Rattled Roosters
Encyclopedia
Rattled Roosters are a Rockabilly
band from Vancouver
, Canada
moved to Los Angeles
, California
.
, British Columbia
and spent the early nineties touring Canada
and the West Coast. They gained notoriety for their wild live show, stylish attire and kick starting a scene in the Pacific North West that embraced a merging of Rockabilly
, Swing Music, Pop
and Punk
.
The same year that Nirvana
’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit
” pushed Seattle and grunge
to the forefront of the media, The Rattled Roosters were asked to host North West Rock an independent music video series guest hosted by some of the most influential local bands of the time including Mudhoney
(Sub Pop
), Hammerbox
(C/Z Records
), Tad
(Sub Pop
)and Grammy Award
winning rapper Sir Mix A Lot (Nasty Mix / American Recordings) of "Baby Got Back
" fame.
The Rattled Roosters First Album “Year of the Rooster” was produced by Bill Cowsill
lead singer of The Cowsills
. Before moving from Vancouver the Rattled Roosters shared the stage with No Doubt
, Royal Crown Revue
, Goldfinger
, Cherry Poppin' Daddies
, Reverend Horton Heat and the legendary Little Richard
. The band was signed to BangOn/Cargo Records and re-released “Year of the Rooster” as well as the single “Marilyn”.
Despite releasing their second album “Young & Modern” to critical acclaim, the video for “Love is… a Holiday”, picturing the Rattled Roosters’ lounge
/ punk
lifestyle, was never aired as it was banned by MuchMusic
for “glamorization of smoking and drinking".
The Rattled Roosters moved to Hollywood in the mid nineties. Playing regularly at Johnny Depp
's Viper Room
, the band made National entertainment news when TV tabloid host Jerry Springer
sang with them on stage. That same year the Rattled Roosters were featured in W magazine in an editorial photo spread titled “Young Americans”, shot by Mario Testino
, featuring influential, young, California taste makers.
In 1999 a third album “Retro-Spex” (hootenanny/popomatic) was released combining tracks off the first recordings, new material and unreleased songs.
Pretty Thing/Cut Across Shorty
Cassette Single
1989
Get Wild
Cassette EP
Unsigned
1999
Retro-Spex -
Hootenanny/popomatic
1996
Young & Modern -
BangOn/Cargo
1996
American Rumble Volume 1 (Various Artists) -
Skizmatic Records
1996
Year of the Rooster (re-release) -
BangOn/Cargo
1995
Marilyn (single) -
BangOn/Cargo
1990
Year of the Rooster -
Independent
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band from Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
History
The Rattled Roosters started busking on the streets of VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and spent the early nineties touring Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the West Coast. They gained notoriety for their wild live show, stylish attire and kick starting a scene in the Pacific North West that embraced a merging of Rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, Swing Music, Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and Punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
.
The same year that Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
” pushed Seattle and 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...
to the forefront of the media, The Rattled Roosters were asked to host North West Rock an independent music video series guest hosted by some of the most influential local bands of the time including Mudhoney
Mudhoney
Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
(Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
), Hammerbox
Hammerbox
Hammerbox was an American grunge band from Seattle, Washington. The band formed around 1990 and disbanded in 1994 when lead singer Carrie Akre left the band to form Goodness.-History:...
(C/Z Records
C/Z Records
C/Z Records is a Seattle-based record label that was established in early 1985 by Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale with the release of the now-legendary, Deep Six LP, which collected the earliest recordings of the real pro-genitors of what later came to be known as grunge...
), Tad
Tad
The name Tad can refer to:* A tad, a small amount, or a bit or piece of something.* Tad , a Seattle band* A male given name* Tadcaster, a town in the United Kingdom.* Former UK scuba divers' slang for "tadpole"...
(Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
)and Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winning rapper Sir Mix A Lot (Nasty Mix / American Recordings) of "Baby Got Back
Baby Got Back
"Baby Got Back" is a 1992 Number One single by hip hop artist Sir Mix-a-Lot, from his album Mack Daddy. The song samples the 1986 electro single "Technicolor" by Channel One. The song's title originates from an urban slang term used to express a favorable opinion about a woman's buttocks...
" fame.
The Rattled Roosters First Album “Year of the Rooster” was produced by Bill Cowsill
Bill Cowsill
William "Bill" Cowsill, Jr., also known as Billy, was an American singer best known as lead singer and guitarist of The Cowsills who had three top 10 singles in the late 1960s.-The Cowsills:...
lead singer of The Cowsills
The Cowsills
The Cowsills are an American singing group from Newport, Rhode Island. They specialized in harmonies and the ability to sing and play music at an early age. The band was formed in the spring of 1965 by brothers Bill, Bob, and Barry, then shortly thereafter added John...
. Before moving from Vancouver the Rattled Roosters shared the stage with No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, Royal Crown Revue
Royal Crown Revue
The Royal Crown Revue is a band formed in 1989 in Los Angeles, California. They are often credited with starting the Swing Revival movement. Live, RCR has been extremely successful: They participated in 1998's Vans Warped Tour, opened for the B-52s and The Pretenders and played at major US Jazz...
, Goldfinger
Goldfinger (band)
Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer...
, Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Cherry Poppin' Daddies
The Cherry Poppin' Daddies are an American band established in Eugene, Oregon, in 1989. Formed by Steve Perry and Dan Schmid , the band has experienced many membership changes over the years, with only Perry, Schmid and Dana Heitman currently remaining from the original line-up.The Daddies' music...
, Reverend Horton Heat and the legendary Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
. The band was signed to BangOn/Cargo Records and re-released “Year of the Rooster” as well as the single “Marilyn”.
Despite releasing their second album “Young & Modern” to critical acclaim, the video for “Love is… a Holiday”, picturing the Rattled Roosters’ lounge
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
/ punk
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
lifestyle, was never aired as it was banned by MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
for “glamorization of smoking and drinking".
The Rattled Roosters moved to Hollywood in the mid nineties. Playing regularly at Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
's Viper Room
Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp until 2004. The club became known for being a hangout of Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on...
, the band made National entertainment news when TV tabloid host Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
sang with them on stage. That same year the Rattled Roosters were featured in W magazine in an editorial photo spread titled “Young Americans”, shot by Mario Testino
Mario Testino
-Early Life:Testino grew up in Lima, the eldest son of a businessman. When he was young he wanted to be a priest. Testino recalls being unpopular at school because of his flamboyance. He was good at math and went on to study economics at Universidad del Pacífico, where his insistence on wearing...
, featuring influential, young, California taste makers.
In 1999 a third album “Retro-Spex” (hootenanny/popomatic) was released combining tracks off the first recordings, new material and unreleased songs.
Discography
1988Pretty Thing/Cut Across Shorty
Cassette Single
1989
Get Wild
Cassette EP
Unsigned
1999
Retro-Spex -
Hootenanny/popomatic
1996
Young & Modern -
BangOn/Cargo
1996
American Rumble Volume 1 (Various Artists) -
Skizmatic Records
1996
Year of the Rooster (re-release) -
BangOn/Cargo
1995
Marilyn (single) -
BangOn/Cargo
1990
Year of the Rooster -
Independent