Poison (band)

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Poison

Origin Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Years active 1983 - present
Genres Glam metal
Hard Rock[citation needed]
Labels Capitol Records
Cyanide Music Inc.
Members Bret Michaels - Lead vocals
C.C. DeVille - Guitar
Rikki Rockett - Drums
Bobby Dall - Bass Guitar
Past members Matt Smith - guitar
Richie Kotzen - guitar
Blues Saraceno - guitar

Poison is an American glam metal band which originally achieved popular success in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Contents

[edit] Music

Formed by a group of aspiring rock musicians from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Poison moved to Los Angeles, California in search of fame. The band's roots, and those of glam metal in general, lay in America's east, and in particular, the sounds and images associated with the New York Dolls, KISS, Boston, Aerosmith, and Cheap Trick. These influences were transplanted to California in the late 1970s, mutated following the release of Van Halen's debut in 1978, and ultimately ignited into a colourful music scene on L.A.'s Sunset Strip in the 1980s. The band's later work would also exhibit a blues influence.

Poison's music was characterised by relatively simple, catchy melodies and guitar riffs. The band's tunes often seemed less important than their garish costumes, overblown hair, feminizing make-up, and frenetic stageshow, all delivered via the metal-heavy MTV of the mid to late 1980s. To many, Poison was the epitome of the Sunset Strip glam metal scene. For fans, this meant a straightforward celebration of hedonism; for critics, this meant music which was uninspired and unimportant.

[edit] Early years

Poison began life in 1984 under the name Paris and consisted of vocalist Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall, guitarist Matt Smith and drummer Rikki Rockett. Moving to Los Angeles in 1985, they started playing the club circuit. The name Poison was picked by the band after a T-shirt worn by drummer Mick Shrimpton in This is Spinal Tap, as the band knew that they fit the stereotypes of rock stars in the movie.

Promotional picture of Poison, for Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986)
Promotional picture of Poison, for Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986)

Smith, who was about to father a child and was concerned about the band's future, returned to Pennsylvania. The band began auditioning replacement guitarists when Smith left the group. After narrowing down the candidates to three - Slash, who would later join Guns N' Roses, Steve Silva from The Joe Perry Project, and C.C. DeVille, the band eventually agreed that DeVille's "fire" made him the best choice.[1].

The band began to gain notoriety on the Sunset Strip for its theatrical live shows and striking "glam" image. Without money for effects, they would fill the stage with old Harley's and car parts, blow up car fuses and pour confetti onto themselves from boxes in the ceiling.[2]. The band's live antics were, however, widely considered to have been copied from the band Kix[3]

During this period, Poison's manager negotiated a deal under which West Hollywood club The Troubadour would pay for shows by covering the band's monthly rent and "recreation" bill. Ultimately, the shows would draw sufficient crowds to enable the band to make a profit from them.[4]

Michaels, Dall, Rockett and DeVille signed to independent label Enigma Records in 1986 (see 1986 in music) for approximately $US 30,000. Their debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In was released on August 2, 1986. It included three hits, "Talk Dirty to Me", "I Want Action", and "I Won't Forget You". Sales for the album topped 2 million copies. The record's production would later fuel a public feud between the band and producer Ric Browde, who stated that Poison was a "triumph of image over substance" and that DeVille was the only member of the band who had any musical talent.[5]

In 1987 the band also recorded a cover of the KISS song "Rock And Roll All Nite" for Less Than Zero's soundtrack. In the same year, a Geffen publicist successfully sued Michaels and Dall for assault after they poured a bucket of iced water over her at a party. The stunt appeared to have been in retaliation for various negative comments made about Poison by Geffen band Guns N' Roses.[6]

[edit] Popular success

Poison's second album, Open Up And Say...Ahh!, which was released on May 21, 1988 (see 1988 in music) would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. The record included the band's biggest hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," along with other top 10 hits, "Nothin' But A Good Time" and the Loggins and Messina cover "Your Mama Don't Dance." By the time the band toured with David Lee Roth (in 1988 on the Skyscraper Tour), it was apparent that they had become a major live act. As the end of 1989 rolled in, Poison had become the number 3 best selling artist of the 1980's behind only Bon Jovi and Def Leppard.

Poison's third album, Flesh & Blood, released on June 21, 1990 was also highly successful. The record went multi-platinum, spawning three gold singles: "Unskinny Bop," "Ride the Wind," and the ballad "Something To Believe In." Flesh & Blood reached #2 on the American charts, providing the impetus for a further World Tour.

Poison recorded a number of performances during its 1990/1991 Flesh & Blood tour which were released in November 1991 as their fourth album, Swallow This Live.

[edit] Later years

Despite Poison's success, DeVille's cocaine and alcohol addictions had begun to cause strife in the band. Conflict between Michaels and DeVille culminated in a fistfight backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1991, provoked by Deville's inept live performance. The band played Unskinny Bop during a commercial break. DeVille commenced playing with his guitar unplugged and later began playing the wrong song. Deville was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen.

Poison's fifth album, Native Tongue was released on February 8 , 1993. The record was strongly influenced by Kotzen's fresh songwriting contributions and guitar performance. It marked a change for the band as they abandoned their anthemic party tunes to focus on more serious subjects. Containing the single "Stand," the album received generally positive reviews, but sales were comparatively sluggish, selling only 1 million copies worldwide. The band toured in support of the album, but tensions mounted between Kotzen and the rest of Poison. Kotzen's future in the band was doomed when it was discovered that he had become romantically involved with Rockett's fiancée Deanna Eve. Kotzen was promptly fired, and replaced by Blues Saraceno.

Album cover of Crack a Smile featuring Blues Saraceno on guitars.
Album cover of Crack a Smile featuring Blues Saraceno on guitars.

Poison began recording its sixth album, Crack a Smile, in 1994. Recording was brought to an abrupt halt in May 1994, when Michaels was involved in an accident in which he lost control of his Ferrari. Michaels suffered a broken nose, ribs, jaw, and fingers and lost four teeth. After his recovery in 1995, the band continued recording. In the face of a sharp decline in demand for 1980s hair metal, and with a shift in staff at the label, Capitol Records offered little support for a new Poison record. Instead, the label opted for a Greatest Hits compilation. The record was released on 26 Nov 1996, and went platinum, despite the lack of an immediate tour to support the album.

After six years apart, Michaels and DeVille were able to patch up their differences during the latter part of 1998. The Greatest Hits reunion tour finally took place in the summer of 1999. The original lineup intact, Poison hit the road. The band's supporting tour was a success, with its show at Pine Knob Amphitheater in Detroit drawing a sell-out crowd of 18,000. Tour dates averaged crowds of 12,000. A summertime appearance on VH1's Behind the Music appared to solidify the reunited lineup's newfound popularity.

Crack a Smile...and More! was finally released on 14 March 2000. The album, a bright and raunchy series of party anthems, contained few traces of the seriousness of Native Tongue.

Later in the same year Poison also released Power to the People Their studio album with DeVille for the first time in eight years. The record contained five new studio songs: "Power to the People," "Can't Bring Me Down," "Last Song," "Strange," and "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine." The remainder of the album featured live performances from tours in 1999 and 2000.

Poison's most recent record with new material, Hollyweird, was released on 21 May 2002. The album was heavily criticized by both critics and fans, with many feeling that the album had poor production

In 2004, Poison opened up for KISS in the "Rock the Nation" tour.

In 2005, the single "Nothin' But A Good Time" appeared on the soundtrack of the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, during the scene in which Brad Pitt's character is driving through the desert in an off-road vehicle.

[edit] Current

Poison is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a summer "20 Years Of Rock" tour, with fellow rockers Cinderella opening. The tour has swiftly become one of the most successful tours of 2006, averaging about 20,000 people in attendance per night. The band recently released an anniversary best-of album The Best Of Poison: 20 Years Of Rock, in April of 2006. The record also features a new track, a cover of Grand Funk's "We're An American Band", produced by Don Was. This marked Poison's return to the Billboard top 20 charts for the first time since 1993. The compilation debuted at #17. [2] "Your Mama Don't Dance" was played in the movie "RV" in 2006.

Current Album cover of The Best Of Poison: 20 Years Of Rock

Poison rocketted into Billboard's Top 20 with the #17 debut of The Best Of Poison: 20 Years Of Rock with a first week sales total of 39,721. The new CD delivers the band's highest chart position since Native Tongue debuted at #16 in 1993.

On August 1, Captiol Records released remastered versions of the first three Poison albums: Look What the Cat Dragged In, Open Up and Say...Ahh! and Flesh and Blood, in honor of Poison's 20th anniversary. All three have been remastered and have bonus tracks added.

Look What the Cat Dragged In with the extra track Don't Mess With Jim, Open Up and Say...Ahh! has two extra tracks Livin' For The Minute & an Interview with the band, Flesh and Blood has two extra tracks the first is an Alternate Version of Something to Believe in and the second being a Musical version of God Save The Queen.

During a show in Atlanta on August 25, 2006 band members Bret Michaels and Bobby Dall had to be separated by members of road crew after the two nearly came to blows.

Bret apologized and stated, "You may have just seen the last concert by Poison in its current formation."

The altercation happened before the band's set ended, "Talk Dirty To Me". After some tense moments and Michaels' apology to the crowd including his explanation that "like brothers, sometimes you have to air things out", the band did finish the set. Dall left the stage immediately.[7]

The Band are back together now and are currently taking time out While Bret continues with his Solo Tour.

It was announced in October of 2006 that guitarist C.C. DeVille and his long time girlfriend Shannon Malone are expecting a baby due in March 2007.

[edit] Members

[edit] Current members

[edit] Former members

[edit] Discography

For more details on this topic, see Poison Discography.

[edit] Other Compilations

[edit] References

  1. ^ Classic Rock Revisited Interview with Bret Michaels Retrieved January 19, 2005
  2. ^ As above.
  3. ^ http://launch.yahoo.com/ar-254534-bio--Kix.
  4. ^ Konow D "Bang Your Head" Three Rivers Press 2002 at p.266.
  5. ^ As above at p.268.
  6. ^ As above at p.271-272.
  7. ^ M&C Music News "Poison’s Bret Michaels and Bobby Dall clash at the end of Atlanta concert" [1]

[edit] External links