City Boy

Formed in the mid-1970s by Birmingham school friends Lol Mason (whose father, Edward J. Mason, was the creator and original scriptwriter of The Archers) and Steve Broughton, City Boy (originally called Sons Of Doloyne and then, Back In The Band) secured a recording contract with Vertigo and released their eponymous debut album in 1975.

Their debut single – Shake My Head and Leave – went largely unnoticed, but their second single, The Hap-Ki-Do Kid, earned them a spot on BBC’s Top of the Pops.

The follow-up album, Dinner at the Ritz, received rave reviews, but chart success still eluded them. Their third album, Young Men Gone West, also failed to supply a hit single.

Shortly after Roy Ward became the band’s new drummer, the album Book Early yielded the 1978 hit single, 5.7.0.5, which reached the top 10 in the UK, #27 in the US and was a major hit in many European countries.

Signing with Atlantic Records for the US and Canada in 1979, the album The Day the Earth Caught Fire received strong reviews, and the band toured heavily in Europe, the US and Canada.

Original members Broughton and Dunn left the band in December 1979 and the remaining group members released their next album, Heads Are Rolling, as a quartet in 1980.

Their final album, It’s Personal (1981), failed to attract any attention. Unable to secure a recording contract with any of the major labels, the band split up in 1982.

After the split, Lol Mason formed the short-lived group The Maisonettes which had a top ten UK hit with Heartache Avenue (1983).

Laurence “Lol” Mason died on 30 July 2019 from a heart attack at his home in Harborne, Birmingham, after complications following a kidney transplant. He was 69.

Lol Mason
Vocals
Steve Broughton
Vocals, guitar
Chris Dunn
Bass
Max Thomas
Keyboards, vocals
Roger Kent
Drums
Mike Slamer
Guitar
Roy Ward
Drums, vocals

Video