Damn Yankees (band)
Encyclopedia
Damn Yankees was an American
hard rock
supergroup
.
of Styx
, Jack Blades
of Night Ranger
, Ted Nugent
of The Amboy Dukes
and a successful solo career, and Michael Cartellone
. Presumably inspired by the musical of the same name
, Nugent once also explained that he coined the name because whenever someone asked him how he and Tommy Shaw would sound playing together, he would always reply by saying they would sound like “a bunch of damn Yankee
s.”
Produced by rock producer Ron Nevison
, the new band’s self-titled debut album
went double-platinum in 1990. Jack Blades’s leading single "Coming of Age," hit #60 on the U.S. Hot 100, and #1 on the AOR charts, while Tommy Shaw’s "Come Again" received extensive AOR
airplay.
1990's rock ballad "High Enough" rose to #3 on U.S. Hot 100, and #2 on AOR charts. Despite Ted Nugent's career being built on his "Motor City Madman" image, "High Enough" was his first mainstream top ten single. The band's songs appeared on several Hollywood film soundtracks, such as Gremlins 2: The New Batch
, Nothing But Trouble and The Taking of Beverly Hills
.
After the release of their debut, the Damn Yankees went on a year-and-a-half world tour with the likes of a revamped Bad Company
, Poison
and Jackyl
. Their U.S. tour coincided with the Persian Gulf War
, in which the band unfurled American flags and made patriotic statements.
In 1992, Damn Yankees went gold with their follow-up album Don’t Tread
. The title song, sung by Blades, enjoyed extensive coverage at the Barcelona Olympic Games
. Ted Nugent also appeared on Rock the Vote
, voicing support for the GOP
against Bill Clinton
. Although the second release was not as successful as the first album, it contained a few minor hits, such as "Mister Please," "Where You Goin’ Now," and "The Silence Is Broken," a power ballad featured in the 1993 Jean-Claude Van Damme
film Nowhere to Run.
On January 15, 2010 at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, the original members of Damn Yankees made a surprise appearance at the Taylor Guitars exhibit. Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw, Ted Nugent, and Michael Cartellone performed an acoustic set on the Taylor Stage including hits such as "Coming of Age", "High Enough", and the Ted Nugent anthem "Cat Scratch Fever". It was their first performance together since 2002.
. Released in 1995, Hallucination received very little support from its label as a personnel change brought industry executives more sympathetic to alternative
and grunge
bands. Ultimately, the Shaw Blades album came out to some critical praise, but it vanished without major single support or a national tour (which had been cancelled by Warner Bros.). "I’ll Always Be With You" did garner some AOR airplay, and the title track was heard in the hit movie Tommy Boy
, but after a brief West Coast tour, both Shaw and Blades went back to their respective original bands, Styx & Night Ranger.
During a hiatus in both Night Ranger and Styx, Shaw and Blades met with Ted Nugent to record a new Damn Yankees album in 1999. However, the album, provisionally titled Bravo, failed to please either the band members or the prospective record labels. Some of this unused material may have surfaced on Shaw’s 7 Deadly Zens
solo album, which featured sessions from both Jack Blades and Ted Nugent, as well as Michael Cartellone. Other songs originally prepared for a 3rd Damn Yankees album were included on Nugent’s 2002 release Craveman
and Blades’ 2004 self-titled solo effort.
In 2007, Shaw Blades
released their new album Influence, which consisted solely of cover songs that influenced them, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. They also recorded a cover of the classic Christmas song "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" on the "A Classic Rock Christmas" album by various Classic Rock artists in 2002. Both members still principally record and perform with their respective original bands.
On June 22, 2008 in Houston, TX Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw performed "High Enough" on stage with Night Ranger during Arrowfest, a concert that featured both Styx
and Night Ranger
.
While on the VH1 Classic show about Power Ballads of 88, Jack Blades commented on many shows coming in 2009 for Night Ranger
. He was also asked about recent rumors regarding Damn Yankees. Jack said he, Ted, and Tommy had been talking and hanging out. Jack then said there would be new music and a tour from Damn Yankees in the future.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard rock
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...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
.
History
The band was formed in 1989, consisting of Tommy ShawTommy Shaw
Tommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
of Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
, Jack Blades
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...
of Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
, Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
of The Amboy Dukes
The Amboy Dukes
The Amboy Dukes were an American rock music band of the late 1960s and early 1970s from Detroit, Michigan, best remembered for their hit single "Journey to the Center of the Mind", and for launching the career of Ted Nugent...
and a successful solo career, and Michael Cartellone
Michael Cartellone
Michael Cartellone born in 1962 is the current drummer of Lynyrd Skynyrd , and the former drummer of Damn Yankees and Accept . He is also an accomplished painter, having done so for many years. Before joining Damn Yankees, Tommy Shaw, both of Styx and Damn Yankees, recalled Michael painting...
. Presumably inspired by the musical of the same name
Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
, Nugent once also explained that he coined the name because whenever someone asked him how he and Tommy Shaw would sound playing together, he would always reply by saying they would sound like “a bunch of damn Yankee
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
s.”
Produced by rock producer Ron Nevison
Ron Nevison
Multi-platinum record producer Ron Nevison, throughout his career, has operated much like a surgeon, brought in during a critical point in a band's career to bring them back to the top from the commercial brink...
, the new band’s self-titled debut album
Damn Yankees (album)
Damn Yankees was the eponymous debut album by Damn Yankees. It is also notable for being the album that revived the popular career of guitarist Ted Nugent...
went double-platinum in 1990. Jack Blades’s leading single "Coming of Age," hit #60 on the U.S. Hot 100, and #1 on the AOR charts, while Tommy Shaw’s "Come Again" received extensive AOR
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
airplay.
1990's rock ballad "High Enough" rose to #3 on U.S. Hot 100, and #2 on AOR charts. Despite Ted Nugent's career being built on his "Motor City Madman" image, "High Enough" was his first mainstream top ten single. The band's songs appeared on several Hollywood film soundtracks, such as Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American horror comedy film, and the sequel to Gremlins . It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker...
, Nothing But Trouble and The Taking of Beverly Hills
The Taking of Beverly Hills
The Taking of Beverly Hills is a 1991 American action film, directed by Sidney J. Furie. An action film in the vein of Die Hard, the film stars Ken Wahl, fresh off the success of the television series Wiseguy, as football hero Boomer Hayes, with Matt Frewer stepping up to the plate as his sidekick,...
.
After the release of their debut, the Damn Yankees went on a year-and-a-half world tour with the likes of a revamped Bad Company
Bad Company
Bad Company were an English rock supergroup founded in 1973, consisting of two former Free band members — singer Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke — as well as Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who, in years prior, was a key component of...
, Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
and Jackyl
Jackyl
Jackyl is an American rock band formed in 1990. Their sound has been described as hard rock, heavy metal and Southern metal.The band is probably best-known for its song "The Lumberjack", which features a chainsaw solo by lead singer Jesse James Dupree. On the recording, Dupree alternately revs the...
. Their U.S. tour coincided with the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, in which the band unfurled American flags and made patriotic statements.
In 1992, Damn Yankees went gold with their follow-up album Don’t Tread
Don't Tread
Don't Tread is the second and last studio album released by Rock supergroup Damn Yankees. It features their second highest charting single, the power ballad "Where You Goin' Now"...
. The title song, sung by Blades, enjoyed extensive coverage at the Barcelona Olympic Games
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
. Ted Nugent also appeared on Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is a non-profit organization in the United States of America whose mission is to engage and build the political power of young people....
, voicing support for the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
against Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. Although the second release was not as successful as the first album, it contained a few minor hits, such as "Mister Please," "Where You Goin’ Now," and "The Silence Is Broken," a power ballad featured in the 1993 Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
film Nowhere to Run.
On January 15, 2010 at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, the original members of Damn Yankees made a surprise appearance at the Taylor Guitars exhibit. Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw, Ted Nugent, and Michael Cartellone performed an acoustic set on the Taylor Stage including hits such as "Coming of Age", "High Enough", and the Ted Nugent anthem "Cat Scratch Fever". It was their first performance together since 2002.
Shaw Blades
In 1994 Ted Nugent revived his solo career leaving Tommy Shaw & Jack Blades to record their own album as the duo Shaw BladesShaw Blades
Shaw–Blades is an American musical duo/group formed by Tommy Shaw of Styx and Jack Blades of Night Ranger, both of whom played in the supergroup Damn Yankees. It is an informal duo which has produced two albums between other projects, 1995s Hallucination & 2007s Influence, the latter of which...
. Released in 1995, Hallucination received very little support from its label as a personnel change brought industry executives more sympathetic to alternative
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...
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...
bands. Ultimately, the Shaw Blades album came out to some critical praise, but it vanished without major single support or a national tour (which had been cancelled by Warner Bros.). "I’ll Always Be With You" did garner some AOR airplay, and the title track was heard in the hit movie Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy is a 1995 road comedy film directed by Peter Segal, written by Bonnie and Terry Turner, and Fred Wolf. It stars former Saturday Night Live colleagues Chris Farley and David Spade. The film tells the story of a socially and emotionally immature man who learns lessons about friendship and...
, but after a brief West Coast tour, both Shaw and Blades went back to their respective original bands, Styx & Night Ranger.
During a hiatus in both Night Ranger and Styx, Shaw and Blades met with Ted Nugent to record a new Damn Yankees album in 1999. However, the album, provisionally titled Bravo, failed to please either the band members or the prospective record labels. Some of this unused material may have surfaced on Shaw’s 7 Deadly Zens
7 Deadly Zens (album)
- Personnel :* Tommy Shaw: all guitars, mandolins, baritone guitars* Ted Nugent: lead guitar on tracks 1 & 12* Jeffery "C.J." Vanston: Hammond B-3, Wurlitzer & Fender-Rhodes electric pianos on tracks 2, 3, 8 & 10...
solo album, which featured sessions from both Jack Blades and Ted Nugent, as well as Michael Cartellone. Other songs originally prepared for a 3rd Damn Yankees album were included on Nugent’s 2002 release Craveman
Craveman
Craveman is an album by Ted Nugent released in 2002. The name is a portmanteau of the words crave and caveman.The album continues the trend, started in the mid-1990s, of Nugent returning to the rawer, harder-rocking sound that made him famous in the 1970s...
and Blades’ 2004 self-titled solo effort.
In 2007, Shaw Blades
Shaw Blades
Shaw–Blades is an American musical duo/group formed by Tommy Shaw of Styx and Jack Blades of Night Ranger, both of whom played in the supergroup Damn Yankees. It is an informal duo which has produced two albums between other projects, 1995s Hallucination & 2007s Influence, the latter of which...
released their new album Influence, which consisted solely of cover songs that influenced them, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. They also recorded a cover of the classic Christmas song "The Twelve Days Of Christmas" on the "A Classic Rock Christmas" album by various Classic Rock artists in 2002. Both members still principally record and perform with their respective original bands.
On June 22, 2008 in Houston, TX Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw performed "High Enough" on stage with Night Ranger during Arrowfest, a concert that featured both Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
and Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
.
While on the VH1 Classic show about Power Ballads of 88, Jack Blades commented on many shows coming in 2009 for Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
. He was also asked about recent rumors regarding Damn Yankees. Jack said he, Ted, and Tommy had been talking and hanging out. Jack then said there would be new music and a tour from Damn Yankees in the future.
Former members
- Tommy ShawTommy ShawTommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, best known for his work with the rock band Styx. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with the supergroup Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades, and has released several solo albums....
– rhythm & lead guitars, lead & backing vocals (1989–1996, 1998–2001) - Jack BladesJack BladesJack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...
– bass guitar, lead & backing vocals (1989–1996, 1998–2001) - Ted NugentTed NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
– lead & rhythm guitars, backing & lead vocals (1989–1996, 1998–2001) - Michael CartelloneMichael CartelloneMichael Cartellone born in 1962 is the current drummer of Lynyrd Skynyrd , and the former drummer of Damn Yankees and Accept . He is also an accomplished painter, having done so for many years. Before joining Damn Yankees, Tommy Shaw, both of Styx and Damn Yankees, recalled Michael painting...
– drums, percussion, backing vocals (1989–1996, 1998–2001)
Session members
- Robbie Buchanan – keyboards on Don't TreadDon't TreadDon't Tread is the second and last studio album released by Rock supergroup Damn Yankees. It features their second highest charting single, the power ballad "Where You Goin' Now"...
(1992 — multiple tracks)
Shaw Blades
In 2010 on the "United In Rock" tour, Styx, led by Tommy Shaw performed the song "High Enough" live as part of their set, without Jack Blades.Albums
| Year | Album | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Damn Yankees Damn Yankees (album) Damn Yankees was the eponymous debut album by Damn Yankees. It is also notable for being the album that revived the popular career of guitarist Ted Nugent... |
13 |
| 1992 | Don't Tread Don't Tread Don't Tread is the second and last studio album released by Rock supergroup Damn Yankees. It features their second highest charting single, the power ballad "Where You Goin' Now"... |
22 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Main Rock | ||
| 1990 | "High Enough High Enough "High Enough" is a song by American supergroup Damn Yankees from their self titled debut album.It is their most successful single in terms of chart position and sales, rising to #3 on the U.S. Pop chart, the group's first top-ten pop single. It also reached #2 on the U.S. Album Rock Tracks chart.... " |
3 | 2 |
| "Coming of Age" | 60 | 1 | |
| 1991 | "Come Again" | 50 | 5 |
| "Runaway" | — | 9 | |
| "Bad Reputation" | — | 31 | |
| 1992 | "Where You Goin' Now Where You Goin' Now Where You Goin' Now is a single from the band Damn Yankees.-Track listing:All songs written by Jack Blades/Ted Nugent/Tommy Shaw.# "Where You Going Now" – 4:27# "Where You Going Now" – 4:46# "High Enough" – 4:36... " |
20 | 6 |
| "Don't Tread On Me" | — | 3 | |
| 1993 | "Silence Is Broken" | 62 | 20 |
| "Mister Please" | — | 3 | |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "High Enough" | Larry Jordan |