''Look What the Cat Dragged In'' is the debut studio album by American
glam metal
Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam ...
band
Poison, released on May 23, 1986 through
Enigma Records
Enigma Records (also known as Enigma Entertainment Corporation) was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s.
History
Enigma Records launched as a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/d ...
.
Though not a success at first, it steadily built momentum and peaked at #3 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 on May 23, 1987. The album spawned three successful singles: "
Talk Dirty to Me
"Talk Dirty to Me" is a single from American glam metal band Poison. Released on February 18, 1987, it was the second single from their debut album ''Look What the Cat Dragged In''. The song peaked at No. 9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becomin ...
", "
I Want Action", and "
I Won't Forget You
"I Won't Forget You" is a power ballad by the American glam metal band Poison, originally from the album ''Look What the Cat Dragged In''.
Released as a single in 1987 on the Enigma label of Capitol Records, the song peaked at number 13 on the ...
".
''Look What the Cat Dragged In'' was certified gold in 1987 and 3x multi-platinum in 1990 by the
RIAA.
It has also been certified silver by the BPI, and platinum in Canada.
Production and marketing
The record was described by vocalist
Bret Michaels as a "glorified demo". It was recorded in twelve days at
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
' Music Grinder Studios with producer
Ric Browde
Ric Browde is an American author, record producer, and songwriter. In the 1970s, Browde was working as a roadie, writing music for films, and involved in the production of albums by guitarist Ted Nugent, first as his assistant and later on as pro ...
, for a cost of US $23,000, part of which was funded from the pockets of the band members and their families.
Background
It originally included only one single, "
Cry Tough"; however, ''Look What the Cat Dragged In'' became a surprise success and subsequently spawned three more charting hits: "
Talk Dirty to Me
"Talk Dirty to Me" is a single from American glam metal band Poison. Released on February 18, 1987, it was the second single from their debut album ''Look What the Cat Dragged In''. The song peaked at No. 9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becomin ...
", "
I Want Action", and "
I Won't Forget You
"I Won't Forget You" is a power ballad by the American glam metal band Poison, originally from the album ''Look What the Cat Dragged In''.
Released as a single in 1987 on the Enigma label of Capitol Records, the song peaked at number 13 on the ...
", The record became the biggest-selling-album in Enigma's history. With heavy rotation on MTV, their debut earned the band tours with fellow glam rockers
Ratt
Ratt is an American glam metal band formed in San Diego, California, in the 1970s, that had significant commercial success in the 1980s, with their albums having been certified as gold, platinum, and multi-platinum by the RIAA. The group is bes ...
,
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
, and
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American heavy metal band founded in Los Angeles in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni.
The original lineup featured Rhoads and Garni with lead vocalist Kevin DuBrow and drummer Drew Forsyth, though th ...
, as well as a coveted slot in the Texxas Jam in Dallas. The album ultimately sold 4 million copies worldwide.
Reissues
In 2006, a 20th Anniversary edition was released by Capitol, with the original title. This version added single versions of two of the album's tracks and a cover of
Jim Croce
James Joseph Croce (; January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of odd jobs to p ...
's "
You Don't Mess Around with Jim
''You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in April 1972.
History and release
The album was recorded over a three to four-week period for approximately $18,000, with most fundi ...
" as bonus tracks.
Track listing
Personnel
*
Bret Michaels –
lead vocals,
rhythm guitar
*
C.C. DeVille
C.C. DeVille (born Bruce Anthony Johannesson; May 14, 1962) is an American guitarist best known as a member of rock band Poison. The band has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, including 15 million in the United States. In addition to ...
–
lead guitar
Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featu ...
,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
*
Bobby Dall
Robert Harry Kuykendall, also known as Bobby Dall (born November 2, 1958), is an American musician best known as the bassist for the multi-platinum selling rock band Poison.
The band has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has sold 15 mill ...
–
bass,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
*
Rikki Rockett
Richard Allan Ream (born August 8, 1961), better known by the stage name Rikki Rockett, is an American drummer for rock band Poison.
The band has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and 15 million records in the United States alone.
Bio ...
–
drums,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
Additional personnel
*
Ric Browde
Ric Browde is an American author, record producer, and songwriter. In the 1970s, Browde was working as a roadie, writing music for films, and involved in the production of albums by guitarist Ted Nugent, first as his assistant and later on as pro ...
–
arrangement,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
*Jim Faraci –
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
, production
*Michael Wagener –
mixing
Charts
Certifications
Accolades
References
External links
Interview with Bret Michaelsat Classic Rock Revisited
{{DEFAULTSORT:Look What The Cat Dragged In
Poison (American band) albums
1986 debut albums
Enigma Records albums