Song:Heaven
Album:Playlist: The Very Best Of Warrant
The 1989 power ballad heaven was the biggest hit for the hard rock group Warrant. They faded in the early 90s partially due to the rise of grunge and also a revolving door of personnel changes. Warrant was formed in Los Angeles in 1984 by guitarist Erik Turner. None of the original members stayed with the band. Bassist Jerry Dixon replaced the original bassist. So the band is playing Los Angeles clubs without much success. When lead singer Adam Shore left to form Hot Wheelz, Turner was watching a band called Plain Jane in Sept. 1986. He was impressed with lead singer Jani Lane. So he invited Lane and drummer Steven Sweet to jam in the studio. The key thing was Lane was also a songwriter. Guitarist Joey Allen completed the lineup. This was the band lineup during their prime. So they recorded a demo and signed with Columbia Records in 1988. They were assigned to producer Beau Hill who had success with similar bands like Ratt and Winger. Warrant's debut album Dirty Rotten Stinking Filthy Rich was released Jan. 1989. Heaven was the second single and it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified 2XPlatinum. But there was controversy about if Turner and Allen played guitar on the album. Hill admitted that both guys were weak at guitar solos. So he brought in session musician Mike Slamer to play all the solos. Warrant's second album Cherry Pie was equally successful as it was certified 2XPlatinum. Cherry Pie and I Saw Red were both top ten hits. With the 1991 album Dog Eat Dog, the rise of grunge began to affect Warrant negatively. It didn't do as well as the first two albums and there were no hit singles. Columbia dropped them and Lane left to go solo. This budget comp has all their hits. Allen and Sweet left. Lane recorded a solo album that was never released so he returned to Warrant in 1994. They recorded two albums that didn't sell. There were more departures and Lane left and released a solo album in 2002. Lane attempted to form his own version of Warrant but he was threatened with legal action. He formed a new group Saints of the Underground and they released an album in 2008. He returned to Warrant in 2008 for a tour but he would only stay a few months. Lane died of acute alcohol poisoning on Aug. 11, 2011 at age 47. Except for lead singer Robert Mason, the Warrant on tour is the same band that was popular in 1989. They last recorded in 2012 but it says on their website that they are planning to record soon. Here's the video for Heaven by Warrant.
I never was a fan of theirs but during the Hair Metal days they were huge and a lot young girls and guys really liked them. Lie so many other bands of that time they soon faded away when people's music taste changed during the 90's. I am sorry to hear about Lane dying of acohol poisoning, that's a tragic end right there. Drugs and acohol took their toll and still do to this day in this society.
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