Rocktrospectiva: The Party's Nearly Forgoteen Self-Titled Album Turns 35

Released on 31 August 1990 "The Party" was the eponymous debut album by the band of the same name. It was the first full-length release on Hollywood Records, at the time, The Party worked with the industry's top writers and producers at the time, such as Stephen Bray, Jellybean Benitez, Andre Cymone, and Deborah Gibson. The album spawned three singles "Summer Vacation", "I Found Love" & "That's Why".

 

In the late '80s. When a writer's strike interrupted a movie they were filming, Chase Hampton and Tiffini Hale were cast as the new generation of Mouseketeers. On the show, Hampton started a music group with fellow cast members, including Albert Fields, at the same time, Disney, which had started the Hollywood Records label, signed the group, which now consisted of Hampton, Hale, Fields, Damon Pampolina, and Dee Dee Mango. As part of the promotion for the band, a name-the-band contest was held. The result was "The Party," which is a backronym for "Positive Attitude Reflects Today's Youth." The group was also the first signing to the Walt Disney Company's pop-music-oriented label Hollywood Records, which, at the time, was distributed by Elektra Records. 

 

The first single, "Summer Vacation," was moderately successful, peaking at #72 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following singles, "I Found Love" and "That's Why" (which brought the group into a much bigger audience, thanks in part to a remixed version and added rap vocals), peaked at #79 and #55, respectively. 

 

The album also charted at #116 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. During this time, the Disney Channel produced a special titled "The Party: In Concert." The group's success landed it opening-act spots on major concert tours with the likes of Taylor Dayne and Vanilla Ice. However, the venture never really translated into major hit songs or platinum-selling sales after that. 

 

The group did manage to find the charts with four singles, but only one, a version of Dokken's "In My Dreams," cracked the Top 40, unfortunately, The Party was overshadowed by the future success of other Mouseketeers venturing into the pop music world, including Britney Spears, something I considereed a pity, cause for me, this teen band deserved a better fate. 

 

The album was released in the UK in 1992, with a slightly different track listing, but none of the singles made it into the charts there. 

 

The Party Track List:  

 

1. That's Why

2. Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda

3. I Found Love

4. Walkin' In The Rain

5. Sugar Is Sweet 

6. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

7. Summer Vacation

8. I'm Just Wishin

9. Storm Me 

10. Dancing In The City

11. Rodeo

12. Ton Of Bricks