Franke & the Knockouts
Franke & the Knockouts were a successful American soft rock band in the early 1980s. The band was founded in 1980 by Franke Previte (singer and songwriter) and Billy Elworthy (guitar) in New Brunswick , New Jersey. The first line-up also included Blake Levinsohn (keyboards), Leigh Foxx (bass) and Claude LeHenaff (drums).
Career
The debut album "Franke & the Knockouts", which was released by Millennium Records in 1981, was the band's most successful album, along with the US top 10 hit "Sweetheart" on it. After various personnel changes, the two other albums "Below the Belt" (1982) and "Making the Point" (1984), released by MCA, on which Tico Torres, who subsequently switched to Bon Jovi , played drums.
After the band broke up in 1986 , Franke Previte made a name for himself, among other things, when he co-composed the globally successful song “ (I've Had) The Time of My Life ” for the soundtrack for the film “ Dirty Dancing ” in 1987 and an Oscar and for it received a Golden Globe . The song " Hungry Eyes ", originally a demo song by the band, also became a huge hit via the film in the version by Eric Carmen .
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
|||
| 1981 | Franke And The Knockouts |
US31 (27 weeks) US |
First published: May 1981
|
| 1982 | Below the Belt |
US48 (18 weeks) US |
First published: May 1982
|
more publishments
- 1984: Makin 'the Point
- 1999: The Sweetheart Collection
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
|||
| 1981 | Sweetheart Franke And The Knockouts |
US10 (19 weeks) US |
First published: February 1981
|
| You're My Girl Franke And The Knockouts |
US27 (13 weeks) US |
First published: June 1981
|
|
| 1982 | Without You (Not Another Lonely Night) Below the Belt |
US24 (15 weeks) US |
First published: March 1982
|
Web links
- http://www.frankeandtheknockouts.com/
- A 1998 article in English about Franke Previte's musical biography. ( Memento from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- Franke & the Knockouts at Allmusic (English)