Was I An A$$hole For Not Giving Jetboy A Chance?

[Tommy2Tone84]

I remember seeing these guys on the Ball and not being overly impressed. But as a grown ass adult, looking back over 30 years ago they weren’t that bad. I viewed them as a copy of The Cult, Hanoi and Dolls. But they were good players even if they weren’t quite the songwriters their friends in Guns N Roses were.

Who here loves them and who here hates them?

Should they have been the next big thing? Could they have been the next big thing?

[daveg]

Songs just weren't there. I tried at the time, cause I loved the song Heavy Chevy. Nothing else really stood out.

[dmbrocker]

“Feel the Shake” and “Heavy Chevy” are both quite good, but the rest of the music on their first two albums is pretty much sometimes bluesy-sounding, sometimes sleazy-sounding G’n’R-lite. Still fairly solid overall, if not great.

[DemonFilth2001]

Was that the band with the dude that had a mohawk? If so, that probably killed them right out of the gate.

[Tommy2Tone84]

Songs just weren't there. I tried at the time, cause I loved the song Heavy Chevy. Nothing else really stood out.

Same. I don’t remember HC. I remember Feel The Shake. I don’t remember it grabbing me like Nothing But A Good Time, Welcome To The Jungle, Sex Action and Youth Gone Wild did.

[SeniorGrande]

Nope. Terrible band.

Worst songs on "The 'Burbs" soundtrack, and that was even counting the "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" theme.

[Sleek]

I never saw them, but everybody loved them when they first came to L.A. and talked about how raw and fun they were live.

Apparently, EVERYBODY was disappointed in the record tho, which is kind of boring. I got the impression they were ruined by the label/producer trying to make them something they weren't.

[Wild Obsession]

First album is "weak" (songs and production).2nd album "Damned Nation" was solid (however the lead single/video "Evil", was IMO the absolute worst choice).
Their newer stuff (2010 EP "Off Your Rocker", and 2019 album "Born To Fly", were really good.

"Born To Fly"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AemDcIxO6Uo

[MetalSludgeCEO]

I have to say, the interactions I had with the JetBoy guys (Mickey Finn and Billy Rowe) have always been very pleasant, great guys.

But, in truth, by the time I had arrived in L.A. (June 1987) they had already been signed, and kind of going through the various trials and tribulations.

I vividly recall Del James telling me about Todd Crew's funeral at Jonni Teagarden's downtown L.A. high-rise loft style apartment, and this was literally weeks after I had joined TUFF. That's on old skool name that only some die-hard scenesters from the heyday will recognize.

Something that stands out, was Del telling me that he and some of the others at his funeral, took their boots off, and threw them into Todd's grave with his casket. He talked a bit about the incident, stuff that happened in NYC, with the GNR guys when he died. Pretty brutal stuff and I won't repeat anymore than that.

If I am not mistaken, I think JetBoy got signed before most of these bands, but perhaps, just after Poison. They def had a bigger name locally from what I know, and I am pretty sure all of the others (GNR, LAG and FPC) all at some point opened for JetBoy.

JetBoy unfortunately fell into one pit-fall after another, with timing, the release of their record, and more. If memory serves me, I wanna say it was delayed or shelved, and then they changed labels? I think there was some Elektra and MCA stuff that was going on, and they were bouncing in-between the two labels... maybe someone else knows for sure, those exact details.

Also, a huge ordeal was the split with Todd which added Sam Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks bassist) in his place and the word was Todd was devastated by this, which made him drink more and do more drugs... which ended with him ultimately overdosing and dying at 21. Ouch.

Adding a Hanoi members seemed super cool, but at the same time, they too were kind of followed by a dark cloud, and as much as so many loved them, they never went very far... other than everyone saying "I love Hanoi Rocks" but their catalog was very weak in the way of songs. The Razzle thing, McCoy being a super junkie, etc.. did them no favors in the big picture, so their bassist joining JetBoy didn't do much for them either as the industry was weary.

I have said this before... that Vicky Hamilton's book "Appetite for Dysfunction" is a F#@KING GREAT read... seriously... there is a lot of details on how these bands all were incestuously connected, and much more than most know... stuff that happened before their deals, before their MTV videos, etc... and I mean ALL of the bands... GNR, Poison, Crue, Styrper, LAG, FPC, JetBoy and more... lots of details, lots of stuff that I didn't even know, as it happened before I arrived.

In short, the band had a lot of buzz, and a leg up on most of the bands, but all of the turmoil, and bad timing was their downfall.

$tEvil

[GreatWhiteSnake]

I feel like this is a trick question...

[Nate S Axel]

Also, a huge ordeal was the split with Todd which added Sam Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks bassist) in his place and the word was Todd was devastated by this, which made him drink more and do more drugs... which ended with him ultimately overdosing and dying at 21. Ouch.

Damn, sounds like Slash contributed to it in some small way.
https://localwiki.org/oakland/Todd_Crew
https://www.punkglobe.com/images/jetboyslash030308.html

[Tommy2Tone84]

I have to say, the interactions I had with the JetBoy guys (Mickey Finn and Billy Rowe) have always been very pleasant, great guys.

But, in truth, by the time I had arrived in L.A. (June 1987) they had already been signed, and kind of going through the various trials and tribulations.

I vividly recall Del James telling me about Todd Crew's funeral at Jonni Teagarden's downtown L.A. high-rise loft style apartment, and this was literally weeks after I had joined TUFF. That's on old skool name that only some die-hard scenesters from the heyday will recognize.

Something that stands out, was Del telling me that he and some of the others at his funeral, took their boots off, and threw them into Todd's grave with his casket. He talked a bit about the incident, stuff that happened in NYC, with the GNR guys when he died. Pretty brutal stuff and I won't repeat anymore than that.

If I am not mistaken, I think JetBoy got signed before most of these bands, but perhaps, just after Poison. They def had a bigger name locally from what I know, and I am pretty sure all of the others (GNR, LAG and FPC) all at some point opened for JetBoy.

JetBoy unfortunately fell into one pit-fall after another, with timing, the release of their record, and more. If memory serves me, I wanna say it was delayed or shelved, and then they changed labels? I think there was some Elektra and MCA stuff that was going on, and they were bouncing in-between the two labels... maybe someone else knows for sure, those exact details.

Also, a huge ordeal was the split with Todd which added Sam Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks bassist) in his place and the word was Todd was devastated by this, which made him drink more and do more drugs... which ended with him ultimately overdosing and dying at 21. Ouch.

Adding a Hanoi members seemed super cool, but at the same time, they too were kind of followed by a dark cloud, and as much as so many loved them, they never went very far... other than everyone saying "I love Hanoi Rocks" but their catalog was very weak in the way of songs. The Razzle thing, McCoy being a super junkie, etc.. did them no favors in the big picture, so their bassist joining JetBoy didn't do much for them either as the industry was weary.

I have said this before... that Vicky Hamilton's book "Appetite for Dysfunction" is a F#@KING GREAT read... seriously... there is a lot of details on how these bands all were incestuously connected, and much more than most know... stuff that happened before their deals, before their MTV videos, etc... and I mean ALL of the bands... GNR, Poison, Crue, Styrper, LAG, FPC, JetBoy and more... lots of details, lots of stuff that I didn't even know, as it happened before I arrived.

In short, the band had a lot of buzz, and a leg up on most of the bands, but all of the turmoil, and bad timing was their downfall.

$tEvil

What did you think of their music and their albums? Did you like them? Their singer was good but I was turned off by the mohawk image. I was only a teenager at the time. He had a good voice but their song didn’t grab me. I remember seeing Lizzy Borden around the same time. I dug the song “Me Against The World” but his image was even more out there. It was ridiculous and funny at the same time, not unlike Poison but at the opposite end of the spectrum. I did end up buying Lizzy’s album and it wasn’t bad at all.

As tragic and sad as the situation with Razzle was, I didn’t understand why they didn’t keep shoving their music down our throats if they wanted stardom that bad. Ozzy and Quiet Riot lost Randy and kept going, Metallica lost Cliff and kept going, AC/DC lost Bon.

[FreddyFender]

Also, a huge ordeal was the split with Todd which added Sam Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks bassist) in his place and the word was Todd was devastated by this, which made him drink more and do more drugs... which ended with him ultimately overdosing and dying at 21. Ouch.

Damn, sounds like Slash contributed to it in some small way.
https://localwiki.org/oakland/Todd_Crew
https://www.punkglobe.com/images/jetboyslash030308.html

Very self-serving and one-sided take from those guys.

Slash and Todd were both just kids fucking around with hard stuff. They were rolling the dice every night.

Trying to make Slash out as having a hand in the kid's death is comical. If Slash hadn't been around, you think the kid would have gone "Oh man, no H for me tonight. Oh well?"

He'd have shot up with someone else and died all the same.

[BulletProofPoet]

I always preferred the early glam material.

The debut should have been
1. Feel The Shake
2. Make Some Noise
3. Bad Disease
4. Fire In My Heart
5. Missing You
6. Cut Me Down
7. Little Teaser
8. Feel So Good
9. Hard Climb
10. Prairie Nights
11. Don’t Mess with My Hair

[Ozzy Stradlin]

Their second album - Damned Nation - is far better than their first, Feel The Shake, for my ears. Side 1, in particular, is really strong.

Unfortunately, their only single/video from that album was the first song on side 2 - “Evil” - which wasn’t the right choice, IMO. Sami Yaffa apparently agreed, as he quit the band before they filmed the video.

In any case, I think it’s a shame that Damned Nation wasn’t given a proper chance.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... mPBCnv9rBT

[Kerry67]

I liked them. Billy Rowe is a buddy and cool as hell. He has a killer guitar company Rock N Roll Relics and I am happy for his success with Buckcherry. Mickey always had a great voice and is a nice guy as well....

[GoodJudge]

All I knew about them before this thread was a vague memory of Kerrang! reviewing the Damned Nation album and me thinking it was Sami's post-Hanoi band. I had no idea of the actual history until today. So I gave it a spin and ... meh. Track #1 'Stomp it down to the brick' is a crappy chorus and a weak song for an album opener, #2 'Moonlight' would have been a better choice even though it's "heavily influenced" by 'Mr Brownstone'. 'Heavy Chevy' was amusing to hear a Yank singing about "the motorway" - I thought you called them highways or freeways. Nothing much of interest after that.

Thanks to the OP for giving me the opportunity after all these years though.

[Tommy2Tone84]

Their second album - Damned Nation - is far better than their first, Feel The Shake, for my ears. Side 1, in particular, is really strong.

Unfortunately, their only single/video from that album was the first song on side 2 - “Evil” - which wasn’t the right choice, IMO. Sami Yaffa apparently agreed, as he quit the band before to eu filmed the video.

In any case, I think it’s a shame that Damned Nation wasn’t given a proper chance.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5 ... mPBCnv9rBT

Nice summary. I’ll check out both

[HoldenSSV]

The Philadelphia Flyers used "Feel The Shake" as their goal song from 2019-2021 or so.

[Hellsinkey]

Songs just weren't there.

That's it really, they were alright, but not good enough to go further.