Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi

1984

Hard Rock Glam Metal

USA

Tracklist:


1. "Runaway"  
2. "Roulette"  
3. "She Don't Know Me"  
4. "Shot Through The Heart"  
5. "Love Lies"  
6. "Breakout"  
7. "Burning for Love"  
8. "Come Back"  
9. "Get Ready"


     Bon Jovi is the debut album from American rock band Bon Jovi, released January 21, 1984. Produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn, the album is significant for being the only Bon Jovi album on which a song ("She Don't Know Me") appears that was not written or co-written by members of the band. The album charted at #43 on The Billboard 200.
     Aside from hit single "Runaway", songs from the album were rarely performed live after the band released their breakthrough album Slippery When Wet in 1986. However, on the band's current Circle Tour, songs including "Roulette", "Shot Through the Heart", and "Get Ready" have been performed.
     The album was ranked the 11th best rock album of 1984 by Kerrang! magazine.
     In 1980, Jon Bon Jovi started to work at Power Station Studios, a Manhattan recording facility where his cousin, Tony Bongiovi, was a co-owner. Jon Bon Jovi made several demos and sent them out to many record companies, but failed to make an impact.
     In 1982, Jon Bon Jovi went to local radio station WAPP 103.5FM "The Apple". DJ Chip Hobart listened to Jon's demos and loved "Runaway", deciding to include it on the station's compilation album of local homegrown talent. The studio musicians who helped record "Runaway" were known as The All Star Review. They were: guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, bassist Hugh McDonald, and additional singers David Grahmme and Mick Seeley
The song began to get airplay around New York. Jon signed to Mercury Records, part of the PolyGram company. Jon Bon Jovi wanted a group name and the A&R staff at PolyGram came up with Bon Jovi
     In March 1983 Bon Jovi called David Bryan (then Rashbaum), who in turn called bassist Alec John Such and an experienced drummer named Tico Torres. At that time Bon Jovi's lead guitarist was Dave Sabo (a.k.a. The Snake), who later formed the group Skid Row. Dave Sabo was eventually replaced by Richie Sambora.
     The band recorded the album (originally titled "Tough Talk" but renamed it after the record company decided it was wiser to issue the album as a self titled release) at Power Station Studios and produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn. Most of the songs are written by Jon Bon Jovi, David Bryan, and Richie Sambora. "Burning For Love" and "Come Back" were the very first songs written for the album. Three singles were released from the album, "Runaway", "She Don't Know Me" and in Japan only, "Burning For Love".

     Personnel
Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, guitar
Richie Sambora – guitar, background vocals
Alec John Such – bass, background vocals
Tico Torres – drums, percussion
David Bryan (credited as David Rashbaum) – keyboards, background vocals
     Additional personnel
Roy Bittan – keyboards
Chuck Burgi - additional drums
David Grahmme - background vocals
Doug Katsaros - additional keyboards
Frankie La Rocka – drums
Hugh McDonald – bass
Aldo Nova - additional guitar, additional keyboards
Tim Pierce – guitar
Mick Seeley - background vocals

Twisted Sister - Love Is For Suckers

Twisted Sister

Love Is For Suckers

1987

Heavy Metal Glam Metal

USA

Tracklist:

01.Wake Up (The Sleeping Giant)
02.Hot Love
03.Love Is for Suckers
04.I'm so Hot for You
05.Tonight
06.Me And the Boys
07.One Bad Habit
08.I Want This Night to Last Forever
09.You Are All That I Need
10.Yeah Right!


     Twisted Sister is an American rock band from Long Island. Musically, the band implements elements of traditional heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, along with a style that is similar to early glam metal bands. The band is generally categorized as glam metal for their earlier work, although the band does not consider themselves to be so.
     Although the band was formed by guitarist Jay Jay French in December 1972, all of their songs were written by Dee Snider from 1976 onward. Snider remarked to Johnny Carson that the proposed name for the band was "This" but was rejected for fear of fans saying "This sucks". He describes Twisted Sister as "Slade meets Sex Pistols". Twisted Sister's most well-known hits include "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", both popularized in the USA by regular airplay on MTV in the 1980s. Many of the band's songs explore themes of parent vs. child conflicts and criticisms of the educational system.
     Twisted Sister was formed in December 1972 by guitarist Jay Jay French under the name Silverstar. In February 1973 Silverstar changed its name to Twisted Sister. In 1975, Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda, a former high school friend of French, joined as co-lead singer and second guitarist. He had previously recorded with a New York City band called SPV. Kevin John Grace replaced Mel "Starr" Anderson on drums. Bass guitarist Kenny Neill (Kenneth Harrisson-Neill) completed the lineup. The band followed a glam rock direction, influenced by David Bowie, Slade, Mott the Hoople, Humble Pie, and New York Dolls. It played at local clubs without much success until 1976.
     In early 1976, Snider joined the band as lead vocalist and principal songwriter. After replacing drummer Grace with Tony Petri, the group took a heavier musical direction, influenced by Motörhead, Black Sabbath, and Alice Cooper, but without abandoning its glam image.
     Although glam was out of fashion in those days, Snider's phenomenal abilities as frontman propelled the band to considerable local success. It broke attendance records at large halls in the Tri-State Region and its growing fan base began to take the name "S.M.F.F.O.T.S.", for Sick Motherfucking Friends Of Twisted Sister, later shortened to "S.M.F." for "Sick Mother Fuckers." In March 1979, the British music magazine, NME reported that Twisted Sister had sold out the 3,000 capacity New York Palladium for a March 16 show without a recording contract or radio airplay. The Palladium concert program included a sticker which was stapled to the inside cover, and the band ran an ad in Billboard following the show. Tickets to the concert were $3.50. No record label was interested in signing the band, so in 1979 it released the single "I'll Never Grow Up Now" / "Under the Blade" on their own label, Twisted Sister Records, followed in 1980 by "Bad Boys (Of Rock & Roll)" / "Lady's Boy". Eddie Kramer produced both singles. The singles were distributed through independent record stores such as the old Zig Zag Records in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, NY.
     In this period, the group's membership changed. On October 31, 1978, Neill left the band, the band's roadie and friend, Mark "The Animal" Mendoza, formerly bassist for The Dictators, replaced him. In December 1980, Petri also left for the Plasmatics and was replaced briefly by Ritchie Teeter. Teeter, also formerly of The Dictators, was replaced in that band by Mel Anderson. In April 1981, Teeter was replaced by "Fast" Joey Brighton, who was in turn replaced by A.J. Pero from Cities, another unsigned band with local fame.
     This lineup (Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza and A.J. Pero) recorded four studio albums and performed numerous live shows around the world.

     Love Is for Suckers is the fifth album by the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. According to the Live At Wacken DVD, the material was originally meant to be a solo album by Twisted Sister's lead singer, Dee Snider, but Twisted Sister's record company pushed for it to be released by the band. It was released by Atlantic Records on August 13, 1987. This would be their final studio album, as all albums during their break-up have been compilations or live albums. The tour for the album ended in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 10, 1987. Two days later, on October 12, 1987, vocalist Dee Snider announced his departure from the band.
     Dee Snider has stated that he likes many of songs on the album, vocally. However he feels that if they play any of them live, then it may bring back bad memories for the band.
     No songs from this album appeared on the band's 1992 greatest hits album Big Hits and Nasty Cuts.

Ratt - Out of the Cellar

Ratt

Out of the Cellar

1984

Hard Rock Glam Metal

USA

Tracklist:


 1. "Wanted Man"  
 2. "You're in Trouble"  
 3. "Round and Round"  
 4. "In Your Direction"  
 5. "She Wants Money"  
 6. "Lack of Communication"  
 7. "Back for More"  
 8. "The Morning After"  
 9. "I'm Insane"
10. "Scene of the Crime"


     Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt has been recognized as instrumental in the formation of the early 1980s Los Angeles hard rock and glam metal scene.
     Out of the Cellar combined the then-prevalent Van Halen and Aerosmith influenced bravado elements with the then-novel muted, staccato guitar-picking style of Judas Priest.
     The album scored much radio and MTV play with the blockbuster anthem "Round and Round" (which peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Wanted Man", "Back for More", and "Lack of Communication". Pearcy's raspy yet bluesy vocals melded well with the pyrotechnic guitar playing of twin leads Robbin Crosby and Warren DeMartini. Their music videos, especially for that of "Round and Round", exposed them to an impressionable teen audience first tuning into the then fledgling MTV cable network.
     Out of the Cellar became a commercial success, going platinum many times over in the United States as well as making them stars in the Far East. The album catapulted the band to the top, capped off by an incredibly successful world tour that saw the band sell out countless stadiums and arenas worldwide. Out of the Cellar is today widely regarded as the band's best work and a definitive moment in 80s heavy metal.
Tawny Kitaen, High School sweetheart of Crosby, who'd graced the cover of the band's EP from the previous year, agreed to appear on the cover of their debut full-length album. She also appeared in their video for "Back For More" as the girl in the 50s skirt at the jukebox.
     In 1984 the band toured extensively, sharing the stage with such acts as Billy Squier, Ozzy Osbourne, Blackfoot, Iron Maiden, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister and Lita Ford.
     "Round and Round" was chosen as #61 on VH1's Greatest Hard Rock Songs Show.