Pablo Cruise

by Steve HueyPablo Cruise achieved some measure of success during the latter part of the '70s with its mellow, easygoing California pop. The band was formed in 1973 by former members of Stoneground and It's a Beautiful Day: guitarist Dave Jenkins, keyboardist Cory Lerois, bassist Bud Cockrell, and drummer Steve Price. The group was praised for the compositional and instrumental skill on the albums Pablo Cruise and Lifeline, and were rewarded with the Top Ten hit "Whatcha Gonna Do?" in 1977 from A Place in the Sun. Cockrell left and was replaced by former Santana bassist Bruce Day. Worlds Away went platinum, as did its predecessor, and produced three hit singles, including the Top Ten "Love Will Find a Way." By the time the '80s rolled around, the new wave movement was in full swing on the pop charts, and Pablo Cruise fell out of favor with the record-buying public. Several of the group's songs were used as soundtrack material for sports programs on ABC, CBS, and NBC, and their work also appeared in the films Free Ride, An Unmarried Woman, and Dreamer.