Warrant
A product of the late '80s Los Angeles club scene, Warrant comprised John ‘Jani’ Lane (b. 1 February 1964, Akron, Ohio, USA; vocals), guitarists Erik Turner (b. 31 March 1964, Omaha, Nebraska, USA) and Joey Allen (b. 23 June 1964, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA), Jerry Dixon (b. 15 September 1967, Pasadena, California, USA; bass) and Steven Sweet (b. 29 October 1965, Wadsworth, Ohio, USA; drums). A clever self-promotion campaign and sterling live work turned the band into LA's hottest unsigned outfit, and Columbia Records were quick to step in. DIRTY ROTTEN FILTHY STINKING RICH was a solid debut, and Down Boys, coupled with exhaustive touring made it a hit. However, sales went through the roof as MTV favourite, Heaven, rose to number 2 in the US charts. This success, along with that of another ballad, Sometimes She Cries, and the band's looks, led to image problems, with Warrant unjustly viewed as a manufactured act in some quarters of the press. The tongue-in-cheek pop metal title-track of CHERRY PIE, written by Lane in 45 minutes to round off the album, was another enormous hit, but did little to redress the band's credibility problems, although lesser hits I Saw Red and Uncle Tom's Cabin undoubtedly helped. The band's UK debut supporting Dave Lee Roth had little chance to impress the British press, as the dates had to be abandoned when Lane fell and cracked a rib on the first night. DOG EAT DOG was a credible attempt at a heavier approach, but during the grunge era it sold dramatically less than either of its multi-million-selling predecessors. Lane went solo, with Columbia reducing both parties to demo deals, and although he later rejoined, Allen and Sweet departed, the latter leaving the music business altogether. Former Kingdom Come/Wild Horses (US) duo Rick Steier and James Kottak, who had worked on Lane's solo project, replaced them respectively.