You Wanted the Best...Number Ten

It’s time to start the countdown of the ten best glam bands.

In the tenth spot…Badlands.

Badlands didn’t last very long, but in their short time together they created more than memorable music.

Founded by guitar virtuoso Jake E. Lee, singer Ray Gillen, bassist Greg Chaisson and drummer Eric Singer, the band signed to Atlantic relatively quickly and got to work on a debut. That self-titled release hit stores in June of 1989.

Despite reaching #57 on the Billboard chart, much of Badlands musical ability is forgotten today. The member’s volatile personalities didn’t help, and fighting eventually destroyed Badlands. After the fighting, it didn’t take long for the line-up changes to commence. First, Eric Singer left the band to drum for KISS and Lee and Gillen continued to battle over artistic control.

Ray Gillen had an amazing voice -- match it with Jake E. Lee’s amazing axe work and you’ve got a recipe for glam goodness. Badlands was one of those rare bands that combined passion and musical ability to create distinct, blues based rock. Bands with such chemistry don’t come along everyday. Unfortunately, great musical chemistry doesn’t equal great personal relationships.

If you saw Badlands live, count yourself lucky. Here's a clip of the band performing live in California in 1989.

Don't agree with my choice? Come back tomorrow and see who lands at number nine on the ten best glam bands of all time list.

You Wanted the Best...

As we approach the end of 2007, most of us will dream up resolutions as we head into the new year. Before any of that, however, we'll see lots of specials on the best music, news events, and political blunders of 2007.

I'm going to start my own "best of" list: the ten best glam bands.

Starting tomorrow and for the next ten days, I'll count down the best glam bands from the classic 80s era.

Methodology:

-Bands must have originated in the 80s or changed their sound/appearance to fit the glam mold. In this way, KISS, Aerosmith and Van Halen, etc. are eligible for consideration.

-Having a video on MTV isn't a pre-requisite for consideration. After all, before the 1980s, Metal was a largely underground phenomenon.

As I post a new selection each day, I'll explain why the band is on the list and include a video.

I bet you think you can name my top ten list right now, but I guarantee you'll be surprised with the outcome.

Hey Hey It's Saturday

Australian variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday ran for well more than two decades and featured a lot of musical guests. One day back in 1989, the producers of that show welcomed Bret Michaels and C.C. DeVille of Poison. During that time, Poison were on tour, supporting Open Up and Say...Ahh! and gearing up for Flesh & Blood.

Of course, the real entertainment here is Ossie Ostrich who mocks both C.C. and Bret. Anytime a giant pink bird is involved, you know you're going to have fun.

Now, I want all of you to invest seven minutes of your lives watching this video. Please, someone, for the love of Glam tell me what is going on with Bret's hair. This was a long time ago, so I really don't think it's a wig issue. Help? Anyone?

Breaking News: L.A. Guns Ripped Off

My boys L.A. Guns (Paul Black, Tracii Guns version) are currently on a mini tour. Last night the band played McGuffy's in Dayton, Ohio. As expected, the show was high energy with Tracii dazzling the crowd. What wasn't so dazzling was that the band was ripped off.

Right after the band played "Electric Gypsy" they left the stage to presumably prepare for their encore. Just as Paul Black started to introduce the band, drummer Chad Stewart took center stage...and announced that someone had stolen wallets and cash. Confusion ensued, with audience members looking around and security trying to, evidently, "catch the thief (or thieves)."

It seems the theft occured while the band was performing.  

Upon Chad's demands, the doors to McGuffy's were locked and no one entered or left. Then, more confusion as band members walked from the dressing room (where they had left their wallets and other personal items) across the stage, through the bar. Singer Paul Black looked hurt as did bassist Jeremy Guns. As for guitarist Tracii...well, you could tell he was ready to put the smack down.

There was a scuffle at the back of the bar (not so far from where I was standing) and then later a page for the owner of a red pick-up truck. Riverside, Ohio police responded...the audience members were allowed to leave and the bar closed early. On our way out, cops said they had "everything they needed in back of the bar." To me, this means they captured the low-life scum that tried to steal from a glam band, working hard to make a living. I don't suffer fools or thieves and if I knew the person's identity...or had their mugshot, I'd post it here.

As for the concert itself, L.A. Guns were pretty great. Jeremy Guns plays with great intensity, but that's probably because he's lived with an amazing teacher all his life. Paul Black danced like a madman all over the stage, busting out moves like the Cabbage Patch and the Carlton. No lie. In addition to the petty theft, the bar was also having audio troubles and Paul's mic kept cutting in and out. He was good natured and went with the flow. Paul was dressed to the nines in glam finery, right down to the hyper-glitter eye shadow. Too bad I didn't have the one-on-one chat I had planned. Thanks again thieves.

Tracii Guns is amazing, isn't he? In my opinion, the best part of the show was his solo and just watching his fingers move up and down the fret board. He still plays like a madman, and it's pretty clear he's one of the best guitarists of the glam era. Still passionate about his craft, he even closes his eyes while getting into the groove. It's pretty clear it's Tracii's world and we're all just along for the ride.

 

L.A. Guns performed "Never Enough," "Sex Action," "One More Reason To Die," "Electric Gypsy," "The Ballad of Jayne" and many more. Every time I mention Paul Black and Tracii Guns' version of L.A. Guns, there are plenty of naysayers who are quick to comment on lack of talent. This isn't the case. See them live. You'll realize I'm right. Whatever the case, I'm sure you'll agree the band didn't deserve to be crime victims.

Update on Friday, December 7, 2007 at 04:35PM by Allyson B. Crawford

Bring Back Glam! has obtained Riverside (Ohio) police report number 0712075003. In it, complaintant Tracii Guns reports that a white Blackberry with red cover and bottle of Jack Daniels was stolen.

In fact, police did track down a man and make an arrest. There was no mention of missing wallets or cash of any sort in the official report. 

Both the Jack Daniels and Blackberry were recovered and returned to the band.  

A suspect, who does have a criminal history, is currently locked up in the Montgomery County (Ohio) jail. I'll refrain from posting that person's name or mugshot.  He's scheduled for arraignment next week on these misdemeanor theft charges.

A Tasty Tidbit

By now, I'm sure you've heard the rumors about a Warrant reunion. For the past month, people on several Internet message boards have posted comments, speculating that Jani Lane is rejoining the Warrant fold. Of course, I'm skeptical. Knowing the volatile relationship that is "historic" Warrant, I'm just not a hundred percent sure such a reunion would work.

A very reliable source into Bring Back Glam! reports seeing Jani Lane and the rest of Warrant (without current lead singer Jamie St. James) at the Rainbow Bar and Grill (Los Angeles) last week. Was I there? No. Do I believe the person who gave me this-oh-so-delicious-nugget? Absolutely.

Another industry insider tells me Jani is going to be back with Warrant in time for Rocklahoma 2008. It seems the original Warrant boys are also keen to keep this reconciliation hush-hush from Jamie St. James. I'm not sure that's even plausible.

Of course, there are two over-arching questions here. First, what happens to Jamie St. James and second, what happened to bring "Warrant" back together?

If Jamie St. James is out of Warrant, does this mean a Black n' Blue reunion is in the works?

A lot of bands are reuniting these days. Part of me wonders if it's just to cash in on the excitement of Rocklahoma...or the chance to play in front of a massive crowd. Of course, I tend to believe that the genre is regaining popularity. It's pretty clear there are millions of like-minded fans all over the globe. This collective mind is clamoring for a taste of the old -- and the new.

So, what do you think about Jani Lane possibly rejoining Warrant?

As you ponder that question, here's a classic clip of Warrant performing at Gazzarri's on the Sunset Strip. You'll notice members of Faster Pussycat and Poison also join the band on stage. It's a sweaty good time!

Not So Exclusive, Exclusive

Does anyone know what MTV was referring to when it slapped "Exclusive" across many of its videos?

For those too young to remember -- I'll say those 20 and under -- MTV was started as a music channel. You know, Music television. These days it's basically an amalgamation of reality programming, movie specials and the very rare video. For some unknown reason, musicians still spend big bucks on videos. Whatever the case, I was surfing YouTube last night and I came across videos that were clearly made digital from a VHS recording. To me, that's authentic. Anyway, some of these clips included the MTV logo and the giant "Exclusive" declaration across the front.

Back in, say, 1989, there really wasn't many other options for music videos. I think they played occasionally on fancy cable channels like HBO but MTV was basically the biggest - and only - game in town.

In journalism, an "exclusive" is equal to a "scoop," or the big "get." You're the one game in town baby, and everyone stops to take notice. Doesn't this mean MTV's "exclusive" is both pointless and misleading? Does the exclusive refer to a specific show...like Headbanger's Ball? Surely not since all those videos basically made it into the regular rotation in the 80s.

While we're talking about MTV, who thinks the channel created glam? I think the true roots of glam go so much deeper than MTV, but lately it seems like I've been reading a lot of articles that basically credit the network with creating my most favorite music genre.

If that's what you're selling, then I ain't buying! To make such a sweeping statement is degrading to musicians who could (can!) really play their instruments and write their own songs. While MTV served as a vehicle of promotion, it was also a matter of convenience. If MTV existed in 1978, Van Halen probably wouldn't have had to wait until the success of 1984 to have a number one single.

Saying MTV offered "exclusives" or "created stars" is like saying Fox News creates terrorism. Oh, wait...

At any rate, here's Poison's video for "Ride the Wind." It has the "exclusive" banner across the credit.

Shocking News About Metal

Did you know Metal is targeted to 16-35 year old males? Me neither. In fact, I was completely shocked when I learned this statistic. Also, many conservative groups worried that early 80s Metal was nothing more than rebellion. Again, shock I know.

A lot of media outlets capitalized on this shock, exploiting the genre while interviewing its biggest stars.

Here's a really rare news clip about the dangers of Metal featuring Motley Crue, Van Halen, Iron Maiden and more. The quality isn't great, but I still consider this a gem of ridiculous media. Remember, I can make these sweeping declarations because I'm a journalist. Ah, the distinction - or is it extinction?