MEMORIES:
Sugar_coma82 remembers...What girl didn't have a crush on Brett Michaels? lol I was so in love with him when I was ... More »
Posted on 02/24/09
“I need a chance just to get away
If you could hear me think this is what I’d say…
Don’t need nothin’ but a good time!”
Getting their name from a t-shirt worn in the movie This is Spinal Tap, Poison started off in the town of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. They soon packed themselves up to head west, in search of fame on Los Angeles’s infamous Sunset Strip. After paying their dues in clubs, Poison got a reputation for a wild performance that would earn them a loyal following throughout the years.
The classic line-up of the band includes founders Bret Michaels (vocals), Rikki Rockett (drums) and Bobby Dall (bass), along with guitarist C.C. DeVille. Poison’s music was simple, glam rock with catchy melodies and metal guitar riffs, not unlike other groups of their time - Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Ratt and the many other hair-metal bands of the 80s. They kept their image going with outrageous costumes, overblown hairstyles and make up, making for a fun rockin’ MTV image in the late 1980s. In 1986, they were signed to Enigma Records, where they released their debut, Look What the Cat Dragged In. The record, which produced hits like “I Want Action,” “Talk Dirty To Me” and “I Won’t Forget You” was a surprise, selling two million copies within a year of its release.
Following the wave of success from their debut, in 1988 Poison recorded Open Up & Say… Ahhh! It proved to be their commercial breakthrough with hits like “Fallen Angel,” the slow ballad “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” and the rocker “Nothin’ But a Good Time.” After touring with David Lee Roth, they recorded Flesh and Blood in 1990. The album included “Something to Believe In” a song that would prove to be a sentimental hit, helping the album find chart success.
It wasn’t long before the stress of constant recording a touring took its toll, and the cracks began to show. Poison began to fall apart with C.C. DeVille leaving the band after an infamous appearance at the 1991 MTV Music Awards. After a couple of albums and a couple of guitarists, and a serious automobile accident for singer Bret Michaels, 1999 saw the return of DeVille to the band. They went on a successful tour that summer, and soon released a couple of albums, Crack a Smile and Power to the People, a mostly live release, complete with another tour. After taking a little more time off, the band stepped back into the studio to record Hollywierd, accompanied with yet another successful concert tour, filled with what their fans loved best about Poison – a lavish spectacle.
