Black 'n Blue

Last updated

Black 'N Blue
Origin Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1981–1989
  • 1997
  • 2003
  • 2007
  • 2008–present
Labels Geffen, Frontiers
Members Jaime St. James
Patrick Young
Pete Holmes
Brandon Cook
Mick Caldwell
Past members Tommy Thayer
Virgil Ripper
Barry Pendergrass
Jeff "Woop" Warner
Shawn Sonnenschein
Bobby Capka
Doug Rappoport
Website blacknblueofficial.com

Black 'N Blue is an American glam metal band from Portland, Oregon. [2] The current members are lead vocalist Jaime St. James, bassist Patrick Young, drummer Pete Holmes, and guitarists Brandon Cook and Doug Rappoport. The band is best known for their song "Hold On to 18" from their eponymous debut studio album, Black 'n Blue , released in August 1984.

Contents

History

Black 'N Blue was formed in November 1981 by high school friends Jamie St. James and Tommy Thayer in Portland, Oregon. [4] Originally calling themselves Movie Star, the band later chose the name Black 'N Blue based on their 'in-your-face' sound and denim and leather look. The band got their first break in 1982 when heavy metal fanzine editor Brian Slagel heard their song demo of "Chains Around Heaven" and subsequently added the track to his first edition of Metal Massacre — an independent compilation album that also introduced newcomers Metallica, Ratt, and Malice. [5]

Early success

Black 'N Blue moved to Los Angeles in 1982, [4] making an immediate name for themselves in the Hollywood club scene. Within six months the band signed a worldwide recording contract with Geffen Records, releasing their self-titled debut album, Black 'N Blue , in August 1984. [4] The Dieter Dierks-produced album included "Hold On to 18," which was released to radio and MTV and became a moderate success, boosting album sales. [6] A follow-up album, entitled Without Love , was released the following year. [4] This album saw the band modify their original rougher, hard-edge sound in favor of a more polished metal approach. [4] "Miss Mystery" was a radio success and the band toured with KISS that year. A second track from this album, "Nature of the Beach" appeared in the film Vision Quest and also appeared as the B-side to the Madonna single "Gambler" from the same movie, although it was not included on the soundtrack LP.

Later years and solo careers

In 1986, Black 'N Blue gained the attention of Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, who took over as the band's producer for their next two albums. [4] The band went on to release two more albums under the Geffen label, Nasty Nasty in 1986 and In Heat in 1988, both of which saw them making a conscious effort to return to the original raw power that characterized the music on their debut. [4] Songs such as "Nasty Nasty" and "Rock On" were minor hits for the band, but neither of the albums could recapture the Black 'N Blue sound of old, and the band broke up in 1989. [4]

After the band's break up, many of the former band members took on different projects. Jaime St. James formed his own solo band, called Freight Train Jane, composed of Tommy Bolan (formerly from Warlock), Scotty Werner, and Davy Jones. Freight Train Jane released only one album of the same name, which had little success. Guitarist Jeff "Woop" Warner teamed up with former Rough Cutt guitarist Chris Hagar in the short-lived Woop & the Count and played for a short time with Kneel Cohn in an early lineup of the band The Dead Stars On Hollywood, which is now based in New York City. Warner later took guitar duties in a new band, NYC. Guitarist Tommy Thayer joined Harlow for their sole album in 1990, [4] played guitar on Doro's eponymous 1990's album, before joining Shake The Faith with whom he released America The Violent in 1994. Thayer and fellow Black 'n Blue member Jamie St. James also starred in the L.A. all-star Kiss tribute band Cold Gin alongside Cold Sweat members Anthony White and Chris McLernon. Deciding to retire as an active musician, Thayer began working as Gene Simmons' assistant and eventually became the tour manager for Kiss. In 2002 he became the new lead guitarist for Kiss, replacing Ace Frehley (after Frehley's second departure from Kiss). Thayer's first album with Kiss, entitled Sonic Boom , was released in 2009. His next album with Kiss, entitled Monster , was released on October 9, 2012. Pete Holmes took roles in the bands Malice, The Black Symphony and Mandy Lion's WWIII. He also played alongside Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Peter Gabriel, and Ted Nugent.

Reunions/compilations

In 1997, all five original members of Black 'N Blue reunited to perform a one-night live performance on Halloween night. This gig ended up being a sold-out show, and it was recorded and released as a live album, entitled One Night Only: Live on Thayer's brother John's record label Eon Records. The show was a one-time affair, and no further touring followed. In 2001, following the release of a Greatest Hits compilation ( The Ultimate Collection ), the band released the album The Demos Remastered: Anthology 1 under the label Crazy Planet. This album contained demos of some of Black 'N Blue's most popular hits, including 5 unreleased tracks and a live version of the song "Autoblast."

The band reunited again in 2003 (this time, without Thayer, who was performing lead guitar duties for Kiss at the time) to tour and record a new album, entitled Hell Yeah! . Shawn Sonnenschein was the new lead guitarist to be featured on the album in Thayer's place. The album was initially scheduled to be released in September 2003, but the release date was pushed back on several occasions.

Hiatus

Meanwhile, in the ensuing interim period, the band released Rarities , an album which included remakes of a few of their hits, but mostly consisted of many unreleased demos, including some that were not included on the Demos Remastered: Anthology 1 release.

In 2004, Jaime St. James became the new front man and lead singer for Warrant, replacing Jani Lane. In 2005, Jaime St. James went into the studio with Warrant to begin recording a new album under Cleopatra Records. Recording for the new album lasted until 2006, and later that year, the band released their new album, Born Again , which received mostly positive reviews. A music video was recorded for each of the songs on the album, and was later released on the DVD "Born Again: Delvis Video Diaries," which also included behind-the-scenes footage, on tour clips, and comments from the band members regarding the making of the album. After the release of Born Again, Jaime St. James performed with Warrant at the 2007 hard rock festival Rocklahoma. Jaime St. James later left Warrant in 2008, after Jani Lane returned to the band.

Later reunions

Black 'N Blue, including Tommy Thayer, made a reunion appearance in their home town of Portland, Oregon on December 8, 2007, at Berbati's Pan & Restaurant. The concert benefited the band's long-time friend Kenny Nordone in his struggle with cancer. In the summer of 2008, Black 'N Blue formally reunited to play at Rocklahoma, with Shawn Sonnenschein once again as guitarist. [7]

In 2008, a report on SleazeRoxx.com gave a new projected release date for the Hell Yeah! album as sometime that year. [8] [9] However, it remained unreleased for another three years. On October 9, 2010, Black 'N Blue was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. The classic line up including Tommy Thayer performed a reunion concert that night at Portland's Roseland Theater. [10] In 2011, Jaime St. James' website posted new release dates for Hell Yeah! under Frontiers Records. The set release dates for the album included a premiere release date in Japan on April 20, 2011; a European release date on May 13, 2011; and a United States release date of May 17, 2011. The album received a generally positive reviews. The band remains active and continues to tour and play live shows.

The band performed five shows in 2013; March 8 at the Hawthorne Theater in their hometown of Portland, October 19 at "SkullFest" in Nebraska, November 15 at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, November 16 at Vamp'd in Las Vegas, and December 27 at the District in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. These 2013 shows marked the debut of new guitarist Brandon Cook, who replaced Jeff "Woop" Warner. 2017 saw the departure of Shawn Sonnenschein and the debut of former Vicious Rumors guitarist Bobby Capka.

The current lineup, debuting new guitarist Doug Rappoport, performed at Monsters on the Mountain Rock festival, October 2021 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and then again on The Kiss Kruise in October '21 and on The Monsters of Rock cruise Feb '22.

Black 'N Blue performs regularly at annual U.S. Rock festivals and Rock Cruises.

Band members

Black 'n Blue

Discography

Studio albums

TitleReleasePeak chart positions
US
Black 'n Blue
  • Released: August 2, 1984
  • Label: Geffen
129
Without Love
  • Released: August 27, 1985
  • Label: Geffen
—
Nasty Nasty
  • Released: August 1986
  • Label: Geffen
110
In Heat
  • Released: 1988
  • Label: Geffen
133
Hell Yeah!
  • Released: April 20, 2011 (Japan) • May 13, 2011 (Europe) • May 17, 2011 (US)
  • Label: Frontiers
—

Live albums

Compilation albums

Box sets

Singles

TitleReleasePeak chart positionsAlbum
US
Rock
"School of Hard Knocks"1984— Black 'n Blue
"Hold On to 18"50
"Miss Mystery"1985— Without Love
"Swing Time"—
"I'll Be There for You"1986— Nasty Nasty
"I Want It All (I Want It Now)"—
"Live It Up"1988— In Heat

Soundtrack appearances


Title

ReleaseSoundtrack
"Nature of the Beach"1986 Vision Quest
"I'll Be There for You" Out of Bounds

Music videos

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britny Fox</span> American glam metal band

Britny Fox was an American glam metal band from the Philadelphia area, initially active from 1985 to 1992 then subsequently reforming from 2000 to 2003, again in 2006 to 2008 and final time reforming in 2015 to 2016. They are best known for their music video for "Girlschool" and their minor hit "Long Way to Love". Bassist Billy Childs has been the only band member to be a part of each of the band's many lineups.

<i>Revenge</i> (Kiss album) 1992 studio album by Kiss

Revenge is the sixteenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on May 19, 1992. It is the band's first album to feature drummer Eric Singer, following the death of former drummer Eric Carr in November 1991 and is the group's last album to feature musical contributions from the latter. Marking a stylistic departure from the pop-influenced glam metal which characterized much of the band's 1980s output for a heavier sound, the album reached the Top 20 in several countries, though it failed to reestablish the group back in the mainstream and its sales were equal-to or less than its predecessors, ultimately only being certified gold by the RIAA on July 20, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough Cutt</span> American rock band

Rough Cutt is an American glam metal band from Los Angeles that released two studio albums on Warner Bros. Records in the mid-1980s. Rough Cutt never achieved the commercial success enjoyed by many other Los Angeles bands of that time but various members went on to success in other groups, including Jake E. Lee with Ozzy Osbourne, Amir Derakh with Orgy, Paul Shortino with Quiet Riot, and Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell with Dio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Thayer</span> American guitarist

Thomas Cunningham Thayer is an American musician. Thayer was the lead guitarist and vocalist for the hard rock band Kiss from 2002 to 2023. He was also the lead guitarist for the band Black 'n Blue.

<i>Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions</i> 1997 studio album by Kiss

Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions is the seventeenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released in 1997. It is the band's final album with lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, and their last album with drummer Eric Singer until 2009's Sonic Boom. The album is a departure from the band's classic hard rock style, favoring a dark and dense grunge-oriented sound. It is also the band's last album of their unmasked era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxx Gang</span> American Glam Metal Band

Roxx Gang was an American glam metal band formed in 1982 in St. Petersburg, Florida. It was fronted by Kevin Steele, who formed the band along with guitarist Eric Carrell.

Electric Angels was an American, Los Angeles-based band, that formed from the defunct pop group Candy featuring new singer Shane, guitarist Ryan Roxie, the kazooist Charlotte Wilson, and tambourinist Sophia Todd, and original Candy members bassist/songwriter Jonathan Daniel, and drummer John the rock Schubert. The name Electric Angels was taken from an early Candy demo. After one year, the band relocated to New York City and were signed to Atlantic Records within five months. One of their first New York shows was opening up for the British band Dogs D'Amour and Mother Love Bone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaime St. James</span> Musical artist

Jaime St. James is the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the glam metal band Black 'N Blue. He also served briefly in the mid-2000s as the lead singer of Warrant, but he left upon the return of the band's original lead singer Jani Lane in 2008. He sang on Warrant's 2006 album Born Again.

<i>Black n Blue</i> (album) 1984 studio album by Black n Blue

Black 'N Blue is the debut studio album by American glam metal band Black 'n Blue, released in 1984. The album includes the band's only song to chart as a single, Hold On to 18. In 2015, the album was ranked 28th at Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time".

Brighton Rock was a Canadian hard rock band, who released three albums in their home country during the 1980s and 1990s. They broke up in 1991, before reuniting and releasing a live album in 2002.

<i>Without Love</i> (Black n Blue album) 1985 studio album by Black n Blue

Without Love is the second studio album by the American glam metal band Black 'n Blue. It was produced by Bruce Fairbairn. The album features a guest appearance by Loverboy's Mike Reno on the song, "We Got the Fire".

<i>Nasty Nasty</i> 1986 studio album by Black n Blue

Nasty Nasty is the third studio album by the American glam metal band Black 'n Blue. It was produced by Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, with the exception of the song "I'll Be There for You" which was written and produced by The Babys/Bad English/Journey rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Jonathan Cain.

<i>In Heat</i> (Black N Blue album) 1988 studio album by Black n Blue

In Heat is the fourth studio album by the American glam metal band Black 'n Blue. It was produced by Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.

<i>Collected</i> (Black n Blue album) 2005 box set by Black n Blue

Collected is a five disc Black 'N Blue box set, released in 2005, with 4 audio CDs and one DVD. This release contains the first four studio albums released by the hard rock/ glam metal band, Black 'n Blue. The DVD contains an entire live concert performed by Black 'n Blue, containing most of Black 'n Blue's hits, while also including a few songs that were never released on any Black 'n Blue disc. These include "Run Run", "Summer Heat", and "Rock n' Roll Animals", which later became "Rockin On Heaven's Door".

Malice is an American heavy metal band formed in 1981, best known for their appearance on the first Metal Massacre compilation and the release of a pair of albums on Atlantic Records. Their heavily-European-influenced style elicited comparisons to Judas Priest.

Wild Dogs is an American heavy metal band from Portland, Oregon, formed loosely in 1981 by original members Jeff Mark, Danny Kurth, Matt McCourt, and Pete Holmes. The band has since released six albums, three live albums and one DVD. Wild Dogs rose to local and regional recognition in the 1980s as a pioneer of metal in the Pacific Northwest, followed by international recognition after the release of their second album.

Nasty Idols were a Swedish glam metal, hard rock band from Malmö, Sweden, which was formed in 1987. After the band split in 1995 they reformed in 2006. Since then the band has released a fifth studio album Boy's town and a sixth album Kalifornia. Band frontman Andy Pierce died in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domino (Kiss song)</span> 1992 single by Kiss

"Domino" is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss, released on the band's sixteenth studio album, Revenge, in 1992. The song was written by the band's bassist, Gene Simmons, and it borrows elements from the song "Nasty Nasty", which Simmons had co-written and produced in 1986 with the band Black 'n Blue. The song was released as a single in 1992, with the album's instrumental, "Carr Jam 1981", as its B-side. Despite being performed on only two tours and during their MTV Unplugged appearance, "Domino" has appeared on several of the band's albums.

<i>Hell Yeah!</i> (Black n Blue album) 2011 studio album by Black n Blue

Hell Yeah! is the fifth studio album by the American glam metal band Black 'n Blue, released in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slash Puppet</span>

Slash Puppet were a Canadian hard rock band that debuted in Toronto in 1989. The group originally consisted of lead vocalist Mif, guitarists Lou Garscadden and Frank Bartoletti, bassist Pete Dove and drummer Franklin Wyles. In 1992 Dave Carreiro joined the band taking over as bassist. The band released three records and received awards for Best Toronto Club Band and Best Independent Music Video before disbanding in 1995.

References

  1. ↑ McPadden, Mike (September 22, 2015). "The Hair Metal 100: Ranking the '80s Greatest Glam Bands, Part 2". VH1. Viacom. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Black 'N Blue – Biography & History – AllMusic". AllMusic .
  3. ↑ "BLACK 'N BLUE: New Album Details Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. March 10, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 60. ISBN   0-7535-0257-7.
  5. ↑ Christe, Ian (2003), Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal , HarperCollins.
  6. ↑ Rob Hussey (November 19, 2013). "Black 'N Blue – Hold On to 18". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Black 'N Blue™ | Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace.com. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Sleaze Roxx: News Segment". June 8, 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Sleaze Roxx: News Segment". June 8, 2008. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  10. ↑ Steinenger, Alex. "Oregon Music Hall of Fame – Preserving Oregon's Musical Heritage". Omhof.org. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.