Did Keel ever have a following? Or a fan?

[Don't Damn Me]

I never knew anybody that was into Keel or had their records.

Yeah, we all had the Steeler record - because of Yngwie. I wouldn't be surprised if that one record outsold Keels entire catalog. But that loud cartoonish voice of his kept it from being better.

I bet some clueless record exec looked at the numbers for Steeler and thought "Oh the kids must like this singer, let's sign him." How he didn't get dropped from his label with one failure after another is probably a good story in itself.
I think I heard Keel say on a podcast that he was close to joining Black Sabbath. What a disaster that would have been. He had no potential for dark melodic phrasing. He couldnt convey the kind of melancholy or sinister vibe that a vocalist for Sabbath would need. He just didn't have that kind of articulation.
But he could yell "ROCK!" real loud, and forever be considered tongue-in-cheek, whether that was his intent or not

[HueyRamone]

I never knew anybody that was into Keel or had their records.

Yeah, we all had the Steeler record - because of Yngwie. I wouldn't be surprised if that one record outsold Keels entire catalog. But that loud cartoonish voice of his kept it from being better.

I bet some clueless record exec looked at the numbers for Steeler and thought "Oh the kids must like this singer, let's sign him." How he didn't get dropped from his label with one failure after another is probably a good story in itself.
I think I heard Keel say on a podcast that he was close to joining Black Sabbath. What a disaster that would have been. He had no potential for dark melodic phrasing. He couldnt convey the kind of melancholy or sinister vibe that a vocalist for Sabbath would need. He just didn't have that kind of articulation.
But he could yell "ROCK!" real loud, and forever be considered tongue-in-cheek, whether that was his intent or not

The story is that he sent a tape in for Sabbath and Tony loved it, and contacted him, and then they realized that it was a different singer's tape he liked.

[Don't Damn Me]

I never knew anybody that was into Keel or had their records.

Yeah, we all had the Steeler record - because of Yngwie. I wouldn't be surprised if that one record outsold Keels entire catalog. But that loud cartoonish voice of his kept it from being better.

I bet some clueless record exec looked at the numbers for Steeler and thought "Oh the kids must like this singer, let's sign him." How he didn't get dropped from his label with one failure after another is probably a good story in itself.
I think I heard Keel say on a podcast that he was close to joining Black Sabbath. What a disaster that would have been. He had no potential for dark melodic phrasing. He couldnt convey the kind of melancholy or sinister vibe that a vocalist for Sabbath would need. He just didn't have that kind of articulation.
But he could yell "ROCK!" real loud, and forever be considered tongue-in-cheek, whether that was his intent or not

The story is that he sent a tape in for Sabbath and Tony loved it, and contacted him, and then they realized that it was a different singer's tape he liked.

Ah, that makes sense.

[Love_Industry]

I know some Keel fans and I still have the albums I bought in the 80s. They were an above average live band, one of the best openers I saw back then - opened for Dio in 86.

But what about Krokus or Black'N Blue? Helix?

[HoldenSSV]

I know some Keel fans and I still have the albums I bought in the 80s. They were an above average live band, one of the best openers I saw back then - opened for Dio in 86.

But what about Krokus or Black'N Blue? Helix?

Helix was like Kix - only a handful of good songs, but a very solid live band.

[daveg]

There was 5 of us in HS that LOVED Keel. Bon Jovi was probably the only band we listened to more.

And yes, we did get some girls, but probably not as many if we had liked some more man-ly bands

[WentEast]

I knew a guy that knew a chick that apparently used to tell everyone who would listen that she once slept with Ron Keel.

The Right to Rock was an OK song.

If I hadn't Googled it just now, I wouldn't have known Gene produced them.

So no.

[EatNails]

I saw them in a magazine, and it made me want to buy the album. Then I saw a video and changed my mind.

[HueyRamone]

I bought The Right To Rock and tried to like it. It was better than Ruff Cutt, but still.

To think I could have used my spending money on Beggars Banquet. I prolly wouldnt have liked it back then, tho.

[VinnieVincentsVag]

I know some Keel fans and I still have the albums I bought in the 80s. They were an above average live band, one of the best openers I saw back then - opened for Dio in 86.

But what about Krokus or Black'N Blue? Helix?

Krokus had some really good stuff.
Yes, they aped AC/DC early on and others later, but some solid albums.
Black n Blues first album was great, after that, not so much.
Not a Helix fan.

Keel was horrible

[dmbrocker]

Of course, they did. They definitely didn't have as big a fanbase as Motley or the Jove or G'n'R or Poison, but they had enough of one to justify putting out at least three albums that got some exposre from '85 to '87.

[RaceFan3]

KEEL was okay. "Somebody's Waiting" was a pretty catchy song. Albums weren't bad. Bryan Jay and Marc Ferrari had cool looking guitars.

[Don't Damn Me]

I guess during that time there was always a spot on a tour for them. So they were reaching audiences and the label saw them working hard and the headliners probably didn't have to pay them a whole lot.

Regarding these comparisons. I don't know Black and Blue that well but Hold on to 18 is way better than any KEEL song.

And I don't even put Keel in the same league as bands like Krocus and Helix. Those bands were already seasoned pros, roadhounds by the time they started getting noticed. Headhunter was massive. And Helix had a huge song with Deep Cuts The Knife. And I love that no rest for the wicked album.

[BDG135]

Remember that documentary when Keel was hired to produce a band? Maybe he was a fan.

[DemonFilth2001]

Had their first 2 albums. Friend bought the third. As much filler as Crue…but the good songs were just decent.

[metalmike76]

I was always big into Keel. Especially the 1987 album and Larger Than Live

[cowpins]

I Said The Wrong Thing To The Right Girl is one of the first songs I learned on the geetar. Cool riff. Not Kix Blow My Fuse cool, but cool enough.

[greengoblinrulz]

Dig Keel
Luv BnB
Liked Helix/Krokus

[GreatWhiteSnake]

Not in my circle of friends they/he didn't...

[kreamygoodness]

A friend turned me on to Lay Down the Law when it first came out (late 84, I think). It got a lot of play in my car that year. I kinda lost interest when Gene started producing them although they had their moments.

[skinni]

My favorite Keel release was the Steeler project with Malmsteen

[BernieTaupson]

Ron Keel sent in a cassette to audition for Sabbath and they thought it was really good and took him out for dinner. They said oh that song is really good and Keel says yeah it’s a great song, I’m not singing that. Half the songs on his demo tape were some other guy and that’s the guy they liked! Iommi says he never found out who the other guy was.

Only thing I know about Keel is that Simmons produced one of their albums in the mid 80s that went nowhere.

[BernieTaupson]

[Hellsinkey]

I know some Keel fans and I still have the albums I bought in the 80s.

But what about Krokus or Black'N Blue? Helix?

Ha. I like them all and have most of their records.

[DangerZone]

I like them.
But the Cowboy thing was bizarre
(But not as strange as Chris Gaines)

[aznsquirt]

The story is that he sent a tape in for Sabbath and Tony loved it, and contacted him, and then they realized that it was a different singer's tape he liked.

I'd love to see a source on this, hilarious if true.

The story I'd heard is that Spencer Proffer was managing Sabbath and was trying to push a new sound on them and hand-picked Ron Keel, and recorded some demos. Eventually Tony and Geezer were like fuck this GTFO Spencer and Keel was out with it.

Would be hilarious if the demo they heard was someone else.

FWIW Ron has the Sabbath demos on his Patreon and I'm not gonna lie he sings his ass off.

[Love_Industry]

I bought The Right To Rock and tried to like it.

TRTR is the weakest of their first four IMO. Back to the City is great but there is a lot of filler there. Gene's rejected Kiss demos, re-recordings from the first Keel album... and the production is crap. But I would guess that the title track is their most known song. For some reason.

Also, didn't notice until now that they changed labels for every album. Shrapnel to A&M to Vertigo to MCA to something called Gold Castle Records for their live album.

[whiteowl yesterday]

never had listened to any of their albums.

[Bonanchovie]

I bought The Right To Rock and tried to like it. It was better than Ruff Cutt, but still.

To think I could have used my spending money on Beggars Banquet. I prolly wouldnt have liked it back then, tho.

Really?

[AlexVonHaig]

I know some Keel fans and I still have the albums I bought in the 80s. They were an above average live band, one of the best openers I saw back then - opened for Dio in 86.

But what about Krokus or Black'N Blue? Helix?

Helix. Is that the Bat signal for Abe Froman?