Dogs D'Amour
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| The Dogs D'Amour | |
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| Origin | London, England |
| Years active | 1983–1993, 2000, 2002-present |
| Genres | Hard Rock, Sleaze Rock, Glam Punk |
| Members | Tyla Yella |
The Dogs D'Amour were an English hard rock band formed in 1983. Originally featuring lead vocalist Ned Christie (legal name Robert Stoddard), guitarists Tyla (legal name Tim Taylor) and Nick Halls, bassist Karl Watson, and drummer Bam (Maurice Ross). The band's music belongs to the sleaze rock subgenre of glam metal and has clear glam punk undertones.
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[edit] Biography
The band started in late 1982 as the Bordello Boys and enlisted Robert Stoddard (aka Ned Christie) as lead singer in early 1983. The Dogs D'Amour played around 50 shows and recorded many songs throughout 1983. Two separate recording sessions were recorded during this era of the band. On the strength on the 2nd session, the Dogs D'Amour were contracted to Kumibeat Records out of Finland. But shortly before the band were scheduled to record their debut album, Ned quit the band in late 1983 over musical differences with guitarist Tyla. Another reason for the split was that Ned had recently started up another band with Bam called On The Wire and had his own prior recording commitments scheduled with On The Wire around the same time that the Dogs D'Amour were to record the debut album. Tyla took over on lead vocals for the departed Ned Christie and recorded the band's debut album "The State We're In" in early 1984. Ned and Bam (who had left the Dogs D'Amour around the same time as Ned) continued with On The Wire in 1984 and enlisted Swiss bass player Mark Drax. The "classic" Dogs D'Amour lineup then became Tyla (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Jo "Dog" Almeida (Lead guitar), Bam (drums), and Steve James (bass, harmonica, saxophone, backing vocals).
The band released their full length debut album, The State We're In, in 1984 and their last proper studio album, Happy Ever After in 2000. Their music can be described as a mixture of The Rolling Stones and Faces style roots rock and Hanoi Rocks style glam punk. Although often lumped into the 1980s "glam metal" category that was popular on both sides of the Atlantic in the band's heyday, they transcended that with their gifted songwriting/arrangements and expert musicianship. The Dogs' sound was firmly rooted in American Blues, and Jo Almeida's unique and distinctive slide guitar was reminiscent of blues masters like Lightning Hopkins, Charlie Patton, and some say Robert Johnson. Tyla was also a huge fan of Charles Bukowski, and many of his lyrics, delivered with an impelling throaty rasp, were tinged with humorous irony and pathos, reflecting Bukowski's prosaic style. The Dogs began to show a strong country & western side on 1989's Errol Flynn (released as King Of The Thieves in the U.S.), a few years before alt-country became in vogue.
Tyla is also an accomplished artist, and his distinctive artwork graced the covers of all the Dogs D'Amour albums and singles. Tyla's artistic style has evolved with every release, transitioning from pure comic strip caricatures to elegant semi-abstract depictions in pastel and watercolor.
The Dogs D'Amour have been inactive as a performing band since their appearance at Monsters of Rock 2002. However Tyla still produces albums regularly, both as a solo artist and under the Dogs D'Amour moniker, using drum machines and playing all the guitars himself.
Robert Stoddard also played in L.A. Guns as a guitarist when Paul Black was their singer.
[edit] Members
[edit] Current
- Tyla - vocals, Bass, Guitar
- Yella - backing vocals
- Simon Hanson - drums
- Tom Spencer- Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Rich Jones - Guitar, Backing Vocals
[edit] Former
- Ned Christie - lead vocals
- Nick Halls - guitar
- Karl Watson - bass
- Bam Bam - drums
- Dave Kusworth - guitar, backing vocals
- Paul Hornby - drums
- Jo Dog - guitar
- Mark Drax - bass
- Mark Duncan - bass
- Dave Tregunna - bass (recordings 1985 - 1986 only)
- Steve James - bass, backing vocals
- Darrell Bath - guitar, backing vocals
- Share Pedersen - bass, keyboards
- Henry Twinch - keyboards
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- The State We're In (1984)
- In The Dynamite Jet Saloon (1988)
- A Graveyard of Empty Bottles (1989)
- Errol Flynn (titled King of the Thieves in the US) (1989)
- Straight??!! (1990)
- More Unchartered Heights Of Disgrace (1993)
- Happy Ever After (2000)
- Seconds (2000) (Part of the "Dogs Dinner" fan club pre-release package of Happy Ever After)
- The State We're In (the original mix) (2003)
- When Bastards Go To Hell (2004)
- Let Sleeping Dogs... (2005)
[edit] Compilations
- (Un)authorized Bootleg Album (1988)
- Dogs Hits & Bootleg Album (1991)
- Skeletons: The Best Of... (1997)
- Heart Shaped Skulls (best of '88-'93) (2004)
[edit] Singles
- "Blame It On Us" 7" EP (Empty Bottles, 1992, 250 Copies, Bootleg)
(Songs taken from the 1st ever Dogs D'Amour recording session in 1983. "Teenage" also appeared on the "Trash On Delivery" LP compilation. (Flicknife Records, 1983)
Songs
- Teenage
- Fool Like Me
- Secret Girlfriend
- Goodbye Charlene
Personnel
- Robert Stoddard (aka Ned Christie) - lead vocals
- Tyla - guitar, backing vocals
- Nick Halls - guitar
- Karl Watson - bass
- Bam - drums
- 2nd Dogs D'Amour Recording Session
(The actual number of songs and songtitles recorded at this session are unknown at this time but recording is most likely early demos of songs that appeared on the debut album "The State We're In" 1984.)
Songs
- Wired And Wide Awake!
- How Do You Fall In Love (Again) (Tyla on vocals)
Personnel
- Robert Stoddard (aka Ned Christie) - lead vocals
- Tyla - guitar, backing vocals
- Nick Halls - guitar
- Karl Watson - bass
- Bam - drums
- How Do You Fall In Love Again? (1984)
- How Comes It Never Rains (1987)
- Kid From Kensington
- I Don't Want You To Go
- Satellite Kid
- Trail Of Tears
- Victims Of Success
- Back On The Juice
- Empty World
- All Or Nothing
- Pretty Pretty Once
