Poison - Talk Dirty To Me

Here's a fun conversation starter:  What is the most 1980s band?  Not the most successful act of the decade; rather, what artist or group best represents the 1980s vibe?

While we're not sure of the answer, Poison should probably be on the short list.  The band's flashy glam rock sound and image dominated MTV in the second half of the 1980s, and the group sold a boatload of records, as well.

Poison (named after a 1981 Kix song) formed in 1983 in Pennsylvania, and originally was comprised of Bret Michaels (vocals), Matt Smith (guitar), Bobby Dall (bass), and Rikki Rockett (drums).  Like so many other glam rock (pop metal) acts, they moved to LA to make it, and honed their craft playing in the Sunset Strip clubs.  Later, when Smith left the group the remaining members held auditions (more on this later) before settling on C.C. DeVille.

The group signed to Enigma Records in 1986, and released their debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In later that year.  Although sales were slow to start, a combination of flamboyant videos and a knack for self promotion helped the band break out.

The band's rise began in earnest when MTV put the video for the second single, "Talk Dirty to Me" into heavy rotation.  Poison's debut LP would eventually go triple platinum, while the single would become the first of  10 top 40 songs. 

As was the case with many pop metal acts, Posion's success waned in the early 1990s as grunge became popular, and DeVille left the group for a time (yes, drugs may have been a factor).  However, the original lineup re-formed in the late 1990s and appears to be together as of this writing.

Cool trivia fact:  C.C. DeVille played the guitar lick from "Talk Dirty to Me" at his audition for the band.

Cool trivia fact #2:  Slash (of Guns N' Roses) auditioned for Poison, and was one of three finalists (along with Steve Silva from the Joe Perry Project) for the job.