Warrant, Lita Ford, und Firehouse

The band formed all the way back in 1984 when guitarist Erik Turner grouped a line-up together and began gigging relentlessly in California. After being impressed by a band called ‘Plain Jane’, Erik decided to recruit frontman Jani Lane whose songwriting skills became a critical addition for the band.

Their work on the club scene created a bidding war that eventually saw the band landing on Columbia records and their huge advance was probably the inspiration for what became their debut album, 1989’s ‘Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich’. The album shot to number 10 in the charts and produced a succession of popular singles covering the full range of Warrant’s sound from ballads to rock anthems.

The band’s big hair and leather helped them fit in with the Hair Metal trends of the times and made them an MTV favourite alongside the likes of Motley Crue and Poison.

The bands next two albums, ‘Cherry Pie’ and ‘Dog Eat Dog’ continued the group’s success and saw them tour the world and make festival appearances at the likes of ‘Monsters of Rock’.

Deeper into the 90s though, the band struggled to deal with the cultural changes that Grunge brought and were dropped by their label. The line up changed repeatedly but the band continued strong and even reformed the original line-up in 2008 however 2011 saw the sad passing of Jani Lane. The band have managed to continue on though and toured in 2012 to promote the 20th anniversary of their biggest success, ‘Cherry Pie’.

Lita Ford joined a rock band called The Runaways in the mid to late 1970s as a lead guitarist and was partly responsible for the bands signature sound. Unfortunately, the band broke up in April 1979, and Ford decided to pursue a solo career.

Ford released her debut full-length studio album entitled “Out for Blood” but unfortunately didn’t chart, however her sophomore album, “Dancin’ on the Edge” managed to achieve a little success at least charting in the Top 100 of the UK and the US, and even a Grammy Award nomination.

It was Ford’s third album that secured her place in rock history, which was simply just called “Lita”. The album was released on February 2nd 1988 and featured a collaborative single with Ozzy Osbourne on the song “Close My Eyes Forever” thanks to Sharon Osbourne being her manager at the time. The album reached number 29 on the Billboard 200, whilst the single managed to reach number 8 on the Hot 100. “Kiss Me Deadly”, also from the album managed number 12 on the Hot 100. The album was later certified Platinum by the RIAA.

On May 15th 1990, Ford released the album “Stiletto” which was recorded in New York City. It featured the single “Hungry” which reached number 14 in the US Mainstream Rock Charts, and number 63 in the UK. The album managed to reach number 52 in the Billboard 200. Following this album came “Dangerous Curves” which was released on November 12th 1991. This album produced the single “Shot of Poison” which was nominated for a Grammy Award for ‘Best Female Rock Vocal Performance’ in 1993. Ford released a greatest hits compilation in 1992, which included some of her biggest singles to date and on Valentine’s Day in 1995; she released an album called “Black” which took her music in a completely different direction inviting influences from Blues and Grunge.

Ford didn’t release another album until “Wicked Wonderland” in October 2nd 2009. The album reached number 38 in the US Independent Chart.

Clad in leather and with long permed hair, FireHouse were the quintessential glam metal band, arriving towards the tail end of the scene that came into popularity in the 80s. Having developed their sound and cemented their lineup, the band caught the attention of Epic Records in 1989, who signed them to their label for their debut release. Released in 1990, their self-titled debut found significant critical acclaim, beating the likes of Nirvana and Alice in Chains to the title of 'Best New Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Band' at the American Music Awards in 1991. The album was a huge success, selling over two million copies and was certified double-Platinum. With several high-charting singles, the band also managed to make waves in the Canadian, Singaporean and Japanese charts, with the album certified Gold in these countries.

They followed their debut with 1992's "Hold Your Fire," which whilst not as successful, it still managed to be certified Gold, helped by the top ten hit single, the rock ballad, "When I Look Into Your Eyes." Their third album, "FireHouse 3" was released in 1995, featuring the top 20 ballad, "I Live My Life For You." However, with changing tastes moving towards the grunge/alternative rock scene, FireHouse's popularity began to wane as the decade went on, being unable match the heights of their debut. They continued to release albums moving to a more middle-of-the-road sound, such as the band Boston, finding interest on the adult contemporary radio.

They released five further albums to limited success, as well as the "Bring 'Em Out Live" CD/DVD in 1999, recorded in Japan. Despite not finding much success in their home country, FireHouse have enjoyed continuing popularity in a number of Asian countries, with their album sales remaining consistently high and their live performances popular. In India, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines and many other countries, FireHouse have found legions of fans and have embarked on extensive tours in this region.