The place for great and not-so-great nearly forgotten videos from the decade of Miami Vice, mullets, and acid wash jeans. All praise to the bands, YouTube, and the original posters of these videos.
Loud, brash, and borderline out-of-control, Mötley Crüe created the pop metal mold. The band formed in 1981 in LA (of course), and were led by bassist Nikki Sixx (given name: Frank Feranna). The original band consisted of Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee (given name: Thomas Lee Bass) and guitarist/singer Greg Leon. When Leon left, Sixx and Lee replaced him with guitarist Mick Marrs (given name: Robert Deal) and singer Vince Neil (given name: Vincent Neil Wharton) and just like that, Mötley Crüe was born.
By combining hard rock with glam metal, Mötley Crüe stumbled upon a marketable formula. This was helped by their solid hooks; some critics have compared the band to Cheap Trick, although we see a lot of Kiss influences as well. The music and strong live shows would likely have made Mötley Crüe successful in any era, but the visuals proved to be a huge advantage in the MTV-led 1980s. Unlike older hard rock bands (and even the New Wave of British Heavy Metal acts), Crüe embraced videos and became big stars as a result.
While the 1983 "Looks That Kill" video really propelled the band to hard rock stardom, we opted for their first major video, 1981's "Live Wire." The band is not as polished as it would be in later efforts, but the vid shows a young, energetic band with some nice licks and a real understanding of visuals -- something that was often lacking in hard rock acts of the early 1980s.
Mötley Crüe would go on to sell 80 million units and have six top 10 LPs. They would also have six top 40 hits during the 1980s, although "Live Wire" was not among them (it did not chart). As of this writing, the band intends to go on a final tour and call it quits in 2015 or so.
Loudness (ラウドネス) are likely to be the only Japanese group to appear on ERV, and are one of a handful of Japanese acts that had the potential to make an impact on the U.S. charts. The group got its start in 1981 and quickly established themselves as the premier heavy metal band in Japan.
By 1984, Loudness had released four albums, and had a following in their home market. To our ear, their early work sounds similar to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and we think that it holds up reasonably well. Their growing success caught the attention of the Twisted Sister management team and led to an international recording contract with Atco Records in 1985.
The act's first American record was 1985's Thunder in the East. The album was recorded in the U.S., with English lyrics and some significant style changes, designed to appeal to the American market -- essentially, they went with a more pop metal sound, similar to Mötley Crüe, instead of sticking with their earlier, heavier music.
The results were ok, but not great. Thunder in the East did hit #74 on the U.S. album charts, led by "Crazy Nights," which did not chart. However, it was not the big breakout that the label had hoped for, and several subsequent records did not fare any better. Atco dropped the band in 1991, and Loudness refocused on the Japanese market. Though there have been several lineup changes, the band remains active to the present day.continues to record and tour to the present day.
Cool trivia fact: The "M - Z - A" chant in the chorus has no particular meaning -- it was used as a placeholder during the initial recording, and the band could not come up with anything better, so they keep it in the final version.
"Mountain Song" is a truly great, groove-driven hard rock song that was unlike virtually everything on the radio in 1988. For readers who only know Jane's Addiction from 1990's "Been Caught Stealing," this song is evidence that the band could rock out with the best of them.
The song came off the band's major label debut, 1988's Nothing's Shocking. [Note that "Jane Says" from the same LP was featured on ERV in January 2014.] The album created a stir in the music industry, but did not become a huge commercial success. In retrospect, album sales were hurt by the lack of exposure on MTV, and by the diverse alternative feel that the record had -- remember that 1988 was the peak of hair metal.
On the exposure front, the (edited) video below was shot in 1988 at Scream (an alternative rock club in LA), and is an awesome Jane's Addiction timepiece. The vid was banned by MTV for years, due to the nudity and general weirdness (I believe that MTV dropped the ban in 1990).
Sadly, "Mountain Song" did not chart, while the Nothing's Shocking LP only reached #103 on the album charts.
For more on Jane's Addiction (including the story behind Jane), check out the "Jane Says" entry.
"Love Ain't No Stranger" was the first Whitesnake song to make a dent in the U.S. market, reaching #34 on the Mainstream Rock charts. However, this was soon overshadowed by "Slow An' Easy" (posted on ERV in August 2011), which reached #17 on the same charts.
Both songs were off the poorly titled 1984 LP Slide It In, which turned out to be Whitesnake's breakthrough album in the important U.S. market; the album reached #42 in the U.S. and eventually went double platinum. As we have previously mentioned on ERV, it was around this time that lead singer David Coverdale began to focus more intently on commercial success, which resulted in significant turnover among the other members of the band. This also led to an increased focus on videos.
The video for "Love Ain't No Stranger" intercuts the band playing with Coverdale watching girls on trucks at an army base. No, it doesn't make much sense to me, either. The video is quite rare though, and the song is a solid, somewhat forgotten power ballad.
Whitesnake would go on to have huge success on their eponymous next album in 1987, and Coverdale continues to use the Whitesnake name to record and perform as of this writing.
Cool trivia fact: Whitesnake's first charting single on the U.S. pop charts (the Billboard 200), "Here I Go Again '87" went to #1.
Drivin' n' Cryin' is an eclectic alt southern rock band who became local heroes in Atlanta and environs, but never quite found their national audience. The group was formed in Atlanta in the mid-1980s by Kevn Kinney (guitar, vocals) and Tim Nielsen (bass), who remain as the group's constant members. And no, Kevn does not spell his name with an 'i'.
After becoming a big club act, Drivin' n' Cryin' signed with 688 Records in 1986; their first LP soon followed. Island Records then picked them up which led to some rock and college radio airtime. However, although they developed a loyal following, they never quite crossed over to mainstream rock audiences. Not only was southern rock out of favor in the late 1980s, but the shifting scene (from hair metal to grunge) made the late 1980s and early 1990s particularly treacherous for rock acts.
"Honeysuckle Blue" is off the 1989 LP Mystery Road. We don't recall ever seeing the video on MTV, although the song did pick up some radio play. However, neither the song nor the album charted.
Drivin' n' Cryin' would continue to have modest success through the early 1990s, and remain together as of this writing as a working band.
Some videos just cry out for inclusion on ERV; Tesla's cover of "Little Suzi" being one great case in point. The single was from Tesla's debut LP, 1986's Mechanical Resonance. Although the song picked up a bit of airplay on rock radio, it barely dented the charts at #91, though the album went platinum and peaked at #32.
Telsa is an interesting band -- they were positioned as a hair metal group, but never quite fit the bill, and were in fact more of a straight up hard rock act. They originally formed in Sacramento in 1982 and performed under the name City Kidd for several years, before changing their name (due to their manager's suggestion and during the recording of their first LP). The band's jeans and T-shirt image, along with more complex songs (often with somewhat unconventional lyrics) differentiated them from the run-of-the-mill pop metal act.
The group released four consecutive albums that broke the top 40, and even scored two top 40 singles ("Love Song" and "Signs") between 1986 and 1994. In 1994, guitarist Tommy Skeoch left Tesla due to drug problems, and the group broke up shortly afterward, before re-forming in 2000. They continue to perform as of this writing, though Skeoch left the band again in 2006.
The video for "Little Suzi" is a pretty standard staged performance clip, but it does fit the band and the song reasonably well.
"Little Suzi" is also noteworthy to us as is it a cover of a song by the British act Ph.D. The original version of the song was called "Little Suzi's on the Up" and was from that band's self-titled 1981 debut. By the by, Ph.D. got its name from the last names of the three members -- Simon Phillips, Tony Hymas, and Jim Diamond.
Neither the single nor the LP charted in the U.S., but the somewhat eccentric video for "Little Suzi's on the Up" was the fifth vid ever played on MTV. (Other first day videos featured on ERV can be located by using the MTV First Day label on the right.)
Warrant was the band that everybody loved in 1989, and many claimed to hate by 1991. The truth is Warrant were neither rock gods nor demons. Instead, they were a successful glam metal hair band out of the late 1980s LA scene whose image and pop sensibilities led to two top ten albums in 1989 and 1990.
The group was formed by guitarist Erik Turner in 1984. After some amount of turnover, the lineup became Turner and Joey Allen on guitar, Jani Lane (vocals), Jerry Dixon (bass), and Steven Sweet (drums). By 1987, Warrant had increased their visibility and were regularly playing on the Sunset Strip, which led to a recording contract with Columbia Records.
The band's first album, 1989's Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich went to #10 on the charts, helped by 3 top 40 singles -- "Down Boys" (#27), "Heaven" (#2) and "Sometimes She Cries" (#20). 1990s Cherry Pie hit #7 on the album charts, and the band managed to squeak out another charting album (#25) with 1992's Dog Eat Dog. However, the rise of grunge effectively ended Warrant's main period of success, though they have continued releasing albums (with somewhat shifting lineups) to the present day.
For the blog, we went with "Down Boys," the first single off the first album. The song is a bit harder than the rock ballads that the band became known for, but it does show off the pop hooks. The video is a masterful job of image creation and we think that most readers will be able to easily identify why the genre became known as hair metal.
Sadly, Warrant's original lead singer, Jani Lane, died of alcohol poisoning in 2011. He was 47 years old.
Cool trivia fact: The Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich album was delayed for months after singer Jani Lane had a nervous breakdown after finding his best friend and girlfriend in bed together. The incident became the inspiration for "I Saw Red," a #10 hit from the Cherry Pie LP.
Cool trivia fact #2: Many of the lead guitar parts were recorded by studio musician Mike Slamer, who was brought in by producer Beau Hill. This led to rumors that the Warrant guitarists Erik Turner and Joey Allen did not play a note on the debut album, which seems to be untrue.
As regular readers know, sometimes outside events influence ERV, and sadly today is one of those days. Earlier today, AC/DC announced that longtime guitarist Malcolm Young would be taking a break from the band due to illness. Considering that Malcolm and his brother Angus have been the only constant members of the band since its 1973 founding, this is likely to be bad news. So this clip goes out to Malcolm, his family and the boys in the band with our thanks.
AC/DC built a career on straightforward, anthemic rock. While some albums were stronger than others, the basic formula and style of the band has remained relatively constant since its founding.
The group formed in Australia in 1973, with Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar and his brother Angus on lead guitar. Singer Bon Scott, bassist Mark Evans and drummer Phil Rudd rounded out the lineup. From the start, AC/DC was a powerful live act whose songs were minimalist and power chord driven. Over time, the band refined their songwriting which led to several strong albums, most notably 1980's Back in Black, one of the highest selling LPs of all time.
For the blog, we went with a rarer clip -- the title song from the band's 1983 LP, "Flick of the Switch." This is the first album with Simon Wright on drums (Phil Rudd was fired during the recording sessions due to drug and alcohol problems but rejoined the band in 1994). The only other change from the original lineup was Brian Johnson on vocals (Bon Scott died in 1980).
The clip was made during rehearsals for AC/DC's 1983 Flick of the Switch tour. The video was filmed in an airplane hanger while the band was really rehearsing -- the group gave the film crew total access, on the condition that the shoot was finished in one day. The result is a simple, effective video that fits well with the music.
Although the Flick of the Switch LP was considered something of a disappointment, the album hit #15 on the charts and went platinum. While the group never topped Back in Black, they have remained a popular act long after most of their contemporaries have faded from the scene. As one example, their last album (2008's Black Ice) hit #1 on the album charts and sold 2 million units in the U.S. Not too shabby for a band that had been around for 35 years at that point.
With their Led Zeppelin inspired licks and batshit crazy videos, Zebra became an MTV success story in 1983. The trio originally formed in 1975 in New Orleans and was fronted by guitarist/singer Randy Jackson. Bassist/keyboardist Felix Hanemann and drummer Guy Gelso rounded out the lineup.
The group gained a following on the Long Island (NY) club scene in the early 1980s, starting as a cover band playing ... Zeppelin (and Rush). Their self-titled debut did surprisingly well, helped by the videos for "Tell Me What You Want" and "Who's Behind the Door." In fact, when the album was released it became one of Atlantic Records' fastest-selling debuts ever and eventually climbed to #29 on the charts.
The singles did not do as well; "Who's Behind the Door" only made it to #61, while "Tell Me What You Want" did not break the top 100. Zebra's follow up album, 1984's No Tellin' Lies only reached #84, and was the band's last charting record.
The video for "Tell Me What You Want" is a total WTF crazy clip. Although it starts with a literal interpretation of the lyrics (head's on the floor/with a slam of the door), it soon devolves into some kind of smoke-filled nightmare, complete with Zebra chick, and a bunch of weird images that had seemingly little to do with the band or the song. By the by, the rest of the band (non-Randy Jackson division) gets remarkably little screen time in the video. My favorite moments: the double neck BC Rich guitar solo (1:36), the plastic spider (2:07) and the Saran Wrap scene that presages Dexter (2:22). Also, considered yourself warned that any drinking game that requires players to take a drink whenever the phrase "tell me what you want" is sung is likely to prove fatal.
Zebra broke up around 1990, but reformed in 1997 and remains active to the present day.
Make no mistake, Rainbow was Ritchie Blackmore's band. Founded after Blackmore left Deep Purple in 1975, Rainbow saw a nearly continuous turnover of members until Blackmore broke up the band (to return to a re-formed Deep Purple) in 1984. Similarly, the band's sound evolved through the years, changing from a classical-influenced hard rock band to a more commercial oriented sound.
"Can't Happen Here" came when the band was firmly seeking commercial success. The song was off the 1981 Difficult to Cure album, which received mixed reviews (to put it kindly). Ironically, this more mainstream sound did not generate the huge success that Blackmore had hoped for; the album peaked at #50, while the single did not chart on the main charts in the U.S. (It did hit #13 on the Mainstream Rock charts).
The video is a pretty standard performance piece with some nice additional footage thrown in. The video features Blackmore and new lead singer Joe Lynn Turner (who replaced the awesomely named Graham Bonnet during the recording sessions for the LP). Turner would remain with the band until their 1984 breakup.
Rainbow would continue to focus on commercial success in the early 1980s, and would even score their one top 40 single, "Stone Cold" (which reached #40) in 1982. Readers may also remember "Street of Dreams," which hit #60 on the charts the following year.
Blackmore remained with the reunified Deep Purple until 1994, at which point he re-formed Rainbow. That version of the band released one album in 1995, which did not chart. Since the late 1990s Blackmore has been performing as Blackmore's Night with his wife (Candice Night); they are a folk-rock act.
Cool trivia fact: "Can't Happen Here" was the 52nd video played on MTV.
Alternative rockers Jane's Addiction were a truly unique band when they emerged from the LA scene in the mid 1980s. While their music was shaped by many bands and genres, supposedly their two most significant influences were Led Zeppelin ... and The Cure. Add some provocative art school imagery and a healthy dose of drugs and the band became a sensation in the LA club scene. The buzz around Jane's Addiction led to a bidding war, which Warner Bros. won with a then record advance of $250,000 (or so).
The group was named after Jane Bainter, who really did have a drug problem and was a housemate of lead singer Perry Farrell (along with a dozen or so other folks). The classic lineup added Dave Navarro (guitar), Stephen Perkins (drums) and Chris Chaney (bass).
"Jane Says" was written about the same Jane (Bainter), and incorporated elements of her life, including her boyfriend/drug dealer Sergio. An earlier version of the song was released on Jane's Addiction's self titled independent record, but the song was re-recorded for the group's major label debut, 1988's Nothing's Shocking. The re-recorded version added the steel drugs that are a key element of the song's now classic sound.
While "Jane Says" received some college radio airplay, it did not chart on the main charts (it did hit #6 on the Modern Rock Charts). Nothing's Shocking did not break the top 100 on the album charts, hurt by the lack of videos and mainstream radio airplay. Jane's Addition did not make a video of "Jane Says" in 1988, and the video they made for "Mountain Song" was banned from MTV due to nudity. The video below is from Jane's Addition's 1997 compilation album, Kettle Whistle.
Jane's Addiction would go on to release another strong album in 1990, Ritual de lo Habitual, and would co-found the first Lollapalooza festival before the band broke up in 1991. Farrell and Perkins would go on to form Porno for Pyros while Navarro would join the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a time. Jane's Addiction has re-formed several times in recent years, even releasing an album in 2011.
Cool trivia fact: While the Kettle Whistle live version of "Jane Says" features Eric Avery on bass, the video is with Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers). The audio for the song was recorded in 1991 with Avery, while the video was recorded in 1997 on the Relapse tour (with Flea).
Cool trivia fact #2: Jane's Addiction never had a top 40 hit, and only had one single that charted at all, 2003's "Just Because," which peaked at #73.
Any discussion of the McAuley Schenker Group has to begin with the Mad Axeman himself, Michael Schenker. The guitar protégé started performing with his older brother Rudolf in the Scorpions at 15 before joining the British hard rock band UFO in 1973 as an 18 year old. His work in UFO established Schenker as a premier guitarist but his behavior became increasingly erratic, primarily due to alcohol issues, and he left the band in 1978.
After a brief stint with the Scorpions in 1978-79, Schenker decided to form his own band, appropriately named the Michael Schenker Group (MSG). While MSG showed flashes of strong material, the group's album were also notoriously inconsistent, plagued by the continued alcohol abuse of Schenker (which also led to significant turnover within the band).
In 1986, Schenker recruited Irish vocalist Robin McAuley and was so impressed by the songwriting that he re-named the band the McAuley Schenker Group. This version of MSG would go on to release three studio albums, one EP and one live album before McAuley left the band (to get married and temporarily retire from the industry) in 1993.
The McAuley Schenker Group's sound was more commercial than most of Schenker's other work. This was not accidental; the group moved to Los Angeles and tried to cross over during the heavy metal heyday of the mid to late 1980s. Unfortunately, significant commercial success eluded them.
For the blog, we went with "Gimme Your Love" from the first McAuley Schenker Group album, 1987's Perfect Timing. The song did not break to top 100 (though it did hit #40 on the Mainstream Rock Charts), while the album peaked at #92.
Schenker remains active in the industry to the present day, and has been involved in occasional reunions with UFO. McAuley also remains in the industry, and was the lead vocalist for Survivor from 2006 - 2011. He has also performed with Schenker, notably on his 2012 tour.
Cool trivia fact: At different points in his career, Michael Schenker was asked to audition for the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Ozzy Osbourne. Obviously, none of the auditions worked out.
Although they were often categorized as a heavy metal band, Queensrÿche was actually more of an alternative hard rock band. Their music combined a guitar-driven sound and Geoff Tate's screaming vocals with elements of progressive rock and Pink Floyd. The result was some of the most unique and interesting rock music of the decade.
The band formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington and they released their self titled debut EP in 1983. Two successful LPs followed in 1984 and 1986 before the group released the audacious concept album Operation: Mindcrime in 1988.
Mindcrime tells the story of a drug addict who gets involved with a revolutionary group, with disastrous results. The story begins and ends in the same place -- with the lead character, in a psychiatric hospital. A great review is on Something Else Reviews, which goes into more detail. Many critics consider the LP to be one of the best concept albums of all time and one of the best hard rock albums of the 1980s.
For the blog, we went with "I Don't Believe In Love." Interestingly, none of the singles from Mindcrime charted, although the album went platinum and reached #50 on the charts.
After Mindcrime, Queensrÿche released several strong albums, including 1990's Empire, which included the group's only top 40 single, "Silent Lucidity" (#9), making the band an official one hit wonder.
Original guitarist (and songwriter) Chris DeGarmo left the group in 1997. In 2012, lead singer Geoff Tate was fired, which led to a court battle. As a result, there are currently two versions of Queensrÿche using the name.
As subtle as artillery, Motörhead's punk-infused hard rock was way ahead of its time. But while the band laid the groundwork for thrash and speed metal, they never really broke through commercially in the U.S. Even today, when many critics sing the praises of the Ramones, the Sex Pistols and the Clash (deservedly so), Motörhead seems (sadly) to be a bit of a forgotten band.
Formed by Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) in 1975 (!) after he was kicked out of Hawkwind, the new band (named after the last song that Lemmy wrote for Hawkwind) had a tough start. In fact, by 1977, the trio including guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke and drummer "Philthy Animal" (Phil Taylor) were flat broke. The band decided to do a farewell show before breaking up, which led to a one album contract with Chiswick Records. The following year, they managed to sign a one single deal with Bronze Records, which was extended several times as the band's popularity grew in the U.K.
"Ace of Spades," from the 1980 album of the same name would go on to become the band's signature song. The video is a simple performance piece and it fits well with the group's dark, rocking sound. Motörhead is definitely a "let the music do the talking" sort of group, and it totally comes off in the video. We also think that their sound has held up remarkably well (this is a 30 year old song!).
Lemmy continued to record and perform with Motörhead until his death in December 2015. However, "Fast" Eddie Clarke left the group in 1982 to form Fastway, though he has played with Lemmy several times during the past few years. "Philthy Animal" (Phil Taylor) left Motörhead in 1984, rejoined the group in 1987 and left for good in 1992.
Motörhead recorded a cool, acoustic version of "Ace of Spades" for a Kronenbourg beer commercial in 2010; this version (well worth a listen) is below.
Cool trivia fact: Rolling Stone ranks the Ace of Spades LP at #408 on their list of the 500 greatest albums ever.
One of the few rock acts to emerge from Switzerland, Krokus built a successful career with their straight-up version of hard rock. The band formed in Solothurn in the mid-1970s and gradually developed a local following. An AC/DC concert in the late 1970s apparently made a huge impression on the band, and Krokus' music steadily became more anthemic in the 1980s -- a move which coincidentally led to greater international success.
The band's big breakthrough in the U.S. was their 1983 Headhunter LP, which featured "Screaming in the Night." The Road Warrior influenced video went into heavy rotation on MTV, helping the album rise to #25 on the charts. Krokus would go on to release several more moderately successful albums in the mid-1980s before their popularity waned at the end of the decade.
For the blog, we went with "Midnite Maniac" from the band's 1984 album The Blitz. The song is a pop metal gem, while the video contrasts the band's unique style on stage with a retro story line. By the way, is it me, or does the video seems to be heavily influenced by Def Leppard's "Photograph"? You be the judge of that.
"Midnite Maniac" would become the band's first charting single in the U.S. (#71), although a 1986 cover of Alice Cooper's "School's Out" would become Krokus' highest charting single at #67.
Cool trivia fact: Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance co-wrote "Boys Night Out" for The Blitz album (with lead singer Marc Storace and guitarist Fernando von Arb). The Adams/Vallance connection to Krokus was Bruce Fairbairn, who produced The Blitz. Eagle-eyed readers may also recall that Fairbairn got his start with Prism who were featured on ERV in May 2012.
Living Colour (the band, not the cool TV show, In Living Color) has been on the list of acts to add to the blog for some time. And while we considered going with a less well-known video such as "Open Letter to a Landlord," we finally settled on "Cult of Personality" because ... well, because it rocks.
Guitarist Vernon Reid was the driving force behind Living Colour and formed the group in 1986 with singer Corey Glover, bassist Muzz Skillings and drummer Will Calhoun. The New York group became regulars at CBGBs and soon caught the ear of Mick Jagger, who helped the band get signed (and later had them open for the Stones on the 1989-90 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour).
While Living Colour initially gained some notoriety for their skin color, it soon became apparent that they were carving out a divergent musical path that combined hard rock, jazz and funk into a new sound. The result was critically acclaimed, and amazingly found an audience. The group's 1988 debut, Vivid, reached #6 on the charts and produced two top 40 songs -- "Cult of Personality" (#13) and "Glamour Boys (#31). Living Colour also won the MTV VMA for Best New Artist in 1989 (which may have been the kiss of death; see the Michael Penn - No Myth entry for a list of MTV's Best New Artist winners).
Unfortunately, the band's follow up efforts became progressively less successful, and this, combined with disagreements around their musical direction caused Living Colour's 1995 break up. The individual members remained in the industry and re-formed the group in 2000; they continue to record and perform to the present day.
Cool trivia fact: the song contains samples of several famous speakers, most notably Malcolm X in the intro. (JFK and FDR are sampled later in the song).
Cool trivia fact #2: Rolling Stone views Vivid as the 64th greatest album of the 1980s.
Loverboy was one of the biggest arena rock acts of the early to mid 1980s. During their heyday, they had four consecutive double platinum (or better) records in the U.S., plus nine top 40 singles. The band's combination of layered guitars and synthesizers, and a "four on the floor" bass drum (typically coming down every beat rather than every other beat) created a driving rock sound that sounded vaguely dance influenced. While they could be inconsistent, their best work was anthemic and likable.
The band formed in Calgary in 1979, and was comprised of musicians who were veterans of other bands, making them something of a local all star band. Legend has it that their initial demo recordings were rejected by every major label in the U.S.; they eventually signed with Columbia Records of Canada. The resulting album almost immediately became a huge hit in Canada, and crossed over to become a major success in the U.S., as well.
Led by singer Mike Reno (he of the headband and tight red leather pants) and guitarist Paul Dean, the band's name came about somewhat randomly. The band was originally named Cover Girl, after seeing a magazine ad for the cosmetics; over time the name changed to Cover Boy and then Loverboy.
"Notorious" is a later and lesser-known song (hence its inclusion on ERV), and it was the band's last U.S. top 40 hit at #38. It was the lead single off their 1987 Wildside album, the last album before the band broke up due to creative differences in 1988. They since re-formed in 1991 and we believe are together as of this writing (with the exception of original bassist Scott Smith, who died in a boating accident in 2000).
Oh, and the video is about as lightweight as it gets, with girls, a Ferrari and some savoir faire thrown around in a seemingly random pattern. But we still like it.
Cool trivia fact: "Notorious" was co-written by Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora (along with Mike Reno, Paul Dean and professional songwriter Todd Cerney).
By 1988, hard rock had virtually taken over the U.S. charts and the record labels responded by putting out a ton of product. This included a bunch of pop metal that was modeled after Bon Jovi or Def Leppard and was more or less designed to be commercially successful.
Vixen fits into this guilty pleasure segment, which isn't to say that they weren't a solid band ... just that they had a crafted sound. The all-female band was formed in the early 1980s in Minnesota, but moved to LA by the middle part of the decade. They were signed by EMI in 1988, and their eponymous debut LP came out the same year. One sign of EMI's involvement was that the band wrote exactly one of the eleven songs on their album (to be fair, they co-wrote four others with external songwriters).
"Edge of a Broken Heart" was co-written by Richard Marx (yes, that Richard Marx, who also appears in the video at 2:42) and Fee Waybill (cool rock name alert!) from The Tubes, who was featured on ERV way back in August of 2011 for the under-rated classic "Talk to You Later." (Seriously worth a listen; turn the sound up as the video's volume is too low.) The song generated a ton of airplay on MTV and reached #26 on the charts, while the album peaked at #41. Vixen's second album did not do as well and the band broke up in 1991, although they have re-united periodically in the ensuing years.
Cool trivia fact: Jon Butcher wrote "American Dreams" for Vixen's debut album. Butcher's "Don't Say Goodnight" was the third video featured on ERV, back in August 2011 and gets our highest recommendation.
Cool trivia fact #2: Vixen is not a one hit wonder, as their Heart-influenced single "Cryin'" hit #26 on the charts.
Long time reader Sam requested Vain (multiple times) and he is right -- "Beat the Bullet" is a solid late 1980s choice for the blog. So this one goes out to Sam, with my compliments.
Vain came out of the San Francisco hard rock scene of the mid 1980s and was led by singer Davy Vain. The band formed in 1986 and played regularly in San Francisco and Los Angeles before signing a contract with Island Records in 1988. Vain's debut album, 1989's No Respect was a solid initial effort and reached #154 on the album charts. Although the single, "Beat the Bullet" did generate some airplay on MTV, it did not chart.
The group returned to the studio to work on their second LP, titled All These Strangers, but were dropped by their label when Island Records was acquired by PolyGram. Vain then joined forces with ex-Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler to form Road Crew and recorded an album that generated some recording label interest. Unfortunately, Adler's drug problems soon put an end to the project. The band then returned to the Vain moniker and has continued to record and perform to the present day.
For the second "Jailhouse rock" video, we went with a clip that is very close to, and very far away from our first video. "No One Like You" was shot one year after Marty Balin's "Hearts" video, in the same location (Alcatraz). However, it is the diametric opposite in terms of style; "No One Like You" is a hard rock ballad, and the video seems more focused on capital punishment than love.
"No One Like You" was the first charting single (in the U.S.) by Scorpions (no 'the'), and it hit #65 on the charts (and #1 on the Rock Tracks charts). It was off the Blackout LP, which was the band's eighth album, and highlights just how long it took for the group to break through in the U.S. Blackout reached #10 on the album charts and was the first of three consecutive top 10 albums for the band.
Scorpions were formed in Germany in the late 1960s by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who has been the band's only constant member, although lead singer Klaus Meine has been with the group since 1970 (and is the lead singer on all of their albums). Coincidentally, Schenker and Meine co-wrote "No One Like You." With its anthemic chords and simpler solo, the song showed the template that Scorpions (and many others) would use in the 1980s.
The video is notable for three things: 1. stock footage of sharks (1:45), 2. Rudolf Schenker's imitation of the album cover (2:53, although the album art was a self portrait of artist Gottfried Helnwein) and 3. Klaus Meine's underwear (3:40 if you wish to avert your eyes). Oh, and not to give anything away, but it turns out that the whole thing was just a nightmare.
Of course, Scorpions would follow up Blackout with their 1984 smash Love at First Sting, which featured "Rock You Like a Hurricane," one of two top 40 hits for the band (it hit #25, while "Winds of Change" reached #4 in 1991).
While there have been recent rumors about the band's breakup, they appear to be together as of this writing.
