Formed in 1979, Bootcamp took the Baltimore scene by storm with their debut Banzai Records single, “I’m A Victim” b/w “Hold On to the Night”. Fronted by lead vocalist, bassist, and songwriter Tim Camp, the group also featured Frank Grande (keyboards), Bob Fallin (guitar, vocals), and Howard Zizzi (drums). The quartet quickly rose to prominence with radio airplay and solid East Coast bookings, opening for The Tubes, Split Enz, Squeeze, The B-52’s, Johnny Winter, and Iggy Pop.
Bootcamp caught national attention when the band’s first two music videos, “Hold On To The Night” and “I’m A Victim,” aired on MTV’s historic first broadcast on August 1, 1981, cementing their place in rock ‘n’ roll history. “Hold On To The Night” was the 41st video broadcast with “I’m A Victim” landing 65th. Both songs went into solid rotation on the network.
In 1984, the quartet released the EP “5×4” on CES Records, followed by the self-titled EP “Bootcamp” in 1985. In 1986, the band returned to MTV with their video “Let Her Go” featured on the network’s “Basement Tapes” competition. Fervor Records proudly welcomes Bootcamp to the roster!
