Dollar (band) - Career

Career

Thereza Bazar and David Van Day met at 17 when they successfully auditioned for the cabaret act Guys 'n' Dolls. The group enjoyed a number of hit singles in the mid 1970s and during this time Van Day became romantically involved with Bazar. By 1977 the group was in decline and the pair complained about the choice of material and musical direction. Van Day decided to quit the band to embark on a solo career while Bazar would continue with Guys n' Dolls to earn a living for them both. The group's management were unhappy with the situation and sacked Bazar with the reasoning that a six-piece group consisting of three couples would now look odd with five members. With the change in circumstances, the pair decided to begin a career as a duo. They were picked up by French label Carrere Records, going under the name Dollar.

Dollar's first single, "Shooting Star", was released in late 1978 and, after a slow climb, reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up, "Who Were You With In The Moonlight?", was released in early 1979 and also reached number 14. After two hit singles featuring Van Day on lead vocals their third, the ballad "Love's Gotta Hold On Me" was sung by Bazar. It became Dollar's first self-penned hit as it entered the Top Ten and was one of their biggest, climbing to number 4 in the UK chart. Encouraged by this steady run of success, the group released their debut album, Shooting Stars, which made the top 40. In a change of pace, the band released a cover of The Beatles' song "I Want to Hold Your Hand", which reached number 9. At the same time, Dollar had their first (and only) US hit with "Shooting Star", which made No.74. By February 1980, the group had scored four UK Top 20 hits, but this was not to last.