𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
August 12, 1983 — Queensrÿche released their self-titled debut EP via EMI-America Records (originally released independently in September 1982 through 206 Records). A remastered edition was reissued in 2003 through Capitol Records. (Listen: Apple Music or Spotify)
Background:
In the early 1980s, Queensrÿche was known as The Mob, a cover band that played songs from popular Heavy Metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Their line-up consisted of guitarists Chris DeGarmo and Michael Wilton, drummer Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson. Without a singer, they performed several shows with Geoff Tate, who at the time was the front man of the local band Babylon, and later of Myth.
Tate chose not to join The Mob, because he was not interested in performing Heavy Metal covers.
(𝙴𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚋, 𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚃𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚓𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍)
Inspired by the positive responses from their performances at local rock festivals, The Mob decided to switch from playing cover songs to writing original music. The four members, who were between 17 and 19 years old, rehearsed five days a week in the basement of Rockenfield's parents, and took on at least two jobs each to earn enough money to record a 24-track demo tape.
(𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚝𝚝 𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍, 𝚌𝚒𝚛𝚌𝚊 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚋 𝚎𝚛𝚊)
They booked the graveyard shifts from Monday through Friday at Triad Studios in Redmond, Washington to record four songs. Tate was asked to join the band for the recording sessions, and in the same week write the lyrics to one unfinished song, which became The Lady Wore Black. The whistle at the beginning of The Lady Wore Black was unintentional, as Brett Miller recalls:
"𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚘𝚍, 𝚜𝚘 𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘. 𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚞𝚙, 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚖. 𝙷𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚕, 𝚜𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚒𝚝."
(𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚙𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚏 𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚛ÿ𝚌𝚑𝚎)
Attempts to be signed to a label through the demo were unsuccessful. Kim and Diana Harris, the owners of Easy Street Records, ultimately offered The Mob a management contract. As the band name "The Mob" was not available, it was changed to "Queensrÿche".
Kim Harris sent the demo tape and a band photo to a friend at the British music magazine Kerrang!, resulting in a glowing review and causing a growing buzz in both the United States and Europe, following which the Harris duo released Queensrÿche's demo tape as a self-titled EP on their independent 206 Records label in September 1982.
After the EP garnered international praise, receiving much airplay and selling an unusual number of copies for a small independent release, Tate agreed to leave Myth and become Queensrÿche's permanent lead singer.
Kim Harris convinced EMI-America A&R manager Mavis Brodey to see Queensrÿche perform as the opening act for Zebra in Portland and Seattle on June 29–30, 1983. Brodey offered Queensrÿche a contract with EMI, spanning 15 years and encompassing seven albums.
(𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚛ÿ𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚃𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟹 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚛)
To support the EP, the band toured with Quiet Riot through the south and with Twisted Sister to the East Coast and Canada, and played in Seattle opening for Dio.
(𝙹𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚢 𝙱𝚊𝚒𝚗, 𝙴𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝙹𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚜𝚘𝚗, 𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚝𝚝 𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚅𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚢 𝙰𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚛ÿ𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙳𝚒𝚘)
(𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚛ÿ𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚃𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚜𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚜)
Shortly after Queensrÿche were signed, EMI re-released the EP Queensrÿche to moderate success, peaking at No. 81 on the Billboard charts. Queen of the Reich was released as a promotional single. A music video was made to promote the single. (Watch video)
A music video was also made for the song Nightrider. (Watch video)
After the tour had ended in November 1983, the band began preparations for their first studio album, The Warning.
(𝙼𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚎𝚕 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙶𝚎𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚃𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎, 𝚌𝚒𝚛𝚌𝚊 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟹)
In an interview with Metal Edge magazine, guitarist Michael Wilton recalled the recording and release of the EP;
“𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚔 ‘𝙽’ 𝚁𝚘𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚙 𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚘 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕. 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙴𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙴𝚞𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙹𝚞𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝙿𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜𝚝, 𝙸𝚛𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗, 𝚃𝚢𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙿𝚊𝚗 𝚃𝚊𝚗𝚐, 𝙰𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚋𝚞𝚖𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚢.”
“𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚍 𝚂𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚁𝚎𝚍𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚍, 𝚆𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚝𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢, 𝚠𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚢𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚏𝚝, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝟷𝟸 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚒𝚡 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜."
Wilton continued;
"𝚆𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝚕𝚊𝚋𝚎𝚕, 𝟸𝟶𝟼 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚍𝚎. 𝚆𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝟼𝟶,𝟶𝟶𝟶 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙴𝙿 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚋𝚢 𝙴𝙼𝙸 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝟸𝟶𝟼 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟸 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟹 𝚘𝚗𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝙴𝙼𝙸 𝚁𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜.”
The 1988 reissue by EMI saw the addition of a bonus track, Prophecy, which was recorded during the Rage for Order sessions in 1985–86. This song was performed live by the band circa 1983, and was included on the 1984 Live in Tokyo home video.
A demo version of Prophecy appears on the soundtrack for the movie The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, and on the deluxe edition of Sign of the Times: The Best of Queensrÿche.
On the 2003 remastered edition, tracks 5–14 were live recordings of Queensrÿche's second performance in the tour supporting The Warning, held August 5, 1984 at the Nippon Seinenkan in Tokyo, Japan.
The performance was previously released on VHS in 1984 as Live in Tokyo, but is now out of print.
NotIce: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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