* En anglais uniquement
In 1981, with personal changes happening in the band and commercial fortunes on the decline,
Kansas lead singer
Steve Walsh left the band that he had fronted since their recording debut in 1974. Wanting to explore new territory,
Walsh assembled a new band with bassist
Billy Greer, drummer
Tim Gehrt, and guitarist
Mike Slamer (of British cult band
City Boy). Taking the name
Streets, the quartet based themselves out of Atlanta and set to working out some original material almost immediately.
Streets made their live debut in January 1983 at
Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jam and signed a recording contract with Atlantic. They released their debut,
1st, later that same year. Eschewing the progressive leanings of his former band,
Walsh and
Streets was more straight-ahead rock & roll; a formula that, combined with
Walsh's profile, earned them a healthy response at rock radio for the record's lead single "If Love Should Go," which was a Top Ten hit. Unfortunately, it didn't lead to very substantial album sales and, following their sophomore effort
Crimes in Mind in 1985, Atlantic dropped the band. A year later,
Walsh and
Greer would be a part of a re-formed
Kansas, which included drummer
Phil Ehart, and guitarists Richard Williams and
Steve Morse. ~ Tom Demalon