Black 'N Blue

Biography

Black 'N Blue is an American glam metal band from Portland, Oregon. The current members are lead vocalist Jaime St. James, bassist Patrick Young, drummer Pete Holmes, guitarist Brandon Cook, and guitarist Mick Caldwell. The band is best known for their song "Hold On to 18×Hold On to 181 January 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Hold On to 184:32" from their eponymous debut studio album, Black 'n Blue, released in August 1984.

History

Black 'N Blue was formed in November 1981 by high school friends Jamie St. James and Tommy Thayer in Portland, Oregon. Originally calling themselves Movie Star, the band later chose the name Black 'N Blue based on their 'in-your-face' sound and denim and leather look. The band got their first break in 1982 when heavy metal fanzine editor Brian Slagel heard their song demo of "Chains Around Heaven" and subsequently added the track to his first edition of Metal Massacre — an independent compilation album that also introduced newcomers Metallica, Ratt, and Malice.

Early success

Black 'N Blue moved to Los Angeles in 1982, making an immediate name for themselves in the Hollywood club scene. Within six months the band signed a worldwide recording contract with Geffen Records, releasing their self-titled debut album, Black 'N Blue, in August 1984. The Dieter Dierks-produced album included "Hold On to 18×Hold On to 181 January 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Hold On to 184:32," which was released to radio and MTV and became a moderate success, boosting album sales. A follow-up album, entitled Without Love×Without Love27 August 1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1-1Rockin’ on Heaven’s Door3:301-2Without Love3:361-3Stop the Lightning4:071-4Nature of the Beach3:481-5Miss Mystery3:592-1Swing Time3:192-2Bombastic Plastic3:362-3We Got the Fire3:092-4Strange Things3:222-5Two Wrongs (Don’t Make It Love)3:50, was released the following year. This album saw the band modify their original rougher, hard-edge sound in favor of a more polished metal approach. "Miss Mystery" was a radio success and the band toured with Kiss that year. A second track from this album, "Nature of the Beach" appeared in the film Vision Quest and also appeared as the B-side to the Madonna single "Gambler" from the same movie, although it was not included on the soundtrack LP.

Later years and solo careers

In 1986, Black 'N Blue gained the attention of Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, who took over as the band's producer for their next two albums. The band went on to release two more albums under the Geffen label, Nasty Nasty×Nasty NastyAugust 1986 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1-1Nasty Nasty4:281-2I Want It All (I Want It Now)4:231-3Does She or Doesn’t She4:161-4Kiss of Death5:022-112 O’Clock High3:402-2Do What You Wanna Do4:122-3I’ll Be There for You3:452-4Rules3:382-5Best in the West4:45 in 1986 and In Heat×In Heat25 April 1988 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Rock On3:462Sight for Sore Eyes3:323Heat It Up! Burn It Out!4:214Suspicious3:425The Snake4:416Live It Up3:377Gimme Your Love3:458Get Wise to the Rise4:369Great Guns of Fire4:3710Stranger4:29 in 1988, both of which saw them making a conscious effort to return to the original raw power that characterized the music on their debut. Songs such as "Nasty Nasty" and "Rock On" were minor hits for the band, but neither of the albums could recapture the Black 'N Blue sound of old, and the band broke up in 1989.
After the band's break up, many of the former band members took on different projects. Jaime St. James formed his own solo band, called Freight Train Jane, composed of Tommy Bolan (formerly from Warlock), Scotty Werner, and Davy Jones. Freight Train Jane released only one album of the same name, which had little success. Guitarist Jeff "Woop" Warner teamed up with former Rough Cutt guitarist Chris Hagar in the short-lived Woop & the Count and played for a short time with Kneel Cohn in an early lineup of the band The Dead Stars On Hollywood, which is now based in New York City. Warner later took guitar duties in a new band, NYC. Guitarist Tommy Thayer joined Harlow for their sole album in 1990, played guitar on Doro's eponymous 1990's album, before joining Shake The Faith with whom he released America The Violent in 1994. Thayer and fellow Black 'n Blue member Jamie St. James also starred in the L.A. all-star Kiss tribute band Cold Gin alongside Cold Sweat members Anthony White and Chris McLernon. Deciding to retire as an active musician, Thayer began working as Gene Simmons' assistant and eventually became the tour manager for Kiss. In 2002 he became the new lead guitarist for Kiss, replacing Ace Frehley (after Frehley's second departure from Kiss). Thayer's first album with Kiss, entitled Sonic Boom, was released in 2009. His next album with Kiss, entitled Monster, was released on October 9, 2012. Pete Holmes took roles in the bands Malice, The Black Symphony and Mandy Lion's WWIII. He also played alongside Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Peter Gabriel, and Ted Nugent.

Reunions/compilations

In 1997, all five original members of Black 'N Blue reunited to perform a one-night live performance on Halloween night. This gig ended up being a sold-out show, and it was recorded and released as a live album, entitled One Night Only: Live×One Night Only: Live8 September 1998 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Rockin’ on Heaven’s Door3:172Autoblast4:013Hold On to 184:424Does She or Doesn’t She4:365Heat It Up! Burn It Out!5:006Without Love3:527Miss Mystery4:278Violent Kid3:469I’ll Be There for You4:1710Wicked Bitch4:2111School of Hard Knocks4:1112I’m the King5:21 on Thayer's brother John's record label Eon Records. The show was a one-time affair, and no further touring followed. In 2001, following the release of a Greatest Hits compilation (The Ultimate Collection×Ultimate Collection3 July 2001 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Rockin’ on Heaven’s Door3:292Autoblast3:513Hold on to 184:124Wicked Bitch4:175Without Love3:366Miss Mystery4:007Nasty, Nasty4:288I Want It All, I Want It Now4:229Nature of the Beach3:4910Stop the Lightning4:0711Bombastic Plastic3:3612Suspicious3:4113I’ll Be There for You3:4514Heat It Up! Burn It Out!4:2215Does She or Doesn’t She4:1716Live It Up3:3817Chains Around Heaven3:5918Get Wise to the Rise4:3719School of Hard Knocks3:5920I’m the King3:42), the band released the album The Demos Remastered: Anthology 1×The Demos Remastered: Anthology 12001 · Album · Compilation,DemoSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Chains Around Heaven3:502I’m the King3:363The Strong Will Rock4:254Squeeze Me3:565Violent Kid3:306Sign in Blood3:337Wicked Bitch4:368School of Hard Knocks4:129Cold Heart4:1810Hold On to 184:2911Lifeline4:1912Autoblast (live)4:54 under the label Crazy Planet. This album contained demos of some of Black 'N Blue's most popular hits, including 5 unreleased tracks and a live version of the song "Autoblast."
The band reunited again in 2003 (this time, without Thayer, who was performing lead guitar duties for Kiss at the time) to tour and record a new album, entitled Hell Yeah!×Hell Yeah!20 April 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Monkey3:542Target4:123Hail Hail5:224Fools Bleed4:355C’mon2:336Jaime's Got the Beer0:547Angry Drunk Son of a Bitch3:218So Long3:539Trippin’0:4610Falling Down4:3311Candy4:1412Hell Yeah!3:5013World Goes Round4:2514A Tribute to Hawking1:20. Shawn Sonnenschein was the new lead guitarist to be featured on the album in Thayer's place. The album was initially scheduled to be released in September 2003, but the release date was pushed back on several occasions.

Hiatus

Meanwhile, in the ensuing interim period, the band released Rarities, an album which included remakes of a few of their hits, but mostly consisted of many unreleased demos, including some that were not included on the Demos Remastered: Anthology 1 release.
In 2004, Jaime St. James became the new front man and lead singer for Warrant, replacing Jani Lane. In 2005, Jaime St. James went into the studio with Warrant to begin recording a new album under Cleopatra Records. Recording for the new album lasted until 2006, and later that year, the band released their new album, Born Again, which received mostly positive reviews. A music video was recorded for each of the songs on the album, and was later released on the DVD "Born Again: Delvis Video Diaries," which also included behind-the-scenes footage, on tour clips, and comments from the band members regarding the making of the album. After the release of Born Again, Jaime St. James performed with Warrant at the 2007 hard rock festival Rocklahoma. Jaime St. James later left Warrant in 2008, after Jani Lane returned to the band.

Later reunions

Black 'N Blue, including Tommy Thayer, made a reunion appearance in their home town of Portland, Oregon on December 8, 2007, at Berbati's Pan & Restaurant. The concert benefited the band's long-time friend Kenny Nordone in his struggle with cancer. In the summer of 2008, Black 'N Blue formally reunited to play at Rocklahoma, with Shawn Sonnenschein once again as guitarist.
In 2008, a report on SleazeRoxx.com gave a new projected release date for the Hell Yeah! album as sometime that year. However, it remained unreleased for another three years. On October 9, 2010, Black 'N Blue was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. The classic line up including Tommy Thayer performed a reunion concert that night at Portland's Roseland Theater. In 2011, Jaime St. James' website posted new release dates for Hell Yeah! under Frontiers Records. The set release dates for the album included a premiere release date in Japan on April 20, 2011; a European release date on May 13, 2011; and a United States release date of May 17, 2011. The album received a generally positive reviews. The band remains active and continues to tour and play live shows.
The band performed five shows in 2013; March 8 at the Hawthorne Theater in their hometown of Portland, October 19 at "SkullFest" in Nebraska, November 15 at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, November 16 at Vamp'd in Las Vegas, and December 27 at the District in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. These 2013 shows marked the debut of new guitarist Brandon Cook, who replaced Jeff "Woop" Warner. 2017 saw the departure of Shawn Sonnenschein and the debut of former Vicious Rumors guitarist Bobby Capka.
The lineup debuting new guitarist Doug Rappoport, performed at Monsters on the Mountain Rock festival, October 2021 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and then again on The Kiss Kruise in October '21 and on The Monsters of Rock cruise Feb '22.
Upon the departure of Doug Rappoport, the band recruited Mick Caldwell as their new second guitarist. The band performed in Winchester Virginia with this lineup. Subsequent shows include the Monsters of Rock Cruise 2024 as well as Rocktember 2024 in Hinckley Minnesota.
Black 'N Blue performs regularly at annual U.S. Rock festivals and Rock Cruises.

Live albums

One Night Only: Live (1998)
Live in Detroit – 1984 (2002)

Compilation albums

The Demos Remastered: Anthology 1 (2001)
Ultimate Collection (2001)
Rarities (2007)