Extreme

First called The Dreams, the Bay State band’s original 1981 lineup was Gary Cherone, Paul Geary, Eddy Goulart and Peter Hunt. By their first recording in 1984, Goulart had been replaced by David Rich, and they were known for energetic stage shows. For mystery-shrouded reasons, the band lost their name, and by 1985 they were the “ex-Dream,” which morphed into Extreme. Another lineup change resulted in Pat Badger and Nuno Bettencourt replacing Rich and Hunt, and their song “Mutha (Don’t Wanna Go to School Today)” was a hit on the MTV Basement Tapes. Probably best known for their ballad “More Than Words,” Extreme remained a hard-edged rock band until, after three albums, they broke up in 1996. Members continued in different musical directions, most notably Gary Cherone’s brief stint as lead singer for Van Halen. Extreme reformed for a few gigs in 2006, their live show as thrilling as ever. In 2008, the band returned to the studio and released Saudades de Rock.
(by Ed Symkus)

Published on December 28, 2012