ROBERT PALMER : Music & Style

The Power Station was not supposed to be this successful.

The original idea was to record a heavy, funked-out version of T. Rex's Bang A Gong for the fun of it. Afterwards, the members of the supergroup which comprises Andy and John Taylor of Duran Duran, Chic Alumnus, Tony Thompson and soul singer Robert Palmer would return to their respective careers.

But as it turned out, the band got carried away and recorded eight songs, then the album started selling like crazy. It has now come to the point where it doesn't make sense to abandon The Power Station. At the same time, it may be too hectic to try and continue it.

Michael Des Barres, who has taken over Palmer's job as lead vocalist and will be working with The Power Station when it performs at Lansdowne Park on Aug. 24, is purposely vague about the exact nature of the group's future.

He is clear about one thing, however. Its members are having serious discussions about how to keep the band going.

"I'll put it this way. It would be crazy not to do something together again. Suffice to say, we will work together again. I can't be specific at this point."

Des Barres has been writing "a lot of songs" with Andy Taylor, but remains mysterious about their final destination. "They might appear anywhere."

"I have a special relationship with Andy. We will continue to work together, but I can't be categorical about it right now."

One of the main reasons for the secrecy is that any suggestion of The Power Station carrying on has fuelled rumors of a Duran Duran break up, or possibly the more far-fetched scenario in which Des Barres would join Duran Duran.

Too many careers are at stake with The Power Station which is why its unexpected success has become "a strain" as John Taylor puts it, as well as a pleasant surprise.

It has already hit into one snag. Palmer was forced to leave the band in order to complete a solo album. It was tough going even prying the vocalist away from his idyllic homestead in Nassau for the recording session. As John Taylor recalls: "It was like trying to open a can of beans with a dollar bill."

Once Palmer heard the demo tapes, however, he was hooked. His involvement already put him behind schedule on his own album. The two-month tour was out of the question.

Des Barres is probably more disposed than the others to devote time to The Power Station. His last band, Chequered Past, folded two years ago. But Des Barres also has a busy acting career. He is signed to do another film when The Power Station tour ends.

Des Barres' acting career extends back to the '60s when he played one of the students in the film, To Sir With Love. The 35-year-old entertainer has acted in numerous television series from The Saint to, more recently, WKRP in which he portrayed Dog Boy, the vocalist of the punk rock group Scum Of The Earth.

Judging from Des Barres' reputation, one should not be surprised if his handling of lead vocals in The Power Station is much more colorful than that of the pristine, low-key Palmer.

Des Barres, however, feels there is a connecting thread between himself and palmer. "We come from a similar school. I just took a more flamboyant route," he says. "Stepping into Robert's shoes has opened up another register in my voice that wasn't there before. I will definitely give the music his impression."

Evelyn Erskine (The Ottawa Citizen -  Aug.1985)