hair story
In 1984, Hollywood Rose member Izzy Stradlin was living with L.A. Guns member Tracii Guns. When L.A. Guns needed a new vocalist, Stradlin suggested Hollywood Rose singer Axl Rose. Guns N’ Roses was formed in March 1985 by Rose and rhythm guitarist Stradlin, along with lead guitarist Tracii Guns, bassist Ole Beich, and drummer Rob Gardner of L.A. Guns. The band coined its name by combining the names of both previous groups. After a short time, during which the band reportedly played two or three shows, Beich was fired and replaced by Duff McKagan. Tracii Guns left the band after an argument with Rose leading to his replacement by Rose and Stradlin’s one-time Hollywood Rose bandmate, Slash. Gardner quit soon after and was replaced by another former Hollywood Rose member, Steven Adler. Slash had also previously played with McKagan and Adler in Road Crew.
In June 1985, four days after the lineup was finalized, the band embarked on a short, disorganized tour of the West Coast, from Sacramento, California, to McKagan’s hometown of Seattle, Washington. The so-called “Hell Tour” settled the band’s first stable lineup, with McKagan later commenting, “This trip had set a new benchmark for what we were capable of, what we could and would put ourselves through to achieve our goals as a band.”
Through the band’s increasing presence on the Hollywood club scene – playing famed bars such as The Troubadour and The Roxy – Guns N’ Roses drew the attention of major record labels. The group was signed by Geffen Records in March 1986, receiving a $75,000 advance. In December of that year, the group released the four-song EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, designed to keep interest in the band alive while the group withdrew from the club scene to work in the studio. The EP contained covers of Rose Tattoo’s “Nice Boys” and Aerosmith‘s “Mama Kin”, along with two original compositions: the punk-influenced “Reckless Life” and the classic rock-inspired “Move to the City.” Although billed as a live recording, the four songs were taken from the band’s demo tapes and overdubbed with crowd noise. Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide was released on the Geffen subsidiary Uzi Suicide, with production limited to 10,000 vinyl copies… (from Wikipedia)
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hair band members
Axl Rose, lead vocals
Slash, lead guitar
Izzy Stradlin’, rhythm guitar
Duff McKagan, bass
Steven Adler, drums
other hair band mates
Matt Sorum, drums from 1990-1997
Dizzy Reed, keyboards/percussion from 1990-present
Gilby Clarke, rhythm guitar from 1991-1994
hair albums & top 40 hits
- Welcome to the Jungle (#7)
- It’s So Easy
- Nightrain
- Out ta Get Me
- Mr. Brownstone
- Paradise City (#5)
- My Michelle
- Think About You
- Sweet Child o’ Mine (#1)
- You’re Crazy
- Anything Goes
- Rocket Queen
- Reckless Life
- Nice Boys
- Move to the City
- Mama Kin
- Patience (#4)
- Used to Love Her
- You’re Crazy
- One in a Million
- Right Next Door to Hell
- Dust N’ Bones
- Live and Let Die (#33)
- Don’t Cry (Original) (#10)
- Perfect Crime
- You Ain’t the First
- Bad Obsession
- Back Off Bitch
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- November Rain (#3)
- The Garden
- Garden of Eden
- Don’t Damn Me
- Bad Apples
- Dead Horse
- Coma
- Civil War
- 14 Years
- Yesterdays
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
- Get in the Ring
- Shotgun Blues
- Breakdown
- Pretty Tied Up
- Locomotive
- So Fine
- Estranged
- You Could Be Mine (#29)
- Don’t Cry (Alternate Lyrics)
- My World
- Since I Don’t Have You
- New Rose
- Down on the Farm
- Human Being
- Raw Power
- Ain’t It Fun
- Buick Makane (Big Dumb Sex)
- Hair of the Dog
- Attitude
- Black Leather
- You Can’t Put Your Arms Around a Memory
- I Don’t Care About You*
*”Look at Your Game, Girl” hidden track starting at 2:17 of track 12
post-hair albums
Live Era ’87–’93 (1999)
Greatest Hits (2004)
Chinese Democracy (2008)
Appetite for Destruction [Remastered and Expanded Box Set] (2018)
Use Your Illusion I & II [Remastered and Expanded Box Set] (2022)
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live shows
You Could Be Mine (Live In New York, Ritz Theatre – May 16, 1991)
Use Your Illusion – Live In Tokyo Full Concert