Tracii Guns
LA GUNS
Despite its firm pedigree in rock, the puzzling story of late-80s hair band(s), LA Guns reads more like a revolving door of musicians and one hit wonders.
Sources conflict on its inception date but it is widely recognised that guitarist Tracii Guns formed the band after he left Guns 'N' Roses around 1987. A couple of line-up changes ensued for the band before it released its second and most successful album, Cocked and Loaded. This album featured the band’s most familiar tune, The Ballad of Jayne. At this particular time, the LA Guns were Tracii Guns (guitar), Phil Lewis (vocals), former WASP drummer, Steve Riley, Kelly Nickles (bass) and Mick Cripps (guitar).
In 2000, that line up reunited and released a supporting Greatest Hits and Black Beauties album. The same year, the band re-recorded and re-released Cocked and Loaded but with a slight alteration in the title – Cocked and Reloaded.
By 2002, the band had a new bassist and it was releasing a new album called Waking the Dead. Hailed by fans as the heaviest material LA Guns has ever recorded, the album features OK, Let's roll - dedicated to the courageous souls of Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.
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In 2004 and without its heritage guitarist, Guns, the band released Rip the Covers Off which unsurprisingly featured cover versions of David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Saxon and The Stooges to name a few.
This lack of Guns was the catalyst in what ultimately would be the formation of two versions of the band.
LA Guns I is headed by Lewis and Riley which were the former vocalist and drummer respectively of Cocked and Loaded days. And LA Guns II is its creator, Guns’ version with Jizzy Pearl (vocals), Jeremy Guns (bass) and Chad Stewart (drums). Confused yet?
Amazingly, the band co-exists and has even been known to perform together.
Juanita Appleby
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
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GUNS N ROSES
US heavy-rock band, Guns N’ Roses, formed in the mid-80s. Axl Rose (originally named William Bailey, but changed his name to an anagram of ‘Oral Sex’) and Izzy Stradlin met in 1984.
They formed a band with Tracii Guns (guitar) and Rob Gardner (drums) and were named in turn, Rose, Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns. Soon afterwards, Guns and Gardener left, replaced by drummer Steven Adler (drums) and guitarist Slash. With bassist, Duff McKagan, the band was renamed Guns N’ Roses and in 1986, the band signed to Geffen Records. During 1987 they toured extensively. In 1988, Rose was kicked out but was reinstated within three days. ‘Appetite For Destruction’ sold 20 million copies worldwide and reached US number 1 within a year. ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ was used on the soundtrack of the Clint Eastwood movie ‘Dead Pool’. It was the album that propelled them to stardom.
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The band toured regularly, but also controversially in the US and Europe and in 1989, ‘G N’ R Lies’ became a transatlantic hit. However, Guns N’ Roses’ career was littered with incidents involving drugs, drunkenness and public-disturbance offences. In 1990, Adler was replaced by Matt Sorum, followed by Dizzy Reed for a 1991 world tour. The band then released ‘Use Your Illusions I and II’ – reaching US numbers 1 and 2, preceded by a cover version of Bob Dylan’s ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’. Slash’s growing reputation led him to make guest appearances for Dylan and Michael Jackson.
At the end of 1993, the covers album ‘Spaghetti Incident’ was issued. Duff released his debut solo album and Stradlin was replaced by a number of guitarists including Zakk Wylde (ex-Ozzy Osbourne), who fell out irreconcilably with Axl before recording a note. Slash confirmed Rose’s departure in November 1996, reversed in February 1997 when Rose allegedly purchased the right to the Guns N’ Roses name.
Backed by new personnel, Axl embarked on ‘The Chinese Democracy’ tour and finished the bands long awaited new album. On November 13, 2008, ten days before the official release of the ‘Chinese Democracy’ album, the ‘Chinese Democracy’ single topped the general iTunes Music Store chart in Greece, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Finland. In addition to being the No. 1 song and No. 1 rock song in these countries, it became the No. 1 rock song on iTunes in the U.S., Canada, France and the U.K.
Mathew Jones
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This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
