Buckcherry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Buckcherry

Country	Los Angeles, California, USA
Years active	1995-2002, 2005-present
Genres	Hard Rock Sleaze Glam
Labels	Atlantic Records
Members	Josh Todd Keith Nelson Stevie D. Xavier Muriel Jimmy Ashhurst
Past members	Jonathan Brightman - Bass Devon Glenn - Drums Yogi - Guitar
Website(s)	[1]

Buckcherry is a Los Angeles rock 'n' roll band, formed in 1995. The band released two albums (1999's self-titled debut and 2001's "Time Bomb") before dissolving in summer 2002. Buckcherry reformed in 2005 with original members Josh Todd (lead vocals) and Keith Nelson (guitarist) flanked by a completely new supporting cast. "15" was released in April 2006, and it spawned Buckcherry's biggest crossover hit to date, Crazy Bitch.

1 History
2 Sound
3 Band Members
- 3.1 Current Members
- 3.2 Former Members
4 Discography
5 Singles
6 Trivia
7 External links

[edit] History

Buckcherry was formed after Josh Todd met guitarist Keith Nelson through their tattoo artist after discovering a common love of AC/DC. The duo made a few demos before being joined by bassist Jonathan Brightman and drummer Devon Glenn. Buckcherry began performing the Hollywood club scene, receiving a strong, local following due to their old school Rock N' Roll vibe. They got their name from an outrageous transvestite, Buck Cherry, who would bum cigarettes from Keith Nelson after gigs in Hollywood.

They were signed to DreamWorks Records shortly after. The band released its self titled debut in 1999 to critical praise and certified gold sales. The album, produced by Terry Date (Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, Pantera, ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones),included three modern rock chart hits in Lit Up, Check Your Head, and For The Movies.

After adding second guitarist Yogi to the lineup, Buckcherry toured non-stop in support of the debut album before going back into the studio in 2000 to work on a follow-up, 2001's Time Bomb. The sophomore effort was considered a disappointment by many critics, and it didn't fare as well on the charts. The All Music Guide noted that "For a second record, it's surprising how jaded and nihilistic they are already."[2]

Buckcherry performed opening dates for heroes AC/DC in the spring and received increased fanfare. Shortly after, it was posted on Buckcherry's website that Brightman was no longer a part of Buckcherry, although no further details were given. Yogi and Glenn also departed the band in the following months. However, Todd and Nelson planned to continue Buckcherry, and even began the writing process for the third album. It was during those sessions that Josh Todd unexpectedly left the band in July 2002, seemingly leading to Buckcherry's demise.

Josh Todd and Keith Nelson did perform together along with ex-Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum (also of The Cult) at the Randy Castillo tribute concert. Speculation ensued that Todd would become the lead singer of the "Project" headed up by Slash, McKagan, and Sorum. Todd spent a month in the studio, reportedly completing 10 songs, but was abruptly dropped from the project by Slash. Todd was quoted as saying, "It was amazing, the band was slamming, and then Slash just came in one day and just shitcanned the whole thing." Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots was eventually chosen to helm the band that would become known asVelvet Revolver. Nelson was given a songwriting credit on Velvet Revolver's track "Dirty Little Thing."

Todd subsequently pursued a solo career, but his 2004 post-grunge effort You Made Me failed, and he and Nelson decided to reform Buckcherry in early 2005. Joined by rhythm guitarist Stevie D., bassist Jimmy Ashhurst, and drummer Xavier Muriel, the band recorded its third album Fifteen in 15 days (hence the album title) and released it exclusively in Japan.

The band opened for Mötley Crüe on a Japanese leg of a tour in December 2005, and began a headlining club tour in Spring 2006 a few weeks prior to the release of their third album, Fifteen. The album debuted at No.48 on the Billboard Top 200, selling over 26,000 copies in its 1st week. In May 2006, it was announced that the band had signed a deal with Atlantic Records via long-term deal with Eleven Seven Music. Their latest album is now being marketed by Lava/Atlantic, and reached a new peak of #41 on the Billboard Top 200 in the August 19, 2006 issue.

With "Crazy Bitch", Buckcherry gained its second major mainstream hit (following "Lit Up"), as the song hit #3 on the Mainstream Rock chart, #13 on Modern Rock, and became the first Buckcherry song to cross over to the Billboard Hot 100, hitting #59 and also landing at #52 on the Billboard Pop 100 and #37 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart. The song's success was largely driven by its success first on the internet and then on radio, as MTV rejected the band's initial video, demanding more than 80 cuts.

On Tuesday, May 30th, 2006, after a fan-made video for "Crazy Bitch" spread across the internet, the band, in a posting that appeared on its MySpace and Buckcherry.com, announced that they were accepting submissions from fans with their own videos, and would feature more interpretations of "Crazy Bitch" in the weeks to come. The original fan video (which received over 100,000 views at YouTube and Google Video) was later submitted to MTV, before being passed over in favor of an edited version of the original clip, with added live footage.

On September 11, 2006, A lawsuit has been filed against the band, their current record label and other related companies on behalf of a 16 year old girl who claims she was coerced into appearing topless and in various sexual scenarios for the video shoot. According to sources, however, all participants in the video had to show proof that they were over 18 years old and sign a release form further reaffirming their age. Band attorney Skip Miller is quoted in several news stories as stating "This woman filled out a release form with false information. And once it was determined this woman was underage, the video was removed." [3]

Buckcherry performed at KROQ's Inland Invasion with the reformed Alice In Chains and Guns N' Roses.

They're are currently touring to support Fifteen.

On October 24, 2006 Buckcherry's album Fifteen was certified Gold according to a posting on their myspace site.

[edit] Sound

Coming out during a time when rock music was dominated by post-grunge, nu-metal, and alternative rock, Buckcherry performed a sleazy "cock-rock" brand of Rock N' Roll that was reminiscent of AC/DC, Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, and the glam metal of the 80's, rather than Nirvana and Pearl Jam. On their debut record, they successfully treaded heavy metal territory while managing to stay hard rock, while on Time Bomb, the band took their sleaze to an extreme with an excess of profanity and attitude. Buckcherry's sound differs from 1980s hair metal in one key way, however, Josh Todd's vocals are rougher and more raspy, and sung in a more "modern" style than the traditionally high pitched, clean vocals of bands like Motley Crue and Warrant, or even the raspy but still high-pitched vocals of Cinderella's Tom Keifer. During a live performance of "Crazy Bitch" during the Spring tour, the band incorporated Billy Squire's 1981 song "The Stroke". Along with the rousing beginning of the song, the band literally springs into the screaming opening of the tune "ALL-RIGHT!!!"

[edit] Band Members

[edit] Current Members

Josh Todd- Vocals (1995- )
Keith Nelson- Guitar (1995- )
Stevie D.-Guitar (2005- )
Xavier Muriel- Drums (2005- )
Jimmy Ashhurst- Bass (2005- )
James Burley - Vocals

[edit] Former Members

Jonathan Brightman - Bass (1995-2002)
Devon Glenn - Drums (1995-2002)
Yogi - Guitar (2000-2002)

[edit] Discography

Buckcherry
6 April 1999 #74 US

Time Bomb
27 March 2001 #64 US

15
11 April 2006 #41 US

[edit] Singles

Year	Song	US Mainstream Rock	US Modern Rock	US Hot Digital Songs	US Pop 100	US Hot 100	Album
1999	"Lit Up"	1	33	-	-	-	Buckcherry
1999	"For the Movies"	25	24	-	-	-	Buckcherry
1999	"Dead Again"	38	-	-	-	-	Buckcherry
2000	"Check Your Head"	29	-	-	-	-	Buckcherry
2001	"Ridin'"	9	-	-	-	-	Time Bomb
2006	"Crazy Bitch"	3	13	37	52	59	15
2006	"Next 2 You"	18	-	-	-	-	15
2007	"Everything"	-	-	-	-	-	15

"Crazy Bitch" also reached #2 on the hot ringtones chart.

[edit] Trivia

The band performed at Woodstock in 1999.

Josh Todd and drummer Xavier Muriel performed at Live 8, performing a rendition of Aerosmith's Walk This Way with D.M.C., formerly of Run-D.M.C.. Josh Todd also was one of many singers in Neil Young's performance of "Rockin' in the Free World".