RPM

RPM was one of the most important groups in Brazilian pop/rock of the '80s. In 1983, bassist/vocalist/composer Paulo Ricardo (Paulo Ricardo Oliveira Nery de Medeiros, Rio de Janeiro RJ, b. 1962) joined Luiz Schiavon (Luís Antônio Schiavon Pereira, São Paulo SP, b. 1958), a friend since 1977 and bandmate of the stillborn Aura. The two of them teamed up to form a duo in the Eurythmics style. They recorded a demo tape with future hits like "Olhar 43," "Revoluções por Minuto," and "A Cruz e a Espada," but the demo was turned down by CBS. They decided then to include other members and to perform live. Guitarist Fernando Deluqui (São Paulo SP, b. 1962) and drummer Moreno Júnior, who was only 15, were chosen. The quartet opened in May of 1984, and signed with CBS in November. The young drummer was replaced by Charles Gavin, who departed only one month before the recording of the single featuring "Louras Geladas" and "Revoluções por Minuto," and the single was finally recorded with the help of a drum machine. Released in January 1985 along with a compilation of several rock bands, Rock Wave, the single "Louras Geladas" was an enormous success from the start. Soon after followed the first LP, Revoluções por Minuto, in June, 1985, which included the drummer P. A. Pagni, and it was also a huge success, selling 600,000 copies. The tour was heavily promoted, gathering 2,000,000 people in 270 shows. The second album, Rádio Pirata — Ao Vivo, was recorded live from May 26-27, 1986. The LP was released with 250,000 copies presold. The album went platinum, reaching over time the impressive figure of 2,200,000 copies sold. In two weekends of that year, May 9-10 and June 7-8, the band packed the Maracanãzinho, attracting 42,000 spectators. In the same year, the group appeared in the film Rock Estrela, by Lael Rodrigues, playing "Olhar 43." On September 27, they played for 40,000 people at the Praça da Apoteose in Rio. In 1987, RPM recorded a single with Milton Nascimento with compositions by Nascimento/Paulo Ricardo. In August, a memo signed by Paulo Ricardo and Schiavon and addressed to CBS announced the dissolution of RPM. The reason was the distribution of rights among them. Pressed by CBS, which had them under contract, they recorded the third album, RPM, also known as Quatro Coiotes. The album sold 170,000 copies. In February, 1989, the group was dissolved definitively, even though they met again to record lesser albums like Pérola and É Natal, in 1993.