In an effort to be taken more seriously, Ratt broke from the tradition of featuring a woman on the cover. Instead, they opted for gritty black-and-white portraits of each of the five band members. Likewise, the album does not contain a single power ballad amongst its ten tracks and even…
Read More
Ratt’s next release was Dancing Undercover on August 9, 1986. The album was a relative disappointment with most music critics at the time of its release, as it took on a heavier sound than the ones on the previous albums. From a commercial standpoint however, the album kept Ratt’s string…
Read More
The band’s second full-length album, Invasion of Your Privacy , was released in July 1985. It peaked at No. 7 (which is the same peak position that Out of the Cellar attained). The album met with mostly positive reactions from fans and critics. AllMusic has called it “another batch of…
Read More
The self-titled independent EP was well-received, and the band was signed by Atlantic Records . Ratt immediately started writing and recording their first full-length album. Out of the Cellar was released in March 1984 and was praised by both fans and critics. Pearcy’s raspy yet bluesy vocals were noted for…
Read More
In July 1983, Ratt signed with the production company Time Coast Music. The company was run by the band’s then-manager, Marshall Berle. Time Coast had previously issued records by Spirit and The Alley Cats .
Released in 1983, the band’s self-titled EP sold over 100,000 records. The band grew in popularity on the Hollywood, L.A. club circuit, selling out multiple shows on weekends. Stephen Pearcy and Robbin Crosby co-wrote the band’s first single, “You Think You’re Tough”, which found its way onto local radio stations…
Read More
Crosby played with the band later in the year. Guitarist Warren DeMartini , recommended by Lee, joined the band in January 1982. Bassist Gene Hunter (from Jake E. Lee’s Teaser) and drummer Khurt Maier (who played drums on the early “Tell the World” written by Pearcy was their first recording…
Read More
In 1980, to increase their chances of landing a recording contract with a major label, the band recorded a single called “Dr. Rock” / “Drivin’ on E”, which was given to fans at their early Los Angeles club shows.
The model on Invasion ‘ s cover is Playboy Playmate Marianne Gravatte , who also made an appearance in the “Lay It Down” music video. Using a female model on an album cover later became a trend copied by many glam metal bands of the 1980s, including Great White and…
Read More
The origins of Ratt date back to 1973 in Hollywood, with a band called Firedome, founded by singer Stephen Pearcy with a few friends. In 1974, the band broke up, with Pearcy forming Crystal Pystal. The name Crystal Pystal was changed to Mickey Ratt at some point in 1976. The…
Read More