Editing Orleans (band)

{{Short description|American rock band}}{{Hatnote|This article is about the American band. For other uses, see [[Orleans (disambiguation)]].}}{{Multiple issues|
{{BLP sources|date=October 2017}}
{{Tone|date=October 2021}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Orleans
| image             = Orleans Band at Fenway Park.jpg
| caption           = Orleans singing the [[The Star-Spangled Banner|national anthem]] at [[Fenway Park]] in [[Boston]] in July 2006.
| image_size        = 
| background        = group_or_band
| alias             = 
| origin            = [[Woodstock, New York]], U.S.
| genre             = [[Pop rock]],<ref>{{cite magazine|first= Marc |last= Schneider |title= Orleans Co-Founder Larry Hoppen Dies |date= July 26, 2012 |magazine= Billboard |url= http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/480764/orleans-co-founder-larry-hoppen-dies |access-date= January 26, 2017}}</ref> [[soft rock]]<ref>{{cite book|editor-first= Colin |editor-last= Larkin |editor-link= Colin Larkin (writer) |year= 2006 |title= [[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]] |chapter= Orleans |edition= 4th |publisher= [[Oxford University Press]] |isbn= 0-19-531373-9}}</ref>
| years_active      = {{flatlist|
* 1972–present
}}
| label             = [[ABC Dunhill Records|ABC Dunhill]], [[Asylum Records|Asylum]], [[Infinity Records|Infinity]], [[MCA Records|MCA]], Radio, Spectra, Fuel, Sunset Blvd.
| associated_acts   = 
| website           = 
| current_members   = Lance Hoppen<br/>Tom Lane<br/>Lane Hoppen<br/>Brady Spencer<br/>Tony Hooper
| past_members      = [[John Hall (New York politician)|John Hall]]<br/>Larry Hoppen<br/>[[Wells Kelly]]<br/>[[Jerry Marotta]]<br/>Bob Leinbach<br/>R.A. Martin<br/>Charlie Shew<br/>Michael Mugrage<br/>Nick Parker<br/>Peter O'Brien<br/>Paul Branin<br/>[[Charlie Morgan (musician)|Charlie Morgan]]<br/>Daniel "Chip" Martin
}}

'''Orleans''' is an American [[pop rock]] band formed in 1972 in [[Woodstock, New York]] by [[John Hall (New York politician)|John Hall]], Larry Hoppen and [[Wells Kelly]]. Larry's younger brother, bassist Lance Hoppen and drummer [[Jerry Marotta]] joined the band in 1972 and 1976, respectively. The band is best known for its hits "[[Dance with Me (Orleans song)|Dance with Me]]" (No. 6 in 1975); "[[Still the One]]" (No. 5 in 1976), from the album ''[[Waking and Dreaming]]''; and "[[Love Takes Time (Orleans song)|Love Takes Time]]" (No. 11 in 1979). The group's name evolved from the music it was playing when it formed; their music is inspired in part by [[Louisiana]] artists, including [[Allen Toussaint]] and the [[Neville Brothers]].

==History==
===1960s===
Drummer Wells Kelly, the son of [[Cornell University]]'s dean of Architecture, Burnham Kelly, first met John Hall, an in-demand session player and member of the group Kangaroo, in the late 1960s when he played with him in a group called Thunderfrog and later appeared on John's first solo album, ''Action'', released in 1970.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-03 |title=The traumatic experience that inspired the hit 'Dancing in the Moonlight' |url=https://vinyldialogues.com/VinylDialoguesBlog/the-traumatic-experience-that-inspired-the-hit-dancing-in-the-moonlight/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=The Vinyl Dialogues Blog |language=en}}</ref>

In 1969 Wells joined the first incarnation of [[King Harvest]] who would have a hit four years later, in 1973, with the song "[[Dancing in the Moonlight]]", a song written by Wells' brother, Sherman Kelly, and first recorded by Boffalongo, an Ithaca-based group Wells joined in 1970 after leaving King Harvest.

Hall and his wife, Johanna, gained some notability when their song "Half Moon" appeared on [[Janis Joplin]]'s posthumous album ''[[Pearl (Janis Joplin album)|Pearl]]''. Hall had recorded and toured with [[Taj Mahal (musician)|Taj Mahal]] and [[Seals and Crofts]] and decided to relocate from [[New York City]] to [[Woodstock, New York]], at the request of producer and pianist [[John Simon (record producer)|John Simon]], to be close to [[Bearsville Studios]] and the musical scene there.

Larry Hoppen grew up in [[Bay Shore, New York|Bay Shore]] on [[Long Island]] and relocated to [[Ithaca, New York]] to attend college there in the late 1960s. He was a founding member of Boffalongo, who had two albums released by [[United Artists]]. Sherman Kelly and "Dancin' in the Moonlight" appeared on the second album. Wells Kelly joined the band after that.

===1970s===
After a swing through Europe playing guitar behind [[Karen Dalton]] on a [[Santana (band)|Santana]] tour, Hall decided to start his own band in [[Woodstock, New York]]. After months of playing the Café Expresso with different rhythm sections, Hall called his old friend Wells Kelly in Ithaca in December 1971 and asked him to join his group. Multi-instrumentalist Kelly accepted the offer on the condition that he play piano.  

The group initially included Hall on guitar, Roy Markowitz on drums, Bill Gelber on bass and Kelly on electric piano. When Markowitz and Gelber left the band, Wells told John about his former bandmate from the Ithaca-based Boffalongo. Hall, who had once jammed with him before, encouraged Kelly to call Larry Hoppen, who accepted the invitation to join the new group, christened "Orleans" by Wells in late January 1972. For months they played as a trio, often switching instruments throughout the show.

Larry's 18-year-old brother, Lance Hoppen, was brought into Orleans around Halloween 1972 to play bass, freeing up Larry to play more guitar and keyboards.

Orleans found its core audience touring the clubs and college circuit of the [[Northeastern United States]], crossing paths with other up-and-comers such as [[Bonnie Raitt]], [[Tom Waits]] and [[Hall & Oates]]. ''[[Rolling Stone magazine|Rolling Stone]]'' magazine called Orleans "the best unrecorded band in America". Showcase performances in [[New York City|New York]] led to a recording contract with [[ABC Dunhill Records]] and the release of the self-titled debut album in the fall of 1973, which had been recorded in [[Muscle Shoals, Alabama]] with producers [[Roger Hawkins (drummer)|Roger Hawkins]] and [[Barry Beckett]] at the helm.

The group's second record, ''Orleans II'' recorded at [[Bearsville Studios]], was originally released in Europe in 1974 but ABC declined to release it in the US since management felt there were "no hit singles" on the album (despite the fact that it contained the first-version recordings of both "Let There Be Music" and "Dance With Me") and dropped the group from the label. After the band's later successes, ''Orleans II'' was finally put out in America in 1978, combined with the first album as a double LP called ''Before the Dance''. It was also released as a CD in Japan later on in the 1990s under its originally slated title ''Dance With Me''.

In the meantime, the group was back to showcasing for a new record deal. When Orleans was heard at [[Max's Kansas City]], they were signed and produced by [[Chuck Plotkin]], then head of A&R for [[Asylum Records]]. The band then scored its first [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] charting single "Let There Be Music" (No. 55), taken from their third album, ''Let There Be Music'', released in March 1975.

The follow-up single, "Dance With Me" (reshaped and re-recorded from ''Orleans II'' with Plotkin at the helm), went to No.&nbsp;6 on the pop charts and the band became part of mainstream of American pop music. Atypical of the high-energy, earthy, [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] and [[Rock n' Roll]] mix of styles they had been previously identified with, "Dance With Me" cast the band in a more "soft-rock" light and landed them a tour with [[Melissa Manchester]].

While recording their next album, ''Waking and Dreaming'', in early 1976, the group was joined by second drummer [[Jerry Marotta]], freeing Wells Kelly to sing more and play keyboards.

"[[Still the One]]" (released in July 1976), from ''Waking and Dreaming'', cemented Orleans' relationship with the American public.  While the single peaked eventually at No.&nbsp;5, the band was on a major cross-country ten-week tour with label-mate [[Jackson Browne]], ending in November 1976.

In January 1977 the single was chosen as the theme song for the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC television network]] (the parent of ABC Records) and has since been used for an endless number of commercials and movie soundtracks.

===John Hall departs===
The follow-up, "Reach", with John Hall on lead, peaked at No.&nbsp;51 in March 1977. Around then, however, internal stresses and disagreements over material and musical direction prompted guitarist and songwriter Hall to announce his intention to leave the band in search of a solo career, which he did in June 1977 after touring commitments were satisfied. Marotta departed not long afterwards to join [[Hall & Oates]] and eventually moved to [[Peter Gabriel]]'s band.

After several months of mulling things over and working with other musicians (Lance and Larry joined Marotta in the backing band for [[Garland Jeffreys]] while Kelly worked with the [[Beach Boys]]), the Hoppen brothers and Kelly decided to continue the band in late 1977, bringing in new members [[Robert Martin (singer)|Robert Martin]] (vocals, keyboards, sax, horns) and [[Connecticut]] musician Bob Leinbach (vocals, keyboards, trombone), who had played with Larry Hoppen and the Kellys in Boffalongo during the Ithaca years and had completed a stint with the group the Fabulous Rhinestones. The new lineup signed a contract with the [[Infinity Records]] label and their debut there, ''Forever'' (April 1979), produced the No.&nbsp;11 hit "Love Takes Time". Collectively, the three Hot 100 top 20 Orleans hits have been aired over 10 million times.

===1980s===
In 1980 Infinity went bankrupt after an album with performances by [[Pope John Paul II]] (who was on a tour of the U.S. in the fall of 1979) failed to sell.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=oiQEAAAAMBAJ&q=john+paul+II+album+infinity+sacrosong&pg=PT65|title= LP of Pope's Visit Spurs Black Radio Network Lawsuit|date=Sep 5, 1981|work= Billboard Magazine|access-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref> Infinity was absorbed into [[MCA Records]], who failed to promote their follow-up album, simply titled ''Orleans''. This last, recorded in Woodstock, featured only the Hoppens and Wells Kelly as Orleans proper, since the others had left earlier in the year. Nonetheless, the album featured guest appearances from all past members, including John Hall who was in the process of forming the John Hall Band with Leinbach as a member. ''Orleans'' was produced by Englishman [[Robin Lumley]], mixed at [[Trident Studios]] in [[London]] and featured Lumley's friend, [[Phil Collins]], contributing backing vocals to one track.

Just after recording that 1980 release, the group added Dennis "Fly" Amero (guitars, vocals) to replace Leinbach. The live lineup still featured Robert (R.A.) Martin and the band completed a tour of amusement parks that summer, only to learn that their accountant had misappropriated funds, leaving them in debt. Martin left, "Fly" stayed, Larry and Lance recruited their younger brother, Lane Hoppen, to play keyboards and drummer Charlie Shew, at that time performing under the pseudonym Eric Charles, was brought aboard to play alongside Wells Kelly. Charlie then replaced Wells when he left by early 1981 to relocate to [[New York City]].

Reviewing ''Orleans'' in ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]'' (1981), [[Robert Christgau]] said, "In case you're interested, this band is mucho hot among Eastern rock cognoscenti (read, know-it-alls). Very pleasant, too, although John Hall doesn't sing as tasty as he plays. The only impressive song is 'Half Moon.' Anything [[Janis Joplin]] used to sing is impressive, so that may not mean much."<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: O|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=O&bk=70|access-date=March 10, 2019|via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref>

Orleans then signed with the fledgling Radio Records and recorded their next album, ''One of a Kind'', in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]] in the summer of 1982. The album (released in September 1982) put forth a more "early 80s style" Pop keyboard driven sound and included brand new band member Michael Mugrage, replacing "Fly" Amero on guitar at the request of the album's producers, Don Silver and Ben Wisch. Jerry Marotta briefly rejoined the band to play on the album but was soon replaced by drummer Nicholas Parker after its release. But Radio Records, likewise, went bankrupt just as ''One of a Kind'' was hitting the record store shelves.

Without a record label, Orleans struggled in the early 1980s, playing mostly small clubs in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]. At the same time, Larry and Lance formed a side group, Mood Ring, with Bob Leinbach, Nicholas Parker, singer/songwriter [[Robbie Dupree]] (of "Steal Away" fame) and various other Woodstockers who drifted in and out to play for fun, mostly at parties and clubs. Mood Ring played some club dates in 1984 & 1985 billed as Robbie Dupree and Orleans (In the late 2000s, Mood Ring reconvened to do occasional concert dates).

After a couple of years touring the Northeast club circuit, during a two-week stint in [[Bermuda]] in September 1984, Larry lost his voice just one day into the gig due to a combination of air-conditioning and high humidity. After this, he returned to his home in Woodstock and decided to take some time off to allow his voice to heal. At that low point, both Larry and Lance felt that was the likely end of Orleans.

Kelly went on to join [[Steve Forbert]]'s Flying Squirrels in 1981 and did a few shows in the Central New York area with [[Mick Ronson]]. He also played with [[Clarence Clemons]] and the Red Bank Rockers before joining [[Meat Loaf]]'s Neverland Express in 1983. On October 29, 1984, Wells died while on tour in England with Meat Loaf. After a night of partying, his body was found on the front stairs of a [[London]] flat at which he was staying. According to pathologist Dr. Ian West, a post mortem examination revealed "high levels of morphine and cocaine" in Kelly's body. "Death came from the drummer inhaling his own vomit 'induced by snorting a mixture of heroin and cocaine'."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/12/07/Wells-Kelly-the-drummer-for-the-rock-group-Meatloaf/3032471243600/|title=Wells Kelly, the drummer for the rock group Meatloaf,...|access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref>

Wells Kelly's untimely death was the catalyst for a reunion of Hall and the Hoppen brothers. John Hall and Bob Leinbach joined Larry in [[Ithaca, New York]], to play at a memorial for Wells (Lance was unable to make the wake due to another commitment). Here, John and Larry decided to continue with Orleans.

In 1985, through the Halls' connections in [[Nashville]], the reunited lineup of John Hall, Larry Hoppen, Lance Hoppen and Bob Leinbach cut the album ''Grown Up Children'' (June 1986), with guest appearances from heavyweights like [[Chet Atkins]], [[Ricky Skaggs]], [[Steve Wariner]] and [[Bela Fleck]], under the direction of Nashville producer/MCA label chief [[Tony Brown (record producer)|Tony Brown]]. Although this album had some playing by John and Larry, most of the instrumental tracks were played by session players, including guitarist [[Richard Bennett (guitarist)|Richard Bennett]], drummer Larrie London and bassist [[David Hungate]], with the Orleans members providing mostly vocals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orleansforever.com/orleansdiscography/grownupchildren.htm |title=Grown Up Children, 1986 |website=Orleansforever.com |access-date=January 24, 2016}}</ref>

During their Nashville period, the band added bassist Glen Worf and drummer Paul Cook (who was eventually replaced by Tommy Wells) for concert dates, as Lance switched to acoustic guitar.

By late 1987, John and Larry began to realize that, while [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] was a great place for them as songwriters, it was not so accommodating to Orleans' career as a band. For the next 2 plus years, Orleans was in a fairly dormant state, again basing their activities back in Woodstock, New York. In early 1989, Lance was offered an opportunity to move to Nashville to work with old friends Kathie Baillie and Michael Bonagura as part of the then-hit RCA act [[Baillie & the Boys]]. For a while, he was no longer available for all Orleans' gigs, so bassist Jim Curtin became Lance's sub, as needed, between 1989 and 1994. Meanwhile New York native Peter O'Brien had been brought in on drums.

Orleans slowly re-established their presence in the Northeast over the next couple of years.

===1990s===
[[File:Lance Hoppen onstage May 23, 2015.jpg|thumb|Bassist/vocalist Lance Hoppen]]
In 1990, Robbie Dupree approached them to make a live album for their growing fan base in Japan. Two shows at Woodstock's Bearsville Theater were recorded on October 6 and 7, 1990, as John, Larry and Lance were joined by Bob Leinbach, Paul Branin (sax, guitar) and special guests: Rob Leon, [[John Sebastian]], Jonell Mosser, [[Artie Traum]], Jim Curtin and Lane Hoppen.

The double ''Orleans Live'' CD set, culled from the two Bearsville Theater shows, came out in Japan in February 1991, followed in April by their first trip to perform in [[Japan]] with a lineup of John, Larry, Lance, Leinbach, O'Brien and Paul Branin. 

In 1993 ''Orleans Live: Volume 1'', a single disc CD version, was released; it was the first release on the band's own Major Records label. ''Live Volume 2'', featuring the rest of the show, was released later.

Still without a traditional label in the U.S., Orleans recorded a new album, ''Analog Men'', for the Japanese label Pioneer. It came out there in 1994 and was followed by a return to Japan for more shows.

Later that year, Orleans played at [[Woodstock 94]], which was practically in their backyard, in [[Saugerties, New York]]. Bob Leinbach once again rejoined the group for this show and continued to make occasional guest appearances with them throughout the 1990s.

The following year, they toured as an acoustic trio (John, Larry and Lance). While most of the venues were small listening clubs, the real highlight of 1995 was being the opening act on the ''Can't Stop Rockin'' tour with [[Fleetwood Mac]], [[REO Speedwagon]] and [[Pat Benatar]].

Yet another new album, ''Ride'', was recorded at John's Saugerties studio and released through an independent label, Dinosaur Entertainment, out of [[New Orleans]]. ''Ride'' emerged in the summer of 1996 and included just a couple of reworkings of the best and still unheard-in-the-US tunes from ''Analog Men''. The single "I Am on Your Side" even began to make its way up the charts, but the label proved inexperienced and it folded shortly afterward, killing the song's chances for more radio play.

Orleans continued on but in late 1997, decided to take another break. By this time, John was spending more and more time writing in Nashville.

===2000s===
[[File:Orleans March 12 2017.jpg|thumb|Orleans in March 2017]]
In the early 2000s, Lance was touring with various Nashville-based artists and Larry, who had remarried and started a family, relocated to Florida in 2000 and formed his own Larry Hoppen Band. Since 1997, Larry had also been involved with Voices of Classic Rock, who in 2003 became known as RPM (Rock & Pop Masters) This was a "supergroup" of lead singers of popular 1970s and '80s groups ([[Toto (band)|Toto]], [[Survivor (band)|Survivor]], [[Santana (band)|Santana]], [[Rainbow (rock band)|Rainbow]], etc.), backed by a single world-class touring band.

In the summer of 2001, nearly four years after their last gig, Orleans (John Hall, Larry, Lance, Peter O'Brien and Bob Leinbach) reunited on [[Labor Day]] weekend to play the [[Opus 40]] Amphitheatre in Saugerties. The band decided to remain together and continue performing. For some shows the band included Peter and Bob. For others, [[Charlie Morgan (musician)|Charlie Morgan]] (ex-[[Elton John]]) became the drummer and Lane Hoppen rejoined the band on keyboards in 2003. By 2005, Charlie and Lane had become permanent in their positions.

The band then picked up Jake Hooker, from [[Malibu, California]], as their new manager.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orleansonline.com/LongBio.html |title=The Extended Story |website=Orleansonline.com |date=October 29, 1984 |access-date=January 24, 2016}}</ref>

Orleans continued to play live and record. A studio album, ''Dancin' in the Moonlight'', was recorded in May and June 2004 at [[Charlie Morgan (musician)|Charlie Morgan]]'s Thynne Man Studios and first released in October 2005 on the CD Baby label. After that the band's lineup was Larry, Lance and Lane Hoppen, [[Charlie Morgan (musician)|Charlie Morgan]] and the returning Dennis "Fly" Amero (who replaced John Hall as he began his campaign for Congress in 2006) on guitar.<ref name="Bios">{{cite web|url=http://www.orleansonline.com/Bios.html |title=A Brief History of Orleans : 1972-2015 |website=Orleansonline.com |access-date=January 24, 2016}}</ref>

In 2007 Orleans released a live DVD/CD, ''We're Still Havin' Fun'', recorded in August 2006 in [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts]], which included both John Hall and "Fly" Amero, as well as the three Hoppen Brothers and drummer [[Charlie Morgan (musician)|Charlie Morgan]]. Also appearing at this show were special guests: percussionist Manuel Quintana and [[Charles DeChant]] (from [[Hall & Oates]]) on sax.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orleansforever.com/orleansdiscography/werestillhavinfun.htm |title=Were Still Havin' Fun, 2007 |website=Orleansforever.com |access-date=January 24, 2016}}</ref>

During his 2006 bid for a U.S. Congressional seat, Hall appeared with the group on only a few occasions. 

On November 7, 2006 Hall was elected as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the [[United States House of Representatives]] from the state of [[New York (state)|New York]]. He was reelected in [[New York's 19th congressional district election, 2008|2008]]. During the [[United States House elections, 2010|2010 midterm elections]], a political ad parody supporting John Hall's opponent, [[Nan Hayworth]], promoted the fictitious organization "Young Voters for an Orleans Reunion Tour" as a means of voting Hall from Congress. Hayworth defeated Hall in the election. He had served four years (two terms) representing District 19 in the [[Hudson Valley]], between [[New York City]] and [[Albany, New York]].

Orleans continued to write, record and perform. In 2010 they had repeat performances in both Washington, DC (in support of [[Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee|DCCC]]), and in [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands]] (fundraising for the Nana Baby Home, the orphanage there).

====2010s====
[[File:Orleans onstage May 23, 2015.jpg|thumb|The group performing at Levitt SteelStacks in [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania]] on May 23, 2015]]
On July 24, 2012, founding band member Larry Hoppen died by suicide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/beth-schafer/my-eulogy-for-larry-lewis-hoppen/10150940186496841|title=My Eulogy for Larry Lewis Hoppen|via=Facebook |access-date=October 21, 2017}}</ref> Shows planned for the rest of the year were suddenly in jeopardy, but Lance quickly announced that although the band was in deep mourning for Larry, they had decided to finish the year's remaining dates (about 8) as best they could. It was at this point that John Hall returned to the live lineup and other alumni joined them on various shows. The first of those was 30 days later, in [[Deadwood, South Dakota]], on August 24, 2012. 

The group then played a free show at SteelStacks in [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania]] on September 2 in memoriam<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mcall.com/2012/08/23/orleans-to-play-levitt-steelstacks-to-honor-late-member/ |title=Orleans to play Levitt SteelStacks to honor late member |date=August 23, 2012 |last=Moser |first=John J. |work=The Morning Call |location=Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania}}</ref> and continued on from there. On September 16, 2012 a memorial gathering of friends and family was held at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock. Bob Leinbach, among the performers, sang "Forever", a song he had written with Larry about undying friendship.

Orleans carried on to November 11, 2012 with a lineup consisting of John Hall, Dennis "Fly" Amero, [[Charlie Morgan (musician)|Charlie Morgan]], and Lance and Lane Hoppen,<ref name="Bios"/> ending the year with a memorial show at Mercy Lounge in Nashville, joined by many artist supporters including Jimi Jamison, John Ford Coley, Henry Paul, Jonell Mosser, Kathie Baillie & Michael Bonagura, Pete Huttlinger and Bill Lloyd. Again, it seemed to Lance that this would be the natural ending of Orleans' 40-year run.  But that was not to be.

In the summer of 2013, supported by new manager Len Fico, the band appeared as part of the "Sail Rock Tour", not only playing a set of their own hits, but providing back up for headliner [[Christopher Cross]] and contemporaries [[Firefall]], [[Gary Wright]], [[John Ford Coley]], [[Robbie Dupree]], [[Player (band)|Player]] and [[Al Stewart]]. ''The Last Band Standing'' DVD was released in 2013 as well as the double-disc compilation CD, ''No More Than You Can Handle: A 40 Year Musical Journey'', featuring several previously unreleased recordings Among them is the title cut, which was the last in which Larry participated as co-writer, singer and player.<ref name="Bios"/>

In the years following, Orleans continued to tour the US. Charlie Morgan departed in April 2018 and was replaced by drummer Brady Spencer.

In July 2019 John Hall announced his retirement from performing.  Daniel "Chip" Martin, a Nashville musician friend of Lance and Brady, then joined Orleans on guitar and vocals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://skylineonline.com/project/orleans/|title=Orleans|website=Skylineonline.com|access-date=October 2, 2021}}</ref> But John's "retirement" turned out to be a temporary sabbatical.  In March 2020 he was just about to return to touring when everything came to a halt due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].

===2020s===
In 2020, the band released an in isolation video performance of "No More Than You Can Handle"<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/MzsiWGTLKrA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20201001152513/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzsiWGTLKrA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzsiWGTLKrA|title=Orleans - No More Than You Can Handle (in isolation 2020)|access-date=October 2, 2021|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> in memory of Larry Hoppen and as an aid for those who are struggling with the challenges of everyday life during the Covid-19 Pandemic & quarantine. 

During the summer of 2021, Orleans resumed in person appearances and in August of that year, vocalist/guitarist Tom Lane came to fill in for an ill "Fly" Amero, then ended up taking his place permanently.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://skylineonline.com/project/orleans/|title=Orleans}}</ref>

The band released the Christmas album ''New Star Shining'' in September of 2021 that featured guest appearances by [[John Jorgenson]], [[Bill Payne]], [[Dan Dugmore]], [[Andrea Zonn]] and others.

In March 2022 the band toured as a quartet of Lance, Lane, Brady Spencer and Tom Lane after John Hall retired from the road once again. But shortly afterwards, they were again a quintet when "Fly" Amero rejoined them.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rockshowcritique.com/2022/03/orleans-and-firefall/ | title=Orleans and Firefall Take Fans Through Time Machine | date=March 29, 2022 }}</ref>

But just before their appearance on a Rock'n'Romance Cruise in February 2023, Amero was once again forced to bow out. Nashville guitarist [[Michael Severs]] filled in for the cruise, then Tom Lane's friend Tony Hooper joined as Fly's permanent replacement.<ref>https://orleansonline.net/about-us/</ref>

Currently Lance is the only original member still active in the band.

==Members==
; Current
'''Bold''' denotes members of the "classic lineup".

*'''Lance Hoppen''' – bass, backing and lead vocals (1972&ndash;1989, 1990, 1991, 1994&ndash;1997, 2001&ndash;present)
*Lane Hoppen – keyboards, backing and lead vocals (1980&ndash;1984, 2003&ndash;present)
*Tony Hooper – vocals, guitar (2023–present)
*Brady Spencer – drums, backing vocals (2018–present)
*Tom Lane – vocals, guitar (2021–present)

; Former
*'''[[John Hall (New York politician)|John Hall]]''' – guitar, mandolin, keyboards, lead and backing vocals (1972&ndash;1977, 1985&ndash;1997, 2001&ndash;2006, 2012&ndash;2019, 2020&ndash;2022)
*'''Larry Hoppen''' – keyboards, guitar, bass, trumpet, melodica, lead and backing vocals (1972&ndash;1997, 2001&ndash;2012; his death)
*'''[[Wells Kelly]]''' – drums, keyboards, backing and lead vocals (1972&ndash;1981, died 1984)
*[[Jerry Marotta]] – drums (1976&ndash;1977, 1982)
*Bob Leinbach – keyboards, trombone, lead and backing vocals (1977&ndash;1980, 1985&ndash;1987, 1990, 1991, 1994, 2001&ndash;2003)
*[[Robert Martin (singer)|Robert Martin]] – keyboards, sax, horns, backing vocals (1977&ndash;1980)
*Dennis "Fly" Amero – vocals, guitar (1980&ndash;1982, 2006&ndash;2021, 2022–2023)
*Charlie Shew – drums, backing vocals (1981&ndash;1982)
*Nicholas Parker – drums (1982&ndash;1984)
*Michael Mugrage – guitar, lead and backing vocals (1982&ndash;1984)
*Glen Worf – bass (1985&ndash;1987)
*Paul Cook – drums (1985&ndash;1986)
*Tommy Wells – drums (1986&ndash;1987)
*Peter O'Brien – drums (1988&ndash;1997, 2001&ndash;2003)
*[[Charlie Morgan (musician)|Charlie Morgan]] – drums (2003&ndash;2018)
*Jim Curtin – bass, backing vocals (1989&ndash;1994)
*Paul Branin – saxophone, guitar (1990, 1991)
*Chip Martin – guitar, lead and backing vocals (2019&ndash;2020)

===Band member timeline===
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  id:vocals  value:red        legend:Lead_vocals
  id:bvocals value:pink       legend:Backing_vocals
  id:sax     value:gray(0.5)  legend:Wind_instruments
  id:guitar  value:green      legend:Guitars
  id:bass    value:blue       legend:Bass
  id:keys    value:purple     legend:Keyboards
  id:drums   value:orange     legend:Drums
  id:studio  value:black      legend:Studio_album
  id:live    value:gray(0.75) legend:Live_release_recording

LineData =
  layer:back
  color:studio
  at:05/15/1973 
  at:07/01/1974 
  at:03/15/1975 
  at:08/08/1976 
  at:01/01/1979 
  at:08/15/1980 
  at:03/01/1982 
  at:05/11/1986 
  at:06/04/1994 
  at:11/16/1996 
  at:11/05/2005 
  at:04/18/2008
  at:10/08/2021

BarData =
  bar:Hall  text:"John Hall"
  bar:Amero text:"Dennis Amero"
  bar:Mugrage text:"Michael Mugrage"
  bar:Chip    text:"Chip Martin"
  bar:PB     text:Paul Branin
  bar:Larry   text:"Larry Hoppen"
  bar:Bob text:"Bob Leinbach"
  bar:Martin text:"Robert A. Martin"
  bar:Lane   text:"Lane Hoppen"
  bar:Lance text:"Lance Hoppen"
  bar:Jim    text:"Jim Curtin"
  bar:Wells text:"Wells Kelly"
  bar:Jerry  text:"Jerry Marotta"
  bar:Shew  text:"Charlie Shew"
  bar:Nick  text:"Nicholas Parker"
  bar:Paul  text:Paul Cook
  bar:Tommy text:Tommy Wells
  bar:Peter text:Peter O'Brien
  bar:Morgan text:Charlie Morgan
  bar:Brady  text:Brady Spencer
PlotData =
 width:13
  color:vocals
  bar:Hall  from:start      till:04/01/1977 width:3
  bar:Larry  from:start till:10/05/1997 width:3
  bar:Amero from:05/01/1980 till:10/06/1982 width:3
  bar:Hall  from:03/06/1985     till:10/05/1997 width:3
  bar:Mugrage from:10/06/1982 till:03/06/1985 width:3
  bar:Bob   from:04/01/1977 till:05/01/1980 width:3
  bar:Bob from:03/06/1985     till:04/05/1987 width:3
  bar:Bob   from:04/01/1990 till:10/01/1994 width:3
  bar:Larry from:07/03/2001 till:07/24/2012 width:3
  bar:Bob   from:07/03/2001 till:10/01/2003 width:3
  bar:Hall  from:07/03/2001    till:04/05/2006 width:3
  bar:Amero from:04/05/2006 till:end width:3
  bar:Hall  from:07/24/2012   till:07/01/2019 width:3
  bar:Chip from:07/01/2019 till:03/01/2020 width:3
  bar:Hall  from:03/01/2020   till:end width:3

  color:guitar
  bar:Hall   from:start      till:04/01/1977
  bar:Hall  from:03/06/1985     till:10/05/1997
  bar:Larry from:start till:04/01/1977 width:7
  bar:Larry from:05/01/1980 till:10/05/1997 width:7
  bar:Larry from:04/01/1977 till:05/01/1980
  bar:Amero from:05/01/1980 till:10/06/1982
  bar:Mugrage from:10/06/1982 till:03/06/1985 
  bar:Larry from:07/03/2001 till:07/24/2012
  bar:Hall  from:07/03/2001    till:04/05/2006
  bar:Amero from:04/05/2006 till:end
  bar:Hall  from:07/24/2012   till:07/01/2019
  bar:Chip from:07/01/2019 till:03/01/2020
  bar:Hall  from:03/01/2020   till:end
  bar:Larry from:07/03/2001 till:07/24/2012

  bar:PB from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/1994 color:sax   width:13
  bar:PB from:01/01/1990 till:01/01/1994 width:3

  color:bass
  bar:Lance  from:10/01/1972 till:03/03/1989
  bar:Jim  from:03/03/1989 till:02/03/1994
  bar:Lance  from:02/03/1994 till:10/05/1997
  bar:Lance  from:07/03/2001 till:end

  color:drums
  bar:Wells  from:start till:03/02/1981
  bar:Jerry  from:02/01/1976 till:04/01/1977
  bar:Shew from:03/02/1981 till:10/02/1981
  bar:Jerry  from:10/02/1981 till:04/06/1982
  bar:Nick from:04/06/1982 till:03/06/1985 
  bar:Paul from:03/06/1985 till:06/03/1986 
  bar:Tommy from:06/03/1986 till:04/02/1988
  bar:Peter from:04/02/1988 till:10/05/1997
  bar:Peter  from:07/03/2001 till:10/01/2003
  bar:Morgan from:10/01/2003 till:04/02/2018
  bar:Brady from:04/02/2018 till:end

  color:keys
  bar:Wells  from:start till:03/02/1981 width:7
  bar:Larry from:start till:04/01/1977
  bar:Larry from:05/01/1980 till:10/05/1997
  bar:Bob   from:04/01/1977 till:05/01/1980
  bar:Bob   from:04/01/1977 till:05/01/1980 color:sax width:7
  bar:Martin from:04/01/1977 till:05/01/1980
  bar:Martin from:04/01/1977 till:05/01/1980 color:sax width:7
  bar:Bob from:03/06/1985     till:04/05/1987
  bar:Bob from:03/06/1985     till:04/05/1987 color:sax width:7
  bar:Lane from:05/01/1980 till:03/06/1985
  bar:Bob   from:04/01/1990 till:10/01/1994
  bar:Bob   from:04/01/1990 till:10/01/1994 color:sax width:7
  bar:Larry from:07/03/2001 till:07/24/2012 width:7
  bar:Bob   from:07/03/2001 till:10/01/2003
  bar:Bob   from:07/03/2001 till:10/01/2003 color:sax width:7
  bar:Lane from:10/01/2003 till:end

  color:bvocals
  bar:Lance from:10/01/1972 till:03/03/1989 width:3
  bar:Wells  from:start till:03/02/1981 width:3
  bar:Martin from:04/01/1977 till:05/01/1980 width:3
  bar:Lane from:05/01/1980 till:03/06/1985 width:3
  bar:Jim  from:03/03/1989 till:02/03/1994 width:3
  bar:Lance  from:02/03/1994 till:10/05/1997 width:3
  bar:Lane from:10/01/2003 till:end width:3
  bar:Lance  from:07/03/2001 till:end width:3
  bar:Brady from:04/02/2018 till:end width:3
}}

==Discography==

===Studio albums===
{|class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Year
! rowspan="2" width="300"|Album details
! colspan="4"|Chart peak positions
|-
!<small>[[Billboard 200|US]]</small>
!<small>[[Kent Music Report|AUS]]</small><ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=224}}</ref>
!<small>[[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]</small>
!<small>[[Dutch Top 40|NED]]</small>
|-
| 1973
|''[[Orleans (album)|Orleans]]''
* Labels: [[ABC Records|ABC]]
* Formats: [[Compact disc|CD]], [[LP album|LP]], [[Compact Cassette|CS]], [[Music download|digital download]]
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 1974
|''[[Orleans II]]''
* Labels: ABC
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 1975
|''[[Let There Be Music]]''
* Labels: [[Asylum Records|Asylum]]
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| 33
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 71
|align="center"| —
|-
| 1976
|''[[Waking and Dreaming]]''
* Labels: Asylum
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| 30
|align="center"| 87
|align="center"| 34
|align="center"| —
|-
| 1979
|''[[Forever (Orleans album)|Forever]]''
* Labels: [[MCA Records|MCA]]
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| 76
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| 72
|align="center"| 17
|-
| 1980
|''Orleans''
* Labels: MCA
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 1982
|''One of a Kind''
* Labels: [[Atlantic Records|Radio]]
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 1986
|''Grown Up Children''
* Labels: MCA
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 1994
|''Analog Men''
* Labels: [[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer LDC]]
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 1996
|''Ride''
* Labels: Dinosaur Entertainment
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 2005
|''Dancin' in the Moonlight''
* Labels: Magnetic North
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 2008
|''Obscurities''
* Labels: Magnetic North
* Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
| 2021
|''New Star Shining''
* Labels: Sunset Blvd Records
* Formats: CD, digital download
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|align="center"| —
|-
|}

===Live albums===
* ''Live'' (1991)
* ''Live Volume 2'' (1993)
* ''Still the One, Live'' (2002)
* ''We're Still Havin' Fun'' (2007)

===Compilations===
* ''The ABC Collection'' (1976)
* ''Before the Dance'' (1978)
* ''Love Takes Time'' (1986)
* ''Dance with Me'' '' – The Best of Orleans'' (1997)
* ''No More Than You Can Handle: A 40 Year Musical Journey'' (2013)
* ''Playlist: The Very Best of Orleans'' (2017)
* ''No More Than You Can Handle: A 46-Year Journey'' (2018)
* ''Love Takes Time: 10 Authorized Hits by Orleans'' (2019)
* ''Work at Home with Orleans'' (2020)

===Charting singles===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title
! colspan="6"| Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2"| [[Music recording sales certification|Certifications]]
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="35"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br><ref name="BB">{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/orleans|title=Orleans|website=billboard.com}}</ref>
! width="35"| [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|US<br>AC]]<br><ref name="BB"/>
! width="35"| [[Hot Country Songs|US<br>Country]]<br><ref name="BB"/>
! width="35"| [[RPM (magazine)|CAN]]
! width="35"| [[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<ref name=aus/>
! width="35"| [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|NZ]]
|-
| rowspan="2"|1975
| align="left"| "Let There Be Music"
| 55
| —
| —
| 96
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| align="left"| "[[Dance with Me (Orleans song)|Dance with Me]]"
| 6
| 6
| —
| 5
| 33
| —
| align=left| RIAA: Gold
|-
| 1976
| align="left"| "[[Still the One]]"
| 5
| 33
| —
| 9
| 61
| 31
| align=left| RIAA: Gold
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1977
| align="left"| "Reach"
| 51
| 47
| —
| 31
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| align="left"| "Spring Fever"
| 91
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| rowspan="3"|1979
| align="left"| "[[Love Takes Time (Orleans song)|Love Takes Time]]"
| 11
| 13
| —
| 23
| 90
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| align="left"| "Don't Throw Our Love Away"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| align="left"| "Forever"
| —
| 24
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| 1982
| align="left"| "One of a Kind"
| 102
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| 1986
| align="left"| "You're Mine"
| —
| —
| 59
| —
| —
| —
| align=left| 
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|https://orleansonline.net/}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orleans}}
[[Category:ABC Records artists]]
[[Category:Asylum Records artists]]
[[Category:American pop rock music groups]]
[[Category:American soft rock music groups]]
[[Category:MCA Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1972]]
[[Category:Rock music groups from New York (state)]]