Formerly a member of Alice Cooper's band, Kip Winger formed his own outfit during the hairband craze of the late 80s. Riding this wave, Winger scored with hits like "Seventeen" and "Headed For A Heartbreak," which reached #26 and #19 in 1989, respectively. Like many melodic rock bands in the early 90s, Winger struggled in the face of grunge. Nonetheless, they managed to score a few more chart appearances, including their biggest hit, "Miles Away," which peaked at #12 in 1991. "Down Incognito" was the first single from their 1993 effort, "Pull." This is a terrific tune that I never grow tired of hearing, and I am puzzled why it didn't attract more attention to this more mature record. Winger has continued to release the occasional album in-between Kip's solo efforts.
Twisted Sister was a band from New York that helped pioneer the melodic hard rock era of the 80s with their monster hits "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock," which cruised to #21 and #68, respectively, in 1984. Propelled by their unforgettable music videos and the theatrics of lead singer Dee Snider, the band seemed poised for longterm success. However, they ventured into power ballad territory with "The Price" (not a bad song by any means) and hit a snag. Equally perplexing was the decision to release a cover of "Leader Of The Pack" (originally done by The Shangri-Las) as the first single from their follow-up to their breakthrough "Stay Hungry" album. It sputtered out at #53 in 1986, marking the band's final appearance on the Top 100. Twisted Sister returned with a new LP in 1987, "Love Is For Suckers," with help from members of Kix and Winger. Despite "Hot Love" hitting all the right buttons for a radio-friendly hit, it seemed no one was interested anymore.
Fiona Flanagan, simply called Fiona, seemed poised to be the next Pat Benatar in the late 80s. Her throaty voice first charted in 1985 when "Talk To Me" reached #64. Her sophomore record, however, failed to score a hit. In the meantime, she took up some acting gigs, landing in an episode of Miami Vice and the Bob Dylan movie, Hearts of Fire. Fiona's third record, "Heart Like A Gun," which many regard as her best, put her back on the chart in 1989. A duet with Kip Winger helped propel "Everything You Do (You're Sexing Me)" to #52, which would become her final top 100 appearance. I always wondered how "Bringing In The Beast" would have fared on the charts back then, but it wasn't chosen as a single. Fiona would release another solid rock album in 1992 called "Squeeze," but by then the music climate had steered away from melodic rock. I think Fiona would have been much bigger in the 80s if only she were able to find better songwriters - she sure had the pipes.
Before there was Winger in the 80s, there was Blackwood Creek in the 70s. Kip Winger and his brothers cut their musical teeth in this early band, which broke up in 1980. Everyone knows Kip went on to capitalize on the 80s glam and hairband scene, scoring hits like "Seventeen" (#26), "Headed For A Heartbreak" (#19), and "Miles Away" (#12), among others. 40 years after their formation, Blackwood Creek reunited and released their self-titled debut record. The record has some catchy hard rock gems and power ballads, my favorite being "Nothing But The Sun". Check it out!
