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“Tell The World”
RATT: 1983 -1991
Dr. Rox Remember When? Article #87 for WDGY Jun-2018
By: RLSchwinden aka MrZerr0
I am constantly mistaken for being into the mid 80s “Hair Bands” era, the reality is, I am really into music from 1965-1969, & I Did Not like most of that time period of music; 1983-1989, but if I did have to pick one band that I liked a lot, it would be “RATT” like a lot of the bands I am into I was introduced to by someone else, RATT, was another band Eric D. turned me onto. As I recall Eric read an article about Jake E. Lee who was the newest guitar player for Ozzy in late ’83, in this article it listed that Jake E. was previously in a band “Mickey Ratt” that had just released an EP as “RATT”, well Eric working at the local recordstore “Uncle John” he was the 1st in our area to get any of the records on new up & coming artists.
> Mickey RATT: 1976 -81: San Diego<
“Mickey Ratt” was formed in 1976 in San Diego, CA. with Stephen Eric Pearcy (3 July 1956 Long Beach, CA.), withJake E. Lee (from the band “Teaser”), Matt Thorr, Chris Hager, making 1 live recording & several demos, coincidentally the “Slash” display at the “Hard Rock Hotel” in Sioux City, Iowa the mannequin is wearing a “Mickey Ratt” white t-shirt with black lettering. In 1980 the band recorded & released the single “Dr. Rock b/w Drivin On E”, sometime later in1981, Robbin Crosby: (Robbinson Lantz Crosby: 4 Aug 1959 La Jolla, CA. 6 Jun 2002 L.A.) joined the band, they, then decided to move to L.A. & shorten the name to “RATT” Jake E. recommended his roommate, another guitarist influenced by Tommy Bolin, one; Warren Justin DeMartini: (10 Apr 1963; Chicago indecently Warren’s Grandmother played piano accompaniment to “Silent Films” in Preston, MN.) joined in Jan ’82 with Gene Hunter on Bass & Khurt Maier on Drums.
> City of Angles: 1983 – 1984 <
The band has move to L.A. & now on Bass & Drums respectively are: Juan Carlos Croucier (22 Aug 1959; Santiago, Cuba) from ‘Dokken’ (for 4 years & 2 LPs), he & Drummer Bobby Blotzer: (Robert John Blotzer: 22 Oct 1958;Pittsberg, PA.) went to High School together & played together in the band ‘FireFoxx’ in 1977. Then RATT releases their 1st album on ‘Time Coast Records’ “RATT” #TC-2203 in Aug 1983, the 1st pressings have 6 songs & the 2nd pressing has 7, with the extra track”You’re In Trouble” with the 45 Single “You Think Your Tough b/w Walkin The Dog” Crosby’s girlfriend Tawny Kitaen’s legs are on the cover, she will also grace the cover of the next LP.
I really like most of the tracks from this release. I learned how to play (on guitar) “You Think You’re Tough” right away back in ’84. Now signed to Atlantic Records the band’s 2nd album “Out Of The Cellar” was released in Mar 1984, & went triple platinum, with several singles released: “Round And Round b/w Morning After” a #4 on the Billboard Charts in Jul ’84, followed by; “Back For More b/w same” #27 on the charts in Aug ’84 & the 3rd being “Wanted Man b/w She Wants Money” a #38 on the charts in Oct ’84. However it was about this time that 45 Single releases & sales started to matter less & “MTV Videos” began to really drive consumer record sales, the band released 15 Music Videos, with the song “Round And Round” being the most successful for the band, the famous actor Milton Burle appeared in the video for this song, as his nephew was the manger of the band at the time. Worth noting was a fashion trend the band started at the time called “Rattoos” created by drawing on themselves with black markers, presumably, so when they no longer cared for the artwork they could just wash it off. My personal favorite form this LP is “Lack Of Communication”.
> Atlantic Studios: 1985 -1986<
The band’s 3rd album is “Invasion Of Your Privacy” released in June 1985 with the 45 singles “Lay It Down b/w Got Me On The Line” hitting #11 in Aug ’85, followed by “You’re In Love b/w Between The Eyes” making #34 on the charts in Sep ’85. I feel this is a really good follow up to the last LP, even though it’s not as strong, I did come to realize by now most of the song I liked were co-written with Croucier, by the way my band MrZERo: (Dave, Mitch, Zack & myself) used to open with “You’re In Love” in 2015. In the mid 80s VHS releases became part of a band’s “Album Deal”& consequently sold very well, “RATT: the Video” was released in late ’85, it contains 5 music videos & was the 1st VHS to receive “Gold Sales” status in the USA. By the time the 4th album ”Dancing Undercover” is released in Aug 1986 I was working at “RecordShop” Valley West Des Moines, Iowa, the 45 single “Dance b/w Take A Chance” hits #36 on the charts in Nov ’86. now, at this point I begin to lose interest in RATT, I feel this is a very weak LP, even still it sells over a million units, but that is only half as many as the previous LP. My favorite track would be “It Doesn’t Matter” I was never able to see RATT in their heyday, but they did play:
28 Dec 1986 Sunday in Bloominton, MN @ Met Center:
Looking for Love
One Good Lover
Drive Me Crazy
7th Avenue
Slip of the Lip
Enough Is Enough
You’re in Love
Lay It Down
You Should Know by Now
Dangerous but Worth the Risk
Round and Round
The Morning After
Back for More
Lack of Communication
Never Use Love
Sweet Cheater
You Think You’re Tough
Dance
Body Talk
*I did see & meet; Pearcy & JRZ (from Omaha) in Burnsville in May 2006 solo & much later with HAIRBALL in Feb 2014 & the re-formed RATT with Blotzer & DeMartini in Clear Lake Iowa in Aug 2005.
> Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds: 1988 -1991 <
The band tours almost all of 1987 & performs at “Monsters Of Rock” & “Madison Square Garden” , incidentally the 6 Major Record Lables of the time: WEA, Sony, CEMA, MCA, BMG & PGD along with “NARM” all decide unanimouslyto put an End to Vinyl Record Production “Once and for All” in Dec. 1987 in favor of the New format “Compact Disc”(introduced in Fall 1985) & Cassette which was the predominate format since Summer ’84,and so the last few RATT releases on Vinyl are very scarce, usually UK Imports, if at all. The band’s 5th album “Reach For The Sky” is released inNov 1988 with the Cassingle (a 2 song Cassette Single introduced in Fall 1984) “Way Cool Jr b/w Chain Reaction”which hits #16 on the charts in Jan ’89. This LP much like the last one did not do as well, but still sold a million units(NOT Vinyl) of Cassettes & CDs. The “Hair Band” movement had become way over saturated & even formulated by this point, with some newer bands taking the place of RATT. My favorite track from this album would be “What I’m After”.
The 6th & final album from this line-up is released in Aug 1990; “Detonator” with the Cassingle; “Lovin You is A Dirty Job b/w What’s It Gonna Be” that hits #18 on the charts in Sep ’90, this is the 1st RATT album to not go platinum, it only sells “Gold” (500,000 copies) followed by a promo CD Single; “Givin Yourself Away” which hits #39 from MTV & Radio play in Feb ’91, my favorite track from this CD would be “Scratch That Itch”. In Jul ’91 the band release their final single, also this time without Crosby, (who is now out of the band) “Nobody Rides For Free” from the film “Point Break”. On 7 Oct 1990 RATT appears on MTV’s “UnPlugged” (recorded 11 Aug 1990) with Michael Schenker (10 Jan 1955: Sarstedt, W. Germany) on guitar, the songs they performed: “Way Cool Jr” “Givin Yourself Away” “Oh Well” & “Born On the Bayou”. You could say the tombstone for RATT was the CD/Cassette: “Ratt & Roll: 8191” released in Sep 1991, (the 1st “Hits/Best Of”) and for me personally as my girlfriend at that time ran off with her best friend to a RATT concert, and have been together ever since. By Nov ’91 it was All Over for the “Hair Band” movement as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was #1 on The Billboard Charts (My burning question is: IF a Band like NIRVANA has FIVE #1 Hits On The Charts, then what are they the alternative too? ummm, they are a Top 40 Band, then). In Feb ’92 Pearcy leaves the band he founded, effectively putting an end to RATT. Worth noting the CD “Collage” from 1997 contains“Mickey Ratt” songs & the DVD “Videos From The Cellar” from 2007 contains most of their music videos, & the CD“Tell The World” from 2007 is a fantastic collection.
*Be sure to tune into my upcoming Radio Show “Mr. Zero’s PsychoGello Radio Show” on ‘RATT’ on Sunday’s 10:30am on WDGY: 740am & Streaming & FM: 92.1, 103.7, 107.1. You can listen to the past 47 Episodes @ www.MrZeroS.Com- Podcast (link)
This article is for Hevy KEVY; Until the next time…. MrZerr0
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*Est. 2009
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