According to Bret Michaels, back in the 1980s Slash auditioned for Poison and was rejected. This may be old news, but recently Michaels provided more details (see below). Yes, I used the word Crazy in the title of this post because we all know how great and legendary Slash is as a guitarist. It's like when Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Regardless, I believe that Slash took a much better career path with Guns 'N Roses than he would have with Poison. Slash is No. 65 in Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Please read previous posts about Poison and Guns "n Roses on this blog. Check out the video below of Slash's live guitar solo from the 1980s below. - Kenny Leibow
Poison singer Bret Michaels has revealed more details about why they rejected Slash in the 1980s when he auditioned to join their band. "Slash is one of my all-time favorite guitar players and I believe he would have steered our sound a little more in the Aerosmith direction," he toldAustin 360. "He was basically the same guy he is today. What you see is what you get. It never really had a chance to work out or not. The band decided C.C. (DeVille) was the best choice for us." Slash revealed in 2010 that before joiningGuns N' Roses that Poison guitarist Matt Smith was the one who told him to try out for the band, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. Although he wasn't a fan of their music, he was yet to make his name as a legendary guitarist and had to consider every gig that crossed his path. He made it through the auditions and was down to the final two, but realised he would never suit their glam makeup style. "As I was walking out of the audition, C.C. DeVille was walking in," said Slash of the auditions. "He had on pancake makeup and a ton of hairspray. I actually remember thinking right then, ‘That should be the guy.’" Can you imagine a world where Slash didn't join Gn'R? Would Poison have been better with his influence?
Alice Cooper was a "Shock Rocker" born out of the 1970's hard rock music scene. Even in the early 80's I remember Alice Cooper was widely popular with a cult following when I was in High School listening to old huge hits like "I'm Eighteen" and "Schools Out". In 1989, Alice Cooper had a resurrection with the song "Poison" from his album "Trash". Alice Cooper's popularity continued to grow to legend status after his appearance in the 1992 film "Wayne's World".
Below see the original 1989 music video of "Poison" and a live performance of "School's Out". I have also included a complete biography of Alice Cooper. - Kenny Leibow
Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier, in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a minister. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at a young age and still lives in the state today. At 17 he formed a rock band called the Earwigs, who changed their name to The Spiders and then The Nazz, before finally settling on Alice Cooper. The line-up included himself, Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce, Glen Buxton and Neil Smith. Rumors (which the band did not necessarily make efforts to deny) to the contrary, the name was not chosen from a Ouija board reading nor was it named after a woman once burned at the stake for witchcraft -- it was picked because the random name had a twisted sense of originality and misleading innocence, complementing the band's bizarre and macabre stage theatrics and lyric themes.
The band got their first big break playing at the Whiskey-a-GoGo in L.A. one night in 1969 when Frank Zappa discovered them and signed them to his record label. After two albums-and relocating to Detroit -- they were signed by Warner Bros., hooked up with famous producer Robert Ezrin and came out with their third album, the break-through "Love It to Death" in 1971. Several albums followed, including "Killer", the highly successful "School's Out" and "Billion Dollar Babies", and "Muscle of Love". The band made an appearance in the movie Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970) and their own theatrically released documentary Good to See You Again, Alice Cooper (1974). Alice himself also starred in an episode of The Snoop Sisters (1972) (TV).
The original Alice Cooper band broke up in 1975, with the lead singer getting his name legally changed to Alice Cooper -- and performing under the name ever since -- while some of the other members formed a band called the Billion Dollar Babies. That same year saw the release of a Greatest Hits album, while Alice as a solo artist completed the "Welcome to My Nightmare" album and his incredibly theatrical tour. It was on this tour that he met his future wife Sheryl Cooper, who had been hired as a dancer.
However, by the late 1970s Alice's problems with alcohol became life-threatening, and he was checked into a clinic for rehabilitation. He told of his experiences on the semi-fictional album "From The Inside" (there was also a comic book of the same title), and explored different sounds in the early '80s with four albums ("Flush The Fashion", "Special Forces", "Zipper Catches Skin", "DaDa"). After having a severe "falling off the wagon" to the point of almost dying, he sobered up once more -- this time for good -- and returned with the albums "Constrictor", "Raise Your Fist and Yell" and the 1989 album "Trash", which featured the hit song "Poison". The '80s also saw Alice starring in the horror flicks Leviatán (1984) (also known as "Monster Dog") and Prince of Darkness (1987), as well as having mostly new songs for the soundtracks to Roadie (1980), Class of 1984 (1982), Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) and Shocker (1989).
It was the 1990s, however, that brought Alice's most memorable movie appearance: playing himself in Wayne's World (1992). The phrase uttered by characters Wayne and Garth in his presence, "We're not worthy!", became one of the most popular movie catch-phrases of the decade. Alice also played the father of Freddy Krueger in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), and himself on "That '70s Show" (1998) and "Something Wilder" (1994). The decade also saw the release of his "Hey Stoopid" and "The Last Temptation". Alice toured occasionally but took a break from releasing albums until 2000, when he released "Brutal Planet". He followed this up with "Dragon Town", "The Eyes of Alice Cooper" and the "Dirty Diamonds", and continues to tour regularly, performing shows with the bizarrely dark and horror-themed theatrics that he's best known for.
There is a lot of buzz regarding VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs. This was a five-part television version, which was hosted by Brent Michaels earlier this year. You can see some clips on VH1.com. Skid Row, Scorpions, Ratt and Poison all made the list along with Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock" at #17. I remember this music video was hilarious especially the outrageous teacher. See the original rock video below. Like all lists there are those who will disagree. Please leave your comments on what you think should be the number one Hard Rock song. - Kenny Leibow
VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs
01. GUNS N' ROSES - "Welcome To The Jungle"
02. AC/DC - "Back In Black"
03. LED ZEPPELIN - "Whole Lotta Love"
04. BLACK SABBATH - "Paranoid"
05. METALLICA - "Enter Sandman"
06. THE WHO - "Won't Get Fooled Again"
07. NIRVANA - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
08. AEROSMITH - "Walk This Way"
09. VAN HALEN - "Running With The Devil"
10. MOTÖRHEAD - "Ace Of Spades"
11. DEEP PURPLE - "Smoke On The Water"
12. JUDAS PRIEST - "Breaking The Law"
13. DEF LEPPARD - "Photograph"
14. IRON MAIDEN - "Run To The Hills"
15. MÖTLEY CRÜE - "Dr. Feelgood"
16. KISS - "Rock And Roll All Nite"
17. TWISTED SISTER - "I Wanna Rock"
18. SCORPIONS - "Rock You Like A Hurricane"
19. RUSH - "Tom Sawyer"
20. BON JOVI - "You Give Love A Bad Name"
21. LED ZEPPELIN - "Kashmir"
22. THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - "Hey Joe"
23. OZZY OSBOURNE - "Crazy Train"
24. IRON BUTTERFLY - "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
25. THE RAMONES - "Blitzkrieg Bop"
26. LYNYRD SKYNYRD - "Freebird"
27. WHITESNAKE - "Still Of The Night"
28. FOO FIGHTERS - "Everlong"
29. JOAN JETT - "Bad Reputation"
30. PEARL JAM - "Evenflow"
31. AC/DC - "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"
32. TED NUGENT - "Cat Scratch Fever"
33. GREEN DAY - "Basket Case"
34. HEART - "Barracuda"
35. ALICE COOPER - "School's Out"
36. VAN HALEN - "Hot For Teacher"
37. THE WHO - "My Generation"
38. QUEEN - "Stone Cold Crazy"
39. BOSTON - "More Than A Feeling"
40. POISON - "Talk Dirty To Me"
41. QUIET RIOT - "*** On Feel The Noise"
42. THE CLASH - "Should I Stay Or Should I Go"
43. DIO - "Holy Diver"
44. CREAM - "Sunshine Of Your Love"
45. FOGHAT - "Slow Ride"
46. ANTHRAX - "Madhouse"
47. KID ROCK - "Bawitdaba"
48. KORN - "Freak On A Leash"
49. IGGY POP AND THE STOOGES - "Search And Destroy"
50. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - "Give It Away"
51. MEGADETH - "Peace Sells"
52. THE RUNAWAYS - "Cherry Bomb"
53. STEPPENWOLF - "Born To Be Wild"
54. FAITH NO MORE - "Epic"
55. BLUE ÖYSTER CULT - "Don't Fear The Reaper"
56. WARRANT - "Cherry Pie"
57. THE KINKS - "You Really Got Me"
58. STONE TEMPLE PILOTS - "Interstate Love Song"
59. BILLY SQUIER - "The Stroke"
60. SKID ROW - "18 And Life"
61. RATT - "Round And Round"
62. DOKKEN - "Breaking The Chains"
63. SURVIVOR - "Eye Of The Tiger"
64. ROLLINS BAND - "Liar"
65. MC5 - "Kick Out The Jams"
66. EUROPE - "The Final Countdown"
67. ZZ TOP - "Tush"
68. WHITE ZOMBIE - "More Human Than Human"
69. LIVING COLOUR - "Cult Of Personality"
70. FOREIGNER - "Hot Blooded"
71. JANE'S ADDICTION - "Mountain Song"
72. PAT BENETAR - "Heartbreaker"
73. THIN LIZZY - "Jailbreak"
74. THE CULT - "Love Removal Machine"
75. WHITE STRIPES - "Seven Nation Army"
76. LITA FORD - "Kiss Me Deadly"
77. SOUNDGARDEN - "Black Hole Sun"
78. BAD COMPANY - "Feel Like Making Love"
79. BILLY IDOL - "Rebel Yell"
80. JOURNEY - "Any Way You Want It"
81. BLACK SABBATH - "Heaven And Hell"
82. RAINBOW - "Since You've Been Gone"
83. EVANESCENCE - "Bring Me To Life"
84. W.A.S.P. - "I Wanna Be Somebody"
85. VELVET REVOLVER - "Slither"
86. MARILYN MANSON - "The Beautiful People"
87. WINGER - "Seventeen"
88. ALICE IN CHAINS - "Would?"
89. ANDREW W.K. - "Party Hard"
90. JETHRO TULL - "Aqualung"
91. SMASHING PUMPKINS - "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
92. NIGHT RANGER - "Don't Tell Me You Love Me"
93. AUTOGRAPH - "Turn Up The Radio"
94. THE DARKNESS - "I Believe In A Thing Called Love"
95. CREED - "Higher"
96. KANSAS - "Carry On Wayward Son"
97. EDGAR WINTER'S GROUP - "Frankenstein"
98. BUCKCHERRY - "Lit Up"
99. GRAND FUNK RAILROAD - "We're An American Band"
100. SAMMY HAGAR - "I Can't Drive 55
Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was number one in 1989 for three weeks. You can see the popular music video below. This video source is from a "MySpace" page. Typically I write a short background of the band; however as I was doing my research I kept seeing the same biography published over and over again. I will keep the Poison bio trend alive by re-posting it. Back in the 1980's I never really followed Poison; however their big hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" flooded the airways and MTV. Kenny Leibow
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison
Biography In a decade fueled by party anthems and power ballads, Poison found a high amount of popularity, with only Bon Jovi and Def Leppard outselling them. While the group had a long string of pop-metal hits, they soon became just as renowned for their stage show, and continued to be a major attraction over the course of their first three albums. Although their commercial success was rather short-lived, one cannot deny the major effect that Poison had on the music industry during their heyday.
Formerly known as Paris, Poison were formed in 1984 by singer Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall, and drummer Rikki Rockett. After traveling from Harrisburg, PA, to Los Angeles, CA, the band added guitarist C.C. Deville to its lineup. Poison were signed to Enigma Records in 1986, where they released their first album, Look What the Cat Dragged In. The record, spawning the Top Ten hits "I Want Action," "Talk Dirty to Me," and "I Won't Forget You," was a surprise success, selling two-million copies within a year following its release.
While the band was already quite popular by the end of 1987, 1988's Open Up & Say...Ahhh! was its commercial breakthrough, due to the massive hits "Fallen Angel," "Nothin' But a Good Time," and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." After a prosperous tour with David Lee Roth, the group returned to the studio to record Flesh and Blood in 1990. The album, which included the upbeat "Unskinny Bop" and the sentimental "Something to Believe In," was another major success. The dynamic tour supporting the record brought on the release of Swallow This Live, a double-disc set that included live versions of their biggest hits, along with four new studio tracks. The band was secretly falling apart, as an infamous appearance on MTV showed Deville perform nearly half of "Talk Dirty to Me" with his guitar unplugged. The band broke into a brawl backstage after the disastrous performance.
Shortly after the release of Swallow This Live, Poison fired Deville due to his increasing addiction to drugs and alcohol. His replacement, Richie Kotzen, made his commercial debut with the band on the 1993 Native Tongue album, which, despite some strong reviews and a hit single, "Stand," was a commercial disappointment. Kotzen was fired during the subsequent tour, and Blues Saraceno became Poison's third guitarist. The band recorded its fifth studio album, Crack a Smile, for release in 1996, but the record was shelved and replaced with the Greatest Hits: 1986-1996 disc. Toward the end of 1996, Saraceno left and Deville returned to the band, which eventually resulted in a successful reunion tour in the summer of 1999; the Crack a Smile sessions were finally released the following spring, soon followed by the mostly live Power to the People. Another tour was cut short by an accident that left Dall with serious back surgery and at least a six-month break from the band.
By the time he got back into shape, the band stepped into the studio and recorded Hollyweird, which was released in the summer of 2002. The following tour was promoted as a nostalgia experience and was funded by VH1, laying the brickwork for a lucrative relationship between the band and the television channel. Deville would later appear in the network's sixth season of The Surreal Life, while Michaels was awarded his own show, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels. Hollyweird's reception was lukewarm at best, and Poison spent some time out of the spotlight while Michaels and Rockett released solo albums. They reconvened in 2006, celebrating their 20th anniversary with a nationwide tour and a greatest-hits album. The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock debuted in the Billboard Top 20, a feat the band hasn't accomplished since Native Tongue. The following year brought similar luck, with the band's seventh studio effort -- a covers album titled Poison'd! -- moving over 20,000 units during its first week. ~ Barry Weber, All Music Guide
I was reading Billboard Magazine's number one songs for 1988 and 1989; when I noticed that Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was listed both times. Poison's song showed up in both years because it was number one for 3 weeks at the end of December 1988 through the beginning of January 1989. You can read Poison's biography and see their famous music video in my next posting. According to the list below; Bon Jovi and Poison were the only hard rock bands to have number 1 hits in 1989. Kenny Leibow
1989 Number One Songs
Date
Artist - Title
Weeks at #1
December 18 1988 – Jan 7 1989
Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn
3
January 8 – 14 1989
Bobby Brown - My Perogative
1
January 15 – 28 1989
Phil Collins - Two Hearts
2
January 29 – February 4 1989
Sheriff - When I'm With You
1
February 5 – 25 1989
Paula Abdul - Straight Up
3
February 26 – March 18 1989
Debbie Gibson - Lost in Your Eyes
3
March 19 – 25 1989
Mike and The Mechanics - The Living Years
1
March 26 – April 1 1989
Bangles - Eternal Flame
1
April 2 – 8 1989
Roxette - The Look
1
April 9 – 15 1989
Fine Yourng Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy
1
April 16 – May 6 1989
Madonna - Like a Prayer
3
May 7 – 13 1989
Bon Jovi - I'll Be There for You
1
May 14 – 27 1989
Paula Abdul - Forever Your Girl
2
May 28 – June 3 1989
Michael Damian - Rock On
1
June 4 – 10 1989
Bette Midler - Wind Beneath My Wings
1
June 11 – 17 1989
New Kids On The Block - I'll Be Loving You (Forever)
1
June 18 – 24 1989
Richard Marx - Satisfied
1
June 25 – July 1 1989
Milli Vanilli - Baby Don't Forget My Number
1
July 2 – 8 1989
Fine Yourng Cannibals - Good Thing
1
July 9 – 15 1989
Simply Red - If You Don't Know Me By Now
1
July 16 – 29 1989
Martika - Toy Soldiers
2
July 30 – August 5 1989
Prince - Batdance
1
August 6 – 26 1989
Richard Marx - Right Here Waiting
3
August 27 – September 2 1989
Paula Abdul - Cold Hearted
1
September 3 – 9 1989
New Kids On The Block - Hangin' Tough
1
September 10 – 16 1989
Gloria Estefan - Don't Wanna Lose You
1
September 17 – 30 1989
Milli Vanilli - Girl I'm Gonna Miss You
2
October 1 – 28 1989
Janet Jackson - Miss You Much
4
October 29 – November 4 1989
Roxette - Listen To Your Heart
1
November 5 – 18 1989
Bad English - When I See You Smile
2
November 19 – December 2 1989
Milli Vanilli - Blame It On The Rain
2
December 3 – 16 1989
Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire
2
December 17 1989 – Jan 13 1990
Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise
4
Source: Billboard Magazine
33 different songs hit number one in the US during 1989.
Top 5 Songs of 1989
1: Chicago - Look Away 2: Bobby Brown - My Prerogative 3: Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn 4: Paula Abdul - Straight Up 5: Janet Jackson - Miss You Much
According to Bret Michaels, back in the 1980s Slash auditioned for Poison and was rejected. This may be old news, but recently Michaels provided more details (see below). Yes, I used the word Crazy in the title of this post because we all know how great and legendary Slash is as a guitarist. It's like when Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Regardless, I believe that Slash took a much better career path with Guns 'N Roses than he would have with Poison. Slash is No. 65 in Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Please read previous posts about Poison and Guns "n Roses on this blog. Check out the video below of Slash's live guitar solo from the 1980s below. - Kenny Leibow
