Pet Hate "The Bride Wore Red" - 1984

Good, not great, debut LP from Pet Hate. To their credit, these dudes really did know their way around a melody and always found the chorus, so its confusing to me why they never made a dent in the states. The timing was right, their tunes where catchy, and their hair was tall enough, so if anyone has a theory as to why they remain so overshadowed when talking about this brand of 80's rock, please leave a comment and let me know.

Track Listing:
The Bride Wore Red
Moya's Comin' Out
How Can (I Carry On)
Love Me Madly
Wanting You
Caught (Red Handed)
The Party's Over
Roll Away the Stone
First Kiss
Real Good Time

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/zdePYorULNUaewi3CmFCCdncKmiXOd58z1f8Uknuoyx

Pet Hate's "Bad Publicity" - 1984

Here's a record I never seem to find online, although I'm not sure anyone cares other than me, the band, and maybe three other people. Still to this day one of my favorite glam/power-pop records to come out of the UK in the 80's, I'm talking about Pet Hate's "Bad Publicity". Formed from the ashes of Silverwing, Pet Hate's first record "The Bride Wore Red" was followed up by this rarely talked about gem. Not only did they borrow the title of the record from white-clad US rockers Angel, they went one step further and hired the same guy who produced Angel's "Bad Publicity" record. And if you're an Angel fan, you know their record company made them change the original cover of the band strewn about with liquor and chicks....so Pet Hate took that too and made it their cover. I could go on and on about nothing here, but all you need to know is this record is a classic (cover of the Stones' "Street Fighting Man" can be forgiven). But the one track that still gets me to this day is "Girls Grow Up Too Fast", which sounds like it would fit perfectly on Candy's "Whatever Happened to Fun...?" LP. But you really don't care what I think, do you? If you're reading this at all its because you've been searching forever and you just want this damn record. So here it is...

Track Listing:
I'm Not the One
Girls Grow Up Too Fast
Cry of the Wild
Street Fighting Man
She's Got the Action
Stale Lipstick
One Step Ahead
For Sex Sake
Wreck the Radio
Dancing On My Heart
Teenage Party

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/n43g6aMDEo4h3tECFZXLq7BEIeWmp7dnNyi1nnGaSLf

The Rise of Kery Doll

Before Kery Doll, there was Rise. And Kery played drums for 'em before moving to vocals. At least I think that's what happened. They were before my time and I never got to see 'em live, but thankfully at least one person held on to their indie single and gave it to me many years ago. And now I'm sharing it with you. But if you're actually reading this and plan on downloading the single, you're even more damaged than I am, and in your quest to find the most obscure glam rock records, may you not fly too close to the sun like Icarus. But I digress. Mainly because I have no real info on Rise and I'm just stalling. Fine, here's their Mystic Records 7"....yes, the same Mystic Records that released the early Mentors records.

Track List:
"Future Love" b/w "Rock and Roll Heart"

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/HMXSC1iZka9WX6zvSHXzdKZkZTcF1v51xPe55oBGk3R

And a Doll Shall Lead Them....

Let me tell you about the first time I saw Guns & Roses...it was 1985 and the only reason I was lucky enough to catch them so early on was because they were opening for one of my favorite bands on the scene, the one and only Kery Doll. Coming on like Alice Cooper from Cudahy Street in Maywood, CA., Kery Doll were the first local band who showed me that you didn't have to be playing a 20,000 seat arena to act like you were. Shows routinely opened with Kery rising from a coffin and shooting a sawed-off shotgun over the crowd, while dangerous homemade pyro clipped the roofs of clubs like Raging Waters, already death traps in their own right without the pyro. After numerous line-up changes, Kery shortened the band's name to DOLL and the image went from black lace goth/glam to florescent pink latex and leather glam, and DOLL were the prototype for Pretty Boy Floyd who came years later. And when I say "prototype", I really mean PROTOTYPE. Not only was PBF's image nicked from DOLL, but early DOLL shows even included the songs "Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz" and "Wild Angels", both which would end up on PBF's debut on MCA. To be fair, guitarist Ariel Stiles of DOLL would go on to be in an early incarnation of Pretty Boy Floyd, but it was Kery Doll himself who created the blueprint as far as I'm concerned. Kery Doll only released one 5-song picture disc, "Til Death Do Us Part", and DOLL officially released nothing but some demos, but their stamp on the early 80's LA glam scene is unmistakeable. After DOLL Kery did time in the LA "supergroup" Demolition Gore Galore and his one-man pre-NIN industrial project Trust Jesus. And before Kery Doll there was the even more obscure glam/prog of Rise (which you'll be seeing and hearing on this page soon). But for now, its time to treat yourself to what those of us lucky enough to be in Hollywood in 1985 got to experience. It isn't a great record by any means, but when you're sixteen and looking up to the local glam stars, believe me, its a great record.

Track List:
Too Good for Heaven
After the Fire
Til Death Do Us Part
A Child Shall Lead
Baby Boy

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/jX7y8rtneT3mlnsfSEoSy7q1ZSZYyIAcM2G1iHyKbHP

Max Havoc are the Show - 1983

One record I always loved in the 80's, but never seemed to hear mentioned anywhere, was the little known gem by Max Havoc. Released in 1983 on non-self-fulfulling prophecy of a label Triple Platinum Records, the record was produced by lead sword carrier Pat McKeon and "Associate Produced" by Black Sabbath's Bill Ward, who allegedly also did some time behind the kit for Havoc. Also credited as an "additional musician" was Carlos Cavazo of Quiet Riot, although its unclear as to what track he played on. Let's see, what other useless information can I share with you about this record? Well, drummer Khurt Maier and guitarist Scott Lane went on to start Salty Dog, owner's of possibly the worst lyric to open a record with "Sweet little baby, she's my hot dog bun". Lane also did time in Stryper, but don't hold that against him. Now on to the record, which to me always sounded like a cross between the party rock of Van Halen and the shirtless sorcery metal of Saxon. Record opener "I'm the Show" could've fit easily on Van Halen's first record, and the rest is more macho party metal which still brings a smile to this sullen face. I don't know how many of these were pressed, and I feel pretty safe in assuming this baby will never see the light of day on CD, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have it in your collection. Get the record here....

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/7DtecUQQyDVnVqsqblrLFloVv62fAb0wh11hdoI8kIN

Track List:
I'm the Show
Bound for Hell
Angel of Passion
Midnight Machine
Won't Be the Fool
Bad Influence
Certain Woman
My Babe (Homicidal)
True Blue
Dalilah's Fire

Sharks with Claus - 1983

Continuing and concluding Shark Island week here on the Hair Up There, our initial week on the world wide wad I'll point out, and just in time for the holidays, this is my gift to you. In 1983, Sharks released the quintessential heavy metal Christmas song. Yes, more important than Spinal Tap's "Christmas with the Devil" I'll profess, among cries of blasphemy I'm sure. One side of the self-released record had Sharks rendition of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", done to the music of Judas Priest's "Heading Out to the Highway". Pure fucking genius. So good it'll make you angry you didn't think of it first. And the flip side, a Sharks original that never appeared on any of their LP's, "I'm Electric", the best song Gene Simmon's didn't write for the last 20 years, but wished he'd did had he ever heard it.



Download the single here: https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/BzsCw8skK6Fb5Ci43C7OMUoShhi3xKPaTXYLHJmeT9

Don't say I never got ya nothin'. And to all a good night.
Happy @#$%^% Holidays.

Shark Island get on the S'cool Bus - 1986

Fast forward to 1986 and Sharks are still without a major label deal, like most of their contemporaries have snagged. Throw in some legal issues with previous bands called Sharks and a name change and another indie release were on the horizon. According to their Wikipedia entry, things went something like this...

"In 1985, they changed their name to Shark Island and released another independent album titled, S'cool Buss the next year. Not much is remembered about this album as there were only 1,200 copies ever made (200 in a red cover and 1,000 in a turquoise color). One song that might have been the single from this album is "Palace Of Pleasure". It is impossible to verify this since this album is not available anywhere and was only available at that time from the band members themselves."


Track List:
Deja Vu
Sex Drive
Excess Marks the Spot
Here Comes Trouble
Puss 'n' Boots
Read My Lips
Automatic Girls
New York, New York
Palace of Pleasure

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/zjlfIGE3rTTvMbOf8Ui5Qlb0vzu53n7IjbZUVo7KJjx

Into the Wheel with Shark Island -1982

Before they were Shark Island, they were known simply as Sharks and were ahead of their time.  They didn't sound like any other band in LA at the time, and were often cited as "The Cars meets Aerosmith" if you can wrap your head around that.  Singer Richard Black, aka Rick Czerny, was the quintessential rock frontman, and many claim a young man new to LA named Bill Bailey, aka W. Axl Rose, stole his stage moves from the Sharks singer.  Not available on CD and tough to find on vinyl these days, Sharks debut LP "Altar Ego" still sounds fresh and urgent today, and is tragically overshadowed by so many other hard rock records of the time, and place.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/sehvyru100IHiKuOlqTv2Wn11gmpobSZSNNoY8bb31Q