The Greatest Retro Band That Never Was: The Januaries

Chances are, you’ve never heard of the Januaries. The ’60s-inspired alternate pop band released only one album during their brief, but bright, career — their self-titled debut CD from 2000 — and yet, it remains one of the favorites in my collection. Just the first few tracks, containing shades of Astrud Gilberto, Blondie, and even Herb Alpert, are enough to win over any fan of the mid-century sound. What a shame that they faded nearly as quickly as they were formed.

I’m not alone in my disappointment. A few years ago I realized I hadn’t heard anything further about the Januaries, and naturally let my fingers do some Googling. That’s when I saw comments on YouTube like “this band should have shot to the top,” “this whole album is so underrated,” “the Januaries should have been huge,” and “this album is still among my all time favorites.” And then, a curious comment left by the lead singer of the band, Debra Diament: “It was a clash between myself and the guitarist…he put the kibosh on the band.”

But more on that in a minute. The Januaries were made up of lead singer/songwriter Diament, guitarist Rick Boston, keyboardist John Nau, bassist Tobias Kroon, drummer Peter Smith, and trumpet player Mitch Maker. Of the group, Diament’s background is perhaps the most interesting. With her long blonde hair and sultry ’60s sex kitten looks, you’d never guess that she once fronted raucous punk bands (Pink Fuzz and Magpie) earlier in her career.

“If you took a car ride with me and heard what I play in my car, you’d be shocked that I sang in the Januaries,” she admits. “But there’s another side to me that loves a lot of ’60s music — Dusty Springfield is an example. I had moved to NYC and was frequenting a club called Vampyros Lesbos where DJ Franco would play a lot of ’60s/’70s french go-go pop, and I really got into it. When I came back to LA for winter holidays, I was asked to sing on some recordings that Rick Boston had made. I got him to wipe the tracks and just leave the drumbeats and I started to sing some ‘ba-bas’ over them in a soft, Stereolab type of way and he loved it. That’s how the Januaries were born.”

All of the band members shared a love for various ’60s artists which culminated in the group’s debut album The Januaries, released by Foodchain Records in 2000. Diament had named the group after hearing too many people complain about having a “case of the Januaries” once the holidays were over. “To me, January is a hopeful month, a chance to begin again, and shed the old,” she explains. They were together for a couple of years and touring throughout the US. Reviews of the group’s live performances attested to Diament’s dynamic stage presence and it seemed the band had real potential to make it big.

But Diament and Boston weren’t getting on well off-stage. A 2001 Los Angeles Times profile of the group wondered aloud if “they [Diament and Boston] would even be friends if they weren’t in a band together.” Diament blames the nasty demise of the band on Boston, who wanted to date her even though he already had a girlfriend, and who was more interested in making money than entertaining. “It was more important to Rick to make music for commercials and fast cash then it was to make music for the love of it.” Sadly, the group disbanded.

What they left behind is an album that is not to be overlooked, fueled by Diament’s sultry vocals and lyrics. She describes it as “straight out of the bedroom. I want people to listen to it when they’re making love, or driving an Italian convertible sports car.” (Or, if you’re practicing some self-abuse or driving a Volkswagen like some of us who currently don’t have access to either of Diament’s scenarios.) From bouncy opener “Juliette” to the doo-woppy “U & Me” that closes, the 13 tracks bridge the gap nicely between retro and modern.

Some of them — “Chocolate and Strawberries,” “Jon Sings,” “Cinema Girl,” and “The Girl’s Insane” — are very breezy and bossa nova, recalling Europop, a la Serge Gainsbourg. Then there are the groovy uptempo numbers: “Black Transmission,” “Angel Eyes,” “Summer of Love,” and “All Systems A GoGo” that Debbie Harry would envy and leave me craving more.

My favorite track is “Summer of Love.” “I’m in your head, your bed, you better beware / ‘Cause you’ve lost yourself in the summer of la-la-love,” sings Diament, brimming with a man-eater’s confidence. “I used to be a ten / Now I’m number one.”

After the group disbanded, Diament became a model and actress, but these days is focusing on her son, and has no current musical projects in the works. Luckily, the album is still available to download and stream on Spotify, so do yourself a favor and check out the brief legacy that this group left behind.

Pamela Sosnowski

Pam Sosnowski's love of retro music and pop culture all started when she saw the Beatles cover band 1964 in concert in the early '90s. It wasn't long before her obsession with the Fabs led to an interest in all things 1960s, probably because she never actually lived in the decade. Today she is the author of Go Retro where she ruminates about the people, places, and things of the pop culture past and is also a freelance writer.