Haven't Cock Robin earned their own thread?

listening to their greatest hit, it's not clear whether they were trying to go for a europeanized version of southern rock or not

Wasn't one of them originally in Naked Eyes? Or did I dream that?

"When Your Heart Is Weak" was a great song. "Just Around The Corner" and "The Promise You Made" were OK, but no more. And that's it.

I caught their "pick the lock on your heart" video a half-minute in one time on VH1 Classic and rofl'd hardcore when I discovered the band's name at the end. Apt, I say.

From Rolling Country 2006 thread:

9. cock robin *after here through midland* 1987 $3.99 (not country, but with harmonies anyway. i've long wondered what their deal was. maybe joe mccombs can explain them to me. who was their audience? i've long wondered if maybe they were like a lesser version of quarterflash or something, but the guy's voice on the couple tracks i listened to sounds british or aussie--maybe more like dream academy or icicle works, whatever that means.)
-- xhuxk, Saturday, 25 March 2006 23:04 (1 year ago) Link

Cock Robin, I lump in with sophistipop of the period like Prefab Sprout, Danny Wilson, Blow Monkeys, and Style Council. And indeed, Dream Academy. I'm partial to that kind of stuff but then again I've never been accused of rocking too hard.
-- Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, 26 March 2006 02:04 (1 year ago) Link

Great description of Cock Robin's audience, Joseph, thanks! And yeah, they sound like a band that would have been played at band camp, I get that.
-- xhuxk, Sunday, 26 March 2006 16:19 (1 year ago) Link

and finally, I forgot to mention that Cock Robin have a really weird name.
-- xhuxk, Sunday, 26 March 2006 22:44 (1 year ago) Link

it's from the poem, right? "who killed cock robin".
-- gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Sunday, 26 March 2006 23:00 (1 year ago) Link

And oh yeah, Cock Robin. They're kinda interesting. I especially like "El Norte," where the voice of the girl Cockrobin dominates over the boy Cockrobin, and "Every Moment," which if I'd guess was the hit if I had to guess, though Joseph, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm still somehow hearing them as belonging in the same category as Quarterflash and Will to Power, though I'm not sure why, beyond a man and woman switching off singing. Also, they're not nearly as eccentric or lively as Quarterflash or Will to Power. Though hardly anybody is, to be fair. Not sure how much more I have to say about them, beyond that. I'm not familiar with most of the groups Joseph compared them to up above. I do get the idea that they weren't cow-towing to any mainstream I'm aware of, despite being mainstream. Most likely they're part of some '80s adult genre I've never before given much thought to.
-- xhuxk, Sunday, 9 April 2006 15:37 (1 year ago) Link

AMG suggests I was wrong about the hit, but maybe right about linking them to country:
More mature, After Here Through Midland lacks the sparkle of Cock Robin's debut. The one time they engaged an American producer in Don Gehman (John Cougar Mellencamp, Hootie and the Blowfish), After Here has a more U.S. rock-country blend to it. In the end, it achieved little in the States, again doing the business in Europe -- "Just Around the Corner," "The Biggest Fool of All," and "El Norte" notched up the U.K. singles chart. "I'll Send Them Your Way" could have landed them the U.S. hit they so deserved. "Another Story" is picturesque -- almost like an Edward Hopper painting of small-town America: small wooden house with porch, a deserted street, heavy grey sky, and one illuminated streetlight. "Nobody's home, so I'll go looking out for trouble," sings Anna LaCazio..
-- xhuxk, Sunday, 9 April 2006 16:25 (1 year ago) Link

Speaking of Cock Robin (who got Rock-A-Rama'd at least once, I think)(must consult with RRRiegel), I remember really really liking a boom-boom desert roll (song on a Musician magazine sampler; "Something In My Heart"? Should've been a hit, crossing over from wherever) by Texas, who turned out to be Scots, and the female vocalist had an Italian-sounding name. Ever heard an album by them?
-- don, Monday, 10 April 2006 03:07 (1 year ago) Link

Oops, left out this one (which I replied to):

(In other words, their audience was the kids who were in band, rather than the kids who were in a band.)
(Oh, and add Double ["Captain of Her Heart"] to my list above.)
-- Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Sunday, March 26, 2006 2:08 AM (1 year ago) Bookmark Link

I kind of thought these guys would sound like Talk Talk

I only know The Promise You Made and I've always thought there was something medieval sounding about it. And no, heh, I'm not just making the connection Cock Robin/Robin Hood.

well if they were going for a European sound, then it certainly worked if their chart placings were anything to go by

"The Promise You Made"
FRA: 4 – 1986
GER: 6 – 1986
ITA: 18 – 1986
NL: 1 – 1986 (for 2 weeks)
SWI: 7 – 1986
UK: 28 – 1986

"When Your Heart Is Weak" just came up on shuffle. Man I dug that song in 1985, even bought the cassette. Long since sold as the rest of it was pap. But that song is still fun in all it's overwrought glory.