of pronouncing "For you Andy". It is rumored that since the release of Captain’s on the Seas of Love, Andy Summers has slept with a gun under his pillow.
“There was something fishy about those Boyz, something I can't seem to put my finger on. They almost seemed a little too flamboyant with their fluorescent pink and baby blue jump suits, and long hair, and their huge sex orgies...seemed a bit like homosexuals if you ask me.”
In 1989, the Boyz were invited by fellow pop band POP!, to perform the backup on their smash hit, Pop Goes My Heart. Their appearance in the music video is said to have been the deciding factor in POP!'s winning of the Best Music Video over Duran Duran's Do You Believe in Shame that year. This resulted in a bitter feud that left Duran Duran's Stephen Duffy dead. The circumstances surrounding his death have always been mysterious, as two different stories explain his death. In one, he was simply struck by lightning whilst attending to his father's sheep one afternoon. The other, he was killed when his George Foreman Grill plummeted into his hotel jacoozi, electrocuting him. However, in both cases, enormous loop holes flaw the stories. For instance, on the day of Duffy's death, not only was it not raining, nor thundering, nor lightning, Duffy was out of the country for a promotional commercial. Secondly, the George Foreman Grill had yet to be invented in 1989. All the world knows is that somehow, the Boyz were held responsible for his death, and were banned from staring in any music videos for other bands.
“You know this whole ban is absolutely ludicrous! It's not like we punched Duffy in the chest and sent an electric current through his body. It's a dark day in the history of the Boyz...I need a Koo! ”
The Boyz were also avid Rush fans, as Rush had been their favorite band growing up, and also because they too were Canadian. The Boyz drew heavily from Rush's musical prowess and alternative rock skills, as evident in the Boyz later records. The Boyz fancied Rush's heavy use of the synthesizer on tracks such as Subdivisions, Mission, and Mystic Rhythms. Also, Cameron Green drew much of his drum work from the famed Neil Peart; frequently having anywhere from 5-30 minute drum solos in some of the Boyz tracks. Following Captain’s on the Seas of Love, the Boyz actually surpassed Rush on the rock charts. Apparently this caused the downfall in Rush's later studio albums, as they felt immense pressure to be greater than the Boyz, and humiliation in the fact that they had been ousted from their title as top Canadian rock group. However, much like Rush, the Boyz enjoyed anything but success in the 1990's.
Side Projects[edit | edit source]
The Tim Lord Experience ft. The Boyz of The Summer[edit | edit source]
After the commercial failure of Incompatible Love, Ryan and Kyle decided to enter the studio once more, this time in a different way. The Boyz had grown up admiring the underground music of British tenor, Timothy Lord, or 'The Lord' as many of his albums stated. Tim Lord's music often dealt with his mystical meetings of historical figures such as Oliver Cromwell, and Winston Churchill's Beef Wellington Supreme dinner's. After 6 months in the studio, Tim Lord released the album "Tim Lord sessions, Featuring the Boyz of the Summer". The album had the distinct country, and folk sound Tim Lord had been famous for, while mixing with the pop lyrics of the Boyz. The mixture was a complete failure. The idea of making love in the summer to the sound of Tim Lord's long violin solo's never caught, and the album failed to chart successfully. Although Tim Lord invited the Boyz to work on a second album with him, the Boyz declined. The Boyz are believed to have declinded this because of Tim Lord's out of control behaviour.
“Yea we definitly had some problems with partying with Tim Lord. One time he showed up to my hotel room at 3:00 am with some mysterious pills and grey dust, which he instructed me to digest. I just turned to him and said 'Tim no, Shit no man, I'm not doing that'. He got really angry at that and started throwing stuff and giving me a detailed history of London..I was actually really scared.”
“One time he called me down to the hotel lobby and uhhh he had filled the entire pool with whisky, at which point he told me to jump in and start drinking. Normally I wouldn't have thought this was that bad, but uhh, then I turned around and he was naked...with a lot of other people...who were naked too...and some dogs..and cats..and the situation just kinda threw me off.”
Love Fusion[edit | edit source]
After Ryan Donnelly and Kyle Lehan parted ways in 1996, Kyle joined up in a new band. Former honorary Boy Ryan Ceccini was part of a pop boy band called B3 with friends Leonard Ferry and Joshua Lalonde. Ryan invited Kyle to the band, and Kyle happily obliged, however, he had one condition.
“ I told Ryan and his friends that if they wanted me in the band, they were going to have to drop B3 and change to the name Love Fusion. I cannot think of a more appropriate name for a band of 4 men engaging in love”
Love Fusion enjoyed a moderate commercial success on their 1997 and 1998 albums. Their first album, Fused Together was about making love, and the coming together of the band. Their second album, Lost in Trans-Fusion was a satirical album and political statement that ridiculed and attacked the Canadian Red Cross for their transfusion of contaminated blood that left thousands of people with AIDS and Hepatitis C in the 1990's. The album received a lot of negative publicity in Canada, and all members of the Red Cross boycotted the album. It was after this album that Kyle Lehan left the band after succumbing to a deep depression.
“I've felt a great deal of emptiness and depression since 1991. When Cameron Green left and entered rehab, he took my heart with him ”
Ryan and The Lady Lights of Love[edit | edit source]
Shortly after the Boyz disbanded in 1996, Ryan Donnelly set out on his journey to ride a hot air balloon across North America. Along the way he rediscovered himself, and fell in love with music once again. He also met three women who he would make backing vocalists for his new solo effort entitled 'Ryan and The Lady Lights of Love'. The band's first Cd would chart successfully with singles such as 'The North by North Lights of Love', and 'The North Star only Points To Love'. The band's second album was a rock opera entitled 'Aleksandra and The Journey of Both Love and Life' The storyline focused on a girl named Aleksandra who believed she could communicate with animals. She takes her ambitions and moves to New York city where she falls in love with a vet. Upon finding out he also puts animals to sleep, she kills both herself and the vet. The horrifically depressing, and maniacal end to the album is believed to have caused the album to fail. The backing vocalists also claim that Ryan cried every night while touring, sometimes screaming Kyle Lehan's name. It is also believed that during this time Ryan Donnelly got a tattoo of Kyle Lehan on his left thigh. Shortly after the failure of their second album, Ryan and Lady Lights of Love disbanded.
Cameron's Purple Haze[edit | edit source]
In 1993, Cameron Green released his first and only solo album. Cameron's Purple Haze was Cameron's idea of a conceptual album that his former band mates had shot down. Now that he was on his own, he pitched the idea to Vrai Straight® Records, the rival and competitor of Faux Gaye© Records. The two record companies pitted the former band mates against each other on the charts in 1993. However, to the dismay of both companies, both Cameron's Purple Haze and Incompatible Love were humiliating commercial failures. In fact, both failed records were reportedly the causes of Faux Gaye© and Vrai Straight®'s declines in the music industry.
Cameron's Purple Haze was actually just two lengthy instrumentals of approximately 20 minutes in length. The consisted of very unique but horrible drum, trumpet, saxophone, and electric triangle solos. It is rumored that only about 1000 copies of this album were ever sold. Cameron Green is reported to own at least 900 of those copies.
Discography[edit | edit source]
- Destination Love - 1978
- The Boyz Invade London - 1982
- Captain’s on the Seas of Love - 1985
- Airport Love - 1988
- Return to Thunder Island - 1990
- Forever Green - 1991
- Incompatible Love - 1993
- The Best of The Summer - 2001
- The Summer Never Dies (Rockumentary) - 2003