Poison (band)

Poison is an American hair metal band which achieved popular success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With more than 15 million albums sold in the United States alone, the band is one of the most commercially successful rock acts in history.
There was also a shortlived British Punk band of this name, who eventually became the Thrash Metal band Anihilated.

Music

The music of Poison reflects the band's heritage. Formed by a group of aspiring rock musicians from the Eastern United States who moved to Los Angeles, California in search of fame, Poison became the most prominent exponent of the colourful hair metal music scene, which gained popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s. Hair metal's roots lay on America's East Coast, and in the sounds and images associated with New York's KISS and Boston's Aerosmith. These influences mutated following Van Halen's debut in 1978, which started a scene in their hometown of Los Angeles, on the Sunset Strip. Poison's music, (and that of hair metal in general,) was characterised by anthemic, loud guitar riffs, flamoyant special effects, costumes, hair and make-up, and a preoccupation with hedonism.

Early years

Poison began life in 1984 as Paris, a band from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania comprising vocalist Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall, guitarist Matt Smith and drummer Rikki Rockett. The band moved to Los Angeles, California in 1985 to begin playing in clubs there.

Smith, who was about to father a child and was concerned about the band's future, returned to Pennsylvania shortly after. The band auditioned for a replacement guitarist, eventually narrowing the field down to three candidates: Slash, who would later join Guns 'N Roses, Steve Silva from the The Joe Perry Project, and Brooklyn expatriate C.C. DeVille. Although Michaels and Dall did not initially get along with DeVille, the band eventually agreed that DeVille's "fire" made him the most appropriate candidate [1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Poison_(band)).

The band began to gain notoreity for its theatrical live shows striking "glam" image. Without money for effects, they would fill the stage with old Harley Davidson and car parts, blow up car fuses and pour confetti onto themselves from boxes in the ceiling.

The band's efforts eventually paid off and Michaels, Dall, Rockett and DeVille signed to Enigma Records in 1986 (see 1986 in music). Their debut album, Look What the Cat Dragged In was released on August 2, 1986. It included three hits, "Talk Dirty to Me", "I Want Action" and "I Won't Forget You".

In 1987 the band also recorded a cover of the KISS song "Rock And Roll All Nite" for the Less Than Zero movie soundtrack.

Popular success

Poison's second album, Open Up And Say...Ahh!, which was released on May 21, 1988 (see 1988 in music) would ultimately go on to sell 8 million copies worldwide. The record included the band's biggest hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", along with other top 10 hits, "Nothin' But A Good Time" and the Loggins and Messina cover "Your Mama Don't Dance". By the time the band toured with David Lee Roth (in 1988 on the Skyscraper Tour,) it was apparent that they had become a major live act. Subsequent headlining shows in support of Open Up and Say... Ahh! would ultimately place the band alongside Metallica as one of the largest-grossing touring acts of the late 1980s.

Poison's third album, Flesh & Blood (1990), was also highly successful. The record went multi-platinum, spawning three gold singles: "Unskinny Bop", "Ride the Wind" and the ballad "Something To Believe In". Flesh & Blood reached #2 on the American charts, providing the impetus for a further World Tour.

Poison recorded a number of performances during its 1990/1991 "Flesh & Blood" tour which were released in November 1991 as their fourth album, Swallow This Live.

Later years

Despite Poison's success, DeVille's cocaine and alcohol addictions had begun to cause strife in the band. Conflict between Michaels and DeVille cluminated in a fistfight at the MTV Music Awards in 1991, provoked by Deville's inept live performance. Deville was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen.

Poison's fifth album, Native Tongue was released on August 14, 1993. It was a fiery, bluesy rock record, strongly influenced by Kotzen's fresh songwriting contributions and guitar performances. The record received generally positive reviews, but sales were sluggish. Kotzen's future in the band was sealed when it was discovered that he was romantically involved with Rockett's fiance. Kotzen was promptly fired, and replaced by Blues Saraceno.

Poison began recording its sixth album, Crack a Smile, in 1994. Recording was brought to an abrupt halt in May 1994, when Michaels was involved in an accident in which he lost control of his Ferrari. Michaels suffered a broken nose, ribs, jaw, and fingers and lost four teeth. After his recovery in 1995, the band continued recording. However, Capitol Records had by this time decided to put the album on the back burner and instead decided to release a Greatest Hits record. The record was released in 1996, and went platinum, despite Poison having been out of the spotlight for a number of years. The band's supporting tour was equally successful, with its show at Pine Knob Amphitheater in Detroit drawing a sell-out crowd of 18,000.

Crack a Smile was finally released in on March 14, 2000. The album, a bright and raunchy series of party anthems, contained few traces of the seriousness of Native Tongue.

Later in the same year Poison also released Power to the People marking the return of DeVille to the band. The record contained five new studio songs: "Power to the People", "Can't Bring Me Down", "Last Song", "Strange", and "I Hate Every Bone In Your Body But Mine". The remainder of the album featured live performances from tours in 1999 and 2000.

Poison's most recent record, Hollyweird, was released on May 21 2002.

Discography

• 1986: Look What the Cat Dragged In

• 1988: Open Up And Say...Ahh!

• 1990: Flesh & Blood

• 1991: Swallow This Live

• 1993: Native Tongue

• 1996: Poison's Greatest Hits

• 2000: Crack a Smile

• 2000: Power to the People

• 2002: Hollyweird

References

• Classic Rock Revisited, Interview with Bret Michaels by Wright J, March 2002 (http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/interviews02/bret_michaels_of_poison.htm) Retrieved January 6, 2005.