Contraband (band)
Short-lived supergroup from 1991 with one album.
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Contraband was a short-lived supergroup/side project formed in the early 1990s, comprising members of several notable 1980s rock bands: Shark Island, McAuley Schenker Group, Ratt, L.A. Guns, and Vixen. The band originated after an unplugged session on MTV featuring members of Vixen and Ratt. They released only one self-titled album in 1991, which received mediocre reviews and was a commercial failure, leading to their disbandment shortly after while touring with Ratt.
Background
Contraband came together after a Vixen and Ratt unplugged session on MTV, which inspired the formation of this side project. The band featured Richard Black on vocals, Michael Schenker and Tracii Guns on guitars, Share Pedersen on bass, and Bobby Blotzer on drums.
They released their sole self-titled album in 1991, which charted at number 187 in the US. The song 'Loud Guitars, Fast Cars & Wild, Wild Livin'' was included in the soundtrack of the film If Looks Could Kill. Their cover of 'All the Way from Memphis' appeared on the UK record chart in July 1991.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All the Way from Memphis | Ian Hunter | 4:56 |
| 2 | Kiss by Kiss | Michael Thompson, Mark Spiro | 4:19 |
| 3 | Intimate Outrage | Spiro, Dann Huff, Phil Naish | 4:57 |
| 4 | Bad for Each Other | Richard Black, Spencer Sercombe, Steve Diamond | 4:28 |
| 5 | Loud Guitars, Fast Cars & Wild, Wild Livin | Gregg Fulkerson, Michael Spears, Black | 4:26 |
| 6 | Good Rockin' Tonight | Roy Brown | 3:23 |
| 7 | If This Is Love | Steven Pasch, Anthony Krizan, Black | 5:03 |
| 8 | Stand | Tim Feehan, Brian MacLeod | 4:04 |
| 9 | Tonight You're Mine | Pasch, Krizan | 4:43 |
| 10 | Hang On to Yourself | David Bowie | 2:47 |
Track listing from the source article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Contraband (band)?
Contraband was a brief American glam metal supergroup active in 1990–1991, assembled from members of several well-known 1980s hard rock acts. The project lasted just long enough to record and tour behind a single self-titled album before dissolving.
How did Contraband (band) get started?
The idea sprang from an unplugged session on MTV that paired members of Vixen and Ratt in a casual televised jam. That spontaneous performance inspired the group to expand the concept into a full band, eventually adding players from Shark Island, McAuley Schenker Group, and L.A. Guns.
What is Contraband (band)'s only album?
Their sole release was the self-titled record Contraband, dropped in 1991. The tracklist included a cover of 'All the Way from Memphis,' but the album drew largely mediocre reviews and never found a meaningful commercial audience.
More in American heavy metal supergroups
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Contraband (band) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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