McQueen Street
Encyclopedia
McQueen Street was a hard rock
band from Montgomery, AL, consisting of Derek Welsh on lead vocals, Richard Hatcher on bass, Michael Powers on guitar, and Derek's brother Chris Welsh on drums.
of other bands' material and was well-known on the Southeast rock music
club circuit in the late 80's. The band changed its name to McQueen Street and signed a record deal with SBK Records
, a division of EMI
in 1990. The new name came from the name of the street where the band's recording studio was located in their hometown.http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/mcqueenstreet.html
The band's debut album, simply titled "McQueen Street" was produced by Tom Werman, with production help on one track from guitarist Steve Stevens of Billy Idol's band, including his guitar work in places, plus vocal assistance from Jeff Scott Soto
, formerly of Journey
. Two songs, "Money" and "My Religion" had music videos that were played on MTV's Headbangers Ball
, and two of the band's songs charted in the Top 50
, while "My Religion" went to #1 in Europe. However, the grunge
movement out of Seattle in the early 1990s displaced many bands whose music was based on 1980s-style rock, and the 2nd album produced by Tony Platt never saw the light of day. The band was dropped from its record deal and subsequently disbanded.http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/mcqueenstreet.html
Drummer Chris Welsh was found dead in his home in 1994 due to an accidental self-overdose of prescription medication while suffering a respiratory illness.
Singer Derek Welsh and bassist Richard Hatcher then formed the band Rat Race Choir which, due to trademark issues involving another band in Long Island, NY with the same name, changed its name to simply The Rat Race, which went into an alternative rock
direction. The band toured the USA as a support act for numerous headliners including The Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveller & Widespread Panic
for the remainder of the 1990s before breaking up in 2000.http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/mcqueenstreet.html
In 2006, bassist Richard Hatcher formed an alt-country band called High Horse, based in Pensacola, FL, which played the club circuit mostly in the Florida Panhandle
and Alabama
, then quit the band in 2010 and returned to his hometown to form the rock cover band Chronic Illusion, which ironically plays many of the hits of the Seattle Grunge movement that displaced bands like McQueen Street.http://www.chronic-illusion.com/bio.html Chronic Illusion is a Montgomery, Alabama based band, headed by Hatcher and Mark Marvin.
Here it is 2011 an Richard Hatcher is still on this rock-n-roll roller coaster.He has joined the Band Flying 75. Band leader Kerby Carr is a seasoned musician born the same Year as Richard. Things just clicked with me and Kerby said Richard,It's like we were brought up on the same music.With band members Nora Gutting And Brandon Hamilton This Band has a lot to be proud of.They are Going to see the World They have been contracted with Proship a booking Agency out of Canada to play on the Monarch of the Sea a Cruise ship out of Port Canaveral for the next 5 months.Richard and the band will be writing originals while at sea.With the vocal talent of Nora this band will be on top in no time.Keep your ears open you will be hearing a lot more of this band very soon.
Derek Welsh self-released the 2nd McQueen Street album in 2003 after acquiring the rights from EMI, and his personal web site offers all the albums he's been associated with including merchandising. Combining all album sales from both bands McQueen St & The Rat Race, album sales have totaled 300,000 worldwide.http://www.derekwelsh.com/bio.html
I Had a interview With Richard Hatcher 11/3/2011 via Cell Phone..Richard is coming off the cruise ship Feb 14th. He is going to be forming a new High Energy Showband In Orland Fl. If anyone is interest please sumit your background to his face book page......Richard Hatcher....He has label interest and has started talking to many clubs in Fl.I can keep the band very busy!! Said Richard, It's going to be a fun ride.I'm looking for some guys that want to take their music to the next level.I want People to have as much input as I have. Bring every tool you have...Just try it thats the way MS and RR was ..A band is like your family.Writing songs is like building a house if the foundation is good the song will be great.I really hate all the drama that most band have,Music has been my life for so long.I am not ready to let that go and get into the (Rat Race) of society.. I have 30+ songs I have written and I have access to a studio..I hope it will all fall into place...
I for one am really looking forward to hearing some new music and can't wait to see this show..
BH
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band from Montgomery, AL, consisting of Derek Welsh on lead vocals, Richard Hatcher on bass, Michael Powers on guitar, and Derek's brother Chris Welsh on drums.
Background
The band was originally known as "Klass", which formed in 1987 and played mostly coversCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of other bands' material and was well-known on the Southeast rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
club circuit in the late 80's. The band changed its name to McQueen Street and signed a record deal with SBK Records
SBK Records
SBK Records was a record label of the EMI Group that was founded in 1988.Stephen Swid, Martin Bandier, and Charles Koppelman formed the production company SBK in 1989 after they purchased the music publishing division of CBS Records in 1986....
, a division of EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in 1990. The new name came from the name of the street where the band's recording studio was located in their hometown.http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/mcqueenstreet.html
The band's debut album, simply titled "McQueen Street" was produced by Tom Werman, with production help on one track from guitarist Steve Stevens of Billy Idol's band, including his guitar work in places, plus vocal assistance from Jeff Scott Soto
Jeff Scott Soto
Jeff Scott Soto is an American rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for being the lead singer for the group Talisman from 1990 till the end of Talisman in 2007, the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and for stepping up to the job of lead vocalist for Journey on...
, formerly of Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
. Two songs, "Money" and "My Religion" had music videos that were played on MTV's Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...
, and two of the band's songs charted in the Top 50
Top 50
The Top 50 refers to a list of weekly hit singles, or albums. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the same but similar to the top 40, but with 10 extra places....
, while "My Religion" went to #1 in Europe. However, the grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
movement out of Seattle in the early 1990s displaced many bands whose music was based on 1980s-style rock, and the 2nd album produced by Tony Platt never saw the light of day. The band was dropped from its record deal and subsequently disbanded.http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/mcqueenstreet.html
Drummer Chris Welsh was found dead in his home in 1994 due to an accidental self-overdose of prescription medication while suffering a respiratory illness.
Singer Derek Welsh and bassist Richard Hatcher then formed the band Rat Race Choir which, due to trademark issues involving another band in Long Island, NY with the same name, changed its name to simply The Rat Race, which went into an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
direction. The band toured the USA as a support act for numerous headliners including The Dave Matthews Band, Blues Traveller & Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic
Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Todd Nance, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guitarist Jimmy Herring...
for the remainder of the 1990s before breaking up in 2000.http://www.melodicrock.com/interviews/mcqueenstreet.html
In 2006, bassist Richard Hatcher formed an alt-country band called High Horse, based in Pensacola, FL, which played the club circuit mostly in the Florida Panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, then quit the band in 2010 and returned to his hometown to form the rock cover band Chronic Illusion, which ironically plays many of the hits of the Seattle Grunge movement that displaced bands like McQueen Street.http://www.chronic-illusion.com/bio.html Chronic Illusion is a Montgomery, Alabama based band, headed by Hatcher and Mark Marvin.
Here it is 2011 an Richard Hatcher is still on this rock-n-roll roller coaster.He has joined the Band Flying 75. Band leader Kerby Carr is a seasoned musician born the same Year as Richard. Things just clicked with me and Kerby said Richard,It's like we were brought up on the same music.With band members Nora Gutting And Brandon Hamilton This Band has a lot to be proud of.They are Going to see the World They have been contracted with Proship a booking Agency out of Canada to play on the Monarch of the Sea a Cruise ship out of Port Canaveral for the next 5 months.Richard and the band will be writing originals while at sea.With the vocal talent of Nora this band will be on top in no time.Keep your ears open you will be hearing a lot more of this band very soon.
Derek Welsh self-released the 2nd McQueen Street album in 2003 after acquiring the rights from EMI, and his personal web site offers all the albums he's been associated with including merchandising. Combining all album sales from both bands McQueen St & The Rat Race, album sales have totaled 300,000 worldwide.http://www.derekwelsh.com/bio.html
I Had a interview With Richard Hatcher 11/3/2011 via Cell Phone..Richard is coming off the cruise ship Feb 14th. He is going to be forming a new High Energy Showband In Orland Fl. If anyone is interest please sumit your background to his face book page......Richard Hatcher....He has label interest and has started talking to many clubs in Fl.I can keep the band very busy!! Said Richard, It's going to be a fun ride.I'm looking for some guys that want to take their music to the next level.I want People to have as much input as I have. Bring every tool you have...Just try it thats the way MS and RR was ..A band is like your family.Writing songs is like building a house if the foundation is good the song will be great.I really hate all the drama that most band have,Music has been my life for so long.I am not ready to let that go and get into the (Rat Race) of society.. I have 30+ songs I have written and I have access to a studio..I hope it will all fall into place...
I for one am really looking forward to hearing some new music and can't wait to see this show..
BH