Quiet Riot

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Template:Infobox band Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band, whose 1983 & 1984 success started the 1980s' glam metal scene. They were founded in 1975 by guitarist Randy Rhoads. The original lineup featured vocalist Kevin DuBrow, Kelli Garni (bass) and Drew Forsyth (drums). The name "Quiet Riot" appears to come from a phrase in John Barth's 1960s novel Giles Goat-Boy. They are ranked at number 100 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".

After failing to break out of the Los Angeles metal scene with a record contract (unlike their contemporaries Van Halen), the band eventually scored a deal with Columbia Records in Japan.

Following the death of Randy Rhoads in a plane crash on March 19, 1982, DuBrow attempted to reform Quiet Riot. None of the other original members were interested, so Tony Cavazo's brother Carlos joined as lead guitarist, Rudy Sarzo re-joined the band on bass, and Rudy's friend, drummer Frankie Banali, completed the line up.

In September 1982 they were signed to CBS records in America, and on March 11, 1983, their American debut album Metal Health was released. (Their two previous albums, QR I & QR II, have still not been released in the United States).

On August 27, 1983, Quiet Riot's second single "Cum on Feel the Noise" (a remake of one of Slade's big U.K. hits from 1973) was released; it spent two weeks at #5 on the chart. It was the first heavy metal song to make the Top 5 on Billboard Magazine's "Hot 100 singles chart" and it was the first of a string of Slade sound-alikes recorded by the group. The success of the single helped carry Metal Health to the top of Billboard Music Charts pop album charts, making it the first heavy metal album to ever reach #1.

A #1 album and a top 5 single was unheard of for a heavy metal band in 1983. The Metal Health album also displaced The Police's Synchronicity album from #1. Metal Health paved the way for a new, stronger commercial viability for heavy metal. Metal Health stayed at #1 for only a week,when Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down took over the #1 spot for three weeks before being knocked off the top by Michael Jackson's Thriller, which returned to the top after a long hiatus from the U.S.summit. The album's title song, which was released as a single on March 11, 1983 finally charted in early 1984 and peaked at #31. Perhaps this can be attributed to the song's appearance in the 1984 movie Footloose.

The group's follow-up, Condition Critical, was a relative disappointment critically and commercially, selling only 3 million units. This release included yet another Slade cover (the single, "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - a UK chart topper for Slade) and numerous musical and lyrical nods to the aforementioned act; whether this was a decision made the band or their producer is still subject to debate as evidenced in their VH1 "Behind The Music" documentary. Reportedly frustrated, DuBrow began letting newer bands on the L.A. metal scene know that their success was in part owed to the past successes of Quiet Riot.

This led to Sarzo quitting the group in 1985. (In 1987 the bassist went on to Whitesnake) The bass slot in Quiet Riot was filled by erstwhile collaborator Chuck Wright (of Giuffria). Next, the band released QRIII in 1986, another commercial failure. Fed up with DuBrow's antics, the rest of Quiet Riot fired him from his own band and replaced him with former Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino. Wright was also fired and was replaced by Sean McNabb. The band released Quiet Riot in 1988, which was another failure. This 1988 album technically has the same name as their original first album with Randy Rhoads. The band fell apart after a tour that ended in Hawaii in 1989 and DuBrow fought to keep control of the name. By 1991, tempers had cooled enough for the former bandmates to communicate. DuBrow and Cavazo formed Heat, but eventually switched to Quiet Riot again and released Terrified (1993) with Banali and Kenny Hillery (bass). Quiet Riot, with Chuck Wright again on bass, hit the road in support of 'Terrified' with Wisconsin's Slam I Am.

That same year, DuBrow released The Randy Rhoads Years featuring tracks from Quiet Riot's Columbia albums and some previously unreleased material (many of which featured newly recorded vocals). Hillary left in 1995 and committed suicide on June 5, 1996; Wright rejoined Quiet Riot to play bass. The band released Down to the Bone that same year. The following year (1996), the band released a "Greatest Hits" album, which included nothing from the original two Rhoads albums and nothing from the two 90's albums, but did have a few tracks from the 1988 Shortino album. After that, Rudy Sarzo joined up again in 1997, and the band began touring.

The tour was not successful, and the band was arrested several times; one angry fan sued DuBrow for injuries sustained during a show. The group still managed to release Alive and Well in (1999) which featured new songs and several rerecorded hits. They followed this up with Guilty Pleasures (2001).

Quiet Riot officially broke up in February 2003, and Sarzo joined Dio in the following year. However, it reunited in 2005. The line-up includes DuBrow, Banali, Wright, and guitarist Alex Grossi. The band is now on the Rock Never Stops 2005 tour along with Cinderella, Ratt, and Firehouse.

Kevin DuBrow has released a solo album titled In For The Kill.

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Classic line-up

Kevin DuBrow - vocals
Carlos Cavazo - guitar
Rudy Sarzo - bass
Frankie Banali - drums

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Discography

In 2006 Chuck Wright and Alex Grossi have left the band. Former L.A. Guns/Brides of Destruction guitarist Tracii Guns joined the band in early 2006 and left two weeks later under musical differences. Quiet Riot is scheduled to record a new cd in January.

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