Bros () are an English band formed in 1986 in Camberley, Surrey. The band originally consisted of twin brothers Matt and Luke Goss, and their friend Craig Logan, who attended Collingwood School in Camberley. The band was managed by former Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins. They achieved chart success and a large teenage fanbase in 1988 with songs such as "When Will I Be Famous" and "I Owe You Nothing". Early the following year, Logan quit the band and the Goss twins continued as a duo. After two more albums the band split up in 1992.
Bros are estimated to have sold 16 million records worldwide. In 2017, the Goss twins reunited to perform two dates as Bros at the O2 Arena in London.
History
Early years
Luke Goss and Matt Goss (born 29 September 1968 in Lewisham, London) had settled in Camberley, Surrey, after their parents had split up and their mother had found a new boyfriend, who bought Luke an electronic drum kit and Matt a saxophone, noticing their interest in music. The twins attended Collingwood College, where they became part of a band called Blue. At school they met Craig Logan (born 22 April 1969 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland) who was playing bass guitar in another school band, Stillbrook. Logan recalled that the Goss brothers came to his house one evening to say they had split from their band, and asked Logan to join them in a new group. Logan agreed, and the trio went through a variety of names for the group before settling on Gloss.
The group were noticed by Bob Herbert, who had ambitions to break into the music business as a manager – Herbert's son Chris was a classmate of the trio at Collingwood. Herbert allowed the group to practise in his summer house and paid for them to record demos, but he was unable to sign them to a contract as they were under 18 years old.
During this period Gloss had met Nicky Graham, a songwriter and producer. Graham was working and writing songs with music manager Tom Watkins, and he suggested that Watkins meet the group. Although he was unimpressed with either their look or their music, Watkins realised that he could shape the group into a boy band for the teen girl market, with Graham and Watkins writing the songs for them. Gloss split from Herbert, and signed a contract with Watkins and his management company as soon as they turned 18. Watkins renamed the band Bros, and he and Graham wrote the group's songs under the pseudonym of "The Brothers", in order to create the impression that the Goss brothers had written the songs themselves.
Success
Bros's debut single, "I Owe You Nothing", was released in August 1987, but it only peaked at number 80 in the UK Singles Chart. However, their breakthrough came with the release of their second single, "When Will I Be Famous?", in November 1987. The song reached number two in the UK, and number one in Ireland. The song also reached the top ten in 10 other countries across Europe and Australia, and peaked at number 10 in the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.
Bros followed up the success of "When Will I Be Famous?" with their third single, "Drop the Boy". Like its predecessor, it also peaked at number two in the UK and was certified Silver by the BPI. and at number one in Ireland. as well as reaching the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and West Germany.
Bros released their debut album Push on 28 March 1988. Push entered the UK Albums Chart at number two. Although it never reached number one, the album was eventually certified quadruple platinum in the UK, as well as double platinum in Australia, platinum in New Zealand, and gold in France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. A deluxe 3-CD edition of Push was reissued in 2013 by Cherry Pop records for its 25th anniversary, featuring bonus tracks.
Bros reissued a remixed version of "I Owe You Nothing" as a single in June 1988, which became their only number one single in the UK. The song peaked at number two in Ireland and in the top ten in eight other countries across the world, as well as giving them their second top ten hit on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Two further singles were released from Push, "I Quit" in September 1988, which entered the UK charts at number four, and "Cat Among the Pigeons", which was released in November 1988 as a double A-side with a version of the Christmas carol "Silent Night" and entered the UK charts at number two.
Their first UK tour, known as Bros Push Live, sold out 14 shows within an hour of the tickets going on sale. Due to the demand, extra dates were added.