Quiet Riot is an American rock band. They are best known for their hit singles "Cum On Feel the Noize" and "Metal Health". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet Riot in May 1975.[1] The original line-up featured lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow, Rhoads, Garni, and drummer Drew Forsyth. Their current lineup features no original members from the Randy Rhoads era, and consists of lead vocalist Mark Huff, drummer Frankie Banali, bassist Chuck Wright, and guitarist Alex Grossi. Both Banali and Wright are from the Metal Health era, as Wright played bass on two songs from the album Metal Health, including the hit song "Metal Health", and sang backing vocals on the entire album.
In a radio interview given by the band in 1979, DuBrow said the band's name was born of a conversation with Rick Parfitt of British band Status Quo in which Parfitt said he'd like to name a band "Quite Right".[2] With his thick English accent, it sounded like he was saying "Quiet Riot". They are ranked at number 100 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".
Kevin DuBrow, lead singer of the band for the majority of its existence, was found dead in his Las Vegas, Nevada home at approximately 5:20 p.m. on Sunday, November 25, 2007. The cause of death was ruled a cocaine overdose.[3] Quiet Riot temporarily disbanded after his death, and was recently revived by Banali in 2010.
History
Early years (1976–1982)
Quiet Riot were one of the more successful hard rock acts in Los Angeles in the late 1970s[citation needed], but were nonetheless unable to procure a US recording contract. By 1977 they were able to secure a deal with Sony, but their records would be released only in Japan. The original four members recorded their debut album Quiet Riot, or QRI, in 1977. The second album Quiet Riot II, or QRII, was recorded at The Record Plant and released in Japan in 1978. Once recording was completed, bassist Kelly Garni left the band. Although Garni's replacement Rudy Sarzo was pictured and credited on QRII, he did not join before its recording.[4] In 1979, guitarist Randy Rhoads auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne's new band after the editors of a small, Los Angeles based magazine, Raw Power asked future Slaughter bassist Dana Strum to contact Rhoads to see if he would be interested. Osbourne himself has stated that he hired Rhoads immediately. Kevin DuBrow and Drew Forsythe tried to keep the band together following Rhoads' departure, with the addition of guitarist Greg Leon[5][6] and former Suite 19 bassist Gary Van Dyke.[7] During this period of 1980-1982, the band changed its name to DuBrow and also played shows with former Gamma drummer Skip Gillette.
Later, DuBrow attempted to reform Quiet Riot. None of the other original members were interested. Carlos Cavazo, whom DuBrow had previously played with in a band called Snow, joined as lead guitarist. Rudy Sarzo re-joined the band on bass, and his friend, drummer Frankie Banali, completed the lineup.
In September 1982, with help from producer Spencer Proffer, they were signed to CBS Records in America. On March 11, 1983, their American debut album Metal Health was released. Their two previous albums, QRI and QRII, have still not been released in North America, despite the band's subsequent success.
Success with "Cum On Feel the Noize" (1983)
On August 27, 1983, Quiet Riot's second single "Cum On Feel the Noize" was released. Their cover of the 1973 Slade hit spent two weeks at #5 on the Billboard chart in November 1983. It was the first heavy metal song to make the Top 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart (a.k.a.Pop Chart). The success of the single helped carry Metal Health to the top of Billboard pop album charts, making it the first American heavy metal debut album to ever reach #1 in the USA. It was #1 on November 26, 1983, making Quiet Riot the first heavy metal band to have a top 5 hit & #1 album the same week. Their success was aided in no small part to the "Cum On Feel the Noize" video's heavy rotation on MTV.[citation needed]
In 1983, a #1 album and a top 5 single was unheard of for a heavy metal band.[citation needed] The album also displaced The Police's hugely successful Synchronicity album from #1. Metal Health paved the way for a new, stronger commercial viability for heavy metal. The album stayed at #1 for just a week until Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down took over the #1 spot for three weeks before being surpassed by Michael Jackson's Thriller, which returned to the top after a long hiatus. Metal Health's title song, which was released as a single on March 11, 1983, finally charted in early 1984 and peaked at #31. This could be attributed to the song's appearance in the 1984 movie Footloose, as well as another heavy rotation video on MTV. It was Number 41 on the VH1's Top 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs. The Metal Health album would ultimately sell over 6 million copies in the U.S.[8]
In support of Metal Health, Quiet Riot toured North America as the opening act for Black Sabbath on their Born Again tour from October 1983 through March 1984.
Condition Critical, QRIII and departure of DuBrow (1984–1989)
The group's follow-up, Condition Critical, was released on July 7, 1984. Though successful, it was a relative disappointment, critically and commercially, selling only 3 million units.[citation needed] This release included yet another Slade cover, the single, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now". Reportedly[by whom?] frustrated over the sophomore release's failure to duplicate the success of its predecessor, DuBrow outspokenly began expressing his opinion in the heavy metal press that many bands on the L.A. metal scene owed their success to what he saw as the doors opened for them by Quiet Riot. He went as far as comparing his band to The Beatles. DuBrow's verbal assaults angered many of Quiet Riot's musical contemporaries, and alienated fans.[citation needed] Despite this, in 1985 all four Quiet Riot members participated in Hear 'n Aid, a charity project headed by Ronnie James Dio to raise awareness for the starvation situation in Africa.
DuBrow's tirades led to fan backlash and clashes in the media with several other Los Angeles based metal bands. This resulted in Rudy Sarzo quitting the group in January 1985. He resurfaced in Whitesnake two years later, in time for their hugely successful 1987 tour. Sarzo was replaced in Quiet Riot by Chuck Wright (formerly of Giuffria), who had previously contributed bass to two songs on Metal Health. The group also temporarily added a keyboardist, John Purdell, for their 1986 tour. Purdell appeared on their next release, QRIII, in 1986, another commercial disappointment.[citation needed] Fed up with DuBrow's antics, the rest of Quiet Riot fired him from his own band in February 1987 and replaced him with former Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino, leaving no original members. Ironically, Shortino had also performed on the Hear 'n Aid project with DuBrow, marking the only time that the two vocalists sang together on the same track. Chuck Wright was also fired and Sarzo was invited to return. Sarzo agreed but then committed to Whitesnake instead. The group then recruited Sean McNabb for the bassist slot. The revamped band released their second self-titled album, Quiet Riot, also known as QR IV in October 1988. It failed to return the band to its commercial glory. After a tour that ended in Hawaii in April 1989, the band members went their separate ways. A show from the tour was documented and later released on a DVD entitled '89 Live in Japan. Frankie Banali resurfaced on the W.A.S.P. album The Headless Children, and played some shows with Faster Pussycat. Sean McNabb joined House of Lords in 1991, where he ironically replaced Chuck Wright, the bass player that he also replaced in Quiet Riot. Kevin DuBrow subsequently fought in court to keep control of the band's name.
Reunion and later years (1990–2007)
Having won the rights to the band's name, DuBrow teamed up with 21 year old English born blues guitarist Sean Manning, bassist Kenny Hillery, and drummer Pat Ashby to reform Quiet Riot. Initially using the moniker Little Women to tour under (the name Rhoads and DuBrow were using in the 1970s before settling on Quiet Riot) to avoid any adverse publicity, Dubrow and Manning compiled songs for a new album, which would eventually become the 1993 album Terrified. The band played venues throughout the USA until 1990 when Manning left to join the band Hurricane.
As the nineties began, tempers had cooled between former bandmates Carlos Cavazo and Kevin Dubrow, and they started to communicate again. They eventually formed the band Heat in 1990 with bassist Kenny Hillery and drummer Bobby Rondinelli. They reverted back to the Quiet Riot name the following year and released the aforementioned Terrified in 1993 with Banali rejoining on drums. Quiet Riot, with Chuck Wright again on bass, toured in 1994 in support of Terrified with Wisconsin's Slam I Am.
That same year, DuBrow released The Randy Rhoads Years, a compilation featuring remixed tracks from Quiet Riot's two Japan-only releases along with previously unreleased material, many of which featured newly recorded vocals.[9] The band released Down to the Bone in 1995 and a Greatest Hits album in 1996. Greatest Hits covered only material from the CBS years, including three tracks from the 1988 Shortino album and two previously promo-only live tracks. Former bassist Kenny Hillery, who had left the group in 1994, committed suicide on June 5, 1996.[10] After that, Rudy Sarzo joined up again in 1997, and the band continued touring.
During the 1997 tour one angry fan sued DuBrow for injuries she claimed were sustained during a show[citation needed]. The group, now featuring the Metal Health lineup again, released Alive and Well in 1999 which featured new songs and several re-recorded hits. They followed this up with Guilty Pleasures in 2001, which also featured the same lineup.
In late 2002, the band teamed up with director Jack Edward Sawyers to shoot a concert video. Live in the 21st Century was shot on September 26, 2002, at the Key Club in Los Angeles and was released November 11, 2003.
Quiet Riot officially broke up again in September 2003.[11] Kevin DuBrow released his first solo album, In for the Kill in May 2004, which was followed by the announcement of a Quiet Riot reunion in October 2004.[12] That line-up included DuBrow, Banali, Wright, and new guitarist Alex Grossi. The band was featured on the 2005 Rock Never Stops Tour tour in 2005 along with Cinderella, Ratt, and FireHouse. In December 2005, guitarist Tracii Guns of LA Guns briefly worked with the Quiet Riot lineup.[13] Guns left less than a month later after one rehearsal[14] due to musical differences.[15]
In early 2006 Chuck Wright and Alex Grossi left the band. Other members of Quiet Riot during this era have included guitarists Billy Morris and Neil Citron, and bassists Sean McNabb and Wayne Carver. Ex-The Firm and Blue Murder bassist Tony Franklin has worked in the studio with Quiet Riot.
Quiet Riot released Rehab on October 3, 2006 with a lineup of DuBrow and Banali, with Tony Franklin and Neil Citron. Former Deep Purple bassist and singer Glenn Hughes made a guest vocal appearance on the album.
In 2007, Quiet Riot were featured in radio promos for ESPN Radio, parodying their status as dated rock and roll icons. Dubrow mentions that they are not completely dated, since they're still touring, to which Banali replies "Yeah...in your minivan."[citation needed]
DuBrow's death (2007–2009)
On November 25, 2007, The Vegas Eye website reported that Kevin DuBrow had been found dead in his apartment earlier that day. Banali confirmed the death in an email to Spain's The Metal Circus.[16] Banali wrote:
"Please respect my privacy as I mourn the passing and honor the memory of my dearest friend Kevin DuBrow."
On December 10, 2007, media reports confirmed that Dubrow was pronounced dead on the afternoon of November 25, 2007, and was later determined to have died of a cocaine overdose approximately six days earlier.
On January 14, 2008, drummer Frankie Banali issued the following statement via his website regarding the future of Quiet Riot.
"I have been approached to see if I would be interested in contacting Rudy Sarzo and Carlos Cavazo and to audition singers for Quiet Riot. I have also been approached to see if I would be interested in contacting and reforming the version of Quiet Riot that included Paul Shortino, Carlos Cavazo and Sean McNabb. Let me make this very simple and perfectly clear. While I am still actively involved in the business interests of Quiet Riot and will continue in that capacity, I reject any and all suggestions to have Quiet Riot continue as a live performing entity. My friendship, love and respect for Kevin DuBrow as well as my personal love and affection for Kevin's mother and his family makes it inconceivable for me to ever entertain any ovation to reform or to continue Quiet Riot. Kevin was too important to go on without him. It would also be a disrespect to the fans who have supported Quiet Riot for nearly 25 years. I thank everyone for the wonderful and sometimes unpredictable adventure that I was able to share as a member of Quiet Riot. The only regret that I have is the loss of Kevin. May he rest in peace. I now begin life after Quiet Riot."[17]
Post-Dubrow: New lineup (2010–present)
Despite his previous insistence that Quiet Riot could never return as a live performing entity, in September 2010 Frankie Banali announced a new version of Quiet Riot: himself on drums, Chuck Wright on bass, Alex Grossi on guitar and newcomer Mark Huff on vocals (formerly of Van Halen tribute band 5150[18]). The band has sought the blessings of the DuBrow family (DuBrow's mother encouraged Banali to revive the band), has recorded new versions of classic hits with Huff singing, and is seeking to do a full US tour. In April 2011, Quiet Riot started their "Metal Health 2011 Tour" in Australia with support bands Warrent and L.A. Guns.[19][20]
Members
Current members
- Frankie Banali – drums (1982–1989, 1993–2007, 2010–present)
- Chuck Wright – bass (1982, 1985–1987, 1994–1997, 2004–2007, 2010–present)
- Alex Grossi – guitar (2004–2007, 2010–present)
- Mark Huff – vocals (2010–present)
Former members
- Kevin DuBrow – vocals (1975–1987, 1991–2007)
- Randy Rhoads – guitar (1975–1979)
- Kelly Garni – bass (1975–1978)
- Drew Forsyth – drums (1975–1982)
- Rudy Sarzo – bass (1978–1979, 1982–1985, 1987, 1997–2003)
- Greg Leon – guitar (1980–1982)
- Gary Van Dyke – bass (1980–1982)
- Carlos Cavazo – guitar (1982–1989, 1991–2003)
- Sean McNabb – bass (1987–1989, 2006)
- Paul Shortino – vocals (1987–1989)
- Bobby Rondinelli – drums (1991–1993)
- Kenny Hillery – bass (1991–1994)
- Neil Citron – guitar (2006)
- Tony Franklin – bass (2006)
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US[21] | CAN[22] | GER | NZ[23] | NOR[24] | SWE[25] | SWI[26] | UK[27] | |||
| 1977 | Quiet Riot (Japan only)
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1978 | Quiet Riot II (Japan only)
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1983 | Metal Health
| 1 | 5 | - | 33 | - | - | - | - | 6× Platinum |
| 1984 | Condition Critical
| 15 | 14 | 42 | 35 | 33 | 18 | - | 71 | Platinum |
| 1986 | Quiet Riot III
| 32 | - | - | - | - | 29 | - | - | |
| 1988 | QR
| 112 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1993 | Terrified
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1995 | Down to the Bone
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1999 | Alive and Well
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2001 | Guilty Pleasures
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 2006 | Rehab
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
Compilations
- Winners Take All (1990)
- The Randy Rhoads Years (1993)
- Greatest Hits (1996)
- Super Hits (1999)
- The Collection (2000)
- Live & Rare Volume 1 (2005)
- New and Improved (2005)
- Extended Versions (Recorded live in Pasadena and Nashville, 1983) (2007)
- Quiet Riot (Playlist) :The Very Best Of Quiet Riot (2008)
Singles
- "It's Not So Funny" (1977)
- "Slick Black Cadillac" (1979)
- "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" (1983) #31 Hot 100
- "Cum On Feel the Noize" (1983) #5 Hot 100
- "Slick Black Cadillac" (1983)
- "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" (1984) #51 Hot 100
- "Party All Night" (1984)
- "Winners Take All" (1984)
- "Bad Boy" (1984)
- "The Wild and the Young" (1986)
- "Twilight Hotel" (1986)
- "Stay with Me Tonight" (1988)
- "Little Angel" (1993)
Videography
Videos
- Live in America (1992)
- Bang Thy Head (1998)
- The Video Dream Mixes (1999)
- Live in the 21st Century (2003)
- '89 Live in Japan (2004)
- The Epsilon Journey (2008)
- Rocking Out the Bats (2009)
Music videos
- "Metal Health"
- "Cum on Feel the Noize"
- "Mama Weer All Crazee Now"
- "Party All Night"
- "The Wild and the Young"
- "Twilight Hotel"
- "Stay with Me Tonight"
- "Picking Up the Pieces"
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