DANGER DANGER (USA)
BIOGRAPHY
For Danger Danger, good things seem to come in twos. Formed in 1987 by founding members Bruno Ravel (bass) and
Steve West (drums), and rounded out by Ted Poley (vocals) Andy Timmons (guitar) and Kasey Smith (keyboards), it didn't
take long for the band to be noticed by Epic Records' Lennie Petze. Petze, who had earlier discovered Cyndi Lauper and
Aldo Nova, to name a few, made Danger Danger the first signing to his newly minted Imagine Records imprint. Released in
1989, the self-titled Imagine/Epic release struck gold. While touring with Kiss, Alice Cooper, Warrant and Extreme, the
band smashed out two hit singles at both radio and MTV - the now classic Naughty Naughty, and the highly infectious Bang
Bang. Good things for Danger Danger did indeed, come in twos.
1991 saw the release of Screw It! With extensive touring and overwhelming press coverage, Screw It! produced two hits -
Monkey Business and I Still Think About You. Another tour with Kiss, this time in Europe, and a second sold out headlining
tour of Japan, solidified Danger Danger’s place in the rock world. Now a hot commodity, success could be seen night after
sold-out night, whether they were opening for the biggest rock acts or headlining venues on their own.
In 1993, Danger Danger recorded their third disc for Sony - Cockroach - however, due to legal wrangling, the album wouldn’t
see the light of day until eight years later. Upon completion of the album, the band parted ways with lead singer Ted Poley.
Needing a replacement, friend and former Elektra recording artist, Canadian Paul Laine stepped in. The lead vocals were rerecorded
with Laine, and the album was once again on the release schedule. Soon thereafter, the band and Sony were both
hit with lawsuits from the departed singer, thus causing Sony to decide it was in their best interest to shelve the record. Eventually,
the band amicably parted ways with the label.
In 1995, Ravel and West formed Low Dice Records, and released their first album for the label - Dawn. Conceived during this
dark chapter for the band, the record was somewhat of a departure from their earlier work, reflecting a somber and introspective
tone both musically and lyrically.
1998 saw the release of Four The Hard Way, a return to the band’s original melodic rock roots. The album was heralded as a
classic in the genre, receiving rave reviews throughout the world.
The Return Of The Great Gildersleeves followed in 2000. It too, was greeted with stellar reviews from critics and fans the
world over, further helping cement the band's reputation.
In 2001, the long awaited and eagerly anticipated Cockroach was finally released. In a joint venture with Sony Music, Low
Dice Records issued a 2 CD set featuring both versions of the album. Disc one features vocalist Laine, while disc two features
original lead singer Ted Poley. The response was overwhelming. The album consistently landed on top ten lists everywhere. It
has been hailed as Danger Danger’s finest album to date.
In 2002, VH1 voted the group one of the “top 40 hairbands of all time,” landing at number 25, and featuring them in their hit
special VH1’s “Top 40 Hairbands Of All Time.” Later that year, the band scored another coup when their song Naughty
Naughty Christmas was featured in the #1 movie in America – Disney’s "The Santa Clause 2."
2003 saw two releases - Rare Cuts, a collection of unreleased and rare tracks, and the critically acclaimed We Wish You A
Hairy Christmas, a collection of Christmas songs featuring some of the biggest “hair bands” of all time. Singling out the band,
Rolling Stone had this to say: “Danger Danger’s Naughty Naughty Xmas affirms that beneath all the hair spray, the Eightiesmetal
boom included a bunch of totally rocking Cheap Trick tribute bands.” More praise came as Guitar For The Practicing
Musician magazine declared Danger Danger’s self-titled debut one of the ‘’50 Greatest Guitar Albums Of The ‘80s.’’
After an 11-year absence, 2004 saw the return of original vocalist Ted Poley The re-united band’s first show was in front of
25,000 people at the prestigious Sweden Rock Festival. Danger Danger’s performance was hailed as one of the highlights of
the three-day festival, garnering rave reviews from both fans and critics alike.
2007 - Razor & Tie release Monster Ballads Xmas featuring Naughty Naughty Christmas.
2009 - BURRN! magazine names Danger Danger’s self-titled debut one of the “200 Essential Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Albums”
of the past 25 years.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the band’s now classic debut, Danger Danger release Revolve, a new album featuring
the reunited members. Revolve enters the Swedish Top 100 albums chart in its first week and lands on critics’ year-end top
ten lists worldwide.
2014 – After another highly acclaimed performance at Sweden Rock, the band celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their now
classic self-titled debut album by reuniting with the original members for a handful of shows in Japan, NY, and the UK where
they headlined the last ever Firefest.
Sony Japan releases remastered versions of Danger Danger & Screw It! Both records are selected by BURRN! magazine for
inclusion in their 30th Anniversary issue of recommended hard rock/heavy metal albums of the past 30 years (1984-2014).
Bookings: sebastian@screamandshout.se
Other useful links:
Danger Danger Official Webpage