Poison Dollys - Love Is For Suckers (the original version of the Twisted Sister song!)

[whiplash1972]

I had no idea that Dee and company didn't write the title track to their 1987 release! 

 

 

[CureTheSane]

Makes sense, in hindsight it's about as much a Dee song as Leader Of The Pack is.

[Crazysam]

Interesting, I've never heard that version of the song before, nor of the Poison Dollys, not bad.  I had though heard about Gary Private's version of the song not too long ago, a much more 80's pop/new wave feel to it. 

 

[Darkstone]

6 hours ago, CureTheSane said:

Makes sense, in hindsight it's about as much a Dee song as Leader Of The Pack is.

Speaking of Dee Snider. Did you end up going to see him? I was wondering if he mentioned the Clive Palmer ads? I remember he was talking a big game when they first came out and said that if his lawyers hadn't worked it out by the time he got here then he would deal with it himself. The ads are still on air and I can't understand why. They're a blatant ripoff.  For the non Aussies, Clive Palmer is a wealthy political candidate. Think Donald Trump, but less likable. His slogan is "Make Australia Great". This is the ad I'm talking about.. I dunno, did Dee sell out perhaps?

 

 

 

[CureTheSane]

No I didn't go.

To be honest I was kind of put off a bit because of the last time I saw TS.

I saw them in Melbourne 1985.
I was 16 and in awe of the energy, crowd engagement, and the way the whole crowd were drawn into the show.
when Dee said "We'll be back next year Melbourne. I know other bands say that as part of their show, and they never do it. But when Twisted Fucking Sister says it, we fucking mean it, we will be back."
They never came back, and I was kind of pissed about that for a long time.

Still the best show I've ever seen though...

Next time I saw TS, I decided to come back from Europe via the US because they were playing a show in Milwaukee 2003..
Sadly, even after 18 years  the show was a let down, even more of a let down that them not coming back.

The whole show was the same shtick. Pretty much EXACTLY the same. Telling everyone in the crowd to get up and then calling out someone who is sitting and turns out they were in a wheelchair. Etc. So many lines were the same after all that time, the show hadn't evolved.
Energy was still great, but I was just rolling my eyes all show.

I know the Dee Snider thing would have been different, but it would have been more of a Dee fest. All about him.
I hate hearing Dee talk about himself.
Gene is cool, because he is unashamedly self indulgent.
But Dee, like Nikki, doesn't get how pompous he sounds.

The Dee talking show would have been total pain, but I considered the music show, but because of the fact he'd still ramble on about how great he is, and play a bunch of songs I don't like. Plus I think it was pretty expensive for what it was.

Or maybe it was because he said he'd come back, which was a lie, so my payback was not going when he did eventually come back. ;)
I can be a spiteful fucker.

[LV KIX]

The Poison Dollys had some serious backing behind them for a bit.. they seemed to implode just as they were getting off of the ground. I only got to see them play once.. pretty good band.

[Captain Howdy]

On 3/28/2019 at 12:40 AM, CureTheSane said:

Makes sense, in hindsight it's about as much a Dee song as Leader Of The Pack is.

I would actually disgree with that. The Twisted version gives Dee a credit as he changed some of the lyrics, but he worked with the guy who originally wrote that song and wrote I want this night (to last forever) as well.

The whole album was intended as being a Dee solo album but only ended up released as TS due to the record label.

The song Love is for suckers is really not that different sounding to songs like Hot love  & One bad habit from the same album, and they are both Dee compositions. Plus, I would always direct people back to the stuff TS recorded in the late 70s prior to the Ruff Cuts EP as it was a hell of a lot more pop glam than people are used to.

This whole album was very much about what Dee was trying to do at the time, and he wanted to go for that more commercial "glam rock/hair metal" sound that bands like Bon Jovi were putting out.

 

And Leader of the pack, yeah its a cover song, but people forget that goes back to the Ruff Cuts days as well, so once again gives you an idea that there was more to Dee than the heavier stuff and the arena anthems like I wanna rock.

[CureTheSane]

Fair enough.

FWIW, I was and am a fan of Love Is For Suckers.

Thought it wa a great transition from Come Out And Play and a natural step.

Ironically the whole makeup thing and comedy shtick that they had going probably hindered them in being more commercial. along with Grunge etc or whatever.

For most people they were a flash in the pan, but for me they were an amazing band and Dee consistently wrote killer songs.
Sadly, not much of what he's done since has been close to the TS stuff.

[Captain Howdy]

On 11/11/2019 at 10:42 AM, CureTheSane said:

Fair enough.

FWIW, I was and am a fan of Love Is For Suckers.

Thought it wa a great transition from Come Out And Play and a natural step.

Ironically the whole makeup thing and comedy shtick that they had going probably hindered them in being more commercial. along with Grunge etc or whatever.

For most people they were a flash in the pan, but for me they were an amazing band and Dee consistently wrote killer songs.
Sadly, not much of what he's done since has been close to the TS stuff.

I don't think grunge had anything to do with their demise as they split up in 1987, way before grunge came along.

I really don't think they were ever considered a flash in the pan either, as the band had existed in some form or another since the mid 1970s, and they got their first taste of success in the UK in 82/83, and in fact it was the humourous videos that got them their foothold in their native country (the songs were certainly not humourous). Their biggest problem as that Stay hungry was such a huge hit that people felt Come out and play was a step backwards, and the band was already in turmoil by then. MTV refusing to play the Be chrool to your scuel, video. Poor concert ticket sales. And then AJ up and quit at the end of the tour.

Their biggest problem was that it took them so long to finally break through that by the time they did, the age old trope of band in fighting became their downfall. I remember several interviews when Dee was promoting Widowmaker, and he was incredibly harsh about the rest of TS. Claiming they had no talent and their idea of back vocals was just shouting etc.

I am a big fan of Dee, but I can imagine his big personality can be a lot to deal with in real life, and he certainly took over creative control of TS which probably pissed off the guys who were in the band before he ever joined.

[CureTheSane]

Dee seems like a big of a dick, albeit a talented one.

I know the history, and understand the time it took for them to get where they did.
I've read the books, seem the documentaries etc.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan.
Unsurpassed songwriting IMO.
Hooks, melodies, gang vocals, anthems, ballads, fun music, they tick all the boxes.

But most of the public aren't fans like you and I.
They heard WNGTI and I wanna Rock, and The Price and that was it.

COAP and LIFS are amazing albums, but it was a big step down from Stay Hungry, and the beginning of the end.
Whatever the reasons were, it's sad, because I still rate them as the best live show I've ever seen.
Sadly after 20+ years I got to see them agan and the whole show was the same, same shtick etc, but still have that energy that can't be matched.

Their best song IMO is Heroes Are Hard To find
And I have 37 songs in my Best of TS folder, from 5 albums, which is a pretty damn good strike rate.

Shame Dee can't (or doesn't want to) continue with the great music. Desperado wwere ok, Widowmaker average, and solo since also average.

[CureTheSane]

Coincidentally, a clip came up on my Facebook feed which was Behind The Vinyl Dee Snider I Wanna Rock

During this one, Dee himself says that they are seen as a one hit wonder and that his comeback is "no we're a 2 1/2 hit wonder" - adding in We're Not Gonna Take It and half of the Price

The Behind The Vinyl clips are pretty good (Youtube). Dee also does WNGTI but other artists are interesting as well. Run DMC Walk This Way was good, and Babe Styx was interesting. Spandau Ballet, Glass Tiger, etc etc

[Gcarter]

Hi, my dad is actually Marky Carter the writer of the song. I remember back in 1987 when it was being promoted. We had tons of Twisted Sister lollipops and my dad had promotional albums to give out. It was a great time. And yes I agree the version that Dee Snyder didn’t change for the worse is much better. My dad was always really unhappy with the lyric changes and the monologue part.