Ugly Kid Joe
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| Ugly Kid Joe | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Isla Vista, California, USA |
| Genre(s) | Hard rock, Heavy metal, Funk rock |
| Years active | 1989 – 1997 |
| Label(s) | Mercury/Stardog |
| Associated acts | Another Animal,Godsmack |
| Former members | |
| Whitfield Crane Klaus Eichstadt Dave Fortman Cordell Crockett Shannon Larkin |
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Ugly Kid Joe was a rock band from Isla Vista, California, USA. The band’s name is a pun on the band Pretty Boy Floyd. Unlike a lot of other heavy metal bands, UKJ's sound touched on a range of styles, including; hard rock, southern, funk, rap & thrash. In conclusion to the band's overall sound & vision, the members of the band have cited many times, that they were simply a manifestation of their environment & lifestyles -- mounting from their geographic location of Southern California.
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[edit] Background
The band enjoyed popularity in the early to mid 1990s with their mix of satirical humor and metal sound. Their logo was a cartoon embodiment of an “ugly kid” wearing a backward baseball hat and giving the finger. Heavily influenced by Black Sabbath & AC/DC, they covered several of their songs, including, “Sweet Leaf”, “N.I.B.” and “Sin City”. They toured the US several times — their second tour was in support of Scatterbrain, and later opening for former Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne.
Ugly Kid Joe first gained success with “Everything About You,” which peaked at #3 in the UK Singles Chart. Later the song was used in the movie Wayne's World. Further singles did not fare as well, however the positive response to the band’s live performance of Harry Chapin’s “Cats in the Cradle” prompted a studio version, subsequently released as a well-received single that sold over 500,000 copies in the United States alone and peaked at #7 in the UK Singles Chart. After a world tour in support of their 1992 full-length album America's Least Wanted, the band searched around for a replacement drummer, as Mark Davis left to pursue a life away from the spotlight. Davis was eventually replaced by Shannon Larkin, formerly of the metal band Souls At Zero. His contributions led to a grittier sound for the second album Menace to Sobriety, released in the summer of 1995.
Menace to Sobriety received much praise from the press and fans, and UK rock magazine Kerrang! ranked it as a contender for “album of the year.”[citation needed] Despite success overseas and a successful European tour, the album was given little encouragement from Mercury Records & subsequently failed in the United States.
After being dropped by Mercury Records, Ugly Kid Joe formed their own independent label Evilution Records for the release of their next album. With distribution support from Castle Communications, the album Motel California was released at the end of 1996, and again the band toured Europe to smaller crowds. The tour was named “Late check-out Tour”, underlining the band's characteristic sense-of-humor. Motel California, an album the singer described as "heavy, funky & has everything in it", initially received lukewarm reviews and sold poorly, though it has gained a minor cult following in recent times.
Ugly Kid Joe disbanded 1997, and as of 2007 have not expressed plans for reuniting. Drummer Larkin is currently a member of Godsmack, while singer Crane has collaborated with some Godsmack members on a new project called Another Animal.
[edit] Former members
- Whitfield Crane — vocals
- Klaus Eichstadt — guitar, vocals
- Cordell Crockett — bass guitar, vocals
- Dave Fortman — guitar (replaced Roger Lahr)
- Shannon Larkin — drums, percussion (replaced Mark Davis)
- Roger Lahr — guitar
- Mark Davis — drums, percussion
- Bob Fernandez — drums, percussion
[edit] Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | As Ugly As They Wanna Be (EP) | Stardog |
| 1992 | America's Least Wanted | Stardog |
| 1995 | Menace to Sobriety | Mercury |
| 1996 | Motel California | Castle |
| 1998 | The Very Best of Ugly Kid Joe: As Ugly as It Gets | Polygram |
| 2002 | The Collection | Spectrum |
[edit] External links
- Official Ugly Kid Joe MySpace page
- Interview with Guitarist Klaus Eichstadt
- All Music Guide entry for Ugly Kid Joe
- Ugly Kid Joe Information, News and Lyrics
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