Contraband was a side project band of Richard Black (Shark Island), Michael Schenker (UFO), Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns), Share Pedersen (Vixen), and Bobby Blotzer (Ratt).
They were officially formed in 1990 and released only one album in 1991 featuring only one single "All The Way From Memphis", which is a cover of Ian Hunter.
The band released only one self-titled album in 1991 which received lukewarm reviews.
The album was a commercial failure and the band disbanded shortly after, while touring with Ratt.
Contraband tried to record a new album in 1992, unfortunately they broke up because a few members were trying to concentrate on their next band projects.
The song “Loud Guitars, Fast Cars & Wild, Wild Livin'” was included in the movie If Looks Could Kill soundtrack. In the US, the album charted at number 187.
“Loud Guitars, Fast Cars & Wild, Wild Livin'” was later covered as “Loud Guitars, Fast Cars & Wild, Wild Women” by Blue Tears later in the early 1990s and released for the 2005 album Dancin’ On the Back Streets.
In 1991, Impact/MCA had high hopes for Contraband, a commercial, AOR-oriented “all-star” project that united guitar dynamo Michael Schenker (of UFO and MSG fame) with Ratt drummer Bobby Blotzer, Vixen bassist Share Pedersen, and L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns.
The only Contraband participant who wasn’t a big name was Richard Black, who’d been singing with the L.A. band Shark Island. Though this was obviously a talented lineup, the resulting album wasn’t nearly as memorable as some rockers assumed it would be.
“Loud Guitars, Fast Cars & Wild Wild Livin’,” “Intimate Outrage,” and “Kiss By Kiss” are routine, run-of-the-mill, corporate hard rock, and there’s little that sets the generic “Bad for Each Other” apart from countless other power ballads that came out in the ’80s and early ’90s.
Contraband‘s covers of David Bowie‘s “Hang On to Yourself,” and Mott the Hoople‘s “All the Way From Memphis,” aren’t bad, but all things considered, this isn’t worth the price of admission.
Track listing
- “All the Way from Memphis” (Ian Hunter) – 4:56
- “Kiss by Kiss” (Michael Thompson, Mark Spiro) – 4:19
- “Intimate Outrage” (Spiro, Dann Huff, Phil Naish) – 4:57
- “Bad for Each Other” (Richard Black, Spencer Sercombe, Steve Diamond) – 4:28
- “Loud Guitars, Fast Cars & Wild, Wild Livin'” (Gregg Fulkerson, Michael Spears, Black) – 4:26
- “Good Rockin’ Tonight” (Roy Brown) – 3:23
- “If This Is Love” (Steven Pasch, Anthony Krizan, Black) – 5:03
- “Stand” (Tim Feehan, Brian MacLeod) – 4:04
- “Tonight You’re Mine” (Pasch, Krizan) – 4:43
- “Hang On to Yourself” (David Bowie) – 2:47
Contraband
- Richard Black (Shark Island) – vocals
- Michael Schenker (McAuley Schenker Group) – guitars, backing vocals
- Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) – guitars, backing vocals
- Share Pedersen (Vixen) – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Bobby Blotzer (Ratt) – drums, backing vocals
Credits
- Spencer Sercombe – guitars, backing vocals, musical director
- Steffan Presley – keyboards
- Kevin Beamish – backing vocals, producer, engineer, mixing
- Randy Nicklaus – producer, mixing
- Joe Barresi – engineer
- Steve Hall – mastering
Notes
Released: May 6, 1991
Recorded: American Recording Studio, Woodland Hills, Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, Cornerstone Studio, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California
Length: 43:06
Label - Impact/EMI
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