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The Bongos are the founding fathers of the Hoboken pop scene of the 1980s. Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Richard Barone, with bassist Rob Norris and drummer Frank Giannini, the group recorded its debut album, Drums Along the Hudson (1982), a critical hit on both sides of the Atlantic and a college radio staple. Adding guitarist James Mastro, the group toured relentlessly, signed with RCA Records, and released their major label debut, Numbers with Wings (1983), featuring the sweeping title song, which became an MTV favorite. Songs like “Barbarella” and “Tiger Nights” fared well on the fledgling alternative radio format and further raised the group’s profile. They released Beat Hotel (RCA) in 1985, a year that saw them perform over 300 concerts across the U.S. It was during that whirlwind tour that their live album, The Shroud of Touring: Live in 1985 (RCA Records), was recorded. It was released in 2025. A series of select concerts that year brought all four Bongos back to the stage forty years later to celebrate the release of that nearly lost relic of a particularly wild night.
