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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
It came from the pages of Hit Parader
I have in front of me a copy of the May, 1985 issue of Hit Parader. Judas Priest and Iron Maiden are on the cover, but if you turn it over there is a rather odd ad on the back cover. It tries to make you think that it is another cover of Hit Parader, but really it's just an ad from RCA records. They try to plug all of their hard rock/metal bands such as Grim Reaper, Wrathchild, Shy, White Wolf and Boss. Oh, and the biggest name of all gets the picture on the ad and that band is Autograph. Right now if you are around 30 or under then you are saying who? However if you were of a certain age in late 84-early 85 then you remember these guys as a one hit wonder and that hit was "Turn up the radio". It got a lot of airplay and it was on Autograph's debut "Sign in please". The album is overall just okay and I bought it on cd a few years back for a dollar figuring it was worth that. Unfortunately for Autograph they never had another hit. Their second album the 1985 release "That's the stuff"got mainly poor reviews. In 1987 they returned with "Loud and clear" which I remember as being their best album, but it didn't catch on. I think they drifted away after that although they did release a rarities album in the 90's. Yet for a short period of time there a lot of people knew who Autograph were due to that one song and that's more than a lot of bands from that era can say.
I saw them in '86 when they opened for Heart. It was a great concert. :)
ReplyDeleteI never saw them , but I do know the song "Turn up the Radio" well. I guess that means that everyone now knows I'm over 30, huh?
ReplyDeleteThe singer had the most ridiculous hair.
ReplyDeleteTurn up the Radio is still one of those songs that, if I hear it on the radio, I crank up(yes, I'm over 30; way over).
ReplyDeleteGrim Reaper probably still remain the ugliest band in metal. Everyone always says that Motorhead is the ugliest band but the difference is that Lemmy never tried to look pretty with big teased hair.
ReplyDeleteOnmywatch-I had heard they were a good live act.
ReplyDeleteMike-It doesn't seem like it was that long ago, but I guess it was.
Craig-I agree and the drummer was freaky looky too. Like a cross between a beatnick and LA glam.
Bruce-It's a decent song.
Fred Charles-They were ugly and they wore very tacky costumes.
Vicious Steve-I think a lot of people thought Autograph would be big, but they faded fast.
I remember this band called Freedom Jam coming to my high school in spring of 1985 and they opened with Turn up the radio. Then my neighbor had a party on July 4th in 1985 and he had a band of college age guys play at it. They opened with Turn up the radio as well. I think that I heard it or another Autograph song in some mid-80's movie that I saw recently. Yet I can't remember what it was.
Autograph released some great tracks but never a great album, as pointed out Loud And Clear was probably the highlight.
ReplyDeleteSong wise there were many highlights, "19 And Non-stop", "Friday", "That's The Stuff" "She Never Looked That Good For Me" etc.
And yes, singer Steve Plunkett had quite rediculous hair, even for the 80s!!!!