Kix - Cold Blood

Although they were lumped in with the hair metal scene, Kix were actually more of a bluesy hard rock band, along the lines of AC/DC or Cinderella.  Additionally, they were an East Coast act, cutting their teeth primarily in the northeast until their all-too-brief period of success.

The band formed in Maryland in 1977 and were initially called Shooze.  They then changed their name to The Generators before finally settling on Kix.  Led by frontman Steve Whiteman, and with bassist Donnie Purnell as the primary songwriter, the group seemed to have all of the ingredients for major success.  However, in spite of strong material their first three albums barely dented the charts.

This all changed with 1988's Blow My Fuse.  The LP went platinum and reached #46 on the charts, led by the power ballad "Don't Close Your Eyes" (which reached #11 on the singles charts).  However, in classic ERV style, we're opting for "Cold Blood" instead - a straight up banger that is more representative of Kix' style.

Unfortunately, the band was unable to maintain its momentum; the 3 year delay between Blow My Fuse and Hot Wire probably didn't help matters.  With the emergence of grunge, their fate was sealed, and the band broke up in 1995.  However, they subsequently re-formed in 2003 (without Donnie Purnell) and have been performing since, albeit with some personnel changes.

Cool trivia fact: the actress in the video is Helene Clarkson.

Kiss - I Love It Loud

Welcome to ERV's 10th annual All Hallows Even party.  A reminder to our newer readers: our  prior ghostly (ghastly) clips can be found using the All Hallows Even tag on the right.

Leading off this year's festivities is "I Love It Loud" by Kiss.  As most readers know, Kiss has a long and somewhat controversial history.  The group started in New York City in 1973, and was led by Paul Stanley (guitar and vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass and vocals).  Ace Frehley (guitars) and Peter Criss (drums) rounded out the original lineup.  Right from the start, Kiss was known for their makeup, costumes, and theatrical stage shows as much as for their music.

The group really broke out following their 1975 Alive! double album and had a period of superstardom, which was on the wane by the early 1980s.  Changes to their sound likely didn't help - 1979's Dynasty was dance-influenced, while the 1981 "Music from 'The Elder'" concept album included orchestral parts.

With this backdrop, "I Love It Loud" from the 1982 Creatures of the Night LP was a return to form.  Although the album didn't become a huge commercial success, the anthemic hard rock and focus on music videos laid the groundwork for Kiss' success in the 1980s.  Stanley and Simmons capitalized on this by having the band remove their makeup (on MTV no less) and effectively repositioned Kiss as a pop metal act, which paid huge dividends for the rest of the decade.

From a Halloween perspective, "I Love It Loud" is spot on.  The makeup, costumes, and tank/drum kit are nicely complimented by the sonic assault (and glowing eyes).  The result works, in our opinion, and makes for a fun Halloweeny video. 

The Cult - Lil' Devil

Long time readers may recall that we have previously featured The Cult on ERV (twice), with "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Rain."  Both of these videos were off the group's breakout LP, Love.

In the aftermath of Love, The Cult went back into the studio to work on their follow up album, tentatively titled Peace.  However, a funny thing happened during the recording process - the band grew increasingly dissatisfied with making an album that seemed (to them) like Love, part 2.  As a result, they switched producers, opting for Rick Rubin (who was primarily known as a rap producer).  One suspects that the record label was likely in full blown panic mode by this point.

However, the results (which became the Electric album) were an inspired effort.  Rubin stripped down The Cult's sound, which really brought out the AC/DC-like elements - anthemic, guitar-oriented songs which happened to feel right at home on rock radio.  Electric would go on to reach #38 on the U.S. charts and would go platinum.  While none of the singles off the LP broke the top 40, they all hit the Mainstream Rock Charts, a testament to how much they were played on the radio back in the day.

For the blog, we went with "Lil' Devil," a fun straight up rock song with a solid video and some seriously rock and roll lyrics (lizard in a bottle? cyclone kiss?)  This one definitely sounds better loud.

Fastway - Say What You Will

"Fast" Eddie Clarke rose to fame as Motörhead's guitarist, and can be seen on the "Ace of Spades" video, which was posted on ERV in November 2013.  However, a dispute during the band's 1982 U.S. tour resulting in him leaving the group - and he quickly set about forming a new one.

Around the same time, bassist Pete Way left UFO, and with Clarke formed a band, which they called ... Fastway.  Singer Dave King and drummer Jerry Shirley rounded out the lineup.  Unfortunately a legal dispute with Chrysalis prevented Way from recording with his new band; as a result he left the group prior to their first LP.  (Bass is uncredited on the album but seems to have been Mick Feat.)

Fastway's self-titled album came out in 1983, and represented a solid bluesy hard rock effort.  The album was a modest success, reaching #31 on the charts, though the "Say What You Will" single did not chart.  However, Fastway was not able to build a following, though they released several subsequent LPs, and even played on the Trick or Treat soundtrack (now who remembers that movie).  Clarke tried several lineup changes in the late 1980s, to no avail, and finally broke up the group in the early 1990s.

The video for "Say What You Will" did receive a bit of airplay back in the day, but eventually faded from view ... until now.

"Fast" Eddie Clarke remained in the industry until his death in 2018.

Blue Murder - Jelly Roll

While many readers may not know who John Sykes is, most will have heard his music.  In fact, Sykes' story is another somewhat sad rock and roll tale.

Sykes got his big break in 1982, when he joined Thin Lizzy just before the recording of their last studio LP, 1983's Thunder and Lightning.  Sykes even co-wrote one of the tracks for the LP - "Cold Sweat." In 1984, as Thin Lizzy was winding up, Sykes joined Whitesnake.

ERV readers will recall that David Coverdale ran Whitesnake - full stop. (Note that "Slow An' Easy" and "Love Ain't No Stranger" have been previously featured on the blog.) Sykes joined the band in time to re-record some guitar parts for the U.S. release of the Slide It In LP, and toured in support of the album.  He and Coverdale then co-wrote all of the songs on what became the 1987 self-titled album, with the exception of two older Whitesnake songs that the band re-recorded.

Unfortunately, the Whitesnake story then became difficult.  Coverdale developed a sinus infection that required surgery and there was some doubt as to whether he would be able to continue singing. After being out of action for most of 1986, Coverdale returned to the studio and put the vocal tracks over the music. However, the delays and health issues strained Coverdale's relationship with the rest of the band; as a result, he fired everyone prior to the album's release.

Sykes would go on to form Blue Murder with Tony Franklin on bass and Carmine Appice on drums.  Their 1989 album was quite solid, but did not become a huge hit.  Sykes would later speculate that the label (Geffen) did not properly promote the group, perhaps due to being on the same label as Whitesnake.

Blue Murder would release a second album (Nothin' but Trouble) in 1993, but sales were disappointing.  The group broke up in 1995.

Cool trivia fact: the actress in the video is Meg Register.

Iron Maiden - 2 Minutes To Midnight

We love highlighting the diversity of eighties music at ERV, and we particularly enjoy abrupt transitions from one video to the next. This made it hard to pass up the opportunity to go from Sheena Easton to Iron Maiden as part of our 2020 All Hallows Even Celebration.

Iron Maiden made this even easier by starting "2 Minutes to Midnight" with one of the filthiest guitar riffs of the decade.  Combined with a somewhat creepy video about ... well, we're not exactly sure, but it definitely passes the atmospheric Hallowweny test for us. (Although we're not quite sure why there's a yo-yo starting at 0:26).

The song would go on to become a hard rock classic, and it actually hit #11 on the U.K. charts, while the Powerslave LP reached #2 in the U.K. and #21 in the U.S.  As most readers will know, Iron Maiden remains active as of this writing, and is one of the few 1980s acts that has remained successful during the intervening years. 

For folks who want more Iron Maiden, "The Number of the Beast" was featured on ERV's first All Hallows Even celebration in 2011, while "Flight Of Icarus" appeared on our blog in 2015. Both are highly recommended from your friends at ERV.     

Cool trivia fact #1: "2 Minutes to Midnight" is one of the few Iron Maiden songs not written or co-written by bassist Steve Harris. It was co-written by guitarist Adrian Smith and singer Bruce Dickinson. This helps explain why it sounds different (to my ear, at least) from most other Maiden songs.

Cool trivia fact #2: The video for "2 Minutes to Midnight" about spies, cults, and a stolen nuclear weapon (we think) was the group's first concept video.  The theme plays off the fears on a nuclear war, which drove the title and lyrics for the song.

XYZ - Inside Out

The story of XYZ begins in Lyon, France - not exactly a hotbed of successful rock acts.  However, Patt Fontaine (bass) and Terry Ilous (vocals) hail from Lyon, though they moved to Los Angeles in 1984 in search of fame and fortune.

Fontaine and Ilous soon put a band together and by 1986 XYZ was playing on the Sunset Strip as the unofficial house band at the Whisky a Go-Go. A self-financed EP followed, as the band slowly gained a following in the LA hard rock scene.

In 1989, Enigma records signed them, and they cut their self-titled debut album, which Don Dokken produced.  The album ended up as a small success, reaching #99 on the charts, and the videos for "Inside Out" and "What Keeps Me Loving You" both picked up a bit of airplay on MTV.

Unfortunately, the 1991 follow up (Hungry) did not do well, and the band was dropped by the label.  XYZ broke up in 1993, although they have re-formed in the early 2000s, and appear to be active as of this writing.

For the blog, we went with the video for "Inside Out," an excellent time piece from 1989.  Hair, girls, and a sharp guitar hook - it's enough to make one wonder why these guys didn't do better.

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.

Vandenberg - Burning Heart

The Dutch band Vandenberg was one of a surprising number of acts from that country to flirt with international success.  For example, both Golden Earring and Shocking Blue have previously been featured on ERV.  Led by (and named after) lead guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, the group was known for its melodic hard rock sound and classical flourishes, especially on the guitar solos.

Vandenberg's 1982 debut LP did reasonable well, reaching #65 on the album charts, helped by the "Burning Heart" single, which reached #39. Note that Vandenberg's song is totally different from Survivor's "Burning Heart" (a #2 hit from 1985, from the from Rocky IV soundtrack).

A successful debut album, a hit single, and a melodic hard rock sound should have translated to further success, but Vandenberg's second and third albums did not do well, and the band broke up in 1986.  The following year, Adrian Vandenberg joined Whitesnake, and remained with them through the remainder of the decade.

Adrian Vandenberg remains active in the industry as of this writing - and is also a painter.

Dio - Last in Line

After years of playing in bands, Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona) came into his own in the early 1980s, helped by his MTV-friendly videos.  Dio's band (cleverly named Dio) scored two platinum records and added a gold one to boot before their popularity declined in the later part of the decade.

Although Dio's career traces back to the early 1960s (!) he is best known for being the frontman of Elf (1967-75), Rainbow (1975-78) and Black Sabbath (1979-82).  After leaving Black Sabbath, Dio opted to form his own band with drummer Vinny Appice, guitarist Vivian Campbell, and bassist Jimmy Bain.

"Last in Line," from the 1984 album of the same name, suits our All Hallows Even theme perfectly, and has been on our list for some time.  From the elevator ride from (to?) hell, to the weird goings on in the basement, this is one odd and creepy video.  We particularly like that the band plays only supporting roles in the clip, though Dio is pretty visible towards the end.

Though Dio's popularity faded, Ronnie James remained active in the music industry until his death in 2010.

Dokken - Just Got Lucky

While Dokken's version of melodic hard rock seemed tailor made for the pop metal era, they never quite landed the big breakout song or album.  To be fair, though, they did have three consecutive platinum (and top 50) LPs in the 1980s, which is more than most groups can say.

The band's roots date back to 1976, when singer/guitarist Don Dokken formed Airborn in Los Angeles.  The name change to Dokken occurred in 1979, when the group discovered that there was a signed band with the Airborn name.  Four years later Dokken had gathered enough of a following to land a recording contract with Elektra.  Unfortunately, their first album (1983's Breaking the Chains) did not do well -- to the point that convincing the label to finance a second album became quite an ordeal (as an aside, this led to the LP's name -- Tooth and Nail).

Though Tooth and Nail didn't become a smash hit, it did establish Dokken as a legitimate rock act, and eventually reached #49 on the album charts.  "Just Got Lucky" did not chart on the singles charts, but hit #27 on the Billboard mainstream rock chart.  It remains our favorite Dokken song, though we don't recall seeing the video back in the day.

The vid is pretty standard stuff, though it does look as though portions of it may have been filmed in a dressing room (mirrors!).  The guitar solo was shot in Hawaii, near an active volcano that apparently made breathing difficult.

As previously mentioned, Dokken would go on to have further successes in the 1980s, before the simmering tensions between Don Dokken and lead guitarist George Lynch caused Dokken to break up in 1989.  However, there have been multiple reunions since then, and the band seems to be doing reunion shows as of this writing.
 

Jimmy Page - Wasting My Time

It goes without saying that it's not a bad thing to be considered one of the greatest rock guitarists ever.  We suppose it is also not surprising that Jimmy Page seemed to have trouble figuring out what to do after the demise of Led Zeppelin.

As most readers will know, Jimmy Page became a well-regarded studio musician in Britain in the 1960s before forming Led Zeppelin in 1968.  Books have been written about Led Zep, but suffice to say that they remain one of the most important and influential rock acts of all time.  The sudden end of the group (in 1980, due to the death of drummer John Bonham) left Page without a clear direction, and for much of the next 15 years he embarked on short-lived collaborations.

In 1988, he released his first solo studio album, Outrider.  The album sounded a bit like a (slightly) updated Led Zeppelin, with its stripped down blues/rock sound.  Unfortunately, it didn't do all that well -- the album peaked at #26, and none of the singles charted.

In spite of the lack of success, we've always been partial to "Wasting My Time," which was co-written and sung by John Miles.  Jason Bonham (Drums) and Tony Franklin (Bass) round out the lineup.  While the song doesn't break any new ground, it is a solid track which isn't helped much by the standard performance video.  [As an aside, has there ever been a performance video made where the singer is show less frequently?]

Page continued with short-lived projects through the 1990s, but has re-connected with (Led Zeppelin) singer Robert Plant with greater frequency since the mid-1990s.  He remains active in the music industry as of this writing.

Helix - Heavy Metal Love

I remember seeing "Heavy Metal Love" back in the day, and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The same holds true for Helix's earlier entry on ERV, "Deep Cuts the Knife," which was posted back in October, 2011.

As we mentioned on the earlier post, Helix is a hard working, hard rocking Canadian band.  The group formed in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada in 1974 and has been led by Brian Vollmer on vocals from day one.  At the time of this single, the remainder of the band consisted of Paul Hackman and Brent 'The Doctor' Doerner on guitars, Mike Uzelac on bass and Greg 'Fritz' Hinz on drums.

Hinz and Vollmer remain with the band to the present day.  Hackman was killed in 1992 when the band's van crashed during a tour.  Doerner left Helix in 1989, but has rejoined the act several times over the years, and  Uzelac quit in 1983.

While "Heavy Metal Love" picked up some airplay on my favorite music video channel, the song did not break into the singles chart, though it did reach #23 on the Mainstream Rock chart (based on airplay on rock radio stations).  The No Rest for the Wicked LP peaked at #186 on the album chart.

Cool trivia fact: The woman in the video is actress Sandahl Bergman, best known as the female lead in the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian.

Tora Tora - Walkin' Shoes

Tora Tora (named after the Van Halen song, not the movie) was a Memphis blues rock band that came close to a major breakout at the end of the 1980s.  The group consisted of Anthony Corder (vocals), Keith Douglas (guitar), Patrick Francis (bass), and John Patterson (drums).

After recording an independent EP, Tora Tora generated some local buzz, which led to a recording contract with A&M.  The band's debut LP, 1989's Surprise Attack reached #47 on the charts, while the single "Walkin' Shoes" hit #86, thanks in part to some airplay on MTV.  The band also landed a song ("Dancing With a Gypsy") on the soundtrack to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

However, Tora Tora's second album did not come out until 1992, right as grunge was changing the rock scene.  That album (Wild America) did not break the top 100, turning Tora Tora into more of a working band.  They were subsequently dropped by their label in 1994, after recording their third album (which was not released until 2011).  After losing their recording contract, the band broke up.

The group re-formed in 2008 and have been performing and releasing material since that time.

Cinderella - Gypsy Road

When we posted Cinderella's "Shake Me" (back in December, 2011), we pointed out that the group was not a typical hair band.  While they looked the part, their sound was more bluesy hard rock than pop metal.  This became even more evident on their second LP, 1988's Long Cold Winter.

In spite of this, the strong songwriting (and general popularity of hard rock) led to continued success.  The album reached #10 on the charts, while 3 singles cracked the top 40.  Sadly, "Gypsy Road" was not one of them -- it peaked at #51.

The video for "Gypsy Road" was filmed in Yucatan, Mexico and features footage of the Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzá (who says you can't learn anything from 1980s videos).  Although there is no direct connection between the song and Mexico, the video does a nice job of highlighting the vibe of the song.

Cinderella released one further platinum record (1990's Heartbreak Station) before changing musical tastes relegated the group to working band status.  They remain together to the present day -- with the original lineup, as drummer Fred Coury rejoined the act in 1996.

L.A. Guns - The Ballad of Jayne

Best known as half of the inspiration for the Guns N' Roses name, L.A. Guns was a fixture on the Los Angeles hard rock scene in the 1980s, but never crossed over to big time mainstream success.  Lineup changes, and a sound that was more hard rock bar band than glam metal likely had something to do with this.

The band formed in 1983, and an early version of the group had Tracii Guns (born Tracy Ulrich) on guitar and W. Axl Rose on vocals.  Rose would leave to sing for Rapidfire and Hollywood Rose, before rejoining L.A. Guns, and the group was later renamed Guns N' Roses.  However, after a fight with Rose, Tracii Guns left Guns N' Roses and reformed L.A. Guns.  (Quite a tangled web, huh?)

L.A. Guns released their first major label record in 1988, and the LP did well, reaching #50 on the charts.  However, 1989's Cocked and Loaded did better, and hit #38 on the charts.  "The Ballad of Jayne" became the group's only top 40 hit at #33, making the band an official one hit wonder.

While 1991's Hollywood Vampires broke the top 50 on the album charts, the rise of grunge effectively ended any chance of L.A. Guns breaking out.  The band has continued as a working band  (with a ton of personnel changes) to the present day.  In fact, for much of the early 2000s, there were two version of L.A. Guns (one with Tracii Guns and one without).  In 2013 Tracii Guns broke up his version of the group, but we believe that the second version is active as of this writing.

Cool trivia fact:  "The Ballad of Jayne" is about actress Jayne Mansfield, who was killed in a car accident in 1967.

Iron Maiden - Flight Of Icarus

We have posted many acts on ERV that were (are) one hit wonders, often with the caveat that there is no shame in having only one top 40 hit.  Case in point: Iron Maiden, who scored exactly zero charting singles in the U.S. (Yes, that makes them a no hit wonder, we suppose.)

"Flight of Icarus" is a retelling of the Greek myth of Icarus, although in the Iron Maiden version, Icarus' father (Daedalus) betrays Icarus by encouraging him to fly too close to the sun.  (In the original version, Daedalus warns Icarus not to fly too high, but the boy doesn't listen, with disastrous consequences).

The song works on a number of levels, and is helped by the mythological theme.  Maiden cultivated a fantasy-driven image, which was strengthened by singer Bruce Dickinson's lyrics.  [As an aside, Dickinson is an interesting person with expertise in fencing, aviation, writing, and broadcasting; these varied interests have resulted in at least once source naming him as a polymath.]

Directed by Jim Yukich, the video brings these darker elements to the fore, which are contrasted with the band playing the song in a studio.  While the song was not a huge hit, the Piece of Mind LP reached #14 in the U.S. (#3 in the U.K) and went platinum in both geographies.

The band would remain heavy metal stars through the early 1990s, and remain together (with some personnel changes along the way) to the present day.

Another Maiden classic, 1982's "The Number of the Beast" was featured on ERV's first All Hallows Even celebration in 2011, and "2 Minutes To Midnight" was posted to our All Hallows Even collection in 2020.

Ratt - You're In Love

There is no right way for a band to become successful, but there is a wrong (or hard) way: burst onto the scene with a huge first album before a strong fan base has been established.  While it is not the kiss of death, successful first albums can lead to oversized expectations and pressure that can be hard to live up to.  This likely hurt the careers of The Knack, The Outfield, The Hooters, and Young MC among many others.

Viewed from this perspective, Ratt didn't do half bad.  True, their first album (1984's Out of the Cellar) was their commercial peak, but they were able to maintain a significant amount of success all through the eighties, helped by the popularity of pop metal and their generally solid music videos.

The origins of Ratt go back to the mid 1970s when Mickey Ratt was formed by singer Stephen Pearcy.  The band went through a series of lineup changes, and eventually became regulars on the LA Sunset Strip scene.  Ratt's 1983 independent EP sold well, which led to a major label contract, a video with Milton Berle, and no small amount of success.

"You're In Love" was the second single of the group's 1985 LP, Invasion of Your Privacy.  The video features mostly live footage, and was filmed at shows in Mississippi and Louisiana in August 1985.  The single only reached #89 on the charts, while the album peaked at a strong #7.

Ratt maintained its string of successful albums through the 1980s, before breaking up in the early 1990s.  There have been several reunions since the late 1990s, but none with the classic lineup.  (Sadly, original lead guitarist Robbin Crosby died of a drug overdose in 2002).  A version of the group appears to be together as of this writing.

Coll trivia fact:  Ratt was very nearly a one hit wonder.  While "Round and Round" hit #12, the band's only other top 40 single was "Lat It Down," which reached ... #40.

Cool trivia fact #2:  Jake E. Lee (later of Ozzy Osbourne and Badlands) and Marq Torien (BulletBoys) were both briefly members of Ratt in the early 1980s, while Michael Schenker was briefly a member in the early 1990s.

Judas Priest - Hot Rockin'

Way back on August 7, 2011, when we hung out a shingle and opened for business, Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" was the last of our first nine clips.  [If readers are wondering while the commentary is so short, that partly explains it.]  We continue to love the video, and are particularly partial to the non sequitur two second opening.

"Breaking the Law" was off the groundbreaking 1980 LP, British Steel, which is regarded as one of the most important hard rock albums of the 1980s.  While 1981's Point of Entry is a solid album, it does suffer by comparison, if only because British Steel is just that good.  However, the high points remain quite strong; in short, this is some of the best 1980s hard rock ever made.

The anthemic "Hot Rockin'" (no "g") is representative of this period, and is just a great hard rock song.  On the downside, some critics believed that in focusing on straight up songs the band lost some of the darkness and mystique the their fanbase loved, something that Judas Priest rectified on the superb Screaming for Vengeance album in 1982.

The video starts as a workout tape, with the band exercising (and doing about as well as one would expect from a metal band).  Apparently, leather pants sans shirts constituted metal workout wear in 1981.  We then see the band showering (unclear if they are still in their leather pants) and blow drying, before an extremely poorly lit (and shot) car scene.  Finally, we get to see the band perform, complete with fire.

Judas Priest remained popular throughout the 1980s and remains together (with some personnel changes along the way) as of this writing.

Alice Cooper - He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)

What better way to continue our Halloween celebration than with Alice Cooper.  Cooper (born Vincent Furnier) emerged on the scene in the 1970s with the band of the same name (in fact, Cooper took the band's name on as his own).  As a cool aside, the name Alice Cooper supposedly came to the group during a session with a Ouija board.

After the act broke up in 1974, Cooper continued as a solo artist, although his success waned during the late 1970s and early 1980s due to weaker material and alcohol abuse.  By the mid-1980s, Cooper had cleaned up his act, and revitalized his career by providing a song for the Friday the 13th, Part VI movie soundtrack.  "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" also appeared on Cooper's 1986 Constrictor LP.  The single went to #56 on the charts, while the album reached #59.

This success helped to re-establish Cooper as a flamboyant rock star, and he has continued to record and perform to the present day.  He also expanded into movies and radio -- his syndicated radio program, Nights With Alice Cooper has been on the air since 2004 and is well worth a listen (or three).

The video below highlights Alice Coopers showmanship.  This, combined with clips from the movie, make it a superb holiday treat.