Paris By Air

Windswept but Still Flying: Paris By Air

Who were the members of Paris By Air?
Haydee Rivera was lead singer through 1991, when she was replaced by Teri Gil. Willie Cleer was another singer and also played drums, bass, keyboards, and saxophone. Backing up Willie on the vocals was Rick Munarriz, who also played keyboards and guitar.

Where was Paris By Air from?
Their hometown was Miami, Florida.

How and when did they form the band?
Willie Cleer and Rick Munarriz formed the band right out of high school. They went to the same high school but thought they were polar opposites. Willie worked nights as a security guard to help his family while Rick had a Gibson Flying V electric guitar and Yamaha DX-7 synthesizer that he says he didn’t deserve. What they did have in common was music: In his small amount of free time, Willie Cleer was a mamber of a cover band, while Rick Munarriz was a songwriter. Willie’s band was missing a keyboardist, and Rick fit the bill.

How did they find their lead singer?
A DJ friend who worked the sound at one of their shows knew a girl named Haydee who marched to her own drummer, so to speak, but was a brilliant singer. When Haydee left the band, Paris by Air needed not panic – their producer, who had also worked with Expose, the Pet Shop Boys, and Enrique Iglesias, had plenty of contacts. Rique Alonso also knew someone named Teri Gil, a Miami local.

What was their first hit?
That was “Voices in Your Head,” released in July 1989. It peaked at #14 on the Billboard Dance Chart. It had a galloping bass, Euro-styled vocals and clever lyrics that play on two different levels. The song came to Willie’s creative mind as caught in gridlock on the 836 Expressway on his way to Rick’s house. With time to spare, Willie hummed a few song ideas. The chorus flowed and Willie jotted it down amid bumper to bumper traffic. The rest of the song came together at Rick’s house, where Rick created the bass progression and the opening melody line, adding it to Willie’s riff. Then Haydee came over to complete the song.

So who does “the Archer” refer to?
Why, Cupid, of course. It was offbeat lyrics like this, as well as the song’s catchiness, that gave “Voices in Your Head” its longevity long after its 1989 release.

What other hits did they have?
In March 1990 “C’mon & Dance With Me” topped off at #35. Around Christmas “It’s Another Holiday” began to be played, and is still a regular on the radio that tome of year.

What happened after those hits?
Well, even with the success of those singles, a recession hit in 1990-1991, leading Columbia to drop many artists, including Paris By Air. Haydee relocated to New York, and Terri Gil took over. The band didn’t have a label, but they released “I’m Serious” and “Mr. President” in 1992. Then Hurricane Andrew destroyed the band’s studio.

Was that the end for Paris By Air?
Not at all. By 1996, the band’s studio was rebuilt and they released All Around the Sound. In Europe, YYZ Records distributed it. The band was back in the studio in 2002.

Tell us a little about the song “Changes.”
It’s reminiscent of Depeche Mode, but with hot female vocals, a story about the seasons of a relationship that is ending. The song goes through the seasons summer, fall, and winter. The song ends before spring – season of regrowth – as the relatrionship has no chance of rebirth. The lyrics refer to historical heroes who had infamous downfalls – Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Caesar – and monuments that had a similar fate – comparing them all to the once great but doomed romance.

Anything about “Heard About the Weather”?
The funny thing is this song – about how love is as random as the weather – was written just as Hurricane Andrew was tearing Paris By Air’s studio apart.

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