Chart History: James Gang

Chart History is a feature that highlights a hard rock/heavy metal act and how well the duo/group or individual performed on the Billboard charts.

Today we focus on the James Gang. Here is a rundown of all singles and albums that charted while the group was together. Greatest hits and other compilations are not included - only studio and live albums are.

Albums:
1970: Yer Album (No.83)
1970: The James Gang Rides Again (No.20)
1971: Thirds (No.27)
1971: Live In Concert (No.24)
1972: Passin' Thru (No.72)
1974: Bang (No.122)
1975: Miami (No.97)
1976: Newborn (No.109)
1978: Straight Shooter (No.58)

Singles:
1. Funk #49 (No.59)
2. Midnight Man (No.80)
3. Walk Away (No.51)
4. Must Be Love (No.54)

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Golden Earring

Golden Earring was formed in 1961 in The Hague by 13-year-old George Kooymans and his 15-year-old neighbour, Rinus Gerritsen. Originally called The Tornados, the name was changed to Golden Earrings when they discovered that "The Tornados" was already in use.

In 1968, the band earned their first number one hit in the Netherlands with the pop song "Dong Dong Diki Diki Dong. This was followed by the success of their psychedelic album Eight Miles High, which featured an eighteen-minute version of the title track, itself a cover of The Byrds hit. The live version, which could last 45 minutes, was considered by some to be a highlight in their first and second American tours.

Golden Earring embarked on their first major US tour in 1969 - 1970, and were among the first European bands to do so. Due to American influences, their music evolved towards hard rock, and they performed along with Led Zeppelin. Between 1969 and 1984, Golden Earring completed thirteen US tours. During this period, they performed as the opening act for Santana, The Doobie Brothers, Rush and .38 Special; and in the early seventies, when "Radar Love" was a hit, had KISS and Aerosmith as their opening act.

They enjoyed a brief period of stardom but were unable to secure further chart success until 1982's "Twilight Zone", which was followed by "When the Lady Smiles" in 1984. After a rather disappointing reaction in the US to the latter, Golden Earring turned their focus towards Europe where they continue to attract standing-room-only crowds. Golden Earring has recorded over 30 gold and platinum albums and singles , and a number of artists like U2, White Lion, R.E.M. and Bryan Adams have covered their international hit and rock classic "Radar Love". In total, over 200 covers exist of this song.

Golden Earring has kept the same line-up since 1970. The band is the longest existing rock band in the world, as they were founded in 1961, one year before the Rolling Stones.

While Golden Earring has almost faded from the international concert scene, they still maintain a core group of loyal fans, and their music is still played on US, Canadian, British, Australian and other radio stations.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Edgar Winter Group

Edgar Winter, the second son of John and Edwina Winter, was born December 28, 1946 in Beaumont, TX, and much of the credit for Edgar and Johnny's early musical awareness must go to the brothers' parents, who have been a constant source of encouragement throughout their respective musical careers.

The boys' father sang in a barbershop quartet, in their church choir, and played saxophone in a jazz group. Edgar and Johnny, who's three years older, began performing together as teens, playing local watering holes like Tom's Fish Camp before they were old enough to drink.

By the summer of 1972, through constant touring, (and a ready willingness to do interviews, unlike his older brother), Winter formed the Edgar Winter Group in the summer of 1972. In January, 1973, Epic released They Only Come Out at Night, produced by guitarist Rick Derringer, which reached number three in the U.S. This album had Winter's most famous song, "Frankenstein," which reached number one in the U.S. in May of 1973.

Later that year, "Free Ride" from the same album reached number 14. Although he's never matched that kind of commercial radio success again, Winter has continued to tour and record at a prolific pace. He relocated from New York City to Beverly Hills in 1989 to pursue movie score work, which he's had some success with, most notably with a slightly reworked version of "Frankenstein" for the movie Wayne's World II.

Although his early-'70s albums like Entrance, White Trash, They Only Come Out at Night and Shock Treatment are bluesier affairs than some of his later albums, there are blues tunes like "Big City Woman" on one of his 1990s releases, Not a Kid Anymore (1994), on the Intersound label, and 1999's Winter Blues was almost wholly devoted to the genre.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Accept

Cinderella was formed in Philadelphia in 1982 by singer
songwriter/guitarist/keyboardist Tom Keifer and bassist Eric Brittingham. The initial lineup also included guitarist Michael Smerick and drummer Tony Destra, who eventually left to form Britny Fox in 1985, a Philadelphia-based band that later relocated to Los Angeles.

The band got its big break when Jon Bon Jovi saw them perform at the Empire Rock Club in Philadelphia and recommended that his A&R rep see them as well.[1] In 1985, with a recording contract with Mercury/Polygram Records in the works, guitarist Jeff LaBar and drummer Jim Drnec joined the band.

During the recording of the band's 1986 debut album, Night Songs, studio session drummer Jody Cortez[2] was brought in when producer Andy Johns found drummer Drnec difficult to work with. While finishing the recording, Drnec was replaced by former London drummer Fred Coury, who joined in time to make the album's cover and play on upcoming tours. Night Songs was released on August 2, 1986, and eventually achieved triple platinum status, selling 50,000 copies per week at one point.

Cinderella's second album, Long Cold Winter, was released in 1988. A 254-show tour to support it lasted over 14 months and included dates on the Moscow Music Peace Festival along side other metal acts, such as Ozzy Osbourne, Scorpions, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, and Skid Row. The tour's stage show included Keifer being lowered to the stage while playing a white piano during their radio hit "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)".

Their third album, Heartbreak Station, was released in 1990 and featured songs more influenced by Keifer's love of the blues. Following the accompanying tour, Fred Coury left the band and joined former Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy in the band Arcade.

In 1991, Keifer completely lost his voice due to a paresis of his vocal cord. He also underwent several surgeries to repair a vocal cyst and hemorrhage.[3] This added to delays in recording of their fourth album. In 1994, they finally released Still Climbing with Kenny Aronoff on drums, but with little support from their label and none from MTV, the album quickly disappeared from the charts. The band broke up in 1995.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Angel

Angel are a glam rock, heavy metal, and progressive rock band from Washington, DC, formed in the mid-70s. They were discovered by Kiss bass player Gene Simmons performing at a nightclub and were signed to Kiss’ record label Casablanca.

Their image of dressing in all white was a deliberate contrast to Kiss, who wore black. Sometimes cited as the band that invented glam metal, Angel sported an androgynous image and elaborate stage sets. They were slammed by rock critics, and Frank Zappa ridiculed the all-male band’s female appearance in the song “Punky’s Whips.” Angel never achieved mass commercial success but acquired a following as a cult band.

They made an appearance in the film Foxes and Frank DiMino sang “Seduce Me Tonight” on the Flashdance soundtrack.

Although Angel never officially disbanded, members went on to other things following the release of their live album. Lead vocalist Frank Dimino joined UFO guitarist Paul Raymond in the Paul Raymond Project in which he sang lead vocals. Bassist Felix Robinson played on the debut album of the band White Lion, Fight to Survive.

Angel’s keyboardist Gregg Giuffria had modest success as the leader of the band Giuffria during the 1980s, along with the band House of Lords. The rest of the band reunited briefly (sans Giuffria) in 1987, but was unable to secure a new record contract and split again not too long afterward. A demo tape recorded during this period includes three songs: “Hot ’n’ Heavy,” “Take Away My Feelings,” and “Can’t Last Forever.”

Time For a Vacation

I am taking a much needed vacation from work and blogging.

I will return to the Denim and Leather blog next Monday.

Take care everyone, peace.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Triumph

Formed in Toronto during 1975, the trio consisted of guitarist/singer Rik Emmett, drummer/singer Gil Moore, and bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine, and issued their self-titled debut a year later via the independent Attic label. Although the album was largely ignored, it became a favorite of a radio DJ in San Antonio, TX, which led to a regional following solidified by a tour of the state.

The exposure also gave way to a deal with RCA Records, who reissued the debut as well as Triumph's sophomore effort, 1977's Rock & Roll Machine, which spawned the group's first semi-hit single, a cover of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way." It was also around this time that the group became known for its concerts, which relied heavily on pyrotechnics and an intricate light show.

With their stock rising among hard rock fans, Triumph inked a new recording contract with MCA, which led to their most successful period both artistically and commercially. Such resulting albums as 1979's Just a Game and 1980's Progressions of Power inched the group closer to breakthrough success, which was obtained by a pair of back-to-back gold-certified albums: 1981's Allied Forces (often considered the group's best album, which spawned the hit anthem "Fight the Good Fight") and 1982's Never Surrender.

Such further albums as 1984's Thunder Seven, 1985's Stages, 1985's The Sport of Kings, and 1987's Surveillance failed to meet the expectations set by their earlier releases, yet the group was able to retain its following. Come 1988, Emmett opted to leave the group to pursue a solo career, but instead of calling it a day, Moore and Levine decided to carry on with a new frontman/guitarist.

The Phil X-led version of the group only managed to issue a single release however, 1993's Edge of Excess, before Triumph split up for good.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: April Wine

April Wine formed in late 1969 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but vocalist/guitarist Myles Goodwyn, guitarist David Henman, drummer Ritchie Henman and bassist Jimmy Henman soon moved to Montreal. "Fast Train," their first hit, appeared in 1971, the same year as the self-titled debut album.

Jimmy Henman left soon after and was replaced by Jimmy Clench. The next year brought the band's first Canadian number one single, "You Could Have Been a Lady," from On Record. David and Ritchie Henman left before the next album, Electric Jewels, could be recorded; they were replaced by Jerry Mercer and Gary Moffet.

After April Wine Live (1974) and Stand Back (1975), Steve Lang replaced Clench, who left to join Bachman-Turner Overdrive and later Loverboy. In 1976, The Whole World's Goin' Crazy became the first Canadian album to go platinum and their resulting tour was the first to gross one million dollars.

Guitarist Brian Greenway was added that same year, making the band a sextet. After 1978's First Glance and 1979's Harder...Faster, "Just Between You and Me" became April Wine's biggest U.S. hit. The single (one of three Top 40 American singles by the band) propelled 1981's Nature of the Beast to platinum-record status.

Power Play followed in 1982, and 1984's Animal Grace was their last album until 1993's Attitude.

Chart History: Mountain

Chart History is a feature that highlights a hard rock/heavy metal act and how well the duo/group or individual performed on the Billboard charts.

Today we focus on Mountain. Here is a rundown of all singles and albums that charted while the group was together. Greatest hits and other compilations are not included -only studio and live albums are.

Albums:
1970: Mountain Climbing (No.17)
1971: Nantucket Sleighride (No.16)
1972: Flowers Of Evil (No.35)
1972: Mountain Live (No.63)
1974: Avalanche (No.102)
1975: Twin Peaks (No.142)
1985: Go For Your Life (No.166)

Singles:
1. Mississippi Queen (No.21)
2. The Animal Trainer and The Toad (No.76)

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Suicidal Tendencies

Formed in Venice, CA, during the early '80s, the group's leader from the beginning was outspoken vocalist Mike Muir. The outfit specialized in vicious hardcore early on — building a huge following among skateboarders, lending a major hand in the creation of skatepunk — before turning their focus eventually to thrash metal.

Early on, the group (whose original lineup included Muir, guitarist Grant Estes, bassist Louiche Mayorga, and drummer Amery Smith) found it increasingly difficult to book shows, due to rumors of its members' affiliation with local gangs and consistent violence at their performances.

The underground buzz regarding Suicidal Tendencies grew too loud for labels to ignore though, as the quartet signed on with the indie label Frontier; issuing Muir and company's classic self-titled debut in 1983. The album quickly became the best-selling hardcore album up to that point; its best-known track, "Institutionalized," was one of the first hardcore punk videos to receive substantial airplay on MTV.

Suicidal Tendencies proved influential for future speed/thrash metal bands, but despite its early success, the quartet's reputation preceded them, as no other record label was willing to take them on (in addition, Los Angeles banned the group from playing around this time, lasting until the early '90s).

Not much was heard from the group for several years afterward (leading many to believe that Suicidal had broken up), but Muir and company eventually found a home with Caroline Records. By this time, half of the original lineup had left; Muir and Mayorga were the only holdovers, while guitarist Rocky George and drummer R.J. Herrera rounded out the group. 1987 saw the release of Suicidal's sophomore release, Join the Army, which spawned another popular skatepunk anthem, "Possessed to Skate," as more and more metal heads began to be spotted in Suicidal's audience.

Soon after, Suicidal was finally offered a major-label contract (with Epic), as another lineup change occurred: Mayorga exited the band, while newcomer Bob Heathcote took his spot; and a second guitarist, Mike Clark, was added as well. This Suicidal lineup's first album together, 1988's How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today, showed that their transformation from hardcore to heavy metal was now complete.

Suicidal's first release of the new decade, 1990's Lights, Camera, Revolution, was another success; its video for the explosive "You Can't Bring Me Down" received repeated airings on MTV's Headbanger's Ball program, while the album (in addition to the Controlled by Hatred comp) would be certified gold in the U.S. a few years later.

The release also signaled the arrival of new bassist Robert Trujillo, whose penchant for funk added a new element to the group's sound. The group tried to broaden their audience even further by opening a string of arena shows for prog-metallists Queensrÿche during the summer of 1991. Their next release, 1992's The Art of Rebellion, proved to be one of Suicidal's most musically experimental albums of their career. But after one more release, 1994's Suicidal for Life, Suicidal Tendencies decided to hang it up.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Joe Satriani

Along with teaching some of the top rock guitar players of the '80s and '90s, Joe Satriani is one of the most technically accomplished and widely respected guitarists to emerge in recent times.

Born on July 15, 1956, in Westbury, NY, and raised in the nearby town of Carle Place, Satriani — inspired by guitar legend Jimi Hendrix — picked up the guitar at the age of 14 (although he was initially more interested in the drums). Quickly learning the instrument, Satriani began teaching guitar to others and found a kindred spirit in one of his students, Steve Vai.

By the late '70s, however, Satriani had relocated to Berkeley, CA. With his sights set on his own musical career, "Satch" kept teaching others, including such future rock notables as Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Larry LaLonde (Primus), David Bryson (Counting Crows), and jazz fusion player Charlie Hunter.

When Vai hit the big time as the guitarist of David Lee Roth's solo band in 1986, he offered praise for his good friend and former teacher in several major guitar publications, leading to widespread interest in Satriani's playing. The timing couldn't have been more perfect for Satch, as he'd just issued his first full-length solo album, Not of This Earth, which automatically made ripples in the rock guitar community.

But the best was still to come, in the form of his sophomore release, 1987's Surfing with the Alien. Almost overnight, Satriani was widely regarded as one of rock's top guitarists, as the album earned gold certification and the guitarist would finish at the top of guitar magazine polls for years afterward. He was even handpicked by Mick Jagger to accompany the famous singer on a tour of Australia and Japan around this time.

Satriani issued his third solo full-length, Flying in a Blue Dream. Another sizeable hit, the album also marked Satch's debut as a vocalist on several tracks. His career received another big push the same year when his song "One Big Rush" was included on the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's hit movie Say Anything.

Satriani continues to release commercially and critically successful material.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Faith No More

With their fusion of heavy metal, funk, hip-hop, and progressive rock, Faith No More has earned a substantial cult following.

Their debut, We Care a Lot, featured Chuck Mosley's abrasive vocals but was driven by Jim Martin's metallic guitar. Faith No More's next album, 1987's Introduce Yourself, was a more cohesive and impressive effort; for the first time, the rap and metal elements didn't sound like they were fighting each other.

In 1988, the rest of the band fired Mosley; he was replaced by Bay Area vocalist Mike Patton during the recording of their next album, The Real Thing. Patton was a more accomplished vocalist, able to change effortlessly between rapping and singing, as well as adding a considerably more bizarre slant to the lyrics. Besides adding a new vocalist, the band had tightened its attack and the result was the genre-bending hit single "Epic," which established them as a major hard rock act.

Following up the hit wasn't as easy, however. Faith No More followed their breakthrough success with 1992's Angel Dust, one of the more complex and simply confounding records ever released by a major label. Although it sold respectably, it didn't have the crossover potential of the first album.

When the band toured in support of the album, tensions between the band and Martin began to escalate; rumors that his guitar was stripped from some of the final mixes of Angel Dust began to circulate. As the band was recording its fifth album in early 1994, it was confirmed that Martin had been fired from the band.

Faith No More continued with a string of uneven records before calling it a day in 1996.

Chart History: Rush

Chart History is a feature that highlights a hard rock/heavy metal act and how well the duo/group or individual performed on the Billboard charts.

Today we focus on Rush. Here is a rundown of all singles and albums that charted while the group was together. Greatest hits and other compilations are not included -only studio and live albums are.

Albums:
1974: Rush (No.105)
1975: Caress of Steel (No.148)
1975: Fly By Night (No.113)
1976: 2112 (No.61)
1976: All The World's A Stage (No.40)
1977: A Farewell To Kings (No.33)
1978: Hemispheres (No.47)
1980: Permanent Waves (No.4)
1981: Moving Pictures (No.3)
1981: Exit...Stage Left (No.10)
1982: Signals (No.10)
1984: Grace Under Pressure (No.10)
1985: Power Windows (No.10)
1987: Hold Your Fire (No.13)
1989: Presto (No.16)
1989: A Show Of Hands (No.21)
1991: Roll The Bones (No.3)
1993: Counterparts (No.2)
1996: Test For Echo (No.5)
1998: Different Stages: Live (No.35)
2002: Vapor Trails (No.6)
2003: Rush In Rio (No.33)
2004: Feedback (No.19)
2007: Snakes And Arrows (No.3)

Singles:
1. Closer To The Heart (No.76)
2. Fly By Night (No.88)
3. The Spirit Of Radio (No.51)
4. Tom Sawyer (No.44)
5. Limelight (No.55)
6. Closer To The Heart (Live) (No.69)
7. New World Man (No.21)
8. The Big Money (No.45)

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Slayer

Slayer was one of the most distinctive, influential, and extreme thrash metal bands of the 1980s. Their graphic lyrics deal with everything from death and dismemberment to war and the horrors of hell.

Their full-throttle velocity, wildly chaotic guitar solos, and powerful musical chops paint an effectively chilling sonic background for their obsessive chronicling of the dark side; this correspondence has helped Slayer's music hold up arguably better than the remaining Big Three '80s thrash outfits (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax).

Slayer was formed in 1982 in Huntington Beach, CA, by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman; also recruited were bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo. The band started out playing covers of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden songs, but quickly discovered that they could get attention (and fans) by exploiting threatening, satanic imagery.

The band was invited by Metal Blade's Brian Slagel to contribute a track to the Metal Massacre, Vol. 3 compilation (a series that also saw the vinyl debuts of Metallica and Voivod); a contract and debut album, Show No Mercy, followed shortly thereafter. While Slayer's early approach was rather cartoonish, their breakneck speed and instrumental prowess were still highly evident.

Two EPs, Haunting the Chapel and Live Undead, were released in 1984, but 1985's Hell Awaits refined their lyrical obsessions into a sort of concept album about damnation and torture and made an immediate sensation in heavy metal circles, winning Slayer a rabid cult following.

Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin took a liking to the band, signed them to his label, and contributed the first clear-sounding production heard on any Slayer album for the stripped-down Reign in Blood. Due to the graphic nature of the material, CBS refused to distribute the album, which garnered a great deal of publicity for the band; eventually, Geffen Records stepped in.

Combining Slayer's trademark speed metal with the tempos and song lengths (if not structures) of hardcore, along with the band's most disturbing lyrics yet, Reign in Blood was an instant classic, breaking the band through to a wider audience.

Slayer continues to release successful album after successful album despite constant lineup shifts. The current album on the docket is Chris Illusion, released in 2006.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Pantera

No band affected the metal world more than Pantera during the early to mid-'90s. As a matter of fact, in the face of Brittany Spears, N'Sync and the like, Pantera, more than any other band kept metal from extinction in the 90s.

Pantera's beginnings date back to the early '80s when the Texas-based band began releasing albums on the Metal Magic label. Originally, the band featured then-teenaged brothers Darrell Abbott (aka Dimebag Darrell and, for a short while, Diamond Darrell) and Vinnie Paul Abbott (aka Vinnie Paul), as well as Rex Brown (aka Rex Rocker) and Terrence Lee (aka Terry Glaze).

While these '80s albums are no doubt curious to hear, it's fairly evident that this was a much different Pantera. For the most part, fans and surely the band treat Cowboys from Hell as Pantera's "official" debut album featuring the group's longtime lineup: Anselmo (vocals), Dimebag (guitar), Vinnie Paul (drums), and Rex Brown (bass).

This album put Pantera on the national metal map, particularly thanks to songs like "Cemetery Gates" and the title track. Two years later, Pantera returned with Vulgar Display of Power and solidified their status as an up-and-coming metal band with a unique sound. It took a little while, but Vulgar Display of Power made serious waves among metalheads.

When Far Beyond Driven hit the streets in 1994, Pantera had become the most popular band in the metal land. The album debuted atop the Billboard album charts — quite a feat for such extreme music! — and the band continued its seemingly never-ending string of tours, packing sports arenas across America.

When Pantera returned in 1996 with their next album, The Great Southern Trendkill, quite a bit had changed. They'd begun experimenting with their sound, slowing down their tempos and moving away from the relentless heaviness of Far Beyond Driven.

It would be four years before Pantera released another studio album, releasing a stopgap live album in 1997, the fierce Official Live: 101 Proof. During this long interim, rumors swirled and Anselmo further distanced himself from the band, participating in various side projects, among them Down, with which he experienced quite a bit of success.

Pantera did reunite, however — one last time — for Reinventing the Steel, which was released in 2000 and, like The Great Southern Trendkill, didn't come close to matching the impact of Far Beyond Driven. By this point the band's following had dwindled, and the metal landscape had undergone serious changes with the emergence of alt-metal bands like Korn and Tool, not to mention the likes of Marilyn Manson and Limp Bizkit.

Pantera would dissolve later with Anselmo releasing material under the Down and Superjoint Ritual monikers.

Meanwhile, Dimebag and Vinnie Paul formed Damageplan, a fairly stable band that sought to pick up where Pantera had left off. In fact, they even played some Pantera songs during their live shows.

Following the release of their debut album, New Found Power, and some club shows, Damageplan met a tragic end on December 7, 2004. That night — 24 years after John Lennon's shooting to the day! — a homicidal fan shot Dimebag at a small club show in Columbus, OH. The band hadn't gotten more than a song into its show before the murderer breached security, jumped on-stage, and shot the guitarist numerous times at point blank, murdering a few others in the process.

Despite the tragic slaying, the legacy Pantera left behind will last a lifetime. They were one of the greates metal bands of all time.

Chart History: Montrose

Chart History is a feature that highlights a hard rock/heavy metal act and how well the duo/group or individual performed on the Billboard charts.

Today we focus on Montrose. Here is a rundown of all singles and albums that charted while the group was together. Greatest hits and other compilations are not included -only studio and live albums are.

Albums:
1974: Montrose (No.133)
1974: Paper Money (No.65)
1975: Warner Brothers Presents Montrose (No.79)
1976: Jump On It (No.118)
1978: Open Fire (No.98)

Singles:
None

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Dream Theater

Prog metal has had two dominating bands reign over the genre. The first was Rush and following them was Dream Theater.

The technically proficient guitar playing of John Petrucci elevated Dream Theater to the upper echelons of contemporary heavy metal. While its lineup has continuously evolved, the Long Island-based quintet has consistently delivered sharp-edged music.

Originally named Majesty by Berklee College of Music students Petrucci, bassist John Myung, and drummer Mike Portnoy, the band soon expanded with the addition of keyboard player Kevin Moore and vocalist Chris Collins. Releasing an eight-tune demo, Majesty Demo, as Majesty, the group sold 1,000 copies within six months.

The departure of Collins in late 1986 left Majesty without a vocalist, and after a long period of auditioning possible replacements, the group settled on Charlie Dominici in November 1987. Changing its name, the group agreed on "Dream Theater," inspired by a now-demolished California movie theater.

Signing with Mechanic Records, the group began working on its first full-length album. Delays caused by label mismanagement limited the group to performing at small clubs and bars. Frustrated by its experiences with the label, Dream Theater finally severed its ties with Mechanic.

This was only one drastic change in the band's course of action. Firing Dominici, the group spent the next couple years searching for a vocalist. The search ended in late 1991 when a demo tape from Canadian vocalist James LaBrie, formerly of Winter Rose, arrived. After flying to New York to audition, LaBrie was invited to join the band.

Signing with Atco Atlantic (which came to be known as East West), Dream Theater released its second album, Images & Words, in 1992. One of three videos based on songs from the album, "Pull Me Under," became an MTV hit. Although Theater showed considerable growth with their third studio album, Awake, recorded between May and July 1994, the group continued to be hampered by personnel changes.

Before the album was mixed, keyboardist Moore left the group to focus on his solo career. Hired as a temporary replacement for the band's Waking Up the World tour, Derek Sherinian later became a permanent member. His first recording with Dream Theater was a 23-minute epic, "A Change of Seasons," written in 1989 and released in September 1995 on the album of the same name.

Dream Theater experienced yet another change when Jordan Rudess was tapped to replace Sherinian, who had been fired in 1999. The band released the progressive rock-heavy Scenes from a Memory that year, a conceptual piece that followed the story of a 1928 murder of a young woman and how a modern man is haunted by the crime.

The group continued in the progressive metal vein in 2002 with Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, followed by the leaner Train of Thought in 2003 and Octavarium in 2005. The live album Score: XOX was released in 2006 and featured the band backed by a 29-piece orchestra. It was followed a year later by the new studio album Systematic Chaos.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Fates Warning

When prog rock first reared its head during the early '70s it contained elements of hard rock, but few bands crossed the line into heavy metal. This all changed during the '80s, when bands such as Dream Theater, Watchtower, and Fates Warning merged their love of Yes and Rush with their admiration for Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

Formed in Hartford, Connecticut in 1983, Fates Warning has endured quite a few lineup changes since its inception, with the exception of guitarist Jim Matheos, who has been present through it all. Starting off as a straight-ahead metal band (their progressive side didn't show up until a few years later), Fates Warning built a regional following which soon led to a recording contract with metal indie label Metal Blade.

With vocals being handled by John Arch, Fates Warning issued such titles as 1984's Nights on Brocken, 1985's The Spectre Within, and 1986's Awaken the Guardian, the latter of which became the first record from the group to appear on the Billboard album charts. Wanting to break out of a somewhat one-dimensional metal sound, Arch was dismissed in 1987 and replaced with Ray Alder. The move immediately paid off for Fates Warning, as their music (and lyrics/subject matter) became much more complex and challenging.

The move immediately paid off for Fates Warning, as their music (and lyrics/subject matter) became much more complex and challenging. The band's first recording with Alder, 1988's No Exit, would go on to become their highest charting album ever (peaking at number 111), and was followed up a year later with Perfect Symmetry, as well as an inaugural tour of Europe.

The band continues to tour and release new product with 2004's FWX being their latest release.

History of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: Queensryche

Although they were initially grouped in with the legions of pop-metal bands that dominated the American heavy metal scene of the '80s, Queensrÿche were one of the most distinctive bands of the era.

Where their contemporaries built on the legacy of Van Halen, Aerosmith, and Kiss, Queensrÿche constructed a progressive form of heavy metal that drew equally from the guitar pyrotechnics of post-Van Halen metal and '70s art rock, most notably Pink Floyd and Queen.

Guitarists Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton formed Queensrÿche in 1981 in the Seattle, WA, suburb of Bellevue. Both guitarists had been playing in heavy metal cover bands and had decided to form a group that would play original material. The duo recruited high-school friends Geoff Tate (vocals) and bassist Eddie Jackson (bass), as well as drummer Scott Rockenfield.

Instead of hitting the club circuit, the group rehearsed for two years, eventually recording and releasing a four-song demo tape. The cassette came to the attention of local record store owners Kim and Diana Harris, who offered to manage Queensrÿche. With the help of the Harrises, the tape circulated throughout the Northwest. In May of 1983, Queensrÿche released the EP Queen of the Reich on their own record label, 206 Records.

Queen of the Reich sold 20,000 copies and, in the process, earned the band major-label attention. By the end of the year, the band signed to EMI, which released an expanded version of the EP as the Queensrÿche LP later in the year; the record peaked at number 81.

Their next two albums — 1984's The Warning and 1986's Rage for Order — sold respectably, with the latter reaching number 47 on the U.S. charts. Rage for Order also demonstrated a flowering of progressive rock influences, an idea that would reach its fruition with 1988's Operation: Mindcrime.

Boasting orchestral arrangements from Michael Kamen, the album was Queensrÿche's most ambitious and focused effort to date, earning both positive reviews and strong sales. Operation: Mindcrime stayed on the American charts for a year, selling over a million copies during its run.

Queensrÿche returned in the fall of 1990 with the equally ambitious Empire. The album proved to be their commercial high watermark, peaking at number seven on the U.S. charts and going double platinum in America; in the U.K., the album also cracked the Top Ten.

Empire's success was instigated by the stately art rock ballad "Silent Lucidity," which received heavy airplay from MTV and album rock radio. All the exposure eventually sent "Silent Lucidity" to number five on the U.S. singles charts.

Grunge brought about a decline in record sales, but Queensryche continued to reach gold and platinum status as well as successful, solid-out tours. In 2006, Queensrÿche released Operation: Mindcrime II, the long-awaited sequel to their 1988 conceptual smash.

Chart History: Rainbow

Chart History is a feature that highlights a hard rock/heavy metal act and how well the duo/group or individual performed on the Billboard charts.

Today we focus on Rainbow. Here is a rundown of all singles and albums that charted while the group was together. Greatest hits and other compilations are not included -only studio and live albums are.

Albums:
1975: Rainbow (No.30)
1976: Rainbow Rising (No.48)
1977: On Stage (No.65)
1978: Long Live Rock 'N' Roll (No.89)
1979: Down To Earth (No.66)
1981: Difficult To Cure (No.50)
1982: Straight Between The Eyes (No.30)
1983: Bent Out Of Shape (No.34)

Singles:
1. Since You've Been Gone (No.57)
2. Stone Cold (No.40)
3. Street of Dreams (No.60)