Waysted
Waysted were formed in 1982 by ex-UFO bassist Pete Way after he failed to get Fastway off the ground with Fast Eddie Clarke. He subsequently set about putting this band together in America, where he was helping Ozzy Osbourne out, and soon found Ronnie Kayfield (ex-Heartbreakers), who was teaching guitar at the time. Returning to the UK, he further enlisted Frank Noon (Def Leppard/Next Band) on drums, UFO guitarist/keyboard player Paul Raymond and vocalist Ian ‘Fin’ Muir (ex-Flying Squad). Chrysalis Records (home to UFO) showed interest and signed them to a one album deal. The resulting VICES featured several excellent compositions including Toy With The Passion, Love Loaded and a cover of Jefferson Airplane's Somebody To Love. However, the line-up instabilities which plagued the band began when Raymond was fired on the eve of a UK tour supporting Dio. Guitarist Barry Benedetta (himself about to audition for UFO) was added before a famously riotous US tour with Ozzy and Motley Crue, but he, old friend Kayfield and Noon were all sacked afterwards as Waysted and Chrysalis parted company. Ex-Jess Cox guitarist Neil Shepherd barely lasted beyond the recording of WAYSTED, which featured ex-UFO drummer Andy Parker, before he was in turn replaced by another UFO refugee, Paul Chapman, as Waysted toured the UK with Iron Maiden. The album was produced by ex-Ten Years After member Leo Lyons and also featured contributions from former Angelic Upstarts drummer Decca Wade. THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WAYSTED proved to be the band's best album as Way and Chapman blended perfectly to provide a weightier blues-rock sound which suited Fin's smokey vocals, but line-up changes continued with the addition of ex-Fastway drummer Jerry Shirley and temporary keyboard/guitar player Jimmy DiLella, formerly with Chapman's D.O.A. band. Any hopes of stability vanished when Fin was replaced by ex-D.O.A. vocalist Danny Vaughn and Johnny DiTeodora joined on drums, but the band gained a new deal with Parlophone for SAVE YOUR PRAYERS, which saw Waysted move towards classic UFO in style, with Vaughn's vocals smoothing out the rough edges of his predecessor. The revitalised Waysted embarked on a UK and European tour supporting Status Quo and US tour with Iron Maiden, but Chapman subsequently departed and was replaced by 17-year old American Erik Gamans, who displayed a startling talent on his debut live shows. However, Vaughn quit, forming Tyketto, and the clearly declining band returned to the UK, recording demos with Martin Chaisson (b. Martin Smith) with guest vocals from Quireboys' Spike Gray before recruiting ex-Tygers Of Pan Tang vocalist Jon Deverill, but the band finally split in late 1987. Way rejoined Phil Mogg in a revamped UFO, DiTeodora joined Britny Fox, and Gamans reappeared in Cold Sweat.