Signal was an American AOR band that released one album, Loud & Clear, in 1989. The band featured Mark Free as lead singer. They recorded "Loud & Clear", one of the biggest albums in the melodic rock scene. Signal is a pioneer band of modern AOR.
Signal was hard to form. It originally started as a Peter McIan project with Erik and Mark as co-writers. Signal was a project also put together by Baker and producer Peter McKeown. The latter was fired before the project commenced recording, Kevin Elson coming in to produce the album and ex-KING KOBRA vocalist MARK FREE was enrolled through mutual acquaintance Judithe Randall, another songwriter.
It evolved over a two to three year period between late 1987 and 1990. It was originally called The Fugitive Kind. The name Signal was given by Ron Fair who had taken over the A & R duties at E.M.I. after our original A & R rep Bruce Dickinson left the label. He got the idea when he went into his bathroom one day and saw the bottle of mouthwash on the back of his toilet. Mark (Marcie) Free had tried for years to get everyone in the band to agree on a name. They had come up with literally hundreds of names.
Since leaving KING KOBRA, Mark had been involved in an abortive early line-up of BLUE MURDER in Vancouver before heading back to Los Angeles. Involving himself in what would become SIGNAL, his vocals becoming the last part of a jigsaw that saw him in a 'band' comprised of guitarist Danny Jacob, ex ALICE COOPER bassist Erik Scott and former ALICE COOPER and ALCATRAZZ drummer Jan Uvena.
By this time Mark Free had met the ex WORLD TRADE duo of Bruce Gowdy and Guy Allison and would promptly form UNRULY CHILD, with the rest being very much interesting history (Free now wishes to be known as a woman, MARCIE FREE).
Danny Jacob re-appeared on former HOUSE OF LORDS vocalist JAMES CHRISTIAN's 'Rude Awakening' solo album in 1995, which also featured a few songs co-written by one Mark Baker, who had also gained credits on the HOUSE OF LORDS 'Demons Down' album.
Band Members
Mark Free (vocals) Danny Jacob (guitar) Erik Scott (bass/keyboards) Jan Uvena (drums)
Discography
Loud and Clear 1990 Live 1993 Walking Away From The Machine 2006
Talking Bout Love "is their first single and one of the best songs on the album, which achieves harmony with that and so addictive that chorus," Suzanna "another excellent piece of AOR with a chorus truly remarkable and that soft voice of his vocalist creates yto really a relaxing atmosphere. "Should Have Known Better" a ballad in the style of either 80 ', with batteries either firm and synthesizers and keyboards throughout songs and choruses to these several voices. "Turn Me Loose" perhaps the song most of the rocker disk but maintains that within the entire AOR sound. "Dreamin" a great song by far keyboard and synthesizer approaching quite the pop of the time.
Band Members
Johnny Kanatschnig: vocals, guitars, Harry Huber: drums, Mario Kleinberger: bass, Claudio Ghidini: keyboards, Bernhard Groinig: guitars
Finland's major export to the world of heavy metal, Hanoi Rocks, drew much of their sound and inspiration from '70s glam-rock and were thought by some to have fused the two styles more successfully than similar acts such as Motley Crue.
Hanoi Rocks is a Finnish glam punk band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 due largely to the death of their drummer. Currently, vocalist Michael Monroe and guitarist Andy McCoy from the original line-up are back together, and have been playing under the Hanoi Rocks name since 2002.
Musically the band is influenced by artists such as the New York Dolls, The Stooges and The Rolling Stones. Their music fuses elements of blues, punk, garage rock, glam rock as well as the original rock 'n' roll of Chuck Berry and Little Richard. Lyrical themes revolve around the topics of love and its trials and tribulations, and suburban alienation.
The group is often mistaken as glam metal, largely due to their image, which many of the American acts in the 1980s would imitate. Musically however, Hanoi Rocks are not part of that movement nor were they influenced by heavy metal.
Hanoi Rocks was formed in Helsinki in 1979 and the first line-up included vocalist and saxophone player Michael Monroe (Matti Fagerholm), guitar player Nasty Suicide (Jan Stenfors), guitar player Stefan Piesnack, bass player Nedo and drummer Peki Sirola. The following year Piesnack, Sirola and Nedo were replaced by guitar player Andy McCoy (Antti Hulkko), bass player Sam Yaffa (Sami Takamäki) and drummer Gyp Casino (Jesper Sporre). In 1981 they moved to Stockholm and in 1982 to London to take advantage of the livelier music scene in these cities. Later that year Casino was fired and replaced by Razzle (Nicholas Dingley).
Although the band never gained significant commercial success, they have a considerable cult following and critical acclaim for their 'sleazy' yet melodic style of music. They were chosen the second-best band of year 1984 by readers of famous Sounds magazine, Marillion receiving the first place of voting. They have been cited as an influence by major bands such as Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses and Manic Street Preachers. More recently, artists such Fenriz, from Darkthrone, Joey Jordison and Dave Grohl have cited Hanoi Rocks as an important influence on their musical career. The re-release of Hanoi Rocks' albums on CD was in large part due to efforts by Guns N' Roses via their own record label UZI Suicide. In Finland, however, Hanoi Rocks is known as the Finnish rock band who at their time had come closest to real international fame, only much later giving way to such groups as HIM, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica and Children Of Bodom.
In 1983 the band signed to CBS Records and appeared to be on the cusp of gaining commercial acceptance. They recorded their fifth album in January 1984 with producer Bob Ezrin in his home town Toronto. The album had just been released when disaster struck in December of that same year: Razzle was killed in a car accident (the driver was Vince Neil, singer with the band Mötley Crüe). Vince Neil was charged with vehicular manslaughter and spent 1 month in a minimum security prison and ordered to pay $2.6 million in damages to Razzles family. Razzle was replaced by Terry Chimes, drummer on The Clash's first album, and René Berg from the Idle Flowers, the band never recovered; first Yaffa and then Monroe left, and in 1985 the band folded. The members spent the next 15 years in various short-lived projects, and although they worked with numerous artists including Iggy Pop, Stiv Bators and Guns N' Roses they never achieved anything resembling their earlier success.
In 2002 Monroe and McCoy reformed the band, with two members of the Electric Boys, and a drummer who had previously featured in Monroe's solo project. They have released three new albums and toured heavily since then in Europe and Japan.
2005 and beyond: Nasty Suicide works as a pharmacist. Sami Yaffa did play in a band called Mad Juana with his wife, Karmen Guy, and is based in New York City. Yaffa is currently touring and recording with the reformed New York Dolls. Sami was also part of the band Vasquez (with former DGeneration guitarist Richard Bacchus) and also toured with Jesse Malin in 2006. Suicide and Yaffa have appeared onstage with the reformed Hanoi although not at the same time. The single "Fashion", released in May 2007, went straight to #1 in the Finnish singles chart.
On the 8th of August, the single "This One's For Rock'n'Roll" was released to be downloaded from selected sites. This is also featured in the album Street Poetry, which was released in early September 2007. The album is regarded as being in the same vein as the classic material from the 80's.
It was announced on January 26th that drummer Lacu was to leave the band after the bands European Tour. A replacement was named on June 4th, 2008 - a Swede named George "Jolle" Atlagic.
Current members
Michael Monroe - lead vocals, keyboards, saxophone (1979–1985, 2002–present) Andy McCoy - guitar, backing vocals (1980–1985, 2002–present) Conny Bloom - guitar (2004–present) Andy "A.C." Christell - bass (2004–present) George Atlagic - drums, percussion (2008–present)
Former members
Guitar Nasty Suicide (1979–1985) Stefan Piesnack (1979–1980) Costello Hautamäki (2002–2004)
Nedo (1979–1980) Sami Yaffa (1980–1985) René Berg (1985) Timo Kaltio (1985) Timpa (2002–2004)
Discography
Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks - (1981) Oriental Beat - (1982) Self Destruction Blues - (1982) Back to Mystery City - (1983) #87 UK All Those Wasted Years (live) - (1984) Two Steps from the Move - (1984) #28 UK Rock & Roll Divorce (live) - (1985) Twelve Shots on the Rocks - (2002) Another Hostile Takeover - (2005) Street Poetry - (2007)
Spread Eagle burst upon the scene playing a brand of rock that came straight from the N.Y.C. gutter. When Paul DiBartolo (guitar), Rob De Luca (bass) and Tommi Gallo (drums) moved to the City and met up with vocalist Ray West, a new attitude was instantly born.
Spread Eagle was formed in New York City by vocalist Ray West, guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bassist Rob DeLuca, and drummer Tommi Gallo. The band's songs observed the hard rock conventions of, say, Guns N' Roses (including the exploitation of subjects culled from seedy urban decay), but carried a lethal metallic edge to boot. Signing to MCA was their first and last mistake -- the label having a deplorable track record when it came to hard rock and metal. Sure enough, the band's first 1990 self-titled album, as well as 1993's follow-up Open to the Public, received little promotion and bombed with fans.
While rehearsing/writing in a dingy East Village basement for their first gig, rumors began leaking out to the record industry. The group was quickly snatched up and signed to MCA/Universal, then sent straight into the studio. Additional tunes for the debut album had to be written while recording was taking place. The self-titled debut was produced by Charliie Gambetta and featured wailing vocals and razor sharp guitar, demonstrated through songs such as "Switchblade Serenade", "Scratch Like A Cat" and "Broken City". The honesty of Spread Eagle's debut release quickly gained the band worldwide critical acclaim and propelled them to forefront of the genre.
Four years later, after the release and touring of the second album "Open To The Public" (also produced by Gambetta), the band took a break and went about their own personal projects. Rob De Luca is currently touring with the SEBASTIAN BACH BAND as direct support for GUNS N' ROSES on their "2006-2007 Chinese Democracy World Tour". Rob has also toured and/or recorded with UFO, HELMET, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, GEORGE LYNCH (DOKKEN/LYNCH MOB), MIKE CHLASCIAK (PAINMUSEUM/HALFORD), OF EARTH, OUIJIPIG, and recorded for "Grammy Winning Producer of the Year" STEVE LILLYWHITE. Ray West has been locked up in a studio in South Florida by way of NYC creating and producing powerful new music. Ray is currently fronting his new project "HOSTEL INC.". Paul DiBartolo went on to score music in the motion picture industry (The Basketball Diaries, VH1). He now creates music under the name "Salvador Poe". Charlie Gambetta operates his record label "Jambetta Music" (jambetta.com), breaking new and talented artists and still making the mold for the real. Spread Eagle is now reformed and Lovember Records reissued their remastered debut record in association with Universal Music.
Band Members
Ray West - vocalist Paul DiBartolo - guitarist Rob DeLuca - bassist Tommi Gallo - drummer
Bad English was an American rock band supergroup formed in 1988, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.
The members decided on a name for the band while playing pool. John Waite missed a shot and Jonathan Cain made a comment on how bad his "english" was (referring to the spin a player puts on the cue ball) and the band decided to use the phrase. This official story differs from the urban legend suggesting that "Bad English" was chosen to mock the name of some of the members' previous band, The Babys, a name which is obviously misspelled.
Jonathan Cain and guitarist Neal Schon, who had enjoyed enormous success in Journey, continued on to form Bad English with Waite after Journey disbanded. The first album, eponymously titled, was a big seller with two hit singles (including the number one hit When I See You Smile written by Diane Warren) and top 10 hit "Price of Love" , but the second album’s single "Straight To Your Heart" didn’t crack the Top 40.
The song "Best of What I Got" was featured in the soundtrack to 1989's Tango and Cash.
Ricky Phillips writes on his website that the group had parted company before the second album had been mixed.
The band had enjoyed a brief but rewarding experience of playing glam metal. The second album, Backlash, was released well after the group had disbanded.
In later interviews Waite revealed that although he loved playing to stadium sized audiences, he was uncomfortable with the corporate rock image that he felt the band had presented, and has been a solo artist ever since.
Bad English drummer Deen Castronovo later went on to join a reformed Journey with singer Steve Augeri, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, and Ross Valory. He also played on Ozzy Osbourne's album Ozzmosis in 1995.
Band Members
John Waite Neal Schon Jonathan Cain Ricky Phillips Deen Castronovo
Discography
Bad English (1989) #21 US Platinum Backlash (1991) #72 US The Lost tapes (2002)
During the Early/Mid Eighties a small Heavy Metal band by the name of Steeler emerged from the German city of Bochum, the band was around between 1984-1988. The band was originally formed with members Peter Burtz on vocals, Axel Rudi Pell on guitar, Tom Eder also on guitar, Volker Krawczak on bass and Jan Yildiral on drums.
The band released two albums with this lineup, one a self titled album (Steeler) and the other titled 'Rulin' the Earth'.
After the first two albums Krawczak was replaced by Roland Hag, this new lineup released two more albums. The first was named 'Strike Back' and the other 'Undercover Animal'. After this the band split up.
Pell went on to start a successful solo career, under his name, with Krawczak on bass. His solo band is still performing and releasing songs to this day.
Band Members
Peter Burtz, vocals Axel Rudi Pell, guitar Tom Eder, guitar Volker Krawczak, bass Herve Rossi, bass Roland Hag (Bass) Jan Yildiral, drums
Discography
Steeler released 1984 Rulin' the Earth released 1985 Strike Back released 1986 Undercover Animal released 1988
Danzig is an American heavy metal band that fuses dark lyrics and imagery with blues-rock influences. The band serves as a musical outlet for singer/composer Glenn Danzig. The band can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands Misfits and Samhain.
On July 14, 1986, Samhain performed what was to be their final show, at The Ritz in New York City. In attendance was Rick Rubin, who was scouting for potential bands to sign to his record label, Def Jam. Upon viewing Samhain's performance, Rubin was impressed with Glenn Danzig's powerful stage persona and vocal abilities. He approached him after the show and propositioned him. At first, he wished only to sign Danzig, with the intent of making him the vocalist for a hard rock supergroup that Rubin envisioned. However, Danzig refused to sign to Rubin's label without Samhain's bassist, Eerie Von, with whom Danzig had become great friends. Rubin agreed to sign Samhain, and he began making suggestions for the new direction he felt the band should take. Rubin felt the music should be stripped down, and that Danzig's vocal talents should become the focal point for the band.
In 1987, the band evolved into a solid hard rock act, with the addition of John Christ on guitar and Chuck Biscuits (ex-Black Flag) on drums. To reflect the change in musical direction, and to avoid having to ever start anew in the event of future lineup changes, Danzig decided to change the name of Samhain to his own surname, Danzig.
Having formed and begun recording as Danzig the previous year, in 1988 the band released its eponymous first album on Rick Rubin's newly formed label Def American (later renamed to American Recordings). The album featured polished production by Rubin, with heavy, blues-based guitar riffs and Danzig's powerful and melodic vocal performance -- a harsh contrast to the gritty, raw-sounding production of Samhain's albums.
In 1990, Danzig released their second album, Danzig II: Lucifuge, the band's most diverse LP. Here the music continued to blur the lines between classic blues and hard rock.
By 1992, Rubin's involvement with the band had waned and Danzig himself took credit for co-producing the third album, Danzig III: How the Gods Kill. The following year the band released the Thrall: Demonsweatlive EP, which contained several live tracks from the band's 1992 Halloween show, as well as three new studio tracks. The EP provided a hit for the band when the live version of "Mother" (a song from the first Danzig album) became popular on hard rock radio stations. A new version of the "Mother" music video was created using live footage, and the video became a hit on MTV as well, pushing Danzig into the mainstream.
With Danzig in the spotlight, controversy surrounding the nature of Glenn Danzig's lyrics and imagery increased. Conservative Christian groups accused Danzig of being a Satanist; Danzig dismissed their characterization in his official response through his publicist: "We welcome their disdain". Danzig has repeatedly denied accusations of being a Satanist, saying that while he is spiritual, he rejects all religions, especially organized religion, but is fascinated by the nature of evil and merely finds Satan to be an interesting figure in Christian theology.[citation needed]
In October 1993, the band entered the studio to record their fourth studio album. Danzig says that he was pressured by executives at his record label to record songs with the commercial appeal of "another 'Mother'", but that he was determined not to backtrack in his musical progression. He also says that Rick Rubin had become increasingly distant from the band and had little involvement in the recording of the fourth album, which Glenn Danzig alone is credited as having produced. On October 4, 1994 Danzig 4 was released, a more atmospheric and experimental album than the band's previous releases, reintroducing elements of production that Danzig had not much used since the Samhain era.
While the album sold well, it did not contain a hit on par with the "Mother" single. The album's second single, "Cantspeak", was also a staple in MTV's rotation (even making the Buzz Bin), and it charted on the rock charts, although (unlike "Mother") it failed to appear on the Hot 100. "Cantspeak" is the band's only single other than "Mother" to chart on Billboard, thus making the band a two-hit wonder of the mainstream scene. Amid accusations of unpaid royalties and broken promises, Danzig's relationship with Rubin deteriorated, and the band left the record label.
Around this time, the band's lineup began to dissolve as well. First, Chuck Biscuits left the band in the summer of 1994 due to royalty disagreements. After he was rejected upon asking to return, he was replaced by Joey Castillo, who made his first public appearance as a member of Danzig at an in-store signing the day of the fourth album's release. Though the band had toured successfully with its new drummer during the fall and winter of 1994-95, by the spring of 1995 Danzig was actively seeking a new guitarist. John Christ learned of this, and, never content with his role and relative lack of input in the band, resigned his position on 5 July 1995, all offices having been closed the previous day for the Independence Day holiday. Coincidentally, Eerie Von resigned the very same day, ending what is often called the "classic era" of the band. Glenn Danzig has since contended that it was always his intention to have a revolving line-up, but it just so happened that the original lineup worked well and remained intact for much longer than he had expected. Since the end of the classic era, each Danzig album has featured a different band lineup.
In 1996, Danzig 5: Blackacidevil was released, surprising many with its heavy emphasis on industrial rock. Danzig has stated that Rick Rubin had been keeping him from experimenting with electronics on earlier Danzig releases, and so with the fifth album, he was eager to indulge in industrial sounds unimpeded. The album was mostly a solo effort by Danzig, although Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains played lead guitar on three of the album's tracks, and drum duties were handled by Joey Castillo, the sole member still in the band from the 4P Tour (Joey would go on to record on two more Danzig albums, making him the longest-standing member outside of the original lineup). In online polls the album is often listed as fans' least favorite by Danzig, presumably due to the drastic departure from the sound of the first four releases. Additionally, while Danzig's vocals had always been a highlight of the band, on most songs on Blackacidevil his voice is heavily distorted or buried under layers of effects. Other fans embraced the album, and saw it as Danzig returning to the more experimental style of Samhain.
The next couple years saw Danzig tied up in a legal battle with Rick Rubin over the rights to the unreleased material the band produced under American Recordings. After winning back the rights, Danzig entered the studio to record the sixth full-length album. In November 1999, Danzig 6:66 Satan's Child was released, with mixed reactions from fans and critics. It featured dark and heavy hard rock accented by mild electronics, with Danzig singing in an uncharacteristic, harsh, whispery tone on many songs. Some critics and fans have described the sound of the album as being similar to nu metal, a genre of heavy music that Danzig is well known to detest. This comparison is often attributed to its production by Jay Gordon and Amir Derakh of the electropop/nu metal band, Orgy.
By 2000, Danzig's line up had stabilized with the addition of guitarist Todd Youth and bassist Howie Pyro, both veterans of the New York City punk scene. In 2002, this line up released the album Danzig 777: I Luciferi. The album was devoid of electronics and contained some of the darkest and heaviest songs of Danzig's career. Some of the later tracks on I Luciferi hearkened back to the classic sound of the band, and many fans heralded it as a return to form, although some were disappointed with the album's production quality.
In 2004, Danzig released their eighth studio album, Circle of Snakes, which, along with the previous album, many fans view as the singer's best work since the classic era of the band. On Circle of Snakes the line up was again re-written and now featured Tommy Victor of Prong on guitar; Victor had toured as a member of Danzig years earlier, but had never before recorded an album with the band. The sound evolved again, and here Tommy Victor’s guitar seemed to be the dominant force on each song, to the point that some critics felt the drums and vocals had become buried under the weight of multiple guitar tracks.
Soon after the album's release, Danzig then set out headlining the Blackest of the Black tour across the United States, replacing Circle of Snakes drummer Bevan Davies with Johnny Kelly (of Type O Negative). "The Blackest of the Black" was meant to be a yearly package set up by Glenn Danzig as a way to help some of his favorite dark underground bands gain more exposure, while providing fans of heavy music an alternative to Ozzfest, which Danzig felt had become over saturated with commercialized nu metal acts. During the 2005 Blackest of the Black dates, halfway through the Danzig set, the band was joined by Doyle, the Misfits most celebrated guitarist, for a set of classic Misfits songs. These shows were the first time Danzig had played with Doyle in over twenty years, and many of these shows were sold out.
Throughout 2006, Glenn Danzig stated in several interviews that he had grown tired of the touring cycle, and did not expect to partake in any more large scale tours. Instead, Danzig would go on small, localized tours, such as the ten west coast dates they played for the 2006 Blackest of the Black tour. This tour debuted Kenny Hickey (of Type O Negative) as the band's new guitarists, while the East Coast dates saw the addition of former Samhain member, Steve Zing on bass. Danzig said he would use his downtime from touring to complete his various unfinished projects, and focus more attention on his other interests, such as writing and directing films.
In October of 2006, he released Black Aria II, the follow-up to his solo classical album, Black Aria. He spent the rest of the year completing the production and packaging of The Lost Tracks of Danzig, a double CD containing twenty-six unreleased songs that span the entire Danzig catalog, which was released on July 10, 2007. Danzig has also stated that he plans to record a dark blues album with either Jerry Cantrell or Hank Williams III.[citation needed] In May 2007, Evilive re-released Danzig's original classical effort Black Aria.
Current members
Glenn Danzig – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards (1987–present) Robert Benkovic – lead guitar (2000–2002, 2007–present) Steve Zing – bass guitar, backing vocals (2006–present) Johnny Kelly – drums, percussion (2002–2003, 2005–present)
Former members
John Christ – guitar (1987–1995) Tom Orio-Nist – guitar (1996) Dave Kushner – guitar (1997) Tommy Victor – guitar (1997–1998, 2002–2005) Jeff Chambers – guitar (1998–1999) Todd Youth - guitar (1999-2002) Joe Fraulob – guitar (2005–2006) Kenny Hickey – guitar (2006–2007) Cody nuckols - guitar (2007-present) Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein – guest live guitar (2006) Eerie Von – bass (1987–1995) Josh Lazie – bass guitar (1996–1997, 1998–2000) Rob Nicholson – bass guitar (1997–1998) Howie Pyro – bass (2000–2002) Jerry Montano – bass guitar (2002–2006) Chuck Biscuits – drums, percussion (1987–1994) Joey Castillo – drums, percussion (1994–2002) Charlee Johnson – drums, percussion (2002) Bevan Davies – drums, percussion (2004–2005) Karl Rosqvist - drums, percussion (2007)
Discography
Danzig I (1988) Danzig II - Lucifuge (1989) Danzig III - How The Gods Kill (1992) Thrall-Demonsweatlive (1993) 4p (1994) 5 - Blackacidevil (1996) 6 66 - Satan's Child (1999) Live on the Black Hand Side (2001) Danzig 7 77 - I Luciferi (2002) Circle of Snakes (2004) Black Aria II (2006) The Lost Tracks of Danzig (2007)
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