Rock Hard Forever: Quiet Riot

For a very brief moment, Quiet Riot was a rock & roll phenomenon. Famously described as the first heavy metal band to top the pop chart (a claim that greatly depends on one's exact definition of heavy metal), the Los Angeles quartet became an overnight sensation thanks to their monster 1983 smash album Metal Health. But Quiet Riot's road to success had in fact been long and arduous, and when their star power subsequently began to fade, their fall from grace was ironically accelerated by the man who was most responsible for taking them to the top: singer Kevin DuBrow.

The original four members recorded their debut album Quiet Riot, or QR I, which was released in Japan in 1977. Months later, bassist Kelly Garni left the band. The second album Quiet Riot II, or QR II, was recorded at The Record Plant and released in Japan in 1978. Although Garni's replacement Rudy Sarzo was pictured and credited on 'QR II', he did not join before its recording.[Rhoads followed his friend Dana Strum's advice and joined Ozzy Osbourne's band. DuBrow and Forsyth tried to keep the band together following Rhoads' departure, with the addition of guitarist Greg Leon and former Suite 19 bassist Gary Van Dyke. During this period of 1980-1982, the band's name was changed to DuBrow.

Following Rhoads' death in a plane crash on March 19, 1982, DuBrow attempted to reform Quiet Riot. None of the other original members were interested, so Tony Cavazo's brother, Carlos, joined as lead guitarist, Sarzo re-joined the band on bass, and Rudy's friend, drummer Frankie Banali, completed the lineup.

In September 1982, with a little help from producer Spencer Proffer (who'd produce W.A.S.P.'S 2nd album The Last Command in 1985), they were signed to CBS records in America. On March 11, 1983, their American debut album Metal Health was released. (Their two previous albums, QR I and QR II, have still not been released in the United States).

On August 27, 1983, Quiet Riot's second single "Cum on Feel the Noize" / Run For Cover was released. Their cover of the 1973 Slade hit spent two weeks at #5 on the Billboard chart on November 19 & 26, 1983. It was the first heavy metal song to make the Top 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart (a.k.a.Pop Chart). The success of the single helped carry "Metal Health" to the top of Billboard pop album charts, making it the first American heavy metal debut album to ever reach #1 in the USA. It was #1 on November 26, 1983, making Quiet Riot the first heavy metal band to have a top 5 hit & #1 album the same week. Their success was aided in no small part to the "Cum on Feel the Noize" video's heavy rotation on MTV, opening the door for the later MTV success of bands like Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe.

A #1 album and a top 5 single was unheard of for a heavy metal band in 1983. The Metal Health album also displaced The Police's Synchronicity album from #1. Metal Health paved the way for a new, stronger commercial viability for heavy metal. Metal Health stayed at #1 for just a week until Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down took over the #1 spot for three weeks before being knocked off the top by Michael Jackson's Thriller, which returned to the top after a long hiatus from the U.S.summit. Metal Health's title song, which was released as a single on March 11, 1983, finally charted in early 1984 and peaked at #31. This could be attributed to the song's appearance in the 1984 movie Footloose, as well as another heavy rotation video on MTV.

The group's follow-up, Condition Critical, was released on July 7, 1984. It was a relative disappointment, critically and commercially, selling only 1 million units. This release included yet another Slade cover (the single, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - a UK chart topper for Slade) and numerous musical and lyrical nods to the aforementioned act; whether this was a decision made by the band or their producer is still subject to debate as evidenced in their VH1 "Behind The Music" documentary. Reportedly frustrated, DuBrow began letting newer bands on the L.A. metal scene know that their success was in part owed to the past successes of Quiet Riot.

This led to Sarzo quitting the group in 1985. (In 1987 the bassist went on to Whitesnake) The bass slot in Quiet Riot was filled by erstwhile collaborator Chuck Wright (of Giuffria). Next, the band released QRIII in 1986, another commercial failure. Fed up with DuBrow's antics, the rest of Quiet Riot fired him from his own band and replaced him with former Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino. Wright was also fired and was replaced by Sean McNabb. The band released Quiet Riot in 1988, which was another failure. This 1988 album technically has the same name as their original first album with Randy Rhoads. After a tour that ended in Hawaii in 1989, the band members went their separate ways; DuBrow fought to keep control of the name.

By 1991, tempers had cooled enough for the former bandmates to communicate. DuBrow and Cavazo formed Heat, but eventually switched to Quiet Riot again and released Terrified (1993) with Banali and Kenny Hillery (bass). Quiet Riot, with Chuck Wright again on bass, hit the road in support of 'Terrified' with Wisconsin's Slam I Am.

That same year, DuBrow released The Randy Rhoads Years featuring tracks from Quiet Riot's Columbia albums and some previously unreleased material (many of which featured newly recorded vocals). Hillery left in 1995 and committed suicide on June 5, 1996; Wright rejoined Quiet Riot to play bass. The band released Down to the Bone that same year. The following year (1996), the band released a "Greatest Hits" album, which included nothing from the original two Rhoads albums and nothing from the two 90's albums, but did have a few tracks from the 1988 Shortino album. After that, Rudy Sarzo joined up again in 1997, and the band began touring.

The tour was not successful, and the band was arrested several times; one angry fan sued DuBrow for injuries sustained during a show. The group still managed to release Alive and Well in (1999) which featured new songs and several rerecorded hits. They followed this up with Guilty Pleasures (2001).

DuBrow performing.Quiet Riot officially broke up in February 2003, and Sarzo joined Dio in the following year. However, it reunited in 2005. The line-up included DuBrow, Banali, Wright and new guitarist Alex Grossi. The band was featured on the 2005 Rock Never Stops Tour 2005 tour along with Cinderella, Ratt, and FireHouse.

Kevin DuBrow released a solo album titled In For The Kill in 2004.

As of January 2006, Chuck Wright and Alex Grossi had left the band and former L.A. Guns/Brides of Destruction guitarist Tracii Guns had joined, only to leave two weeks later under musical differences. Other recent members of Quiet Riot have included guitarists Billy Morris and Neil Citron, and bassists Tony Franklin, Sean McNabb and Wayne Carver. In an interview with rock & roll comic C.C. Banana in August 2006, Frankie Banali attempted to clarify the matter of Quiet Riot's recent rapid-fire membership rotation, indicating that both Alex and Chuck were both back in the band again.

Quiet Riot's new album was released on October 3, 2006 and is entitled Rehab. The lineup on the album consists of DuBrow, Banali, Franklin, & Neil Citron. Former Deep Purple bassist and singer Glenn Hughes also makes a guest vocal appearance on the album.

On July 13, 2007, Quiet Riot performed at glam metal festival "Rocklahoma." Then on September 19 they gave a free show to service members on Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS

On November 25, 2007, The Vegas Eye website reported that Kevin DuBrow was found dead in his apartment that day. Banali confirmed the death in an email to Spain's The Metal Circus.[8]Banali wrote:

"Please respect my privacy as I mourn the passing and honor the memory of my dearest friend Kevin DuBrow."

On December 10, 2007, media reports stated that Dubrow was pronounced dead on the afternoon of November 25, 2007, and was later determined to have died of a cocaine overdose approximately six days earlier.

On January 14, 2008, drummer Frankie Banali issued the following statement regarding the end of Quiet Riot.

"I have been approached to see if I would be interested in contacting Rudy Sarzo and Carlos Cavazo and to audition singers for Quiet Riot. I have also been approached to see if I would be interested in contacting and reforming the version of Quiet Riot that included Paul Shortino, Carlos Cavazo and Sean McNabb. Let me make this very simple and perfectly clear. While I am still actively involved in the business interests of Quiet Riot and will continue in that capacity, I reject any and all suggestions to have Quiet Riot continue as a live performing entity. My friendship, love and respect for [late Quiet Riot singer] Kevin DuBrow as well as my personal love and affection for Kevin's mother and his family makes it inconceivable for me to ever entertain any ovation to reform or to continue Quiet Riot . Kevin was too important to go on without him. It would also be a disrespect to the fans who have supported Quiet Riot for nearly 25 years. I thank everyone for the wonderful and sometimes unpredictable adventure that I was able to share as a member of Quiet Riot . The only regret that I have is the loss of Kevin. May he rest in peace. I now begin life after Quiet Riot."

In 2007, Quiet Riot were featured in radio promos for ESPN Radio, parodying their status as dated rock and roll icons. Dubrow mentions that they are not completely dated, since they're still touring, to which Banali replies "Yeah...in your minivan."
Quiet Riot are mentioned in Ben Folds - "Rockin' the Suburbs" (2001). "I'm rockin' the suburbs, just like Quiet Riot did. I'm rockin' the suburbs, except that they were talented"

In the 2005 episode of The Simpsons entitled "The Father, The Son, and The Holy Guest Star", the band is depicted as converted to a religious band called Pious Riot and plays a parody of their song "Cum on Feel the Noize" as "Come on Feel the Lord." When Bart calls them "a crappy rock band from the 1940s," Kevin DuBrow responds, "We've played more state fairs than The Beatles."

Quiet Riot's track "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" is used as the title theme to the video game Showdown: Legends of Wrestling. The same song also appears in the soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, while their version for Slade's "Cum on Feel the Noize" is featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, both playing on Rock radio station V-Rock. It was also used in the Crank soundtrack. It was also used in a scene for the film Footloose. The song "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" is a playable song in the game Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s.

On the Weezer track 'Heart Songs' from their self-titled 'Red Album', lead singer Rivers Cuomo sings "Quiet Riot got me started with the banging of my head", as part of a list of Heavy Metal bands who have inspired him, alongside Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Slayer, before listing more 80's pop artists, and finally Nirvana.

Former Band Members

Kevin DuBrow - lead vocals
Frankie Banali - drums
Carlos Cavazo - guitar
Rudy Sarzo - bass
Chuck Wright - bass
Drew Forsyth - drums
Randy Rhoads - guitar
Kelly Garni - bass
Kenny Hillery - bass
Paul Shortino
Alex Grossi - guitar
Sean McNabb - bass
Neil Citron - guitar
Tony Franklin
Billy Morris - guitar
Wayne Carver
Tracii Guns
Greg Leon - guitar
Tony Cavazo
Gary Van Dyke - bass
Juan Croucier
Bobby Rondinelli
Jeff Naideau
Jimmy Waldo

Discography

Quiet Riot (1977)
Quiet Riot II (1978)
Metal Health (1983)
Condition Critical (1984)
QR III (1986)
Quiet Riot (1988)
Winners Take All (1990)
The Randy Rhoads Years (1993)
Terrified (1993)
Down to the Bone (1995)
Greatest Hits (1996)
Super Hits (1999)
Alive and Well (1999)
The Collection (2000)
Guilty Pleasures (2001)
Live & Rare Volume 1 (2005)
New and Improved (2005)
Rehab (2006)

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Cum on Feel The Noize