Gleaming Spires

Gleaming Spires was a very cool and creative 1980's New Wave band from Los Angeles, California. The group first formed in 1981. The principal members were: Bob Haag (vocals/guitar), Leslie Bohem (vocals/bass), David Kendrick (drums), and Jim Goodman (keyboards/alto saxophone). The band released their debut album "Songs of the Spires" in 1981 on the label Posh Boy Records. Gleaming Spires scored their only big hit with the extremely funny and funky novelty number "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?". This song was initially intended as a throwaway B-side. "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?" not only received substantial airplay on the Los Angeles radio station KROQ, but also was featured on the soundtracks to the hit teen comedies "The Last American Virgin" and "Revenge of the Nerds" as well as became a staple tune in strip clubs. Despite developing a cult following in Los Angeles, the group's follow-up albums "Life Out on the Lawn" and "Walk on Well Lighted Streets" failed to match the commercial success of "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?". Gleaming Spires appear as themselves in the amusingly lowbrow comedy "School Spirit." Moreover, the group made musical contributions to the third and fourth "The Devil in Miss Jones" hardcore porno features. In addition to being the core members of Gleaming Spires, Haag, Bohem, and Kendrick were the rhythm section for the pop-rock outfit Sparks from the early to mid-1980's. Gleaming Spires released their fourth and final album "Welcoming a New Ice Age" in 1985. The band eventually broke up in the mid-1980's. The individual members went on to pursue solo careers: David Kendrick joined the group Devo in 1986, Leslie Bohem went on to become a highly successful screenwriter, and David Haag joined the band Speed Limit in the 1990's.