Description
RE-PRESS: CD ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 2018
- Collecting together music made across three short but prolific years, when the band Derringer released three studio albums plus two live albums.
- Including the rare, promo only ‘Live In Cleveland’ album, which features an on stage version of ‘Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo’ as well as a cover of Bowie’s ‘Rebel Rebel’.
- Plus rare mono single versions for ‘Let Me In’, ‘Don’t Stop Loving Me’ and the Warren Zevon song ‘Lawyers, Guns And Money’, plus liner notes from Malcolm Dome based on new interviews with Derringer members Kenny Aaronson and Vinny Appice.
Rick Derringer first found fame aged just 17 in 1965, when his band The McCoys had a number one hit in America with ‘Hang On Sloopy’, famously knocking The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ off the top spot. Subsequently he made significant appearances with Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter, as well as Steely Dan and Alice Cooper, even squeezing in a solo hit with 1973’s ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll, Hoochie Koo’, before deciding to put together his own band in 1976.
Naming the band Derringer, the singer and guitarist was joined by bassist Kenny Aaronson, future Black Sabbath and Dio drummer, Vinny Appice and guitarist Danny Johnson.
Going for a rockier, harder, less poppy sound than Rick’s previous musical excursions, Derringer signed to Blue Sky Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records, in 1976. Their debut ‘Derringer’ included lyrical collaborations with famed song writer Cynthia Weil; the band then set out on the road, forging a formidable live reputation, playing shows with the cream of ‘70s rock acts from Journey and Tom Petty to Peter Frampton.
The cult status of their debut produced by Rick, was followed by the Jack Douglas (Aerosmith)-produced ‘Sweet Evil’ in 1977 which added a more commercial edge, whieh ws closely followed by ‘Derringer Live’ later that year. The band then slimmed to a three piece in 1978 with future Pat Benatar drummer Myron Grombacher coming in to join Aaronson and Derringer for the more contemporary sound on ‘If I Weren’t So Romantic, I’d Shoot You’, Derringer's final album which was produced by Mike Chapman, famed for his work with Blondie, Sweet and Suzi Quatro, among many others.