By Gerry Gittelson
Melodicrock.com Los Angeles correspondent
LOS ANGELES -- Tony Lewis, lead singer for well-remembered British classic-rock act The Outfield, is back.
Four years since the death of co-founder/guitarist John Spinks, who was the main songwriter, Lewis just released a new album Out of The Darkness, and he is also among the key figures in the multi-act Retro Futurama tour that is trekking across America from New York to California and lots of cities in-between.
'The response has been really good, really overwhelming -- the crowds still know all the words to the songs,' Lewis said. 'It's kind of weird being out there and not seeing John Spinks next to me, because we had been together so long, but yeah, it's going well.'
Smash-hit 'Your Love,' featuring that infectious opening line 'Josie's on a vacation far away,' was a No. 6 single on Billboard in the 1980s -- among other Outfield hits from triple-platinum debut Play Deep -- and Lewis still loves it, he said.
'That song kind of took on a life of its own. The crazy thing is, John Spinks wrote Your Love in like 20 minutes,' Lewis remembered. 'He was a great guitar player and a great songwriter.'
Lewis comes to Los Angeles on Saturday, July 28 at the famed The Wiltern Theatre on Wilshire Boulevard -- something the dark-haired singer is looking forward to because The Outfield rarely played in tinseltown.
'That wasn't our choice. We wanted to play in Los Angeles a lot more,' Lewis said.
A particularly memorable performance with The Outfield was an old concert at the open-air Greek Theatre with Starship.
'I remember Neil Diamond had just done like five headline nights at the Greek the week before,' Lewis said. 'That was a good night. We actually were on tour with Starship for six months, and I remember the Greek Theatre very well.'
Meanwhile, unlike other British groups, The Outfield did not hang out at the usual Los Angeles and New York spots, instead returning home to London when not on tour.
And while The Outfield's success was meteoric, as the group was never able to match its early success, the songs like 'Your Love,' 'Say It Isn't So,' 'Since You've Been Gone' and 'All The Love In The World' continue to be played on the radio.
As for Lewis, he is not quite ready to take his walk into the sunset.
'It has been quite a while actually, but it's nice to be back. It really is,' he said.
RETRO FUTURA TOUR
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DATE
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CITY
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VENUE
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Sat
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7/21
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Las Vegas, NV
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Mandalay Bay
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Sun
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7/22
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Saratoga, CA
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Mountain Winery
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+Wed
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7/25
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Phoenix, AZ
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The Van Buren
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Thu
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7/26
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Costa Mesa, CA
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Pacific Amphitheatre
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^Sat
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7/28
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Los Angeles, CA
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The Wiltern Theatre
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Sun
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7/29
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Tucson, AZ
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Anselmo Valencia Tore Amphitheater
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Wed
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8/1
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Milwaukee, WI
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Pabst Theatre
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Fri
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8/3
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Northfield, OH
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Hard Rock Live
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Sat
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8/4
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St. Ignace, MI
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Kewadin Casino Resort
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