Boom Radio: 80s Power Ballads

 

80s Throwback: Cinderella - 'Nobody's Fool'

Every time I hear those opening notes of Cinderella's "Nobody's Fool," I'm right back in 11th grade, when life revolved around music, friends, and counting down the days until the next concert.

One of my favorite memories from that time wasn't just hearing the song on MTV or blasting it from my cassette player. Cinderella actually held an in-store autograph session before playing a local skating rink, and for a teenager who was completely caught up in the late-'80s rock scene, that was a huge deal. It wasn't some massive arena or exclusive VIP event; it felt personal. You got to see the band up close before they took the stage later that night, and those are the kinds of experiences that stay with you.

Released in 1986 from the band's debut album Night Songs, "Nobody's Fool" showed a different side of Cinderella. While the band had built a reputation on bluesy hard rock with songs like "Shake Me," this was the track that proved they could write an emotional ballad without losing any of their edge.

Tom Keifer's raspy, unmistakable voice carried every ounce of heartbreak. He never sounded polished or perfect, and that's exactly why the song worked. There was genuine pain behind the lyrics, making it feel more authentic than many of the glossy power ballads flooding rock radio at the time.

The music video certainly didn't hurt either. MTV had it in heavy rotation, and suddenly Cinderella wasn't just another Philadelphia rock band, they were one of the hottest acts in hair metal. "Nobody's Fool" climbed into the Billboard Top 20 and helped launch Night Songs toward multi-platinum success.

Looking back now, what I appreciate most is how well the song has aged. The production still sounds big without feeling dated, the guitar solo remains one of my favorites from that era, and Keifer's vocal performance is every bit as powerful today as it was nearly forty years ago.

The late '80s gave us countless power ballads, but only a handful continue to resonate decades later. "Nobody's Fool" is one of those songs. It isn't just nostalgia talking, it genuinely holds up as one of the strongest rock ballads of the decade.

Whenever it comes on, I don't just hear a great song. I remember being an 11th grader who couldn't wait to meet Cinderella at that autograph signing before heading over to the skating rink for the show. Those are the moments that make music so much more than something you simply listen to. They become part of your story.

80s Throwback: Vinnie Vincent Invasion - 'Love Kills'

You've brought my world to an end
Love takes its victim and leaves its remains
My broken heart has died in vain
Tell me why have we forsaken the dreams we had
The pain makes it so hard to understand
You're a lifetime ago but a memory away
And I'll love you till my resurrection day
Love kills the fire's gone
Dying embers still remain
Love kills and now you're gone
Girl, I'll never be the same again

I'm going to be honest here, saying I don't remember Vinnie Vincent Invasion's "Love Kills" would be an understatement. Somehow, this one completely slipped past me back in the day.

Released in 1988 for the A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master soundtrack, the song unexpectedly popped up during an episode of MTV Classic's Metal Mayhem this morning, and I'm glad it did.

Vinnie Vincent formed the band in 1984 after leaving KISS, where he had made a name for himself as the band's lead guitarist. Two years later, he recruited a then-22-year-old Mark Slaughter as lead vocalist, and the chemistry was undeniable. While the band never reached the commercial heights of some of their glam metal peers, they produced some seriously underrated material.

Watching the "Love Kills" video today, what struck me most was just how incredible Mark Slaughter sounded. Even at only 22 years old, his powerful, soaring vocals were impossible to ignore. Looking back now, it's easy to hear why he would go on to front Slaughter, one of the more successful hard rock bands of the late '80s and early '90s with hits like "Up All Night" and "Fly to the Angels."

The song itself is exactly what you'd want from a late-'80s horror movie soundtrack: big guitars, melodic hooks, dramatic vocals, and enough attitude to fit perfectly alongside Freddy Krueger's latest reign of terror. It's a reminder of just how many great rock songs were tucked away on movie soundtracks during that era.

Of course, Vinnie Vincent Invasion eventually called it quits, and the members went their separate ways. Mark Slaughter found mainstream success with his new band, while Vinnie Vincent's career continued to take some interesting twists over the years. Even so, "Love Kills" remains a fun snapshot of a moment when everything seemed poised to break even bigger.

Sometimes all it takes is an old episode of Metal Mayhem to remind you of a song you either forgot or never really discovered in the first place.

80s Throwback: Skid Row - 'Youth Gone Wild'

 

The first time I saw Skid Row perform live was at a skating rink in the late '80s. Yes, a skating rink. Looking back, it seems like such an unlikely place for a hard-rock band that would soon become one of the biggest names of the hair metal era, but that's part of what makes the memory so special. The place was packed with excited fans, the energy was off the charts, and from the moment the band hit the stage, you could feel that they were destined for bigger things.

And then they launched into "Youth Gone Wild."

What made the song stand out wasn't just the big guitars or the rebellious attitude. Plenty of bands were doing that at the time. Skid Row brought a rawness and authenticity that connected with young fans. The song felt like an anthem for anyone who ever felt misunderstood, underestimated, or ready to break free from expectations. It wasn't polished perfection—it was loud, scrappy, and full of attitude.

Of course, a huge part of that appeal was Sebastian Bach. His voice was absolutely massive, soaring over the band's crunching guitars while still sounding dangerous and unpredictable. He had the charisma of a rock star and the vocal chops to back it up. Watching him command a stage back then, it was impossible to imagine him doing anything else.

Which is why it was so fascinating years later when he took his talents to Broadway. Not every rock singer can make that transition successfully, but Bach proved he had the range and presence to thrive in musical theater before eventually returning to his rock roots. It's a testament to just how talented he really is.

But whenever I think of Sebastian Bach, I still picture that young frontman tearing through "Youth Gone Wild" in front of a crowd that was ready to explode.

More than 35 years later, the song still holds up. It's a perfect snapshot of late-'80s rock, full of energy, rebellion, and youthful confidence. Every time it comes on, I'm right back at that skating rink, surrounded by fellow rock fans, singing along at the top of my lungs and having an absolute blast.

Some songs age. "Youth Gone Wild" remains forever young.

Exclusive Interview: Vivian Campbell on Revisiting His Youth Via the Dio-Inspired 'Last In Line' & Enjoying the Evolution of 'Def Leppard'

Photo: Ross Halfin

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Vivian Campbell is arguably one of the busiest men on the rock landscape right now. He just wrapped up playing a string of dates with his Dio-inspired bandmates from Last in Line and he will barely have a chance to catch his breath before joining Def Leppard for the European leg of their current tour. His year is booked solid and at least for right now, the iconic guitarist would have it no other way.  It seems that he is quite content to be literally revisiting and honoring his early years with Dio while embracing younger generations of fans that show up night after night to hear the Def Leppard classics.

I caught up with Vivian the other day for a quick chat and discovered a man whose search for inner acceptance seems to have made his current joy that much more palpable.

Last In Line Promo Shot

Vivian on making the juggling of Def Leppard and Last In Line look easy:

"It's not easy I've got to say that, but I've always enjoyed my work and I think now I'm enjoying it more than ever. Over the last couple of years, and for the first time in my career, I'm happy with my guitar playing (laughing). It has always been a struggle for me because I've never really been content with what I did and finally after all of these years I realized that it's okay. We're all individuals and we all bring something to the table and while I may not be the worlds greatest guitar player, nobody sounds like me. We all have a unique voice and I'm happy with mine so I'm really enjoying my work.

I've also realized that while the Last In Line project is a side project, it's a very serious one to me. Especially in this day and age, you can't just phone it in. You really have to manifest it and do live shows to make it a real thing, so I've been committed to doing their tour. I am quite literally working all the time- I'm either working with Def Leppard or working with Last In Line. It's work that I really enjoy but it has also taught me another life lesson (laughing) and that is that I do finally see the importance of scheduling time off. I am intending to do that next year (laughing) because this year is already booked with both bands but next year I will plan a vacation."

Vivian on the differences between playing in both bands:

"I really enjoy both Last In Line and Def Leppard because they are two incredible bands filled with incredible musicians that I get to play with. I also get to exercise different muscles because, with the Leppard thing, it's the vocals that we're really known for. It's a high production show and very well oiled machine with two guitarists and Phil Collen really does all the heavy lifting. It's the vocal aspect there for me and being a rhythm guitar player, something that a lot of guitar players don't focus as much on, so I'm very proud of my ability in that. In Last In Line I'm not just the only guitar player but I'm the only melodic instrument in the band, we're not even touring with a keyboard player. That puts a lot of pressure on me as a guitarist but it's also very rewarding and it challenges me.

It brings me back to the origins of Last In Line, which goes back to the original Dio band. We took the name from Dio's second album and so this band is a great way for me to reconnect with that part of my life and that band. It's a challenge to play like that and I take pride in trying to nuance my performance night after night. Some of those guitar solos from those early Dio albums, in my mind I still haven't played right (laughing). I've played them 96 or 98 percent right but I'm still looking to get to a hundred percent. It's not even big things, it's tiny little things (laughing) but I need to challenge myself. I think that if you're not moving forward then you're standing still in life so I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel but I am always trying to make things better.

The same is true with Def Leppard. Joe (Elliott) and I talk about it some nights right when we come off stage. I really do think that sometimes it's only us guys in the band that notice the details. As professionals, we all do have that desire and goal to make things better rather than just phoning it in and taking the easy road. I think that is the difference between bands that are successful and bands that maybe aren't doing well. It's a matter of professional pride."

Vivian on the creativity that still is running through his veins:

"A lot of people ask why Def Leppard even bothers making new records in this day and age when people just want to hear hits from the '80s. It's important to us. We make them for that percentage of our fan base that is really excited about new Def Leppard music but more importantly, we do it for selfish reasons. We do it because there is a creative element to what we do. We want to get better at the songs that are decades old but at the same time we have a creative muscle that we all need to exercise and so we still strive to make great new records too.

It's a strange time because back when Def Leppard or even the old Dio band were first starting out we had the ecosystem of MTV and of FM radio that actually programmed their own music nationwide and even worldwide. The digital age is so different and even with all of the media, it's actually very difficult to get new music out there. There's a percentage of fans of any band that really want that new music but struggle to find it."

Def Leppard Promo Shot

Vivian on watching the Def Leppard audience evolve over the years:

 It's interesting and also a good situation for a band like Def Leppard that has been growing our audience for years now. There's a strong percentage of that audience that is like our children's age now and they come to the shows all excited to hear the hits of the '80s (laughing). It's so nice to reach beyond your own generation and see your audience grow. It's such an exciting thing and it has been happening for us for the last decade or so. We really feel the energy and as our audiences get younger they also are more energetic and we feed off of that and it makes our performance more energized.

Def Leppard was obviously very big in the '80s and then the '90s were rough because the musical landscape changed so much that we were playing live just for our core fans. The late '90s brought a change in the wind and more people started showing up and we noticed that a lot of them were younger. Last year we did 60 dates in North America on a co-headlining tour with Journey and probably 40% of that audience was younger. The energy that young people bring to the show is very palpable and we really feed off of that. Especially when your playing songs that are thirty years old (laughing), we are playing them for the audience and their excitement fuels us to make things even better. It's such a good thing and it makes us really happy."

Vivian on The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction:

 "It's a great honor to be in the hall of fame and I definitely think Def Leppard deserves it. I'm happy because now I get to vote and have a say from the inside (laughing), but personally, I've never put a lot of stock in the industry awards. Being the new guy in the band (laughing) and it has been 27 years for me, but as a fan first, I remember buying the Hysteria album. I wore it out on cassette and then I bought it on cd, and I can remember being amazed that this landmark rock record wasn't even nominated for a Grammy. It had seven hit singles on it! That kind of framed my whole reference point for industry awards and I just don't think that they're totally reflective of merit. I will say that the thing that resonates with us is the fact that we got the biggest ever popular vote. The fans are very loyal and they made that happen. The people who have been with Def Leppard since day one are really the ones who put us here. I believe they're the ones who brought us to the attention of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

Vivian on the fans:

"The audience is vital. If there's no audience then there is no band and so that means there's no show. They are like an extra member of the band and if they aren't excited about the show then we're not so excited about playing it. We're kind of like vampires now, we feed off of that energy and if they're giving us a lot when we're giving even more back. There are certain cities all around the world that I really love to play because of their energy. There's really no such thing as a bad audience it's just a matter of how excited they can get, and then in turn how the can excite us."

Check out both Def Leppard's official site and Last In Line's official site for tour dates, merch and more! Also, keep an eye on Vivian's official Facebook page for updates. 

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Cinderella - 'Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)'

"I can't tell ya baby what went wrong

I can't make you feel what you felt so long gap

I'll let it show

I can't give you back what's been hurt

Heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words

I can't let go

If we take some time to think it over baby

Take some time, let me know

If you really want to go

Don't know what you got till it's gone

Don't know what it is I did so wrong

Now I know what I got

It's just this song."

How can you not love a good power ballad? I mean, even if you hate hair bands, how can you not love a power ballad?? Aside from tugging at the heartstrings and connecting to people on a gut punch level, they were also a brilliant marketing tool back in 1980-something. Heavy metal bands already had guys liking them but women were often a tougher sell- until the power ballad came along. Love songs appeal to women and one 4 minute song could easily sell tickets to that demographic. 

Picking a favorite is really tough because there were so many great ones. In the case of Cinderella, one of their ballads was their top charting hit of all time. "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" seemed to speak to our teenaged generation just as much as it still speaks to a fortysomething going through a divorce now. Up until that point, the Philly-born band was firmly rooted in the hard rock scene and their videos were loaded with big hair, bright lights and a string of half-dressed chicks. This time out Tom Keifer sat down at his piano and just poured his heart out and boy did it work. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV and the song reached number 12 on Billboard's charts. 

More importantly, it's a ballad that still resonates to this day. Check out the video below!

Exclusive Interview: Great White's Michael Lardie on New Music in the Works and the Pure Joy That Still Comes from Playing Live

Great White

Photo: Neil Zlozower

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I think that most people believe that once you "make it" in the music industry you're sort of set for life if you handle your money properly. The actual truth is that the music business is at best, a harsh place to try and exist. You could be at the top of the charts and playing sold-out shows now and in six months you're back to waiting tables or washing dishes. The only solid guarantee is that every star eventually falls from the sky and then it takes talent, timing, and unshakable determination to get back up again. That's why I love to see a time-tested, old school band with a great catalog still selling out shows and Great White was doing exactly that before the world as we know it came to a screeching halt.

The band (Mark Kendall- lead guitar, Michael Lardie- rhythm guitar, multi-instrumentalist, Audie Desbrow- drums, Scott Snyder- bass, and Mitch Malloy- lead vocals) first found itself in heavy rotation on MTV back in the late-80's with songs like "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" and they never really looked back. Sure there have been some major bumps in the road. Among other things, people have come and gone (including lead singers), but Great White has not only survived, it also continues to thrive. 

I had an opportunity to catch up with the Michael Lardie, the band's rhythm guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, who was in great spirits in spite of being pulled off the road due to the Covid-19 lockdown. Michael's kindness, intelligence, and positive energy flowed as we bounced through all sorts of topics. Check it out for yourself.

Photo: Ralph Arvesen

Michael Lardie on being under quarantine:

"We're closing in on six weeks inside now in California. When I'm normally at home I'm pretty low-key and usually working in my studio or something. I don't go out too much anyway unless it's to see a movie or grab dinner so it's not a really big change for me. Not having the option to do anything because of lockdown really mentally pushes you against a wall though. Every time I think of an errand to run it's followed by the thought, 'oh you can't do that or at least you shouldn't do that' so that's the primary change for me.

When being in the studio is your joy for the day, I think times like now can make you even more laser-focused. Like on a normal day I might want to work for a couple hours and maybe come up with an idea, now I'm finding myself demoing entire songs (laughing) so in that respect, it's a positive. Also, the guys and I are sending little voice notes of ideas back and forth too, just trying to stay focused on what it is that we do and part of that is writing new material. Right now I'm breathing, I'm healthy, I'm being smart and staying home. I'm finding the joy in being creative and at this point, I'll just go with it (laughing)."

Michael on Great White's plans for new music:

"Well, because of the way that people absorb music now, one of the thoughts that we've had is to put out smaller doses of music more frequently. Maybe putting out two or three songs at a time and then, in the end, we'll compile it all and make it into a product that our diehard fans can pick up. We've been in the model of making full records for our entire career so it's a little strange for us to be thinking outside of the box, but that may be how we need to do it now. One of the things that makes Great White the band that it is, is that we don't record separately and send files to each other. For us to be making music, whether it's a two or three-song EP or whatever, our best experience is always when we're in the same room actually cutting the track with all of us playing. When you're building a house the vibe is different when you're building it together rather than piecemeal and recording is the same for us.

There are five people that make a sound different from everyone else on the planet. Individually we sound a certain way but once we're all together there's this sound that is so familiar and feels so good that it inspires us to keep performing. You want to keep making that sound with that particular group of people. The vibe is always far stronger when we're all in the same room. It's going to be interesting for us to actually do that again when we're able to schedule real-life things. We're looking forward to it because the best things happen for us musically when we're together as a band."

Michael on how the band has remained successful even with three different lead singers:

"When I was first coming up older people would always say to me songs, songs, songs. That is what is most important because a band's catalog will define its longevity. In that respect, I'm very proud of the material that we've come up with over the years and that material has allowed us to continue even with different singers. We've had three very different sounding singers and no matter who you put in there it has worked because of the strength of the material. Mitch (Malloy) has worked out great for us. Sonically he is a little more like Jack (Russell) than Terry Ilous was and I think people are getting it now. Every time you make a change there's an adjustment period but as people have heard Mitch sing the songs and watched his performances I think they've started to really embrace him. We've had really great attendance before everything shut down, I think five out of our last eight shows were sold out and that just makes us really grateful. Again, it's all because of the strength of the music and the catalog of songs that we've created."

Michael on the band's writing process:

"It's interesting because back in the day we would be sitting in a rehearsal room bouncing riffs off of each other and figuring out the arrangement- that's one way that we did it. As time went on and we started to have different rigs at home we've been able to come up with parts of songs and share them, so it's kind of done in the same way from remote now. We rely on each other to remind us of how we sound at our personal best and things often come to us in pieces. "Rock Me" for example, was a guitar riff that Mark had and when we sat down and started to mess around with it before you knew it we had this great song. One of the best things about the band is how we really look forward to each others' input to make that special sound that I was talking about earlier.

So many songs have come at the last minute too, like the day before you go to the studio or the first few days that we're there. "All Over Now" is the last thing that we wrote for Once Bitten and "Mista Bone" was the last thing that we wrote for Twice Shy. There's always inspiration in the end because you're in the vibe of pre-production and running through stuff and you're playing like a band every single day. When you're playing off each other that much just jamming can turn into something so now we try to leave that space open at the very end. Good stuff comes up when you're working together day after day."

Great White

Photo: Neil Zlozower

Michael on what keeps that desire to play live burning:

"The joy of playing music with other people and making our particular sound is one of the bullet point reasons that always comes back to me. Everything for us is fly dates now which can be challenging at times and it makes you a little sleep deficient. But the upside to that is that you may leave on Thursday and then play all weekend, come back on Sunday and it gives you three or four days to have some semblance of a normal life. So I get to do the thing that I still love the most and then enjoy that normalcy.

One of the other things that I think of while playing a song is that this group of people has never been together before. This exact show has never happened even though there are fans that have come and seen us on multiple occasions over the years, at that moment that group of people has never been 100% present together. We're still playing 100% live so no matter how you feel you've got the challenge of making it sound as great as you can every single time you go out. Those things make it fresh for us in the moment.

Getting people to smile back at you when you're up there doing this thing that you love is always amazing to me. When you get that energy back it's just amazing and when you see little kids out there on their dad's or grand dad's shoulders singing along to "Rock Me" it's really something. The multigenerational thing always gets me because it's incredible to think that our music is what these parents saw fit to pass down to their kids. One of the greatest compliments that we can get as songwriters and performers is to have our music go from generation to generation. When I think back to when we were young we just hoped that what we did would somehow make some small difference that could maybe even live on. Having it be passed on from one generation to the next is the highest compliment we can get.

It still blows my mind when I'll be driving in my car and "House of Broken Love" comes on (laughing). We didn't think all that much when we were creating it but when I hear it I can still put myself in a time capsule and zap myself back to the very moment we were doing it. The very moment that I kept Mark in his seat for ten hours doing all of the soloing on that track and the fact that his fingers were bleeding by the time it was done. I can remember every aspect of that. It's amazing how you can hear a song and all of a sudden you're transported back to the beach in 1989, nothing is a better time machine than music."

Michael on other projects that have kept him busy:

"Last year I mixed a live performance of Sheryl Crow's from the Capitol Theatre in NY that was released in the fall. That kind of project would be perfect for me to have right now (laughing). It was an eight hour a day thing, 22 songs, and I had to mix it in surround so it was just awesome. I'm a fan of hers so it was like a gift, just a complete joy to do. Something like that would be perfect for right now and you never know something could come along.

In the meantime, I've been working on material of my own that someday I'll finish up and put out there. I've never really set a timeline for it I'll just know when it's the right time to share it with the world. It's also good because if I'm stuck on something for Great White I'll flip over to my own thing and find the joy in doing that, which frees my brain. Then when I look at the Great White stuff again I'll find a way around that wall that I felt like I kept hitting."

Mitch Malloy, Mark Kendall & Michael Lardie

Photo: Eric Sherman

Michael on what's next for Great White:

"So far most of May and early June dates are postponed but we're actually really lucky because we've only completely lost one show. It was part of a summer series and they weren't able to push it to another date because the whole season has already been booked but we're lucky because about thirty other shows have been rescheduled for later in the year. We're grateful because so far we're still holding on to shows and not only that but the other day we booked a new one for November. So somewhere out there at least one person is still scheduling new gigs (laughing).

We're hoping to get back out there in the late summer or early fall and be able to finish out our year safely. Having the ability to perform taken away has made me just a little more inspired, so if I was thinking even a tiny bit about maybe wrapping this all up in a few years, this time off has energized me. Now I think I'm just going to keep on doing this music thing until it doesn't make sense anymore. Knowing that we will have the opportunity to do this again after this lockdown ends is really something. When the first level of success happened when we were younger I appreciated it but now I have the intelligence and experience to really appreciate it so much more. Grateful doesn't really even begin to describe how I feel right now."

Check out Great White's Official Site for updated tour dates, news & more!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Bon Jovi -' Livin' On A Prayer'

"We've gotta hold on to what we've got.
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.
We've got each other and that's a lot.
For love we'll give it a shot."

"Livin' On A Prayer" is most definitely Bon Jovi's signature song, isn't it? I mean if you could only hear them perform one song live, wouldn't that be the one? It was the second single off of the band's epic 1986 release, Slippery When Wet. It also was their second number one song in a row. Those are the facts and statistics, which are all secondary to what this song is all about.

Thirty plus years after "Livin' On A Prayer's" release it's not just about Jon Bon's hair and the story of Tommy and Gina. Instead it instantly walks so many of us back in time to when passing exams and dating the right person were the biggest concerns. It takes me back to tenth grade when I lived in my jean jacket with my Walkman shoved in the pocket. Back to when I only thought that my life was complicated.

This song also shows how timeless a great rock anthem can be. Sure Bon Jovi has made a zillion more albums, but nothing compares to the very first time that you heard "Living On A Prayer", right?

90's Nostalgia: The Scorpions -'When You Came Into My Life'

You make me dream

By the look in your eyes
You give me the feel, I've been longing for
I wanna give you my soul
All my life
Cause you are the one I've been waiting for
I've been waiting for so long
When you came into my life
It took my breath away
And the world stopped turnin' round
For your love

When you hear "The Scorpions", songs like "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and "No One Like You" probably first come to mind and why wouldn't they?  The Scorpions are considered heavy metal royalty and they are one of the longest-running bands to still grace a stage. Rudolf Schenker and lead vocalist Klaus Meine first teamed up all the way back in 1965 and every album that the German group has released in the last FIFTY years has had its unmistakable imprint on it.

The Scorpions have found success by mixing ballads in with their rock anthems, most of which have been penned by Meine. He admits that many of these songs have been inspired by his wife of 40 years. "When You Came Into My Life" was first released back in 1996 and I think it's one of their best even if not the Scorpion's most popular power ballad. Check out the live unplugged performance of it from 2013 below.

Currently Booming: Dokken on American Bandstand (1985)

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Cinderella - 'Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)'

"I can't tell ya baby what went wrong

I can't make you feel what you felt so long ago

I'll let it show

I can't give you back what's been hurt

Heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words

I can't let go

If we take some time to think it over baby

Take some time, let me know

If you really want to go

Don't know what you got till it's gone

Don't know what it is I did so wrong

Now I know what I got

It's just this song."

How can you not love a good power ballad? I mean, even if you hate hair bands, how can you not love a power ballad?? Aside from tugging at the heartstrings and connecting to people on a gut punch level, they were also a brilliant marketing tool back in 1980-something. Heavy metal bands already had guys liking them but women were often a tougher sell- until the power ballad came along. Love songs appeal to women and one 4 minute song could easily sell tickets to that demographic. 

Picking a favorite is really tough because there were so many great ones. In the case of Cinderella, one of their ballads was their top charting hit of all time. "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" seemed to speak to our teenaged generation just as much as it still speaks to a fortysomething going through a divorce now. Up until that point, the Philly-born band was firmly rooted in the hard rock scene and their videos were loaded with big hair, bright lights and a string of half-dressed chicks. This time out Tom Keifer sat down at his piano and just poured his heart out and boy did it work. The video was in heavy rotation on MTV and the song reached number 12 on Billboard's charts. 

More importantly, it's a ballad that still resonates to this day. Check out the video below!

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Mötley Crüe - 'Wild Side'

Gang fights
Fatal strikes
We lie on the wild side
No escape
Murder rape
Doing time on the wild side
A baby cries
A cop dies
A day's pay on the wild side
Wild side, wild side
Tragic life on the wild side
Wild side, wild side
Kickin ass on the Wild Side

Motley Crue's "Wild Side" always takes me back to high school- on one day in particular. When I was in 11th grade I'd spend my morning cramming in all of my academic classes so that my afternoon could be spent at a vocational school. Cosmetology seemed like a dream job for a 16-year old girl that spent plenty of time teasing her own hair and being in beauty school meant that I had a little card that gave me access to every professional beauty supply store around. My supply of Apple Pectin shampoo was endless and eventually, I traded in a big can of Aqua Net for an even larger can of Vavoom which cemented your hair in place AND made it smell like coconut.

Anyway, the afternoon bus was filled with headbangers that had zero desire to go to college when they could be learning how to take a car engine apart, cook like a pro or even become a medical assistant, all while in high school. This bus ride was the high point of most days because we truly became a family and had each other's backs, no matter what. Most days the same 3 people sat in the very last row trying to hide the fact that they were smoking a blunt. It was normal. We kept the windows open in the dead of winter and usually had an ancient bus driver that was more concerned with how loud the boom box was than anything else. 

On this particular day, there was a fill-in, much younger bus driver, one who didn't care if the music was blaring. Motley Crue had just released Girls, Girls, Girls and the song "Wild Side" was our new anthem. Since the driver told the guys to play it as loud as they wanted to, our bus was rocking, with that one song playing on repeat. The guys decided to be extra brave and they lit up a bowl in the back seat. We figured that might be pushing it and halfway to the school the driver pulled over and came storming up the aisle. We thought we were dead. Since no one would dime anyone out I was expecting to go down for pot that I hadn't even touched. The guys hit the switch on the radio as the rest of us braced for hell. Instead, the young driver had come to the back of the bus to smoke with the guys!

After a minute or two, he galloped up the aisle, sat back down in the driver's seat and delivered us all to school, with Motley Crue still blaring, of course. Talk about taking a drive on the wild side!

Daily Boom Holiday Throwback: Skid Row - 'Jingle Bells' (Rock Remix)

Daily Boom Holiday Tunes: Def Leppard - 'We All Need Christmas'

Daily Boom Holiday Tunes: Joe Satriani - 'Heavy Metal Christmas'

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Firehouse- 'All She Wrote'

She took all I had but left a hole in my heart

Should've known it'd go bad right from the start

What did I do wrong?

I can't understand why she would leave me this way

With nothing to say

Then I found the note on the door

It said goodbye and she don't want me no more

Bye-bye baby, bye-bye, she said in the letter

And that was all she wrote

When you first think of FireHouse "All She Wrote" probably isn't the very first song that comes to mind. The band is best known for the power ballad "Love Of A Lifetime" but they really came out of the gate back in 1989 knowing how to rock. "All She Wrote" was FireHouse's fourth single off of their self-titled debut album. It reached only as high as number 58 on Billboard's Hot 100 back in 1991 but the song got a lot of radio play, especially on rock stations across the U.S. 

What sets FireHouse apart from many other bands is the fact that they have seen minimal changes to their lineup. C. J. Snare, guitarist Bill Leverty, drummer Michael Foster, and bassist Allen McKenzie still continue to play gigs all over the world. 

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Giant - 'I'll See You In My Dreams'

I'll see you in my dreams

There we'll be safe tonight from the lonely days of memory

I'll see you in my dreams

Back in my arms again and no matter what tomorrow brings

I'll see you in my dreams

It's kind of amazing how much staying power a good rock ballad can have, even if it's a one-hit-wonder. In 1990 "I'll See You In My Dreams" hit the radio airwaves and it was one of those songs that everyone wanted to know who was singing on it. It's that big, showy power ballad that grabs your attention right from the start and holds it. It gave Giant their first and only real moment in the chart success sun that is Billboard. The guys first got together in 1987 and had disbanded by 1992. While they've moved in different directions over the years, a reunion album and some shows have popped up every once in awhile.

I'm not sure if Giant will ever find themselves with another hit, but "I'll See You In My Dreams" is still getting plenty of airplay on rock stations. Check out the video below. Do you remember this one?

Currently Booming: Whitesnake - 'Here I Go Again' Original 1982 Version (Watch)

Exclusive Interview: Bill Leverty on FireHouse's Continued Success, New Music & More

Photo: FireHouse Promo

We are flashing back to some of the best of the best content here at DailyBOOM.

One of the coolest things about music is the way that it provides each and every one of us with the ability to travel through time. You know what I mean, a twenty-second song intro and for just a flash of a moment, you really do feel like it's 1990 all over again. FireHouse always takes me back to the tail end of high school, when graduation was imminent and I still had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with my life.

If you haven't had an opportunity to check this band out live then you really owe it to yourself to grab some tickets and just go.  Back in the day MTV really pushed the power ballad side of FireHouse but one of the keys to their continued success decades later is the fact that they really know how to rock a live set.

I recently had an opportunity to speak with one of the driving forces behind the bands' continued success, founder/guitarist Bill Leverty.  He brought me up to speed on all things FireHouse and more! 

Cate Meighan: How have you been?

Bill Leverty:  I'm good and I've been busy! I like being occupied and it's fun to be busy. I've never really liked being bored and I'm a type-A personality so I've got to get stuff done (laughing). It's great to be in a band like FireHouse that gives me the latitude to artistically do what I want to do. It's a group of four people (Leverty, C.J. Snare, Michael Foster, Allen McKenzie) so if you get your way one-fourth of the time then you've got pretty good odds (laughing). We all get along really well so it's a lot of fun

CM: You guys are in your 29th year together too. Could you have ever predicted that the success would continue for so long?

BL: I had sure hoped so. I really thought that we could last because we all come from the same personal life backgrounds. We all had good parents that taught us good values and how to respect one another. I think that's a fundamental thing and you've got to be able to do that in any business or art form,  and so I always felt like we could do it. The odds were against us, but here we are 29 years into it and we're still playing and having fun so we're definitely lucky. We have our debates and at times heated discussions but in the end everyone is professional enough to be able to say, okay I lost that vote and it's no big deal let's just move on. 

We all love playing live and we love to work and that's what it has been about for us. There isn't a lazy person in the band or the crew which is good because it can be really tough out there. We're up at 3 am to catch a 6 am flight, to end up somewhere that we'll have to wait for a couple of hours before flying on to the next place. Then we hop in a van for a few hours to arrive and set up a show that'll have a soundcheck if we're lucky. Then we grab something to eat and we get out there and smile and have a good time playing our songs. Sometimes there's no sleep, but we're so passionate about what we do. We love to get up there and play.

CM: You've released quite a bit of solo music. Do you struggle to balance that with the band?

BL: Juggling both is very easy because FireHouse is first and my solo career comes second. Actually, even other things can get ahead of the solo stuff, like if I'm mixing somebody's record then my solo career is on the back burner. I don't think that I ever made a conscious decision to go solo and I really take my time with it. I don't tour with it, all I do is write and record. My first solo tunes record came about because I had written a bunch of songs that didn't really fit FireHouse. I put them out there for the guys and ultimately they didn't get voted onto the record so I just kept my little pile over here. Once I had enough or even close to enough, I figured I'd go and finish them off and put them on a cd. That was a good learning experience for me because I'm trying to become better overall as an artist, not just as a guitarist. Although I think that being a guitarist is my main thing (laughing), I also want to become a better writer, singer, mix engineer, and producer. I want to learn how to make the drums and the bass work together better and harmonies work together better, and how to put in a string section- things like that. So it has been an educational thing and I've partly done it for that reason. Plus it's mine so I can do it all my way with no pressure or debate which makes it a great outlet.

I've put out four cd's now. One was a little too bluesy for FireHouse and another was of cover tunes that I had always wanted to do. They're songs that influenced me even before I started playing guitar. I started playing at the age of fifteen which is kind of late compared to most guys, and I was heavily influenced even as a listener by things like 70's funk. I wanted to do some things like that and cover some tunes that hadn't been done to death. I learned a lot about how those guys from the 70's worked by putting out those tunes and so again, it was really educational for me. Plus it was a lot of fun! 

I'm about nine songs into my fifth solo album now. It's a therapeutic thing for me and anytime that I'm inspired to work I can come down into my basement, turn on my computer and I can write and record.

CM: How about FireHouse, is there any new music coming from the band?

BL: The way of thinking about releasing new music certainly has changed with the times. Having said that, we all want to do something else. I think the way to do that, just to get it started is to do the one-song-at-a-time approach. We've all got ideas and we all do want to do it, which is a good thing. What's really slowing us down is how busy we are on the road. Last year we did 57 shows and to do a show we usually leave the day before, play, and then fly home the day after that. Most of the time we're out for a few days and as the summer rolls in we'll be playing Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then flying home on Sunday. When you've been on the road and haven't slept much you need time to recover and then you do it again. We've all got families and personal lives to take care of too. Taking off for three months to write, record and mix an album doesn't make fiscal sense or even band sense for our crew to take off that kind of time. 

Photo: FireHouse Promo

We could probably squeeze out a song on our days off if we knew that we had the right song to use. Right now we've got a lot of good ideas and I'm sure that we'll get around to figuring it out. I bet we have two CDs on our website right now that a lot of people don't even know that we've put out. They're "Prime Time" and "Full Circle" and you can always go to FireHousemusic.com to get those. We're really happy with the way that they've turned out so if you haven't already, go and have a listen. 

CM: Were you excited when you learned that FireHouse is part of the M3 Rock Festival lineup again this year?

BL: I love festivals because they're such a great experience for all of the people that are out there. It's such a unique thing and with a festival like M3, I probably get excited a month in advance knowing we get to play it (laughing). They have such an A-list team behind the scenes to make it go smoothly.  It's so good for the audience, and that makes it even better for the band. I mean even when little things go wrong like your guitar cable isn't working, if you blink your eyes you've got a guy handing you a brand new one. They're just that on top of things and everyone involved is just such a top-notch professional. The rotating stage they added last year just makes it truly a perfect event and there is no other festival that I've played that even comes close to it in my opinion. 

We're going to play some songs in our shows this year that we've never really played before. We always try to add some deep tracks when it's a longer show. If it's an abbreviated set like M3 then we play the songs that ended up in Billboard's Hot 100 because that's what people want to hear. Otherwise, we try and mix it up and not make it a cookie-cutter show with the exact same songs in the exact same order

CM: The fans are so supportive of you and the rest of the band. What would you like to say to them in return?

BL: Thank you for making it so that we can still be doing this 29 years later. We're one of the luckiest bands because our fans have such an emotional connection to our music. The fact that we can still go out and play and make this our bread and butter is just wonderful. We're doing really well and I think that the band sounds better than we've ever sounded. The band is firing on all cylinders and we're having a lot of fun playing and we owe it all to the fans.

Photo: FireHouse Official Site

Check out everything that Bill has coming up by visiting his official site. Check out FireHouse's official site for news, tour dates, merch & more!  

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: Poison - 'Life Goes On'

"Life goes on while you're miles away
And I need you
Time goes on as night steals the day
There's nothing I can do
You heal up my wounds
I tasted your tears
You spilled out your heart
So I let out my fears

But one fear that I kept to myself
Was how I prayed that you'd love no one else
Like you're saying you love me"

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You already know how much I love hair bands (and if you don't know then just click the link at the bottom of this post to view the archive) but Poison has never been a favorite. Not even a little. Sure everyone around me was obsessed with them especially in the late 80's, but it took me a little longer.

My turning point came in 1990 when Poison released "Life Goes On". That song was and is even to this day, a pure rock ballad. It includes one of the best guitar solos of that era. It was also a turning point for the band because they were starting to trade in some of the glam elements for a more masculine vibe.

"Life Goes On" is almost like a lost hit because of so many of Poison's earlier tunes out-selling it. The thing about lost hits is that they are always a gift to rediscover, so enjoy this one!