Hotel

Hotel was an AOR group that formed in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1973 and disbanded in 1982. Early history After various personnel changes marked their early formative years, the group solidified their lineup in 1976 with original members Marc Phillips on lead vocals/piano and Tommy Calton on guitar/vocals. Rounding out the most-popular formation of this group were Lee Bargeron on keyboards/acoustic guitar/vocals, Mike Reid on guitar/vocals, George Creasman on bass/vocals, and Michael Cadenhead on drums/vocals, which is the lineup that recorded their 2 MCA studio albums. Hotel was a popular favorite on the southeastern United States Rock-n-Roll club scene and played in all the best and largest clubs, as well as fronting concerts for many national acts who toured through the area in the mid-to-late 1970s. Their original songs were highly laced with pop hooks and heavy vocal harmonies, sometimes 6-part. Their sound was relative to power pop groups such as The Rascals and Raspberries but with a more-polished sound and much-higher musicianship; they routinely peppered their sets with tunes that showed off their musical prowess by covering difficult-to-play songs note-for-note by acts such as Steely Dan. Phillips' lead vocal also gave the group an identifiable trademark that combined a good range with exceptional quality. Recordings In 1978, Hotel released a single for Mercury Records, "You'll Love Again." It reached No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was very popular in its regional area where the band toured constantly and built a solid following.