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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZHANOI ROCKSFinnish glam-rock group formed '80--81. Lineup: Gyp Casino, drums; Sam Yaffa on bass; Nasty Suicide and Andy McCoy, guitars; Mike Monroe, vocals. Styled on New York Dolls/Alice Cooper decadent school, music edging from Rolling Stones-ish R&B to hard rock. Debut Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes on Swedish Johanna label followed by Oriental Beat; they moved to UK, recruited new drummer Razzle (Nicholas Dingley, b England); Self Destruction Blues '82, Back To Mystery City '83 also available only on import outside Scandinavia, where they topped chart with 'Love's An Injection'; third LP's collection of B-sides, singles and out-takes symptomatic of sloppy approach despite the quality of their best work (e.g. 'Malibu Beach Nightmare' from Mystery City). Gigs in UK led to CBS contract; Two Steps From The Move '84 (with help on lyrics from Ian Hunter) was their most polished LP yet, yielded near-hit cover of Creedence Clearwater's 'Up Around The Bend', but with typical dc10 two-steps-forward-one-step-back approach, rawer dc0 live LP All Those Wasted Years was available on another label, ironically prod. by another ex-Mott, Overend Watts. Main songwriter McCoy left '85 after death of Razzle in US motor crash (Motley Crue's Vince Neil convicted as a result); frontman Monroe's bleached-blond good looks were band's trademark: he went solo, while McCoy took Suicide to form Cherry Bombz with ex-Toto Coelo vocalist Anita. McCoy had songs, Monroe style; title All Those Wasted Years sums up a band tipped for superstardom more than once. |