Romeo Void / Debora Iyall

Loved them for a brief moment—saw them live more than once (in war-ravaged Portland in the early 80s), they were fabulous

Love ‘em. A Girl In Trouble really holds up well as 80s songs go.

A more subtle Village People with Roseanne?

Love them

She’s one of the very few real Native Americans in pop/rock.

I only know the 2 songs. I prefer Never Say Never.

[quote]She’s one of the very few real Native Americans in pop/rock.

Kiss my jingle-dressed ass, r5!

r7 You tried

I remember watching this interesting and sometimes actually touching series years ago on VH1 - here's the episode featuring Romeo Void.

Hold my wampum R5!

Never Say Never is great and was used to perfection in the film Reckless. Aidan Quinn's dancing was off the chart.

In the Bands Reunited episode, Clive Davis loved their demo and they had did a showcase performance for a few labels. Clive saw what Debora looked like and quickly passed on the band.

Ric Ocasek is the one who put them on the map with his arrangement of "Never Say Never." Synchronicity! I was blasting it in the car today! She didn't have much of a voice, more like lyrical talking. She played San Francisco when they were hot back in the 80s. Someone threw a box of Dunkin Donuts at her and she ran off the stage.

I loved their 2 hits but I never knew much about them until bands reunited. She was far more talented than many other women of her time (Tiffany anyone?) but because of her weight they werent given the push they needed is a sad testament to just how superficial we were in the 80s . And we were VERY plastic.

Aiden Quinn was so fucking sexy at R11. He could dance. Bet he was killer in bed.

Plus ca change R14.

MTV had a clear No Fat Chicks policy.

R17, fuck you

How many music videos did they make?

People might have liked them better if they'd slept together.

R20, for sure

Debora is the best singer ever

They gained popularity in California, particularly the Bay Area, before signing to a major label.

The record company ended up not knowing what to do with a fat chick and an arty band.

They are exceptionally good in their two semi-hits.

The guys were New Wave handsome with their lantern jaws.

I loved them, but I think they were more cutting edge and never destined to be super mega stars.

For "A Girl In Trouble" the record company tried everything they could to hide Debora's size except for doing the Black Box thing.

Of course nowadays we get to see Lizzo's stretch marks, but back then....

I don’t think she could have gotten any bigger.

I went to a wedding in Marin County, CA in about 1985 or so and Debora and her man were there. There was hope she'd sing but they were guests. Love the origin story of the band name: Romeo Void because Debora a a friend were bemoaning the lack of straight men in San Francisco at the time.

I loved this song. Another weird video though.

She was an art teacher for many years and now she and her husband (cute guy) live in New Mexico.

Is Debora gay friendly?

Probably because they’re a bunch of uggos

Anyone else remember seeing them at the Hotel Utah or at the I-Beam a couple of lifetimes ago?

I mean she's cool and Benjamin Bossi is no longer with us but down with saxophones in rock music.

Debora has said "A Girl in Trouble" was about a young woman getting an abortion.

r35 Yes

R35, that wasn't obvious?

Girl in trouble is a temporary thing…

How was her solo work?

Why wasn't Never Say Never on any of their studio albums? :

Interview on American Bandstand. I can't find the performance though...

[QUOTE]Anyone else remember seeing them at the Hotel Utah or at the I-Beam a couple of lifetimes ago?

Yes and no, mainly no. It had to be sometime between fall of '83 and maybe summer or fall of '85. I remember the drive in from Davis and bits and pieces of the rest of the evening. The drive was very memorable because I got freaked out by all the lights in the sky. My friends calmed me down and explained that they were houses on the coastal hills. (I grew up in flat Sacramento).

IMDB says that there is a music video for Chinatown but I'm not finding one.

Can anyone confirm if there was a video?

Here you go, r43

I thought they were great, but they were radio stars in a video age. If the video age came five years later, it might have been different.

R44, thank you. How did you find it? I couldn't find it anywhere

r41 I miss the '80s and American Bandstand ever so much.

R47, me too

That first EP they released after they signed to a major label is excellent, the “Never Say Never” EP. It has the longer version of the title track and three songs that didn’t appear on the Benefactor LP. I think subsequent CD pressings added it at the end.

There were other female lead singer acts at the time that had a similar vibe. Like the Waitresses and Martha and the Muffins. They were more cerebral than the more popular, colorful new wave bands. Their album covers would be cryptic, the music could sometimes be difficult but sometimes catchy, with brainy lyrics and irony. They usually had at least one hit but where they were really strong was the album tracks, which had ideas and layers.

I remember guys getting mad at this woman for being fat and seemingly being choosy about who she fucked.

Were ALL the men HOMOS?

R51 Doubtful

Was she a great singer?

R54 Are you able to hear/listen for yourself?

Debora has morphed into Roseanne Barr.

A girl in trouble is not a temporary thing.

Debora had a cute face. Round face, wide-set eyes, perfect upturned little button nose, full lips, etc.

Am I remembering wrong or did one of their videos show her face being painted like a clown.

r56 Don't insult Debora by equating her with Roseanne, even if Deb is MAGA she doesn't deserve that.

R59, is she indeed MAGA?

What does she think of Debbie Harry?

She was/is a huge gay supporter, so i doubt she's MAGA.

I might have liked them better if we had not slept together.

I was a Gen X Bay Area kid. I was too young to see their live SF shows, but in the 80s they were on regular rotation on The Quake (KQAK) and later Live 105.

Based on her Instagram posts, Debora is about as un-MAGA as you can get.

[quote]Anyone else remember seeing them at the Hotel Utah or at the I-Beam a couple of lifetimes ago?

Wow. Haven't thought of the I-Beam in decades. Down at the end of Haight St by Golden Gate Park. Used to love that place.

Because the 4 surrounding guys would’ve become completely erased from the edges of their publicity shots!

Debs a teacher in New Mexico now! I love when people go on to interesting second acts. Her music career burned hot but was a temporary thing.

She was an art teacher near Palm Springs for a decade or so before her move to NM.

r65 Oh thank God!

She's 71 now so retired from teaching.

The songs they played on the radio were great.

r72 Someone found a letter you wrote me on the radio

Love Romeo Void. Now and forever.

Who was Debora influenced by?

Great band and great singer. The 80s were really fat phobic

Sadly, they would've been bigger if she became smaller. Alanis would define this as ironic.

The sexy sax player Benjamin Bossi died a few years ago from complications of Alzheimer’s.

That really makes me feel old.

Glad that Debora Iyall seems to be doing well post-Romeo Void and post-teaching.

I had no recollection that Rik Ocasek produced Never Say Never. He also produced Weezer’s hit Buddy Holly and convinced the band to include it on their debut album against their initial faulty instincts.

Benjamin Bossi was gorgeous. Very sad that he died and had early Alzheimers.

Interesting Deborah's weight was an issue when RV was a "counter cultural" band at their time. Contemporary Belinda Carlisle's weight never led a record executive to hold the GoGos back.

To be fair, Belinda was a big pudgy, Debora was considerably larger.

It shouldn't have mattered in any case, though. They did the same kind of BS to a few other singers in the 80s like Alison Moyet.

Belinda was pudgy, and a pudgy girl with a nice face, a cocaine addiction, and minimal talent in the entertainment industry was/is always superior to her peers, all other things except talent held equal. Especially if she was willing to debase herself for drugs. Don't tell me it didn't happen.

At least Alison Moyet had a better career based in the UK where her talent was better appreciated.

The Moyet video for "All Cried Out" had some similarities to one of the RV videos.....lighting only parts of Alison's face, etc.

They thought the big caftan she wore in "Love Resurrection" would hide her size but it just made her look even bigger.

R82, what made Belinda not that talented?

Were any of the members of Romeo Void gay?

Big woo R82 . EVERYBODY was doing cocaine in the fucking 80s. It was easier to find than weed sometimes.

Why isn't Chinatown on their official Vevo account?

A cunt in trouble is a stinky pussy thing….