The Hitmen

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There are 3 groups called The Hitmen.

1) UK New Wave band of the late 70s/early 80s led by Ben Watkins. They released two albums - Aim For The Feet (1980) and Torn Together (1981). The latter album contained the nearest thing they got to a real hit - “Bates Motel”, which was widely played on radio in the UK and featured on the newly-formed MTV in the States. Keyboard player Alan Wilder later joined Depeche Mode before going solo as Recoil. Sadly, none of their material is currently available on CD or legal download.

2) Sydney. The early 1980s. If you were a fan of live rock and roll and weren’t even peripherally aware of The Hitmen, you desperately needed someone to check your pulse. In fact, you didn’t even have to hail from Sydney - Australia’s most bombastic and cocksure rock outfit toured all over Australia. Relentlessly.

The Hitmen were originally an outgrowth of Radio Birdman, with most of its membership passing through the ranks of what was originally a party band.Their all-enduring member was frontman Johnny Kannis, whose Greek-Australian lineage didn’t preclude him from being a descendant of the Dictators’ Handsome Dick Manitoba and Elvis Presley. He leaned his stagecraft as Radio Birdman’s Master of Ceremonies and one-half of their back-up singers The Glutonics. The other constant in all but one post-Birdman Hitmen line-up was Chris “Klondike” Masuak, a Canadian-born teenage schoolmate of Kannis and close spiritual guitar kin of James Williamson and Ross the Boss.
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  • Like I Love You
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  • Trésors California Cruisin'
    The Hitmen
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  • Smashface
    The Hitmen Play
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  • Side By Side
    The Hitmen
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  • flashbleu

    I like the UK new wave band and the Aussie psych-rockers, but my tolerance doesn't quite run to trance and, er, gabber.

    March 2012
  • marimerci

    den glade Viking

    July 2011
  • BimboBoy

    The Hitman is a correct artist, so please don't vote for it to be changed to this one. That's another artist. :) Thanks!

    June 2011
  • kanto_sho

    Someone put Aussie Hitmen last.

    April 2011
  • raqueltrance

    my favorite music Energy is YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    December 2010
  • secret_nick

    What's this german crap?! AUS ROCK INSTANTLY WINS [2]

    October 2010
  • Akbar69

    both guys are going different ways now. ron bon beat project (ronny bibow) continues to produce hands up in old good the hitmen style, and money-g (michael bein) makes electro. too bad, the hitmen project is defunct now.

    September 2010
  • BrokenRazorwire

    LOL yeah its funny & annoying at the same time - all that messing up the bands. i actually listen to the 80s new-wave band which members were ex-depeche Alan Wilder & Ben Watkins from Juno Reactor... Bates Motel <3

    July 2010
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