Racer X
Encyclopedia
Racer X is an American
heavy metal
band
formed in 1985 in Los Angeles, California
. The group has gone through numerous lineup changes, including a hiatus, with founders guitarist
Paul Gilbert
and bassist
Juan Alderete
being the sole constant members.
’s Spotlight Column in the February 1983 issue of Guitar Player
magazine. Gilbert was 16 years old and was living in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
. He later moved to Los Angeles
and enrolled at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT), part of the Musicians Institute
. After graduating from GIT, Gilbert was hired as an instructor and recorded the album "Trouble In The Streets" with Los Angeles metal band Black Sheep
, released on Enigma Records in November 1985.
While at GIT, Gilbert met fellow student Juan Alderete. Searching for a drummer, Alderete and Gilbert first turned to Scott Travis
, who was living in Virginia
at the time, but he turned down the offer due to his commitment to the band Hawk
. Travis was receiving a salary from Doug Marks, the band's lead guitarist, and would not turn down the income. Alderete and Gilbert instead sought the services of fellow student Harry Gschoesser. After acquiring Gschoesser, Gilbert, with the help of Varney, recruited Jeff Martin
of the Phoenix
metal band Surgical Steel. Martin, who still lived in Phoenix and could not regularly write songs with Racer X in Los Angeles, began writing lyrics immediately for demo tapes that Gilbert had sent him. Recording for their first album began quickly. The band began the recording process in 1985, and Racer X's debut album Street Lethal
was released on January 1, 1986 on Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records
label.
, Paul Gilbert suddenly burst into the mainstream as one of the members of the Neoclassical genre, popularized by Randy Rhoads
and Yngwie J. Malmsteen
. While Racer X was not playing neo-classical pieces as frequently as Rhoads or Malmsteen, Gilbert was often mentioned alongside Yngwie and Randy in many guitar and music magazines. Gilbert acknowledged his debt to Malmsteen on the Street Lethal album with the neoclassical instrumental "Y.R.O.". The title is an acronym for "Yngwie Rip Off". He would repeat such a reference on a later song, "B.R.O.", which stands for "Bach Rip Off".
Racer X was rapidly becoming a popular live act on the Sunset Strip
. Around this time, Gilbert secured an endorsement deal with Ibanez
guitars, which continues to this day. The song "Getaway" received limited airplay on Los Angeles' heavy metal radio station, KNAC
.
, gained his attention. Gilbert asked him to join Racer X, and the two guitarists would soon work out synchronized harmony passages that would redefine Racer X's sound. In 1986, Harry Gschoesser's visa expired, so he returned to his native country, Austria
. He was initially replaced with Todd "Vito" DeVito, but was soon replaced by Scott Travis
. DeVito went on to become a drum technician
for Mikkey Dee
of Motörhead.
The band headed to Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati
to record their second studio album. Second Heat
was released in February 1988, and solidified Racer X's style of double-lead guitar solos using techniques such as fast alternate-picking, two-handed tapping
, string skipping, and sweep picking. The album also has two tracks written by other artists. "Moonage Daydream" was a David Bowie
cover, and "Heart of a Lion" was a Judas Priest
song dropped from the Turbo
album. The song was a birthday gift by Rob Halford
, who had befriended Jeff Martin in the band's early days. Halford later recorded the track with his band, Halford
.
, Racer X were reaching the height of their popularity with their live shows. The band was selling out and packing their usual rotation of The Roxy Theatre
, Troubadour, and the Country Club in Reseda, California. The years of unsuccessfully searching for major label representation finally took its toll on the band, and the group's last gasp came with two nights of back-to-back live shows at the Country Club, which were recorded and released as Extreme Volume Live (1988) and Extreme Volume II Live (1992). But even as Live Extreme, Vol. 1 was getting ready for release, the dismantling of the band was near. Billy Sheehan
, bass player of the band Talas, approached Paul Gilbert about forming a new band; in 1989, the two formed the band Mr. Big
. Gilbert had mentally detached himself from Racer X during the final shows. The rest of the group, searching for an explanation to the lack of major label interest, focused their frustrations on Jeff Martin. Both Gilbert and Martin left the band on the same day. Juan Alderete, Bruce Bouillet, and Scott Travis initially brought in Guitar Spotlight player Chris Arvan as a replacement and performed a few shows, including one with Oni Logan from Lynch Mob
. Soon, the members of the band went separate ways. Racer X's hiatus carried on well into the late 1990s.
in Jake E. Lee
's band, Badlands
. Juan Alderete
, Bruce Bouillet
, John Corabi
, and Scott Travis
joined together briefly to form the band Black Cloud – which would later become The Scream
. The four played one show at the Troubadour before Travis received an offer from Judas Priest, who was looking to replace the recently departed Dave Holland
. Jeff Martin, a friend of Judas Priest, relayed the message to Travis, who was ecstatic at the opportunity, and accepted the offer. Travis would go on to record several albums with Judas Priest, and remains a member of the band to this day.
In 1992, Shrapnel Records released Live Extreme, Volume 2, which featured songs from the farewell Racer X concerts at the Country Club. Like the first live record, it included several previously unreleased songs, like "Poison Eyes" and "Give it to Me". The release gave die-hard Racer X fans hope that new material was on the way, but nothing came to fruition. The one most notable track is Racer X's cover of KISS
' "Detroit Rock City". Recording the song, Gilbert and Bouillet, wanting to make the song unique and fitting to their style, stood side by side and played the famous solo with their teeth. One other KISS song was played the night before, Cold Gin, but it never appeared on either of the first two live releases.
in 1997 after the recording of the Hey Man
album, Gilbert started a solo career releasing King of Clubs. Paul received a nasty email from a guy in Australia. The famous "Snakebyte" email. In the email he chastised Paul for the more pop-oriented music on his solo records and accused him of forgetting his shred metal roots. Paul was apparently inspired to record some insane heavy metal and decided to reform Racer X. Paul asked everyone if they wanted to record again...and they said yes, with the exception of Bruce Bouilett, who did not choose to return. In mid-1999, the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties. Technical Difficulties went gold in Japan, and Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up. In late 2000, the band released what is recognized by many fans as their best album to date, Superheroes. The album's packaging featured pictures of the band members dressed as superhero
es. Gilbert became the Electric Bat, Martin became Motorman, Alderete became The X-tinguisher, and Travis became Cowboy Axe. The record was mixed by former Racer X guitarist, Bruce Bouillet. In order to further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band record a live show for another live CD and DVD
. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years at the Whisky a Go Go
in Los Angeles. The show was recorded for both audio and video, and in 2002, both the CD and DVD were released under the name Snowball of Doom
, which is a reference to fact the band is still "rolling along" after fifteen years, but was still unable to secure a major American record label contract.
. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes. For the final show, in Yokohama
, the performance was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board, and this was later released as Snowball of Doom 2
.
Gilbert returned to his solo career, recording the album Burning Organ. However, in 2002, Universal Japan pushed for another Racer X release, notifying the band that they would release an official bootleg of the Yokohama concert to promote a new album. In October 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in Las Vegas
to record a new album. For the first time in the history of the band all four members were together at the same time to record a Racer X album. The outcome of the recording was Getting Heavier
, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal.
After the release of Getting Heavier, Racer X's progress came to a halt. Scott Travis, with Judas Priest, toured with Ozzfest
in 2004 and recorded Angel of Retribution
. Jeff Martin began recording and touring with George Lynch
, Kevin DuBrow
, Michael Schenker
, recorded a 3-song demo with the band Leatherwolf
, and began a solo career with the release of The Fool in 2006. John Alderete joined the band The Mars Volta
in 2003, which has toured regularly and recorded several albums. Paul Gilbert has released several solo albums, as well as compilation albums and tours with Dream Theater
's Mike Portnoy
. Gilbert has toured with his supporting band in support of his latest albums.
, Scott Travis
, Jeff Martin
, and Juan Alderete
. On October 13, 2009, the video game Brütal Legend
was released. The game's soundtrack featured two Racer X songs - "Y.R.O.", from Street Lethal
, and "Technical Difficulties", from Technical Difficulties.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
formed in 1985 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. The group has gone through numerous lineup changes, including a hiatus, with founders guitarist
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
and bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete is an American bassist known for his work with the band The Mars Volta. Prior to his work with that band, he was known for playing in Racer X, where he received credit as John Alderete.-Biography:...
being the sole constant members.
1980s
Guitarist Paul Gilbert first gained notoriety when he was featured in Mike VarneyMike Varney
Mike Varney is an American musician, record producer, music publisher and impresario. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International. He also has a 50% stake in Magna Carta Records, a New York-based label...
’s Spotlight Column in the February 1983 issue of Guitar Player
Guitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
magazine. Gilbert was 16 years old and was living in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War...
. He later moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and enrolled at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT), part of the Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute
Musicians Institute is a privately owned for-profit music vocational school located in Hollywood, California. Although not a regionally accredited school, the school offers a variety of unaccredited Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs in fields including contemporary music...
. After graduating from GIT, Gilbert was hired as an instructor and recorded the album "Trouble In The Streets" with Los Angeles metal band Black Sheep
Black Sheep (rock band)
Black Sheep, a Rochester, New York-based 1970s United States rock music band, was one of vocalist Lou Gramm's early working bands...
, released on Enigma Records in November 1985.
While at GIT, Gilbert met fellow student Juan Alderete. Searching for a drummer, Alderete and Gilbert first turned to Scott Travis
Scott Travis
Scott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
, who was living in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
at the time, but he turned down the offer due to his commitment to the band Hawk
Hawk (band)
Hawk was a glam metal band which formed in 1984.Hawk once featured lead vocalist Charlie Wayne Morrill, guitarist Doug Marks, bassist Lonnie Miller , and drummer Glenn Burtis. This line-up recorded a demo in 1985 that was released as Let The Metal Live in 2009...
. Travis was receiving a salary from Doug Marks, the band's lead guitarist, and would not turn down the income. Alderete and Gilbert instead sought the services of fellow student Harry Gschoesser. After acquiring Gschoesser, Gilbert, with the help of Varney, recruited Jeff Martin
Jeff Martin (American musician)
Jeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea....
of the Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
metal band Surgical Steel. Martin, who still lived in Phoenix and could not regularly write songs with Racer X in Los Angeles, began writing lyrics immediately for demo tapes that Gilbert had sent him. Recording for their first album began quickly. The band began the recording process in 1985, and Racer X's debut album Street Lethal
Street Lethal
Street Lethal is the debut album by Racer X. It introduced the original band lineup featuring drummer Harry Gschoesser.-Background:Street Lethal was recorded in Prairie Sun Studio, in Cotati, California. Guitarist Paul Gilbert used two borrowed guitars to record the album - a Squier Strat and a...
was released on January 1, 1986 on Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records
Shrapnel Records
Shrapnel Records is a guitar-oriented record label started in 1980 by record producer Mike Varney. Guitarist Marty Friedman , one of the label's most successful artists, first appeared on the album Unsung Guitar Heroes II in 1980 with the band Vixen. Vixen would later change their name to Hawaii...
label.
Popularity boost
With the release of Street LethalStreet Lethal
Street Lethal is the debut album by Racer X. It introduced the original band lineup featuring drummer Harry Gschoesser.-Background:Street Lethal was recorded in Prairie Sun Studio, in Cotati, California. Guitarist Paul Gilbert used two borrowed guitars to record the album - a Squier Strat and a...
, Paul Gilbert suddenly burst into the mainstream as one of the members of the Neoclassical genre, popularized by Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads
Randall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
and Yngwie J. Malmsteen
Yngwie J. Malmsteen
Yngwie Johann Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader. Malmsteen became known for his neo-classical playing approach in heavy metal music which became a new musical style in the early 1980s.- Early life :...
. While Racer X was not playing neo-classical pieces as frequently as Rhoads or Malmsteen, Gilbert was often mentioned alongside Yngwie and Randy in many guitar and music magazines. Gilbert acknowledged his debt to Malmsteen on the Street Lethal album with the neoclassical instrumental "Y.R.O.". The title is an acronym for "Yngwie Rip Off". He would repeat such a reference on a later song, "B.R.O.", which stands for "Bach Rip Off".
Racer X was rapidly becoming a popular live act on the Sunset Strip
Sunset Strip
The Sunset Strip is the name given to the mile-and-a-half stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with Hollywood at Harper Avenue, to its western border with Beverly Hills at Sierra Drive...
. Around this time, Gilbert secured an endorsement deal with Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
guitars, which continues to this day. The song "Getaway" received limited airplay on Los Angeles' heavy metal radio station, KNAC
KNAC
KNAC is an internet based heavy metal music radio station. It was previously a Los Angeles, California area FM radio station.-KNAC at 105.5 FM:...
.
Lineup change
After the release of the first album, Gilbert was still teaching at GIT for a steady income. One of Gilbert's students, Bruce BouilletBruce Bouillet
Bruce "Einstein" Bouillet is a guitarist who has played in the bands Racer X, The Scream, DC-10, and Epidemic.-Racer X:Bouillet played on Racer X's Second Heat, Live Extreme - Vol.I, and Live Extreme - Vol. II. After leaving the band, he joined with former Angora singer John Corabi, and his former...
, gained his attention. Gilbert asked him to join Racer X, and the two guitarists would soon work out synchronized harmony passages that would redefine Racer X's sound. In 1986, Harry Gschoesser's visa expired, so he returned to his native country, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. He was initially replaced with Todd "Vito" DeVito, but was soon replaced by Scott Travis
Scott Travis
Scott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
. DeVito went on to become a drum technician
Technician
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...
for Mikkey Dee
Mikkey Dee
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou , better known as Mikkey Dee is a drummer/songwriter in the Heavy metal band Motörhead. A Swede of Greek descent, he has been known for his speed and precision since his mid-80s stint with King Diamond.- Early life :Delaoglou began his musical career with local bands...
of Motörhead.
The band headed to Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati
Cotati, California
Cotati is an incorporated city in Sonoma County, California, U.S.A., located about north of San Francisco in the 101 corridor between Rohnert Park and Petaluma....
to record their second studio album. Second Heat
Second Heat (album)
Second Heat is the second studio album by heavy metal band Racer X, released on February 11, 1987 through Shrapnel Records. The album introduced two new bandmembers in guitarist Bruce Bouillet and drummer Scott Travis.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
was released in February 1988, and solidified Racer X's style of double-lead guitar solos using techniques such as fast alternate-picking, two-handed tapping
Tapping
Tapping is a guitar playing technique, where a string is fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion of being pushed onto the fretboard, as opposed to the standard technique being fretted with one hand and picked with the other...
, string skipping, and sweep picking. The album also has two tracks written by other artists. "Moonage Daydream" was a David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
cover, and "Heart of a Lion" was a Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
song dropped from the Turbo
Turbo (Judas Priest album)
-Judas Priest:*Rob Halford: Lead Vocals*Glenn Tipton: Lead Guitars*K.K. Downing: Lead Guitars*Ian Hill: Bass Guitar*Dave Holland: Drums-Guests:*Jeff Martin: Backing Vocals on "Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days"-External links:*...
album. The song was a birthday gift by Rob Halford
Rob Halford
Robert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is nicknamed the "Metal God" as a tribute to his influence on metal, and after the Judas Priest song of the same name from 1980's...
, who had befriended Jeff Martin in the band's early days. Halford later recorded the track with his band, Halford
Halford (band)
Halford is a heavy metal band formed in 1999 by Rob Halford, the lead vocalist for Judas Priest. Halford formed the band to return to his heavy metal roots...
.
Dissolution
While the Los Angeles music scene was at the peak for glam metalGlam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
, Racer X were reaching the height of their popularity with their live shows. The band was selling out and packing their usual rotation of The Roxy Theatre
The Roxy Theatre
The Roxy Theatre is a famous nightclub, on the Sunset Strip, in West Hollywood, California. The Roxy is owned by Lou Adler and Adler's son, Nic, who operates the club.- History :...
, Troubadour, and the Country Club in Reseda, California. The years of unsuccessfully searching for major label representation finally took its toll on the band, and the group's last gasp came with two nights of back-to-back live shows at the Country Club, which were recorded and released as Extreme Volume Live (1988) and Extreme Volume II Live (1992). But even as Live Extreme, Vol. 1 was getting ready for release, the dismantling of the band was near. Billy Sheehan
Billy Sheehan
William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...
, bass player of the band Talas, approached Paul Gilbert about forming a new band; in 1989, the two formed the band Mr. Big
Mr. Big (band)
Mr. Big is an American rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey ; Mr. Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999...
. Gilbert had mentally detached himself from Racer X during the final shows. The rest of the group, searching for an explanation to the lack of major label interest, focused their frustrations on Jeff Martin. Both Gilbert and Martin left the band on the same day. Juan Alderete, Bruce Bouillet, and Scott Travis initially brought in Guitar Spotlight player Chris Arvan as a replacement and performed a few shows, including one with Oni Logan from Lynch Mob
Lynch Mob (band)
Lynch Mob is an American band featuring former Dokken guitarist George Lynch, who has been the band's only permanent member. The rest of the original band which featured Oni Logan, Anthony Esposito and Mick Brown have come and gone, and in some cases, come back.-1989 Formation:Lynch Mob was formed...
. Soon, the members of the band went separate ways. Racer X's hiatus carried on well into the late 1990s.
Separation
After Gilbert left for Mr. Big, other members also went on to other projects. Jeff Martin went on to replace Eric SingerEric Singer
Eric Doyle Mensinger , better known as Eric Singer, is a hard rock and heavy metal drummer for the rock band Kiss and formerly for singer Alice Cooper...
in Jake E. Lee
Jake E. Lee
Jakey Lou Williams , commonly known as Jake E. Lee, is an American guitarist best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne in the mid-1980s and later in his own band Badlands.- Musical education :...
's band, Badlands
Badlands (band)
Badlands was a short-lived rock band founded by former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Jake E. Lee and former Black Sabbath members Ray Gillen and Eric Singer. Badlands also featured bassist Greg Chaisson. After the first Badlands album, Eric Singer was replaced by Jeff Martin...
. Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete is an American bassist known for his work with the band The Mars Volta. Prior to his work with that band, he was known for playing in Racer X, where he received credit as John Alderete.-Biography:...
, Bruce Bouillet
Bruce Bouillet
Bruce "Einstein" Bouillet is a guitarist who has played in the bands Racer X, The Scream, DC-10, and Epidemic.-Racer X:Bouillet played on Racer X's Second Heat, Live Extreme - Vol.I, and Live Extreme - Vol. II. After leaving the band, he joined with former Angora singer John Corabi, and his former...
, John Corabi
John Corabi
John Corabi is a heavy metal singer and guitarist who has worked with such bands as Angora, The Scream, Mötley Crüe, Union and ESP , Ratt , Twenty 4 Seven , Zen Lunatic, Brides of Destruction, and Angel City Outlaws John Corabi (born on April 26, 1959 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a heavy...
, and Scott Travis
Scott Travis
Scott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
joined together briefly to form the band Black Cloud – which would later become The Scream
The Scream (band)
The Scream was a Los Angeles-based hard rock band formed in 1989 as Saints Or Sinners. The band originally featured former Angora singer John Corabi and former Racer X members guitarist Bruce Bouillet, bassist Juan Alderete, and drummer Scott Travis. However, Scott Travis quickly left to join Judas...
. The four played one show at the Troubadour before Travis received an offer from Judas Priest, who was looking to replace the recently departed Dave Holland
Dave Holland (drummer)
Dave Holland is an English rock drummer, best remembered from his stint with Judas Priest between 1979 and 1989. He served time in prison for attempted rape of a 17-year-old boy...
. Jeff Martin, a friend of Judas Priest, relayed the message to Travis, who was ecstatic at the opportunity, and accepted the offer. Travis would go on to record several albums with Judas Priest, and remains a member of the band to this day.
In 1992, Shrapnel Records released Live Extreme, Volume 2, which featured songs from the farewell Racer X concerts at the Country Club. Like the first live record, it included several previously unreleased songs, like "Poison Eyes" and "Give it to Me". The release gave die-hard Racer X fans hope that new material was on the way, but nothing came to fruition. The one most notable track is Racer X's cover of KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
' "Detroit Rock City". Recording the song, Gilbert and Bouillet, wanting to make the song unique and fitting to their style, stood side by side and played the famous solo with their teeth. One other KISS song was played the night before, Cold Gin, but it never appeared on either of the first two live releases.
Reemergence
After departing Mr. BigMr. Big (band)
Mr. Big is an American rock supergroup, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1988. The band is a quartet composed of Eric Martin , Paul Gilbert , Billy Sheehan , and Pat Torpey ; Mr. Big also included Richie Kotzen, a reputable blues-based guitarist who replaced Gilbert in 1999...
in 1997 after the recording of the Hey Man
Hey Man
Hey Man is the fourth studio album by the hard rock band, Mr. Big.-Track listing:# "Trapped in Toyland" - 4:24# "Take Cover" - 4:38# "Jane Doe" - 3:36...
album, Gilbert started a solo career releasing King of Clubs. Paul received a nasty email from a guy in Australia. The famous "Snakebyte" email. In the email he chastised Paul for the more pop-oriented music on his solo records and accused him of forgetting his shred metal roots. Paul was apparently inspired to record some insane heavy metal and decided to reform Racer X. Paul asked everyone if they wanted to record again...and they said yes, with the exception of Bruce Bouilett, who did not choose to return. In mid-1999, the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties. Technical Difficulties went gold in Japan, and Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up. In late 2000, the band released what is recognized by many fans as their best album to date, Superheroes. The album's packaging featured pictures of the band members dressed as superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es. Gilbert became the Electric Bat, Martin became Motorman, Alderete became The X-tinguisher, and Travis became Cowboy Axe. The record was mixed by former Racer X guitarist, Bruce Bouillet. In order to further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band record a live show for another live CD and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years at the Whisky a Go Go
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
in Los Angeles. The show was recorded for both audio and video, and in 2002, both the CD and DVD were released under the name Snowball of Doom
Snowball of Doom (album)
Snowball of Doom is the third live album by Racer X. It was recorded on May 25, 2001 at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California at Racer X's first live concert since their hiatus.The concert was also recorded and released on DVD.-Track listing:...
, which is a reference to fact the band is still "rolling along" after fifteen years, but was still unable to secure a major American record label contract.
Getting Heavier
In January 2002, in support of Superheroes and Snowball of Doom, Racer X toured Japan and TaiwanTaiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes. For the final show, in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, the performance was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board, and this was later released as Snowball of Doom 2
Snowball of Doom 2 (album)
Snowball of Doom 2 is a double album released by Racer X. It is the band's fourth live album, and was recorded in Japan. It was initially released alongside Getting Heavier.-Disc one:#"Superheroes"#"Phallic Tractor"#"Fire of Rock"...
.
Gilbert returned to his solo career, recording the album Burning Organ. However, in 2002, Universal Japan pushed for another Racer X release, notifying the band that they would release an official bootleg of the Yokohama concert to promote a new album. In October 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
to record a new album. For the first time in the history of the band all four members were together at the same time to record a Racer X album. The outcome of the recording was Getting Heavier
Getting Heavier (album)
-Track listing:#"Dr. X" - 5:31#"Lucifer's Hammer" - 3:43#"Golden God" - 4:23#"Bucket of Rocks" - 4:27#"Go-GG-Go" - 4:19#"Heaven in '74" - 3:26#"Everything's Everything" - 3:46#"Empty Man" - 4:57#"The Siren's Eye" - 6:23#"Ghost Dance" - 5:03#"Endless" - 5:24...
, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal.
After the release of Getting Heavier, Racer X's progress came to a halt. Scott Travis, with Judas Priest, toured with Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
in 2004 and recorded Angel of Retribution
Angel of Retribution
Angel of Retribution is the 15th studio album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 2005. It marks the return of Rob Halford, after a 12 year departure from the band. The album debuted at #13 on the U.S. Billboard chart, which made it the second highest chart of a Judas Priest album...
. Jeff Martin began recording and touring with George Lynch
George Lynch (musician)
George Lynch is a hard rock/heavy metal guitarist best known as a member of the band Dokken, his own bands Lynch Mob and Souls of We.-Pre Dokken:...
, Kevin DuBrow
Kevin DuBrow
Kevin Mark DuBrow was an American rock singer best known as the lead vocalist of the Heavy Metal band Quiet Riot from 1975 until his death in 2007...
, Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker
Michael Schenker is a German rock guitarist, best known for his tenure in UFO, in addition to his solo band. He first rose to fame as a founding member of the Scorpions, then achieved fame in the mid 1970s as the lead guitar player for UFO. Since leaving UFO in 1978, he has been leading the...
, recorded a 3-song demo with the band Leatherwolf
Leatherwolf
Leatherwolf is an American heavy metal band that formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1981. The group is also nicknamed the 'Triple Axe Attack' for pioneering the use of a 3-guitar line-up in heavy metal...
, and began a solo career with the release of The Fool in 2006. John Alderete joined the band The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
in 2003, which has toured regularly and recorded several albums. Paul Gilbert has released several solo albums, as well as compilation albums and tours with Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
's Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
. Gilbert has toured with his supporting band in support of his latest albums.
Reunion
Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, with a line-up consisting of Paul GilbertPaul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
, Scott Travis
Scott Travis
Scott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
, Jeff Martin
Jeff Martin (American musician)
Jeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea....
, and Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete
Juan Alderete is an American bassist known for his work with the band The Mars Volta. Prior to his work with that band, he was known for playing in Racer X, where he received credit as John Alderete.-Biography:...
. On October 13, 2009, the video game Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend
Brütal Legend is an action-adventure/real-time strategy game created by Double Fine Productions and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released during October 2009 in North America and Europe...
was released. The game's soundtrack featured two Racer X songs - "Y.R.O.", from Street Lethal
Street Lethal
Street Lethal is the debut album by Racer X. It introduced the original band lineup featuring drummer Harry Gschoesser.-Background:Street Lethal was recorded in Prairie Sun Studio, in Cotati, California. Guitarist Paul Gilbert used two borrowed guitars to record the album - a Squier Strat and a...
, and "Technical Difficulties", from Technical Difficulties.
Members
- Jeff MartinJeff Martin (American musician)Jeff Martin is a singer and drummer who has sung for the bands Surgical Steel, Racer X, Leatherwolf, and played drums for the bands Badlands, Blindside Blues Band, and RedSea....
- vocals (1985–1989, 1999–present) - Paul GilbertPaul GilbertPaul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
(1985–1989, 1999–present) - Juan AldereteJuan AldereteJuan Alderete is an American bassist known for his work with the band The Mars Volta. Prior to his work with that band, he was known for playing in Racer X, where he received credit as John Alderete.-Biography:...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1985–1989, 1999–present) - Scott TravisScott TravisScott Travis is a Grammy Award winning American rock musician, best known as the drummer for the English heavy metal band Judas Priest and the American heavy metal band Racer X.-Biography:...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1986–1989, 2000–present)
Former members
- Harry Gschoesser - drums (1985–1986)
- Bruce BouilletBruce BouilletBruce "Einstein" Bouillet is a guitarist who has played in the bands Racer X, The Scream, DC-10, and Epidemic.-Racer X:Bouillet played on Racer X's Second Heat, Live Extreme - Vol.I, and Live Extreme - Vol. II. After leaving the band, he joined with former Angora singer John Corabi, and his former...
- lead and rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
(1986–1989) - Todd DeVito - drums (1986)
- Chris Arvan - lead and rhythm guitar (1989)
- Marco MinnemannMarco MinnemannMarco Minnemann is a German-born drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He lives in Lake Elsinore, California.-Biography:...
- drums (1999-2000)
Studio
- 1986: Street LethalStreet LethalStreet Lethal is the debut album by Racer X. It introduced the original band lineup featuring drummer Harry Gschoesser.-Background:Street Lethal was recorded in Prairie Sun Studio, in Cotati, California. Guitarist Paul Gilbert used two borrowed guitars to record the album - a Squier Strat and a...
- 1987: Second HeatSecond Heat (album)Second Heat is the second studio album by heavy metal band Racer X, released on February 11, 1987 through Shrapnel Records. The album introduced two new bandmembers in guitarist Bruce Bouillet and drummer Scott Travis.-Track listing:-Personnel:...
- 1999: Technical Difficulties
- 2000: Superheroes
- 2003: Getting HeavierGetting Heavier (album)-Track listing:#"Dr. X" - 5:31#"Lucifer's Hammer" - 3:43#"Golden God" - 4:23#"Bucket of Rocks" - 4:27#"Go-GG-Go" - 4:19#"Heaven in '74" - 3:26#"Everything's Everything" - 3:46#"Empty Man" - 4:57#"The Siren's Eye" - 6:23#"Ghost Dance" - 5:03#"Endless" - 5:24...
Live
- 1988: Extreme Volume Live
- 1992: Extreme Volume II Live
- 2002: Snowball of DoomSnowball of Doom (album)Snowball of Doom is the third live album by Racer X. It was recorded on May 25, 2001 at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California at Racer X's first live concert since their hiatus.The concert was also recorded and released on DVD.-Track listing:...
- 2002: Snowball of Doom 2Snowball of Doom 2 (album)Snowball of Doom 2 is a double album released by Racer X. It is the band's fourth live album, and was recorded in Japan. It was initially released alongside Getting Heavier.-Disc one:#"Superheroes"#"Phallic Tractor"#"Fire of Rock"...