Damn Yankees

Damn Yankees The band was formed in 1989, consisting of Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, Ted Nugent of Amboy Dukes and his own solo career, and Michael Cartellone. Presumably inspired by the musical of the same name, Nugent once also explained that he coined the name because whenever someone asked him how he and Tommy Shaw would sound playing together, he would always reply by saying they would sound like “a bunch of damn Yankees.”With Shaw from Alabama, Blades from California, Cartellone from Nebraska, and Nugent from Michigan, it did seem as if the band represented all four corners of the nation. Produced by renowned rock producer Ron Nevison, the new band’s self-titled debut album went double-platinum in 1990. Ted Nugent's well-tooled heavy blues guitar became a cornerstone, but Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw rose to the forefront as a potent vocal duo. However, it must be noted that the album’s bass and drum tracks were all but inaudible; Cartellone especially seems reticent in the mix.Jack Blades’s leading single "Coming of Age," hit #64, while Tommy Shaw’s "Come Again" received extensive AOR airplay. 1990's chart-topping rock ballad "High Enough" featured a passionate duet between Shaw and Blades, backed by a string section in the studio. Backed by a popular video, it rose to #3 on U.S. Top 40, and #1 on AOR charts. Ironically, "High Enough" happened to be the first #1 pop single in Ted Nugent’s career, despite the fact his career had been built on his "Motor City Madman" image. In fact, Damn Yankees seemed to be following a similar course pursued by Jack Blades’s prior band, Night Ranger, developing an overall hard rock sound in the studio, but relying heavily on power ballads to sell their albums. Furthermore, their songs appeared on several Hollywood film soundtracks, such as Gremlins 2: The New Batch, John Candy’s comedic vehicle, Nothing But Trouble and the 1991 action movie The Taking of Beverly Hills. After the release of their debut, the Damn Yankees went on a year-and-a-half world tour with the likes of a revamped Bad Company, Poison and Jackyl. Their U.S. tour coincided with the Persian Gulf War, in which the band unfurled American flags and made patriotic statements. However, Nugent’s onstage archery stunts became a matter of controversy when he was arrested and fined after firing a burning arrow into an effigy of Saddam Hussein in Colorado. In 1992, Damn Yankees once again went platinum with their follow-up album Don’t Tread. The title song (sung by Jack Blades) enjoyed extensive coverage at the Barcelona Olympic Games. Ted Nugent also appeared on Rock the Vote, voicing support for the GOP against Bill Clinton. Although the second release was not as successful as the first album, it contained a few minor hits, such as "Mister Please," "Where You Goin’ Now," and "The Silence Is Broken," a Top-10 AOR power ballad featured on the 1993 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Nowhere to Run. As the band began working on a third album, Damon Johnson of Brother Cane was added as another guitarist. The move was necessary due Shaw's participation in Styx. If Shaw was unavailable Johnson would fill in as second guitarist. There was also talk that all three guitarists would play together when Shaw was available. Rumor has it that an album was completed and submitted to the label for approval. As the third release never saw the light of day, one can only speculate as to the reasoning behind the label's decision. Shaw Blades After 1993, Ted Nugent revived his solo career, leaving Tommy Shaw & Jack Blades to record their own album as the duo Shaw Blades. Released in 1995, Hallucination received very little support from its label as a personnel change brought industry executives more sympathetic to alternative and grunge bands. Ultimately, the Shaw Blades album came out to some critical praise, but it vanished without major single support or a national tour (which had been cancelled by Warner Bros.). "I’ll Always Be With You" did garner some AOR airplay, and the title track was heard in the hit movie Tommy Boy, but after a brief West Coast tour, both Shaw and Blades went back to their respective original bands, Styx & Night Ranger. During a hiatus in both Night Ranger and Styx, Shaw and Blades met with Ted Nugent to record a new Damn Yankees album in 1998. However, the album, provisionally titled Bravo, failed to please either the band members or the prospective record labels. Some of this unused material may have surfaced on Shaw’s 7 Deadly Zens solo album, which featured sessions from both Jack Blades and Ted Nugent, as well as Michael Cartellone. Other songs originally prepared for a 3rd Damn Yankees album were included on Nugent’s 2002 release Craveman and Blades’ 2004 self-titled solo effort. In 2007, Shaw Blades released their new album Influence, which consisted solely of cover songs that influenced them, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. They also recorded a cover of the classic Christmas song "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" on the "A Classic Rock Christmas" album by various Classic Rock artists in 2002. Both members still principally record and perform with their respective original bands. Band members Former members Tommy Shaw - rhythm & lead guitars, lead vocals, backing vocals Jack Blades - bass, lead vocals, backing vocals Ted Nugent - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals Michael Cartellone - drums, percussion, backing vocals

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SPIN DOCTORS

Spin Doctors Spin Doctors is an American jam band/alternative rock group formed in New York City, best known for their 1992 hits, "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," which charted at 7 & 17 on the American pop chart, respectively. The current members are Chris Barron (lead vocals), Eric Schenkman (guitar and vocals), Aaron Comess (drums), and Mark White (bass guitar). history In 1990, the Spin Doctors were signed to Epic Records/Sony Music by A&R executive Frankie LaRocka. The band's Epic debut EP Up for Grabs...Live was recorded live at The Wetlands Preserve in Lower Manhattan, and released in January 1991. (In November 1992, these EP tracks were remixed and supplemented by additional live recordings to form the album Homebelly Groove...Live.) The Spin Doctors were known for great shows, sometimes jamming even more than is evident on these live album releases. They performed some legendary double bill gigs opening for their friends Blues Traveler, with members of both bands all jamming together. The Spin Doctors have many songs from the early club days that were never released, but are cherished by their hardcore fans via bootleg concert recordings. The Spin Doctors' debut studio album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite was released in August 1991. The band continued to play extensive live shows, gaining grassroots fans, as the album was mostly ignored commercially. In the summer of 1992, the band toured with the first ever line-up of the H.O.R.D.E festival, sharing the stage with fellow jam bands like Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler and Phish. That summer, commercial popularity heated up, as radio and MTV began playing "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" and "Two Princes". The album went gold in September 1992, and then received another boost in sales after the band's appearance on Saturday Night Live in October 1992. Additional videos and singles followed for "What Time Is It", "How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)", and "Jimmy Olsen's Blues". By June 1993 the album was triple platinum. Ultimately it sold over five million copies in the U.S. and another five million overseas, and peaked at # 3 on the Billboard top 200 album chart. The Spin Doctors second studio album, Turn It Upside Down (June 1994), was not quite as commercially successful as Pocket Full of Kryptonite, though it did sell a million copies in the U.S. and a million overseas. The second single, "You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast," was a modest hit (# 42 on the pop chart). This album also featured "Cleopatra's Cat", "Mary Jane", "Hungry Hamed's" and "Bags Of Dirt." The band set out on a three-month headlining tour, and played to immense crowds at Woodstock '94 and the Glastonbury Festival. Shortly after the release of Turn It Upside Down, original guitarist Eric Schenkman left the band in September 1994, citing musical/personal differences, and being weary of the road. Eric was replaced by Anthony Krizan. Band member details Mark White (born 7 July 1962, New York) - bassist, active 1989-1998, 2001-Present Eric Schenkman (born 12 December 1963, Massachusetts) - guitarist, active 1989-1994, 2001-Present Chris Barron (born Christopher Barron Gross, 5 February 1968, Hawaii) - vocalist, active 1989-Present Aaron Comess (born 24 April 1968, Phoenix, Arizona) - drummer, active 1989-Present Anthony Krizan (born North Plainfield, New Jersey ) - guitarist, active 1994-1997 Eran Tabib (born 1972, Tel Aviv, Israel ) - guitarist, active 1997-1999 Ivan Neville (born 19 August 1959 , New Orleans, Louisiana) - keyboardist, active 1996-1999 Carl Carter bassist, active 1999

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