Graham Bonnet
Encyclopedia
Graham Bonnet is an English
rock
vocalist, and songwriter. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist, and as a member of several hard rock
and heavy metal
bands including Rainbow
, the Michael Schenker Group
, Alcatrazz
, and Impellitteri
.
in 1947. He had his first hit single
with the duo
, The Marbles in 1968, with the single
"Only One Woman
" (Polydor
56 272), which reached Number 5 in the UK Singles Chart
. This and its follow-up were both written by Barry Gibb
and Robin Gibb
of the Bee Gees
who had recorded in Australia with Bonnet bandmate from The Marbles, Trevor Gordon.
Bonnet then quit to do advert jingle
s. He appeared in the 1974 British
comedy
film
, Three for All as lead singer of 'Billy Beethoven', a fictional band
, along with several notable UK
comedy personalities and his then partner Adrienne Posta
, although his character's lines were limited to only two words.
, which was certified gold
in Australia
. The single, "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
", a cover version
of the Bob Dylan
song
, also reached the top five in Australia in 1977, and the following year the single "Warm Ride
", written by the Bee Gees
, a leftover from the Saturday Night Fever
sessions, reached number one there.
In 1979, Bonnet was chosen by Ritchie Blackmore
to replace Ronnie James Dio
as the vocalist of hard rock
band Rainbow
. This was something of a musical departure for Bonnet, who had previously identified himself more as an R&B singer. Bonnet would later credit his time in Rainbow, and his collaboration with Blackmore in particular as changing fundamentally his musical outlook to a more hard rock focus. He sang on the Down to Earth
LP, which would become his most successful album. It spawned two hit singles in 1980: "Since You Been Gone
" and "All Night Long". During Bonnet's time in the band, Rainbow also headlined the inaugural Monsters of Rock
festival
at Donington Park
, Castle Donington
.
Bonnet's time with Rainbow was short and he left to resume his solo
career, releasing the Line-Up
album in 1981, handled by producer
John Eden. Following on from his time in Rainbow, the album had a markedly more rock-based sound than his previous solo recordings, whilst retaining some of his former R&B influences. For the recording
of Line Up Bonnet enlisted several well-known rock
musician
s including Whitesnake
guitarist Mick Moody
, Whitesnake and Rainbow drum
mer Cozy Powell
, Deep Purple
and Whitesnake keyboard player Jon Lord
, and Status Quo guitarists Francis Rossi
and Rick Parfitt
. The album reached #62 in the UK Albums Chart
. The album's lead single, "Night Games", reached #6 in the UK Singles Chart
, with the follow-up single, "Liar", reaching #51. Around this time Bonnet sang on an advertisement for Levi's
jeans (the song was entitled "These Eyes"), although his version has never been released.
Tempted by an offer from ex-UFO
guitarist Michael Schenker
, Bonnet continued his progression to a heavier musical style and joined the heavy metal Michael Schenker Group
(MSG) for the Assault Attack
album.
Upon leaving MSG, Bonnet decided to form his own band, drawing inspiration from his days in Rainbow. In 1983, he co-founded Alcatrazz
, with Gary Shea (bass), and Jimmy Waldo (keyboards) of the band New England, former Alice Cooper
drummer Jan Uvena, and Swedish
guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen. The band's debut album, No Parole from Rock N' Roll
, featured a distinctly heavy metal sound, with Bonnet describing the material as the heaviest that he had recorded to date. The band enjoyed moderate success in the United States, and major success in Japan
.
The band released three studio albums (No Parole from Rock N' Roll, Disturbing the Peace
, with guitarist Steve Vai
replacing Malmsteen, and Dangerous Games with Danny Johnson on guitar). Alcatrazz also released a live album, Live Sentence
, with material from Yngwie Malmsteen's period in the band. For the Dangerous Games LP, Alcatrazz recorded a remake of Bonnet's hit song "Only One Woman" from his first band The Marbles. In 1987, Alcatrazz appeared on the second series of the BBC TV programme Rock School, with Bonnet providing tips of singing. The programme also included clips of Alcatrazz in rehearsal. Later that year, Alcatrazz disbanded, and Bonnet returned to his solo career. In 2009, Bonnet reformed Alcatrazz with three new musicians, and has begun recording new tracks for a new Alcatrazz studio album scheduled for release in 2010. Bonnet did not consult with his former bandmates Shea, Uvena, and Waldo about re-forming the original line-up, and in response they also re-grouped as a separate version of Alcatrazz. Both bands have official pages on MySpace.com.
(working with ex-Balance
guitarist Bob Kulick
, brother of Kiss
guitarist Bruce Kulick
), backing vocals for the Danish
heavy metal
band Pretty Maids' Future World and numerous session
work for Forcefield, appearing on To Oz and Back and Let The Wild Run Free. In 1988, Bonnet joined Impellitteri
, for their album Stand in Line
.
An appearance on Eddie Hardin
and Pete York
's musical adaptation of Wind in The Willows, performed live in Germany
in 1991, saw Bonnet sing on around six of the songs alongside fellow musician
s Jon Lord
, Don Airey
and Ray Fenwick
amongst others. Fenwick and Airey also featured heavily on Bonnet's 1991 solo album Here Comes The Night which includes several covers as well as songs written by his wife Jo Eime, and another remake of the Marbles', "Only One Woman".
In 1997 he released Underground
, a new solo album, which helped re-establish him with his fan
base in Japan. 1999's The Day I Went Mad
featured guitarist Slash
, Def Leppard
guitarist Vivian Campbell
, Bruce Kulick plus guitarist, Mario Parga
.
Bonnet contributed lead vocals to the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem's 2000 release Heavy Metal Anthem
, which had reworks of classic Anthem tracks. Bonnet rejoined Impellitteri in 2000 for their System X
album. Meanwhile, his 1999 Japanese solo album got a UK
release in September 2001.
At the back end of 2001, Bonnet went on a solo UK tour. His band included keyboard player
Don Airey
, bassist Chris Childs
and drummer Harry James
of Thunder
and guitarist Dario Mollo.
In early 2004 Bonnet joined Italian
guitarist Dario Mollo's new project Elektric Zoo, touring Europe during April. Maintaining the Italian connection, the singer also participated in Matteo Filippini's project, Moonstone, featuring on the track "Not Dead Yet".
In 2006 Bonnet contributed vocals to the Welcome to America album by Taz Taylor Band. The album was widely regarded as one of the best Melodic Rock albums of the year. The band toured the U.K in 2007 and Europe in 2008.
He also appeared in the Countdown Spectacular
concert series in Australia between August and September 2007. He sang two songs, "Warm Ride" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".
A press release dated 6 November 2008 reported that Bonnet would be contributing vocals for a highlights CD with the metal opera project, Lyraka. The Italian connection continues, as the composer and lead guitarist is Andy DiGelsomina
. The album Lyraka Volume 1
was released 2 November 2010 to widespread critical acclaim, with critic Martin Popoff
referring to the project as the "next Led Zeppelin". It was announced 17 November 2010 that Bonnet would also be featured on Lyraka Volume 2.
Bonnet currently resides in Los Angeles
, California
, where he continues to record and tour extensively.
Film & TV appearances
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
vocalist, and songwriter. He has recorded and performed as a solo artist, and as a member of several 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...
and 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...
bands including Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
, the Michael Schenker Group
Michael Schenker Group
The Michael Schenker Group is a guitar-oriented hard rock band formed in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist, Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Schenker Group, which lasted until 1992. After that, the Michael Schenker Group was reformed.The...
, Alcatrazz
Alcatrazz
Alcatrazz is an American heavy metal band formed in 1983 by Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea.-History:The band's initial line-up consisted of former Rainbow frontman Graham Bonnet, young Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen who had recently left American band Steeler, Gary Shea and Jimmy...
, and Impellitteri
Impellitteri
Impellitteri is a heavy metal band from USA formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri. Since inception, the band has released numerous albums to critical praise, mainly due to Chris Impellitteri's speed/shred style of playing....
.
Early days
Bonnet was born in SkegnessSkegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
in 1947. He had his first hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
with the duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
, The Marbles in 1968, with the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Only One Woman
Only One Woman
"Only One Woman" is a rock ballad written by Barry ,Robin and Maurice Gibb which became a hit by The Marbles in 1968.This song was a non-album single, only buy at vinyl, but later this song was also included on their self-titled album The Marbles.-Personnel:...
" (Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
56 272), which reached Number 5 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. This and its follow-up were both written by Barry Gibb
Barry Gibb
Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
and Robin Gibb
Robin Gibb
Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
of the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
who had recorded in Australia with Bonnet bandmate from The Marbles, Trevor Gordon.
Bonnet then quit to do advert jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s. He appeared in the 1974 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Three for All as lead singer of 'Billy Beethoven', a fictional 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...
, along with several notable UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy personalities and his then partner Adrienne Posta
Adrienne Posta
Adrienne Posta is an English film and television actress and singer, prominent during the 1960s and 1970s. She adopted the surname Posta in 1966. She recorded a number of singles. She is now semi-retired and works as a teacher in the Midlands and at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts...
, although his character's lines were limited to only two words.
Middle years
In 1977 he released an eponymous albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, which was certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The single, "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records . The song was originally recorded on January 15, 1965 with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass...
", a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, also reached the top five in Australia in 1977, and the following year the single "Warm Ride
Warm Ride
"Warm Ride" was a song written by Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees during the 1977 Saturday Night Fever sessions in France. The Bee Gees original, if unfinished, recording from 1978 was mixed and included on a reissue of the Bee Gees Greatest album in 2007.The song sounded like the...
", written by the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
, a leftover from the Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack)
Original Vinyl ReleaseSide A:#"Stayin' Alive" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:45#"How Deep Is Your Love" performed by Bee Gees, produced by Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten, Karl Richardson – 4:05...
sessions, reached number one there.
In 1979, Bonnet was chosen by Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
to replace Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
as the vocalist of 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...
band Rainbow
Rainbow (band)
Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up...
. This was something of a musical departure for Bonnet, who had previously identified himself more as an R&B singer. Bonnet would later credit his time in Rainbow, and his collaboration with Blackmore in particular as changing fundamentally his musical outlook to a more hard rock focus. He sang on the Down to Earth
Down to Earth (Rainbow album)
Down To Earth is the fourth studio album released by Rainbow, released in 1979. Most of the album had been already written and recorded by the time Graham Bonnet was recruited. Also recruited were ex-Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover and keyboardist Don Airey...
LP, which would become his most successful album. It spawned two hit singles in 1980: "Since You Been Gone
Since You Been Gone
"Since You Been Gone" is a 1970s rock song written and recorded by former Argent guitarist Russ Ballard for his 1976 album Winning. It has also been recorded by numerous other artists, including all-girl group Clout, Cherie Currie and Head East...
" and "All Night Long". During Bonnet's time in the band, Rainbow also headlined the inaugural Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
, Castle Donington
Castle Donington
Castle Donington is a village, with a population of around 7000 in the North West of Leicestershire, part of the Derby postcode area and on the edge of the National Forest. It is the closest town to East Midlands Airport.-Transport and housing:...
.
Bonnet's time with Rainbow was short and he left to resume his solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career, releasing the Line-Up
Line-Up (album)
Line-Up is the third album released by English singer, Graham Bonnet, formerly of Rainbow.-Side one:#"Night Games" – 4:38 #"S.O.S" – 3:12 #"I'm a Lover" – 3:46...
album in 1981, handled by producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
John Eden. Following on from his time in Rainbow, the album had a markedly more rock-based sound than his previous solo recordings, whilst retaining some of his former R&B influences. For the recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of Line Up Bonnet enlisted several well-known rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s including Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
guitarist Mick Moody
Micky Moody
Michael Joseph "Micky" Moody is an English guitarist, and a former member of the rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. He was also a founder-member of Snafu. Together with his former Whitesnake colleague Bernie Marsden he founded the Moody Marsden Band, and later, The Snakes...
, Whitesnake and Rainbow drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
mer Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell
Colin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
, Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
and Whitesnake keyboard player Jon Lord
Jon Lord
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
, and Status Quo guitarists Francis Rossi
Francis Rossi
Francis Dominic Nicholas Michael Rossi, OBE is a British musician best known for being a co-founder of the English rock band Status Quo, in which he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar.- Career :...
and Rick Parfitt
Rick Parfitt
Richard John Parfitt, OBE is best known for being a singer and the rhythm guitarist in the English rock band Status Quo.-Career:...
. The album reached #62 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. The album's lead single, "Night Games", reached #6 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, with the follow-up single, "Liar", reaching #51. Around this time Bonnet sang on an advertisement for Levi's
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
jeans (the song was entitled "These Eyes"), although his version has never been released.
Tempted by an offer from ex-UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
guitarist 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...
, Bonnet continued his progression to a heavier musical style and joined the heavy metal Michael Schenker Group
Michael Schenker Group
The Michael Schenker Group is a guitar-oriented hard rock band formed in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist, Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Schenker Group, which lasted until 1992. After that, the Michael Schenker Group was reformed.The...
(MSG) for the Assault Attack
Assault Attack
Assault Attack is the third studio album from The Michael Schenker Group, and the only album to feature former Rainbow vocalist Graham Bonnet...
album.
Upon leaving MSG, Bonnet decided to form his own band, drawing inspiration from his days in Rainbow. In 1983, he co-founded Alcatrazz
Alcatrazz
Alcatrazz is an American heavy metal band formed in 1983 by Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea.-History:The band's initial line-up consisted of former Rainbow frontman Graham Bonnet, young Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen who had recently left American band Steeler, Gary Shea and Jimmy...
, with Gary Shea (bass), and Jimmy Waldo (keyboards) of the band New England, former Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
drummer Jan Uvena, and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen. The band's debut album, No Parole from Rock N' Roll
No Parole from Rock N' Roll
No Parole From Rock 'n' Roll was the first album released by Graham Bonnet's Alcatrazz. It spent seven weeks on the Billboard chart, peaking at #128. Considered by many to be the best Alcatrazz release and launched Yngwie J. Malmsteen into a glittering solo career. Most famous for the single...
, featured a distinctly heavy metal sound, with Bonnet describing the material as the heaviest that he had recorded to date. The band enjoyed moderate success in the United States, and major success in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The band released three studio albums (No Parole from Rock N' Roll, Disturbing the Peace
Disturbing the Peace
Disturbing the Peace is the second studio album by Alcatrazz, and is the only one featuring Steve Vai on guitar. One of the singles, God Blessed Video, can be found on the fictional radio station, V-Rock, on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Weeks on Chart: 7, Peak: #133...
, with guitarist Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
replacing Malmsteen, and Dangerous Games with Danny Johnson on guitar). Alcatrazz also released a live album, Live Sentence
Live Sentence
Live Sentence was the only live album released by Graham Bonnet's Alcatrazz and contains some of the songs performed by Bonnet in his time with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. The live show was based on their previous album No Parole From Rock N' Roll and had the same lineup...
, with material from Yngwie Malmsteen's period in the band. For the Dangerous Games LP, Alcatrazz recorded a remake of Bonnet's hit song "Only One Woman" from his first band The Marbles. In 1987, Alcatrazz appeared on the second series of the BBC TV programme Rock School, with Bonnet providing tips of singing. The programme also included clips of Alcatrazz in rehearsal. Later that year, Alcatrazz disbanded, and Bonnet returned to his solo career. In 2009, Bonnet reformed Alcatrazz with three new musicians, and has begun recording new tracks for a new Alcatrazz studio album scheduled for release in 2010. Bonnet did not consult with his former bandmates Shea, Uvena, and Waldo about re-forming the original line-up, and in response they also re-grouped as a separate version of Alcatrazz. Both bands have official pages on MySpace.com.
Later career
Bonnet's post-Alcatrazz projects have all been short-lived and included BlackthorneBlackthorne (band)
Blackthorne was a hard rock project that involved Bob Kulick on guitar, Graham Bonnett on vocals, Frankie Banali on drums, Jimmy Waldo on keyboards, and Chuck Wright on bass...
(working with ex-Balance
Balance (band)
Balance was an early 1980s pop rock band based out of New York City and fronted by Illinois native, Peppy Castro, formerly of Blues Magoos. Other members included guitarist Bob Kulick, arranger and keyboardist Doug Katsaros, drummer Chuck Burgi, and bassist Dennis Feldman.The group's most...
guitarist Bob Kulick
Bob Kulick
Bob Kulick is an American guitarist and Grammy Award-winning record producer, best known for his studio work with Kiss. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is the older brother of former Kiss lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, whom he suggested Kiss hire....
, brother 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,...
guitarist Bruce Kulick
Bruce Kulick
Bruce Howard Kulick is an American guitarist, musician and a member of the band Grand Funk Railroad. Previously, Kulick had been a longtime member of the band Kiss....
), backing vocals for the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
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 Pretty Maids' Future World and numerous session
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
work for Forcefield, appearing on To Oz and Back and Let The Wild Run Free. In 1988, Bonnet joined Impellitteri
Impellitteri
Impellitteri is a heavy metal band from USA formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri. Since inception, the band has released numerous albums to critical praise, mainly due to Chris Impellitteri's speed/shred style of playing....
, for their album Stand in Line
Stand In Line
-Personnel:*Chris Impellitteri – guitar, production*Graham Bonnet – vocals*Phil Wolfe – keyboard*Pat Torpey – drums*Chuck Wright – bass*Bill Freesh – engineering, mixing*Mikey Davis – engineering*Brian Jenkins – engineering*Paul Winger – engineering...
.
An appearance on Eddie Hardin
Eddie Hardin
Eddie Hardin , is an English rock pianist and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his associations with the Spencer Davis Group, Axis Point also Hardin and York...
and Pete York
Pete York
Pete York is a rock drummer who has been performing since the 1960s.-Early life:...
's musical adaptation of Wind in The Willows, performed live in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1991, saw Bonnet sing on around six of the songs alongside fellow musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s Jon Lord
Jon Lord
Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord is an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player.Jon Lord, also known as 'Hammond Lord', is a classically trained piano player. He is recognised for his Hammond organ blues-rock sound and for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms...
, Don Airey
Don Airey
Donald Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord...
and Ray Fenwick
Ray Fenwick
Ray Fenwick is an English guitarist and session musician, best known for replacing Steve Howe in The Syndicats, and as the lead guitarist of Ian Gillan's post Deep Purple solo project, the Ian Gillan Band.-Biography:...
amongst others. Fenwick and Airey also featured heavily on Bonnet's 1991 solo album Here Comes The Night which includes several covers as well as songs written by his wife Jo Eime, and another remake of the Marbles', "Only One Woman".
In 1997 he released Underground
Underground (Graham Bonnet album)
Underground is the fifth solo album by English rock singer Graham Bonnet, originally released in 1997. Underground reunites Bonnet with guitarist Danny Johnson, who previously performed with Bonnet in Alcatrazz...
, a new solo album, which helped re-establish him with his fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
base in Japan. 1999's The Day I Went Mad
The Day I Went Mad
The Day I Went Mad is the sixth solo album by English rock singer Graham Bonnet, originally released in 1999. Much like his previous solo efforts, Bonnet enlisted a host of guest musicians for the recording, including former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell and...
featured guitarist Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
guitarist Vivian Campbell
Vivian Campbell
Vivian Patrick Campbell is a Northern Irish rock guitarist who is a member of Def Leppard and was, from May 2010 to November 2011, a member of Thin Lizzy. Prior to joining Def Leppard in April 1992, he had been a member of Whitesnake, Sweet Savage, Trinity, Riverdogs, and Shadow King...
, Bruce Kulick plus guitarist, Mario Parga
Mario Parga
Guitarist Mario Parga, born in Lytham, Lancashire, England on 7 August 1969, came into the spotlight during the late 1980s when he began appearing in numerous guitar and rock magazines such as Guitar Player, Metal Hammer, Kerrang, Metal Forces and played a live guitar solo on MTV's 'Metal Hammer'...
.
Bonnet contributed lead vocals to the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem's 2000 release Heavy Metal Anthem
Heavy Metal Anthem
Heavy Metal Anthem is Japanese heavy metal band Anthem's return album, released nearly 8 years since their disbandment in the early 1990s, it's the eighth studio album...
, which had reworks of classic Anthem tracks. Bonnet rejoined Impellitteri in 2000 for their System X
System X (album)
-Track listing:# "United We Stand" – 3:04# "Perfect Crime" – 4:23# "End of the World" – 5;05# "She's a Nighttime Lover" – 4:30# "Slow Kill" – 4:57# "Why Do They Do That" – 3:53# "Rock & Roll Heroes" – 4:38...
album. Meanwhile, his 1999 Japanese solo album got a UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
release in September 2001.
At the back end of 2001, Bonnet went on a solo UK tour. His band included keyboard player
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Don Airey
Don Airey
Donald Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord...
, bassist Chris Childs
Chris Childs (bassist)
Chris Childs is an English bass player who was a member of the hard rock band Thunder from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2002 to 2009....
and drummer Harry James
Gary James
Gary Milton James, popularly known as 'Harry' James is the drummer for themelodic rock band Magnum,although he is best known as the drummer for the now defunct hard rock band Thunder....
of Thunder
Thunder (band)
Thunder were an English hard rock band, who originally formed in 1989 when the band Terraplane broke up, leaving lead singer Danny Bowes and guitarist/main songwriter Luke Morley to form a new group, namely Thunder...
and guitarist Dario Mollo.
In early 2004 Bonnet joined Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
guitarist Dario Mollo's new project Elektric Zoo, touring Europe during April. Maintaining the Italian connection, the singer also participated in Matteo Filippini's project, Moonstone, featuring on the track "Not Dead Yet".
In 2006 Bonnet contributed vocals to the Welcome to America album by Taz Taylor Band. The album was widely regarded as one of the best Melodic Rock albums of the year. The band toured the U.K in 2007 and Europe in 2008.
He also appeared in the Countdown Spectacular
Countdown Spectacular
The Countdown Spectacular is a series of concerts reviving the nostalgia of the Australian music television series Countdown.-Countdown Spectacular:...
concert series in Australia between August and September 2007. He sang two songs, "Warm Ride" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".
A press release dated 6 November 2008 reported that Bonnet would be contributing vocals for a highlights CD with the metal opera project, Lyraka. The Italian connection continues, as the composer and lead guitarist is Andy DiGelsomina
Andy DiGelsomina
Andy DiGelsomina is a composer, lyricist, and guitarist. He came to prominence working with internationally acclaimed vocalists Graham Bonnet, Veronica Freeman, and Tommy Heart for his heavy metal opera, Lyraka...
. The album Lyraka Volume 1
Lyraka Volume 1
Lyraka Volume 1 is the debut studio album from the metal opera project Lyraka. It was released on November 2, 2010.-History:The Lyraka opera was first conceived by Jasmine Lyraka in 2006. Her plans were for a multimedia fantasy experience: movie, website, video game, and a line of Ken Kelly artwork...
was released 2 November 2010 to widespread critical acclaim, with critic Martin Popoff
Martin Popoff
Martin Popoff is a Canadian-born music journalist and critic who covers the genre of heavy metal music. The senior editor and co-founder of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles magazine, he has additionally written over twenty books that both critically evaluate heavy metal and document its history...
referring to the project as the "next Led Zeppelin". It was announced 17 November 2010 that Bonnet would also be featured on Lyraka Volume 2.
Bonnet currently resides in 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...
, 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...
, where he continues to record and tour extensively.
U.K. Singles
Date |
Artist |
Label |
Cat. # |
Tracks |
| 1968 | The Marbles | Polydor | 56272 | Only One Woman/By The Light Of A Burning Candle |
| 1969 | The Marbles | Polydor | 56310 | The Walls Fell Down/Love You |
| 1969 | The Marbles | Polydor | 56378 | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do/I Can't See Nobody |
| 1972 | Graham Bonnet | RCA | RCA 2230 | Whisper In The Night/Rare Specimen |
| 15/06/1973 | Graham Bonnet | RCA | RCA 2380 | Trying To Say Goodbye/Castles In The Air |
| 16/11/1973 | Adrienne Posta | DJM | DJS 286 | Dog Song/Express Yourself |
| 04/10/1974 | Graham Bonnet | DJM | DJS 328 | Back Row In The Stalls/Ghost Writer In My Eye |
| 09/05/1975 | Billy Beethoven | DJM | DJS 377 | Dreams (Out In The Forest)/We're Free |
| 27/05/1977 | Graham Bonnet | Ring O'Records | 2017 105 | It's All Over Now, Baby Blue/Heroes On My Picture Wall |
| 12/08/1977 | Graham Bonnet | Ring O'Records | 2017 106 | Danny/Rock Island Line |
| 11/1977 | Graham Bonnet | Ring O'Records | 2017 110 | Goodnight And Goodmorning/Wino Song |
| 03/1978 | Graham Bonnet | Ring O'Records | POSP 002DJ | Warm Ride (Short Version)/Warm Ride (Long Version) |
| 03/1978 | Graham Bonnet | Ring O'Records | 2017 114 | Warm Ride (Short Version)/10/12 Observation |
| 1979 | Rainbow | Polydor | POSP 70 | Since You Been Gone Since You Been Gone "Since You Been Gone" is a 1970s rock song written and recorded by former Argent guitarist Russ Ballard for his 1976 album Winning. It has also been recorded by numerous other artists, including all-girl group Clout, Cherie Currie and Head East... /Bad Girl |
| 03/1980 | Rainbow | Polydor | POSP 104 | All Night Long/Weiss Heim |
| 03/1981 | Graham Bonnet | Vertigo | VER 1 | Night Games/Out On The Water |
| 1981 | Graham Bonnet | Vertigo | VER 2 | Liar/Bad Days Are Gone |
| 11/1981 | Graham Bonnet | Vertigo | VER 4 | That's The Way That It Is/Don't Tell Me To Go |
| 27/08/1982 | Michael Schenker Group | Chrysalis | CHS 2636 | Dancer/Girl From Uptown |
| 1985 | Alcatrazz | Capitol | CL 366 | God Blessed Video/Wire And Wood |
Unique Non-U.K. Singles
Date |
Artist |
Country |
Label |
Cat. # |
Tracks |
| 1969 | The Marbles | Germany | Polydor | 59 311 | I Can't See Nobody/Little Boy |
| 1969 | The Marbles | Germany | Polydor | 2058 010 | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do/Daytime |
| 1969 | The Marbles | U.S.A. | Cotillion | 45-44046 | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do/Little Laughing Girl |
| 1969 | The Marbles | Portugal | Polydor | 56378 | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do/A House Is Not A Home |
| 1977 | Graham Bonnet | Australia | Mercury | 6001 109 | Danny/Wino Song |
| 1977 | Graham Bonnet | Australia | Mercury | 6001 111 | Rock Island Line/Soul Seeker |
| 11/1978 | Graham Bonnet | Australia | Mercury | 6001 115 | Only You Can Lift Me/Such A Shame |
| 1978 | Graham Bonnet | Germany | Mercury | 6001 117 | Can't Complain/High School Angel |
Albums (Solo Or As Band Member)
Date |
Artist |
Label |
Cat. # |
Name |
| 1970 | The Marbles | Polydor | 184365 | The Marbles |
| 1975 | (Soundtrack) | DJM | DJLPS 448 | Three For All (Four Tracks By Billy Beethoven) |
| 05/09/1977 | Graham Bonnet | Ring O'Records Mercury |
2320 103 9199 133 |
Graham Bonnet |
| 10/1978 | Graham Bonnet | Mercury | 6304 503 | No Bad Habits |
| 1979 | Graham Bonnet | Mercury | 6304 509 | Can't Complain (Mixture Of Tracks From Previous Two Albums) |
| 1979 | Rainbow | Polydor | POLD 5023 | Down To Earth (UK #9) |
| 10/1981 | Graham Bonnet | Vertigo | 6302 151 | Line Up (UK #62) |
| 1982 | Michael Schenker Group | Chrysalis | CHR 1393 | Assault Attack (UK #19) |
| 1983 | Alcatrazz | Rocshire | PL83263 | No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll (US #128) |
| 1984 | Alcatrazz | Polydor | Live Sentence (US #145) | |
| 1985 | Alcatrazz | Capitol | 1C0642402991 | Disturbing The Peace (US #133) |
| 1986 | Alcatrazz | Capitol | Dangerous Games | |
| 22/06/1988 | Impellitteri Impellitteri Impellitteri is a heavy metal band from USA formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri. Since inception, the band has released numerous albums to critical praise, mainly due to Chris Impellitteri's speed/shred style of playing.... |
Relativity Records Relativity Records Relativity Records, often branded just Relativity, is an American record label founded by Barry Kobrin at the site of his company, Important Record Distribution in metro New York. Early on, as an indie label, Relativity released music in a variety of styles, including dance, jazz, punk, and... |
Stand In Line Stand In Line -Personnel:*Chris Impellitteri – guitar, production*Graham Bonnet – vocals*Phil Wolfe – keyboard*Pat Torpey – drums*Chuck Wright – bass*Bill Freesh – engineering, mixing*Mikey Davis – engineering*Brian Jenkins – engineering*Paul Winger – engineering... |
|
| 1989 | Forcefield III | President | PCOM 1100 | To Oz And Back |
| 1991 | Forcefield IV | President | PCOM 1110 | Let The Wild Run Free |
| 1991 | Graham Bonnet | President | PCOM 1114 | Here Comes The Night |
| 1993 | Blackthorne | CMC International | CMC 6403 | Afterlife |
| 26/02/1997 | Graham Bonnet | Victor | VICP-60084 | The Day I Went Mad |
| 2001 | Anthem | JVC | VICP-60992 | Heavy Metal Anthem |
| 2001 | Graham Bonnet | Escape Music | ESM070 | Underground |
| 14/10/2002 | Impellitteri | SPV | 085-74622 | System X |
| 26/08/2006 | Taz Taylor Band | Escape Music | ESM137 | Welcome To America! |
| 04/12/2007 | (Various Artists) | Phantom Sound And Vision | The Countdown Spectacular Live 2 | |
| 2010 | Alcatrazz | Live '83 | ||
| 2010 | Alcatrazz | No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll Tour Live in Japan 1984.1.28 Audio Tracks | ||
| 2010 | Alcatrazz | Disturbing the Peace Tour Live in Japan 1984.10.10 Audio Tracks |
Compilation albums
Date |
Artist |
Label |
Cat. # |
Name |
| 1980 | Graham Bonnet | Mercury | 6321 108 | Rock Legends Graham Bonnet |
| 1994 | The Marbles | Polydor | 523 866-2 | Marble-ized |
| 7/1997 | Rainbow | Polydor | The Very Best Of Rainbow | |
| 23/06/1998 | Alcatrazz | Renaissance | The Best Of Alcatrazz | |
| 08/10/2002 | Impellitteri | Seoul Records | The Very Best Of Impellitteri: Faster Than The Speed Of Light | |
| 2003 | The Marbles | Repertoire | REPUK 1014 | The Marbles |
| 27/03/2006 | Michael Schenker Group | Locomotive | Tales Of Rock 'N' Roll | |
| 23/09/2008 | Michael Schenker Group | EMI | 5099923475021 | The Best Of The Michael Schenker Group 1980 - 1984 |
Albums (Guest Sessions)
Date |
Artist |
Label |
Cat. # |
Name |
Contribution |
| 1976 | RCA | RS 1088 | Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose | Vocals on "Walking By The Sea" | |
| 1983 | The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"... And Friends |
RCA | RCALP 8001 | Arrested: The Music Of The Police | Vocals on "Truth Hits Everybody" |
| 1985 | Eddie Hardin And Zak Starkey Zak Starkey Zak Starkey is an English rock drummer. He is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Starr's first wife Maureen Starkey Tigrett. He is also well known for his unofficial membership in the English rock band The Who, with whom he has performed and recorded since 1996. He is also the third... |
President | PTLS 1078 | Eddie Hardin And Zak Starkey's Musical Version Of Wind In The Willows |
|
| 1987 | Pretty Maids Pretty Maids Pretty Maids are a Danish heavy metal band from Horsens, Denmark. Formed in 1981 by Ronnie Atkins and Ken Hammer. Their sound and music can be described as classic guitar-laden heavy rock with a strong emphasis on melodic elements like vocals and keyboards.... |
CBS | 4502811 | Future World | |
| 1992 | Eddie Hardin | INAK | INAK 9010 | Wind In The Willows - A Rock Concert | |
| 2005 | Iain Ashley Hersey | Lion Music | LMC 157 | The Holy Grail | Vocals On "Going Down", "Walking The Talk" and "The Holy Grail" |
| 2006 | Moonstone Project | Majestic Rock Records | MAJCD-080 (UK) DDCZ-1244 (Japan) |
Time To Take A Stand | Vocals On "Not Dead Yet" |
| 16/08/2008 | J21 | 0001 | Yellow Mind:Blue Mind | ||
| 2010 | Lyraka | Yesterrock | B004CU1JPY | Lyraka Volume 1 Lyraka Volume 1 Lyraka Volume 1 is the debut studio album from the metal opera project Lyraka. It was released on November 2, 2010.-History:The Lyraka opera was first conceived by Jasmine Lyraka in 2006. Her plans were for a multimedia fantasy experience: movie, website, video game, and a line of Ken Kelly artwork... |
Vocals on "Coronation", "Palace Guard", "Errandia", and "Beyond the Palace". |
| 2012 | Lyraka | Yesterrock | Lyraka Volume 2 | Vocals on "Volcano", "Lyraka (On Dragon's Wings)", and "Father". |
Film & TV appearances
- 1975 Three For All (performer)
- 1980 Rainbow - Monsters Of Rock, Donington '80 (performer)
- 1985 Rainbow - The Final Cut (performer)
- 2003 Wind In The Willows - A Rock Concert '91 (performer)
- 2006 Rainbow - In Their Own Words (interviewee)
- 2006 Heavy Metal - Louder than Life (interviewee)
Bands
Years Active |
Name |
Members |
| 1965–1967 | The Blue Sect | Graham Bonnet, Guitar and Vocals/Roger Sleath, Bass and Vocals/Steve Hardy, Drums |
| 1967–1968 | The Graham Bonnet Set | Graham Bonnet, Guitar and Vocals/Trevor Gordon, Guitar and Vocals/Steve Hardy, Drums |
| 1968–1969 | The Marbles | Graham Bonnet, Guitar and Vocals/Trevor Gordon, Guitar and Vocals |
| 1975 | Southern Comfort | Graham Bonnet, Bass |
| 1979–1980 | Rainbow Rainbow (band) Rainbow were an English rock band, controlled by guitarist Ritchie Blackmore from 1975 to 1984 and 1994 to 1997. It was originally established with American rock band Elf's members, though over the years Rainbow went through many line-up changes with no two studio albums featuring the same line-up... (Line Up 6) |
Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Ritchie Blackmore Ritchie Blackmore Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately... , Guitar/Don Airey Don Airey Donald Airey has been the keyboardist in the rock band Deep Purple since 2002, succeeding Jon Lord... , Keyboards/Roger Glover Roger Glover Roger David Glover is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. Glover is best known as the bassist and lyricist for the hard rock band, Deep Purple.-Early career:... , Bass/Cozy Powell Cozy Powell Colin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:... , Drums |
| 02/1982-27/08/1982 | Michael Schenker Group Michael Schenker Group The Michael Schenker Group is a guitar-oriented hard rock band formed in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist, Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Schenker Group, which lasted until 1992. After that, the Michael Schenker Group was reformed.The... (Line Up 5) |
Graham Bonnet, Vocals/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... , Guitar/Tommy Eyre Tommy Eyre Tommy Eyre was a session keyboardist from Sheffield, England, who appeared on records by Joe Cocker, John Martyn, Alex Harvey, Greg Lake, Michael Schenker, Gary Moore, B.B. King, John Mayall, Tracy Chapman and Wham!... , Keyboards/Chris Glen Chris Glen Christopher 'Chris' Glen is a Scottish bass guitarist who has played in The Jade, Tear Gas, The Party Boys, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Michael Schenker Group... , Bass/Ted McKenna Ted McKenna Edward 'Ted' McKenna , is a Scottish drummer who has played with the bands Tear Gas, Rory Gallagher, The Party Boys, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Michael Schenker Group. He also toured with Ian Gillan for a short period alongside fellow former SAHB bassist, Chris Glen... , Drums |
| 1983–1984 | Alcatrazz Alcatrazz Alcatrazz is an American heavy metal band formed in 1983 by Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea.-History:The band's initial line-up consisted of former Rainbow frontman Graham Bonnet, young Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen who had recently left American band Steeler, Gary Shea and Jimmy... (Line Up 1) |
Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Yngwie Malmsteen, Guitar/Jimmy Waldo, Keyboards/Gary Shea, Bass/Jan Uvena, Drums |
| 1984–1986 | Alcatrazz (Line Up 2) | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Steve Vai Steve Vai Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso.... , Guitar/Jimmy Waldo, Keyboards/Gary Shea, Bass/Jan Uvena, Drums |
| 1986–1987 | Alcatrazz (Line Up 3) | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Danny Johnson, Guitar/Jimmy Waldo, Keyboards/Gary Shea, Bass/Jan Uvena, Drums |
| 02/1988 | The Party Boys The Party Boys The Party Boys was an Australian rock band with floating membership that existed from 1982 until 1992. Initially established by Mondo Rock bass player Paul Christie as a part-time venture for professional musicians with downtime from other projects, the group has boasted members from acts such as... (Line Up 9) |
Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Kevin Borich and John Brewster, Guitar/Alan Lancaster Alan Lancaster Alan Lancaster is a bassist and a founding ex-member of the English rock band, Status Quo... , Bass/Paul Christie Paul Christie (Australian musician) Paul Christie is an Australian bassist and vocalist. He came to prominence as a member of the second and most successful lineup of the group Mondo Rock, which was founded by former Daddy Cool leader Ross Wilson... and Richard Harvey, Drums |
| 1988 | Anthem Anthem (band) is a Japanese heavy metal band that was formed during the early 1980s in Tokyo. They are among the handful of heavy metal bands founded in Japan during that time and are considered to be one of the most successful and influential, alongside Loudness and Earthshaker.-Early years :Anthem was founded... (Line Up 4) |
Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Hiroya Fukuda, Guitar/Naoto Shibata, Bass/Takamasa Ohuchi, Drums |
| 1988 | Impellitteri Impellitteri Impellitteri is a heavy metal band from USA formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri. Since inception, the band has released numerous albums to critical praise, mainly due to Chris Impellitteri's speed/shred style of playing.... (Line Up 2) |
Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Chris Impellitteri, Guitar/Phil Wolfe, Keyboards/Chuck Wright, Bass/Pat Torpey, Drums |
| 1988–1990 | Impellitteri (Line Up 3) | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Chris Impellitteri, Guitar/Phil Wolfe, Keyboards/Dave Spitz, Bass/Stet Howland, Drums |
| 1989 | Forcefield III | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Ray Fenwick Ray Fenwick Ray Fenwick is an English guitarist and session musician, best known for replacing Steve Howe in The Syndicats, and as the lead guitarist of Ian Gillan's post Deep Purple solo project, the Ian Gillan Band.-Biography:... and Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman is a Dutch guitarist. Akkerman is a distinctive guitarist, constantly experimenting with new equipment and guitars. Akkerman's distinctive guitar sound is characterised by his pioneering use of volume swells which produce a smooth, fluty, sustained tone, and other complex techniques... , Guitar/Mo Foster Mo Foster Mo Foster is a British session musician, playing primarily jazz, jazz-fusion and rock bass guitar. He is also a music producer and songwriter/composer. In over 40 years as a musician Foster has played on and produced countless albums, singles, and film soundtracks... and Terry Pack, Bass/Cozy Powell, Drums |
| 1990 | Forcefield IV | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Ray Fenwick Ray Fenwick Ray Fenwick is an English guitarist and session musician, best known for replacing Steve Howe in The Syndicats, and as the lead guitarist of Ian Gillan's post Deep Purple solo project, the Ian Gillan Band.-Biography:... , Mick Moody Mick Moody Mick Moody was an Irish soccer player during the 1980s and 1990s.-Career:Moody was a tough defender who began his career in 1979 at Shelbourne... , Bernie Marsden and Mario Parga, Guitar/ Don Airey, Tim Hinkley and Chris Cozens, Keyboards/Terry Pack, Bass/Cozy Powell, Drums |
| 1993 | Blackthorne | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Bob Kulick, Guitar/Jimmy Waldo, Keyboards/Chuck Wright, Bass/Frankie Banali, Drums |
| 2000–2001 | Anthem Featuring Graham Bonnet | Graham Bonnet and Eizo Sakamoto, Vocals/Akio Shimizu, Guitar/Naoto Shibata, Bass/Hirotsugu Homma, Drums |
| 2000–2003 | Impellitteri (Line Up 10) | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Chris Impellitteri, Guitar/Edward Harris Roth, Keyboards/James Amelio Pulli, Bass/Glen Sobel, Drums |
| 2004 | Elektric Zoo | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Dario Mollo, Guitar/Maurizio Belluzzo, Keyboards/Guido Block, Bass/Roberto Gualdi, Drums |
| 2006- | Taz Taylor Band | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Taz Taylor, Guitar/Bob Miller, Keyboards/Dirk Krause, Bass/Val Trainor, Drums |
| 05/2007- | Alcatrazz Featuring Graham Bonnet | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Howie Simon, Guitar/Tim Luce, Bass/Glen Sobel, Drums |
| 01/2009- | Savage Paradise | Graham Bonnet, Vocals/Mario Parga, Guitar/Eric Ragno, Keyboards/Tim Luce, Bass/Kevin Valentine, Drums |