Animotion

Animotion is a new wave band best known for their quintessential ‘80s hit “Obsession”. When the LA band Red Zone broke up, the band’s manager suggested to the members who wanted to continue performing that they collaborate with Bill Wadhams of the Billy Bond Band. Renamed Animotion (after seeing the word 'animation’ in a dictionary), their performance at a music showcase got them signed to Polygram Records in 1984. Their (first) self-titled album was released late that year (titled The Language of Attraction in Canada).

KROQ in LA put their first single “Obsession”, one of two songs the band did not write themselves, into heavy rotation and the band was soon performing to sold-out venues in Hollywood. In January of 1985, the song entered the Hot 100 and began its climb up the chart. Animotion toured the US west coast and won a KISS FM battle of the bands in LA as “Obsession” worked its way to an eventual #6 peak in the US (and the top 40 in five countries overseas). Animotion toured the US with Howard Jones and performed on several television shows including American Bandstand, Soul Train and Solid Gold. Another single, “Let Him Go”, reached the top 40 in the US and in Germany that summer.

When the band learned that songwriters were making more than performers, all members insisted on contributing to the second album Strange Behavior. However, again the lead single “I Engineer” was not written by the band. It was a top 20 hit in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but only a minor hit in the US. The second single “I Want You” was top 30 hit in Germany, but was only a minor hit in the US also.

Tensions began to grow within the band as they felt the success of Strange Behavior was hampered, according to Wadhams, by a change in the way Polygram Records promoted records after being investigated over payola. The band came under new management who suggested they get rid of female vocalist Astrid Plane and bassist Charles Ottavio (who were a couple at the time), and the band resentfully complied. Their new A&R man (who’d told Wadhams he didn’t like the band’s music but would work with them anyway) insisted the group abandon plans to use producer Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys, New Order) and exclusively use outside songwriters, at which point Wadhams left.

Actress Cynthia Rhodes and ex-Device member Paul Engemann replaced Wadhams and Plane, and Animotion’s next single “Room To Move” was released in 1988 as part of the film soundtrack for My Stepmother Is An Alien. It became a top 10 hit in the US, almost made the top 10 in Canada, and reached the top 40 in New Zealand. It was included on the band’s second self-titled album. The follow-up single “Calling It Love” was a minor hit in the US. The band broke up shortly afterwards.

Wadhams and Plane reunited in the early 2000s when Wadhams called Plane one day:

I called Astrid and said, “I’m in your area. Would you like to get together and have a cup of coffee? Enough time has passed.” We laughed, we cried, sort of forgave each other… Within a matter of months, I got a call from Alex Hart at KNRK in Portland. He said, “We would love to have you come and appear as Bill from Animotion. We’ll put some money up.” I said, “If you can put up money, let me see if I can get Astrid as well.” It turned into a reunion gig.

Animotion then began performing again to nostalgic crowds. In 2013, as Cherry Red Records was reissuing the band’s back catalog, they told Wadhams that they’d be interested in releasing new material as well. Three years later, their first new album in over 25 years Raise Your Expectations was released in the UK. The album saw a US release the following year. It was preceded by its lead single “Last Time”.