MAJOR Label - MINOR Success

[manicego]

LOL Okay, let's take some of these one by one ....

 

 

>> You shoulda spent that attention on Barren Cross instead of Poison. But that's just me. <<

 

When Poison's debut exploded (WAYYYYY unexpectedly and before I got there) I think the label pretty much knew where their bread and butter was sitting and it definitely wasn't with bands like Barren Cross, although I loved them. Towards the end of Enigma's run Poison was pretty much solely responsible for the label's employees getting paid. That IS a bit of a stretch but not that much.

 

>> Backed..Or XYZ.... <<

 

To be honest, XYZ were pure and straight up assholes. Terry and I are good friends now and he even hired me to work one of his albums but back then ... whoaaaaa. One example - one day I had XYZ and Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) dong interviews in the office. Newcomers XYZ would only talk to Metal Edge, Rockline, Blast, Hit Parader - NO "tiny fanzines" because I guess they weren't important enough. In the next room, Adrian Smith - a LEGEND - talked to any and everyone who wanted to talk to him. He even happily did an interview with a 15 year old kid in Iowa who had a 10 page typewriter written fanzine. XYZ straightened up eventually but I think the label had soured on them. But hey, they sold a good number of albums.

 

 

>> Or LAAZ ROCKIT. <<

 

"Too metal" for the label and I remember most everyone hating their manager.

 

>> Or T.S.O.L <<

 

I'm not sure what happened here. T.S.O.L. actually did really well but the mass market just wasn't into what they were doing yet. Everyone at the label LOVED the band (believe it or not Enigma had very few metalheads. 99% of the employees were into alt. music) but they just couldn't break them.

 

>> Or Obession...now they shoulda been huge <<

 

I agree, they were fantastic but it wasn't really Enigma's project. We just distributed their stuff through EMI, Metal Blade worked it.

 

OLD SKULL??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Fat Freddy]

OLD SKULL??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

Whatever happened to those kids? They should do a reunion. I bet they're still young enough to mount a comeback!!

 

"SECOND GRADE SUCKS, THIRD GRADE RULES!"

[Geoff]

OLD SKULL??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

Whatever happened to those kids? They should do a reunion. I bet they're still young enough to mount a comeback!!

 

"SECOND GRADE SUCKS, THIRD GRADE RULES!"

I've come to assume we're not talking about the band with Bob Kulick on the six stringed instrument?

[rob62972]

How about THE FOUR HORSEMEN?

 

What a kickass band!!

[rob62972]

and for that matter, THE GRAVEYARD TRAIN!! Released on the mighty Geffen label!!

 

"Down To The Wire" is one kickass tune!!

[Geoff]

and for that matter, THE GRAVEYARD TRAIN!! Released on the mighty Geffen label!!

 

"Down To The Wire" is one kickass tune!!

Oh dude... who's next? Little Caesar and Salty Dog?

[manicego]

>> Whatever happened to those kids? They should do a reunion. I bet they're still young enough to mount a comeback!! <<

 

LMFAO .... ohhhh man, I heard that they actually did a few reunion shows in 2005 or 6. WHY?????????????????

 

And Geoff - Bob's band was simply SKULL - nothing "old" about it ... except the band members.

[Geoff]

>> Whatever happened to those kids? They should do a reunion. I bet they're still young enough to mount a comeback!! <<

 

LMFAO .... ohhhh man, I heard that they actually did a few reunion shows in 2005 or 6. WHY?????????????????

 

And Geoff - Bob's band was simply SKULL - nothing "old" about it ... except the band members.

Ah, I thought the word 'old' was just being thrown like ol' Skull, the band. I see now.

[manicego]

>> and for that matter, THE GRAVEYARD TRAIN!! Released on the mighty Geffen label!! <<

 

"Spirits A Movin'" is just an unreal song, one of my favourites, actually. The rest of the album was a complete mess and Tom Werman even admitted to rushing the album so he could move on to whatever his next project was at the time (can't remember).

[Geoff]

>> and for that matter, THE GRAVEYARD TRAIN!! Released on the mighty Geffen label!! <<

 

"Spirits A Movin'" is just an unreal song, one of my favourites, actually. The rest of the album was a complete mess and Tom Werman even admitted to rushing the album so he could move on to whatever his next project was at the time (can't remember).

I have to admit that if we were naming bands that "killed the genre" that is pretty much the epitome of the band I'd put in the list. Well, my version of it anyway.

[aMetalhead1966]

LOL Okay, let's take some of these one by one ....

 

 

>> You shoulda spent that attention on Barren Cross instead of Poison. But that's just me. <<

 

When Poison's debut exploded (WAYYYYY unexpectedly and before I got there) I think the label pretty much knew where their bread and butter was sitting and it definitely wasn't with bands like Barren Cross, although I loved them. Towards the end of Enigma's run Poison was pretty much solely responsible for the label's employees getting paid. That IS a bit of a stretch but not that much.

 

>> Backed..Or XYZ.... <<

 

To be honest, XYZ were pure and straight up assholes. Terry and I are good friends now and he even hired me to work one of his albums but back then ... whoaaaaa. One example - one day I had XYZ and Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) dong interviews in the office. Newcomers XYZ would only talk to Metal Edge, Rockline, Blast, Hit Parader - NO "tiny fanzines" because I guess they weren't important enough. In the next room, Adrian Smith - a LEGEND - talked to any and everyone who wanted to talk to him. He even happily did an interview with a 15 year old kid in Iowa who had a 10 page typewriter written fanzine. XYZ straightened up eventually but I think the label had soured on them. But hey, they sold a good number of albums.

 

 

>> Or LAAZ ROCKIT. <<

 

"Too metal" for the label and I remember most everyone hating their manager.

 

>> Or T.S.O.L <<

 

I'm not sure what happened here. T.S.O.L. actually did really well but the mass market just wasn't into what they were doing yet. Everyone at the label LOVED the band (believe it or not Enigma had very few metalheads. 99% of the employees were into alt. music) but they just couldn't break them.

 

>> Or Obession...now they shoulda been huge <<

 

I agree, they were fantastic but it wasn't really Enigma's project. We just distributed their stuff through EMI, Metal Blade worked it.

 

OLD SKULL??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Thanks manic...It's really cool to hear the inside scoop of it cause you where there....

[heaven&hell]

and for that matter, THE GRAVEYARD TRAIN!! Released on the mighty Geffen label!!

 

"Down To The Wire" is one kickass tune!!

 

Yes I loved The Graveyard Train. I think we were just discussing this band in another thread last week.

I just played the cd recently and I still dig every song on there.

[aMetalhead1966]

and for that matter, THE GRAVEYARD TRAIN!! Released on the mighty Geffen label!!

 

"Down To The Wire" is one kickass tune!!

 

Yes I loved The Graveyard Train. I think we were just discussing this band in another thread last week.

I just played the cd recently and I still dig every song on there.

Backed...It has a great Bluesy sound and style....

[eaglesfan3000]

>> I know I shouldn't bring this band up with all the negative this band has had on this board lately but HURRICANE should of been huge as well on the Enigma label. I guess their sole efforts were toward Stryper. <<

 

Well, we did have this lil band called Poison that we spent a bit of attention on.

 

I forgot that Poison was on Enigma, but what was the deal with Hurricane?

[manicego]

>> I forgot that Poison was on Enigma, but what was the deal with Hurricane? <<

 

Ooops, totally skipped over them. I dunno, great songs for the most part, decent look, some pretty good MTV exposure, tons of press (patting self on back ..). I think maybe they suffered from what I call "Cry Wolf Syndrome" - there was nothing controversial about them, no "oh, shit, he did WHAT?!?!??!!" stories out there. They were one of those bands that the public saw as (cue tractor pull commercial voice): The Nice Guys Of Rock. They weren't getting arrested or OD-ing like Motley Crue ... they weren't in-fighting like Dokken ... they weren't openly bragging about their exploits like Ratt. They were just a few guys from The Valley that had some pretty good stuff and that just wasn't enough to hold people's attention.

[aMetalhead1966]

>> I forgot that Poison was on Enigma, but what was the deal with Hurricane? <<

 

Ooops, totally skipped over them. I dunno, great songs for the most part, decent look, some pretty good MTV exposure, tons of press (patting self on back ..). I think maybe they suffered from what I call "Cry Wolf Syndrome" - there was nothing controversial about them, no "oh, shit, he did WHAT?!?!??!!" stories out there. They were one of those bands that the public saw as (cue tractor pull commercial voice): The Nice Guys Of Rock. They weren't getting arrested or OD-ing like Motley Crue ... they weren't in-fighting like Dokken ... they weren't openly bragging about their exploits like Ratt. They were just a few guys from The Valley that had some pretty good stuff and that just wasn't enough to hold people's attention.

You think somebody woulda played up the tie in with QR...brother wise...

[manicego]

>> You think somebody woulda played up the tie in with QR...brother wise... <<

 

They did on the Ep but by the time the album hit people were sick to death of Quiet Riot so that selling point went out the window quickly.

[heaven&hell]

I was just watching some of Lynch Mob's vids from Rocklahoma and thought of them for this thread.

 

I don't think they ever had a gold album and I dont't understand why.

They were a great band on those first two albums IMO.

[Geoff]

I was just watching some of Lynch Mob's vids from Rocklahoma and thought of them for this thread.

 

I don't think they ever had a gold album and I dont't understand why.

They were a great band on those first two albums IMO.

Great call. An abundance of songs on that which had potential to tear the radio apart, like 'Wicked Sensation', 'Sweet sister mercy' or the made-for-radio 'No bed of roses'.

[heaven&hell]

I was just watching some of Lynch Mob's vids from Rocklahoma and thought of them for this thread.

 

I don't think they ever had a gold album and I dont't understand why.

They were a great band on those first two albums IMO.

Great call. An abundance of songs on that which had potential to tear the radio apart, like 'Wicked Sensation', 'Sweet sister mercy' or the made-for-radio 'No bed of roses'.

 

Totally backed. "No Bed of Roses" should of been all over radio as should of been "River of Love".

[aMetalhead1966]

I was just watching some of Lynch Mob's vids from Rocklahoma and thought of them for this thread.

 

I don't think they ever had a gold album and I dont't understand why.

They were a great band on those first two albums IMO.

Great call. An abundance of songs on that which had potential to tear the radio apart, like 'Wicked Sensation', 'Sweet sister mercy' or the made-for-radio 'No bed of roses'.

 

Totally backed. "No Bed of Roses" should of been all over radio as should of been "River of Love".

Backed...that Whole album rulez!!!

[heaven&hell]

I was just watching some of Lynch Mob's vids from Rocklahoma and thought of them for this thread.

 

I don't think they ever had a gold album and I dont't understand why.

They were a great band on those first two albums IMO.

Great call. An abundance of songs on that which had potential to tear the radio apart, like 'Wicked Sensation', 'Sweet sister mercy' or the made-for-radio 'No bed of roses'.

 

Totally backed. "No Bed of Roses" should of been all over radio as should of been "River of Love".

Backed...that Whole album rulez!!!

 

It seemed like that album and Don's solo album wasn't pushed that hard by the labels but I could be wrong.

I do remember Don's "Mirror Mirror" getting some day time play on MTV on Dial MTV but only remember seeing "Wicked Sensation" getting played late at night or on Headbangers Ball.

[heaven&hell]

Not sure if this album has been mentioned in my hatred of MCA records but what about Hardline's Double Eclipse? How the heck this album wasn't a hit I'll never know. I guess with it coming out in 1992 it was a little late but damn every song was Melodic Rock perfection IMHO. From the great hard rockin' tunes like "Bad Taste", "Takin' Me Down", "Life's a Bitch" and "Rythmn from a Red Car" to great big Melodic Rock songs like "Dr. Love", "Everything", "Hot Cherrie" and "I'll Be There" to great ballads that had top 40 written all over them in "Can't find my Way"(probably one of my fav ballads of all time), "In the Hands of Time" and "Change of Heart".

[heaven&hell]

How about King Kobra?

 

Their first two discs were both good especially the debut 'Ready to Strike'.

They had a minor hit with the Never Say Die(Iron Eagle) tune from the movie but I don't think they ever really sold any records and not sure why. Of course Mark left and went on with Signal and Unruly Child which both should of been huge as well.

[Evil Rick]

I was just watching some of Lynch Mob's vids from Rocklahoma and thought of them for this thread.

 

I don't think they ever had a gold album and I dont't understand why.

They were a great band on those first two albums IMO.

Great call. An abundance of songs on that which had potential to tear the radio apart, like 'Wicked Sensation', 'Sweet sister mercy' or the made-for-radio 'No bed of roses'.

 

Totally backed. "No Bed of Roses" should of been all over radio as should of been "River of Love".

Backed...that Whole album rulez!!!

 

It seemed like that album and Don's solo album wasn't pushed that hard by the labels but I could be wrong.

I do remember Don's "Mirror Mirror" getting some day time play on MTV on Dial MTV but only remember seeing "Wicked Sensation" getting played late at night or on Headbangers Ball.

Lynch Mob's Wicked Sensation actually scored pretty decent on the charts. It peaked at #46 with the song "Wicked Sensation" hitting #31 and "River of Love" breaking the Top 20 at #19 in the Mainstream Rock category.

 

Ah the good ol' days when our music was considered Mainstream Rock!