Face to Face -

Face to Face was an American modern-rock band from Boston that made the 1984/85 Epic albums Face to Face and Confrontation, followed by the 1988 Mercury release One Big Day. Their first album spawned the video hits “10-9-8” and “Under the Gun.”

Members: Laurie Sargent (vocals), Stuart Kimball (guitar, keyboards), Angelo Petraglia (guitar, keyboards), John Ryder (bass), Billy Beard (drums)

Background

Face to Face formed in 1979 in Concord, New Hampshire, when drummer Billy Beard and guitarist Angelo Petraglia assembled singer Paula Dudley, bassist Randall Barbera, and guitarist George Kelly. Beard and Petraglia, both New York City natives, met at New England College in Henniker, where Beard joined Petraglia and Dudley in the Paula Doo-Rite Band. Petraglia studied visual art at the college, while Contoocook guitarist Stuart Kimball led the rival Stu Review. Kimball later joined Petraglia and Barbera in Zero Miles Band.

Beard and Petraglia returned to New York City after college but continued to compose together before moving back to New Hampshire. Petraglia persuaded Beard to leave an Exeter advertising job and commit to a full-time group; the pair rented a Concord house for daily rehearsals with Dudley, Barbera, and Kelly. Face to Face rehearsed while the members supported themselves through outside jobs. The group moved to Boston in 1980 to develop a club audience. Kimball entered on guitar and recruited former student Laurie Sargent to replace Dudley as lead singer. Face to Face played Inn-Square Men’s Bar in Cambridge and the Rathskeller in Kenmore Square. Pretty Polly Productions secured supporting dates at Paradise Rock Club, including a Tommy Tutone show.

Rick Berlin invited Epic Records A&R man Dick Wingate to a Paradise set where Face to Face opened for Berlin. Wingate sought an immediate contract, but Epic had exhausted current signing allocations. Barbera left for management work at Long View Farm Studio and with ’Til Tuesday. Jack Lambert briefly took over bass before John Ryder completed the established lineup. Ryder grew up around Boston and previously played in the Ann Prim Group and George Leh & The Thrillers. A sparsely attended Boston University performance brought the group to producer Arthur Baker’s attention. New York attorney Jay Bergen circulated a demo to Jimmy Iovine, who backed “Out of My Hands” and pressed Epic to finance a contract. Epic signed Face to Face in 1982 and assigned Iovine to the group’s self-titled debut album.

Face to Face

Face to Face released the self-titled debut album in 1984 on Epic Records.

Petraglia wrote seven tracks and co-wrote two with soundman Michael Baker, who sings backup on “Heaven on Earth.” Dance producer Arthur Baker (no relation) collaborated with the group on “Under the Gun,” an industrialized track with Tina B on backing vocals.

“Out of My Hands” shifts from an extended instrumental opening to Sargent’s rough-edged lead over a brisk beat. “Under the Gun” tremors through programmed beats and scratch-mixed fragments before a brief spoken passage. “10-9-8” circles a descending count within a taut, tightly edited dance arrangement. “Don’t Talk Like That” cuts through electronic percussion with a harder guitar-led line. “Wreckless Heart” pivots from restrained ballad phrasing into a quicker second half.

A1. “Out of My Hands” (4:48) – Petraglia, M. Baker
A2. “All Because of You” (3:45) – Petraglia
A3. “Face in Front of Mine” (4:35) – Petraglia
A4. “Pictures of You” (3:58) – Petraglia
A5. “Over the Edge” (3:06) – Petraglia

B1. “Under the Gun” (4:35) – Face to Face, A. Baker
B2. “10-9-8” (3:54) – Petraglia
B3. “Don’t Talk Like That” (3:57) – Petraglia, M. Baker, Kimball
B4. “Heaven on Earth” (3:23) – Petraglia
B5. “Wreckless Heart” (3:54) – Petraglia

Sessions commenced at Crystal Sound in Los Angeles and continued at four New York facilities: RPM Sound Studios, the Power Station, the Record Plant, and Unique Recording. Long View Farm in Massachusetts housed additional studio work. Rings musician Michael Baker produced “Face in Front of Mine,” “Pictures of You,” and “Heaven on Earth,” then joined Jimmy Iovine and Gordon Perry on “Out of My Hands,” “All Because of You,” “Don’t Talk Like That,” and “Wreckless Heart.” Iovine and Perry arrived from Stevie Nicks (The Wild Heart), while Arthur Baker followed productions for Freeez and New Order with “Over the Edge,” “Under the Gun,” and “10-9-8.”

Shelly Yakus and Neil Dorfsman engineered Face to Face amid respective 1983/84 credits with U2 (Under a Blood Red Sky) and Bruce Springsteen (Born in the U.S.A.). Bill Wittman mixed “All Because of You” in place of album mixer Dave Thoener, and George Marino mastered the sequence at Sterling Sound. Epic A&R executive Dick Wingate served as executive producer.

Face to Face carries photography by Carrie Branovan, whose mid-Eighties work extended to Thompson Twins (Close to the Bone) and The Face magazine. The front cover inverts a cropped portrait inside a black field beneath oversized outline lettering.

Epic issued “10-9-8” in May 1984 (b/w “Heaven on Earth”); the single reached No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the Dance Club Songs chart. The “10-9-8” video places the musicians in graphic studio setups built around close-ups, abrupt poses, a payphone sequence, and stop-and-go visual motifs. Sargent wears fitted black trousers, sleeveless tops, long gloves, oversized earrings, and heavy eye makeup. Mostly monochrome photography isolates red on selected clothing and props, using each red accent to punctuate the countdown and the song’s shifting signal imagery.

“Under the Gun” followed in August (b/w “Over the Edge”). The video intercuts Face to Face in a dark performance setting with staged war-zone scenes of armed figures, smoke, ruined streets, and civilian unrest. Laurie Sargent moves through the tableaux while rapid edits reinforce the song’s apocalyptic imagery. The video opens and closes with Billy Beard at the drum kit.

Wounded Bird reissued the album on CD in 2006 with twelve-inch mixes of “10-9-8” and “Under the Gun” as bonus tracks.

Streets of Fire and Touring

As the debut lingered in post-production, Jimmy Iovine brought Face to Face into Streets of Fire, the 1984 dystopian action drama by The Warriors director Walter Hill. The group recorded the 1978 Bruce Springsteen song “Streets of Fire,” but the filmmakers failed to gain clearance for the track.

In two scenes, the band’s male portion (Petraglia, Kimball, Ryder, Beard) appear as The Attackers, a fictional bar-band fronted by Ellen Aim, portrayed by co-star Diane Lane, who mimes the voice of the off-screen Sargent. They perform two numbers by Jim Steinman: “Nowhere Fast” and the climactic power-ballad “Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young,” both in the Meat Loaf songwriter’s Wagnerian Rock style. (Their fictional doo-wop opening act, The Sorels, mime a Winston Ford version of “I Can Dream About You,” a contemporary Billboard hit for writer Dan Hartman). Both Attackers songs appear on the Streets of Fire soundtrack under the name Fire Inc.

Sargent sings two additional Streets of Fire numbers — the Buckingham–Nicks-era Stevie Nicks song “Sorcerer” and the Tom Petty–Benmont Tench track “Never Be You” — both heard as background cues in the film but rerecorded for the soundtrack (respectively) by Marylin Martin and Lone Justice frontwoman Maria McKee.

Epic sent Face to Face across the United States and Japan behind the debut. The group opened dates for the Psychedelic Furs and the Romantics, then shared later bills with The Alarm and BoDeans.

Confrontation

Face to Face released the second album, Confrontation, in 1985 on Epic Records.

Confrontation contains five songs by Petraglia, who co-wrote the balance with Sargent. Backing singer Kindy Liphey joins “The 4th Watch” and “A Boy Like You.”

“Tell Me Why” cascades from an urgent opening figure into a brisk ensemble passage. “Too Late” divides its lead between two singers while harder-edged accompaniment sharpens each reply. “Walk Into the Fire” glides through measured, evenly repeated dance accents. “When Time Stands Still” broadens beneath full brass entries and forceful lead delivery.

A1. “Tell Me Why” (4:40)
A2. “Confess” (3:28)
A3. “Why Do I Say” (4:18)
A4. “Too Late” (3:23)
A5. “The 4th Watch” (5:05)

B1. “Walk Into the Fire” (4:09)
B2. “When Time Stands Still” (3:44)
B3. “Shake the World” (4:27)
B4. “A Boy Like You” (3:42)
B5. “America’s Dream” (4:18)

Arthur Baker and Ed Stasium co-produced most of Confrontation, while Zack Smith held a third production credit. Stasium recorded and mixed the sessions after the 1984 Ramones album Too Tough to Die. Bob Clearmountain carried the principal mixing credit in sequence with 1984/85 work for Bruce Springsteen (Born in the U.S.A.) and Simple Minds (Once Upon a Time).

Christopher Austopchuk directed and designed the sleeve around photography by Caroline Greyshock. The cover places the five members across a rubble-strewn industrial interior beneath an oversized red nameplate, with the album title set diagonally across the wall. Austopchuk and Greyshock continued the pairing on contemporary CBS sleeves for the 1985 Clarence Clemons solo album Hero.

Epic issued “Tell Me Why” in January 1986 (b/w “Shake the World”). Meanwhile, Face to Face cut the exclusive “Window to the World” for the Jumpin’ Jack Flash soundtrack.

Wounded Bird reissued Confrontation on CD in 2006 with “One Wish” and a dance mix of “Tell Me Why” as bonus tracks.

Epic ended the contract after Confrontation. Dick Wingate brought the group to PolyGram in 1987, where Mercury Records financed a third album.

One Big Day

Face to Face released the third album, One Big Day, in 1988 on Mercury Records.

Sargent co-wrote six songs with Petraglia, who submitted three numbers and collaborated with Kimball on “Never Had a Reason.” Guest players include fiddlist John Cunningham and keyboardists Bernie Worrell, Chuck Leavell, and Irwin Fisch. Patty Barkas and Syd Straw appear as backing vocalists.

“As Forever as You” pivots from a plaintive acoustic figure into dense electric chords. “A Place Called Home” threads open acoustic strumming through a steady dance beat. “Never Had a Reason” lingers on deliberate lead phrasing and calculated restraint.

A1. “As Forever as You” (4:10) – Sargent, Petraglia
A2. “Change in the Wind” (4:22) – Petraglia
A3. “A Place Called Home” (4:53) – Sargent, Petraglia
A4. “Never Had a Reason” (4:03) – Sargent, Petraglia, Kimball
A5. “The Day I Was Born” (3:56) – Petraglia

B1. “She’s a Contradiction” (4:05) – Sargent, Petraglia
B2. “I Believe in You” (4:14) – Sargent, Petraglia
B3. “Ever Since Eve (Blood Gone Bad)” (4:39) – Sargent, Petraglia
B4. “Some Stories” (4:20) – Petraglia
B5. “The Grass Grows Greener” (4:51) – Sargent, Petraglia

Basic tracks for One Big Day split between the Power Station, recorded by Steve Rinkoff, and Pyramid Recording in downtown Boston, recorded by studio owner Gene Bodio. Mike Krowiak handled overdubs at RPM Studios, with Billy Scott and Jeff Lippay assisting; Dave Dickerson supported the Pyramid sessions. Anton Fier produced the album while leading the Golden Palominos and producing Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ (Whisper Tames the Lion).

Rinkoff mixed the sequence after 1987 work on The Brandos (Honor Among Thieves). Jim Vanzino assisted the Power Station recording and mix, while Bob Ludwig mastered the album.

PolyGram A&R executive Dick Wingate and Mike Bays directed the sleeve; Chris Thompson supplied the cover design around photography by Hope Zanes. The blue-tinted front image separates a close foreground portrait from a soft-focus group scene across a barren field, with pale capitals above and a small italic title at lower right.

Enterprise Music issued a digital edition of One Big Day through the 2018 catalog.

Later Activity

Face to Face declined a fourth PolyGram album and disbanded in 1988 after the Mercury release. Beard and Petraglia formed The Immortals. Petraglia moved to Nashville and co-wrote songs recorded by Trisha Yearwood and Patty Griffin. He later produced and composed with Kings of Leon.

Beard recorded with Patty Griffin, Lori McKenna, and Kim Richey, then co-founded Session Americana. Sargent issued Heads & Tales and a self-titled solo album before forming Twinemen with Dana Colley and Billy Conway. Kimball joined Bob Dylan’s touring band for an extended tenure, while Ryder later worked with blues singer James Montgomery.

In February 2014, the classic “10-9-8” video appeared on the YouTube channel run by members of the unrelated ’90s Cali-punk band Face to Face.

Discography: