If you were in the Delaware Valley in the 90’s you’re likely familiar with the band Strange As Angels. Most people know that throughout the 1990’s, Strange as Angels (SAA) was the Delaware Valley’s first and #1 alternative rock band, but not everyone knows that before they rocked the stage as SAA, Keith, EJ and Chris were members of the band Construction, a hugely popular Top 40’s band and they were also founding members of the RIVALS, one of the top-tier original bands that made up the thriving Philadelphia original music scene of the late 1980’s.

The four-song debut RIVALS EP was released on Shadow Records in 1984. It was recorded at Studio IV in Philadelphia, produced by Allen & Johnson and engineered by Phil Nicolo. The EP met with excellent reviews from the greater Philadelphia media and RIVALS fans. “Don’t Wake Me Up” and “Jamie” garnered strong airplay on WMMR’s “Street Beat” program and Wilmington-based WSTW’s “Fine Times Tonight.” “Don’t Wake Me Up” was a top five requested song on WPST in Trenton, NJ and “Jamie” was featured on WYSP’s “Local Shot.”

September 1987 marked RIVALS second release “Live Without You b/w “Cheap Imitation.” Recorded at Uncle Max’s Recording Studio in Fieldsboro, NJ, produced by Allen & Johnson and engineered by Scott A Evans, the RIVALS music was evolving to show off tighter and more upbeat rock/dance arrangements and more studio savvy. Following this much anticipated record release and a record release party at the famous J.C. Dobbs on South Street, “Live Without You” was heard on all local commercial radio, particularly WPST where it was in rotation. In addition, “Cheap Imitation” was included in “Philly Rock” a compilation disc released by Studio IV featuring Philadelphia’s Premier Talent.

RIVALS leaves behind a legacy of great shows, great music and great times for those lucky enough to have been part of the late-eighties original Philly rock scene. A scene where you could see the RIVALS on Friday, and some band called Nirvana the following Wednesday! If you missed out on that scene, it’s OK — RIVALS - The Very Best - Volume 1 will give you a glimpse of why retro-80’s rock is still a cool thing today!