Detective was an American/English
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
* Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
* Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, ...
, that toured and recorded in the late 1970s. Detective consisted of vocalist
Michael Des Barres
Michael Philip Des Barres, 26th Marquis Des Barres, (born 24 January 1948) is an English actor and pop singer. He appeared as Murdoc in the original ''MacGyver'', Lenny Stoke in '' Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', and Murdoc's m ...
, guitarist
Michael Monarch
Michael Monarch (born July 5, 1950) is an American guitarist. He is best known for his work with the band Steppenwolf.
Monarch was born in Los Angeles. As the original lead guitarist with Steppenwolf (1967 through most of 1969), ("Guitarist Mon ...
, bassist Bobby Pickett (not the 1960s singer of the same name), ex-
Yes
Yes or YES may refer to:
* An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no
Education
* YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US
* Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US
* Young Ep ...
keyboardist
Tony Kaye, and drummer
Jon Hyde.
The band released two albums, ''Detective'' (produced by the band,
Andy Johns
Jeremy Andrew Johns (20 May 1950 – 7 April 2013) was a British sound engineer and record producer who worked on several well-known rock albums, including the Rolling Stones' '' Exile on Main St.'' (1972), Television's '' Marquee Moon'' (1977), ...
and
Jimmy Robinson) and ''It Takes One to Know One'' in 1977,
as well as ''Live From The Atlantic Studios'', a promotional album recorded in 1978 for radio broadcast, in 1978.
"They were good," recalled
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician and producer who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the Rock music, rock band Led Zeppelin.
Page began his career as a studio session musician in Lo ...
of
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
, on whose
Swan Song
The swan song (; ) is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song just before their death while they have been ...
label Detective debuted.
"That first album of theirs, it was really good. It should have been more popular, shouldn't it?"
In support of their second album, ''It Takes One To Know One,'' Detective toured as the support act for
Kiss
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
. One cover song that ended up on Detective's debut album was previously tried out by Kiss for their 1976
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
album: "Ain't None Of Your Business", with
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola (born December 20, 1945), better known by his stage name Peter Criss, is an American musician, best known as a co-founder, original drummer, and an occasional vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. Criss established th ...
on lead vocals. Demos exist of the Kiss version, and were finally released in 2021 on the Super Deluxe version of
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort
larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...
.
Detective went into the studio in 1978 with producer,
Tom Dowd
Thomas John Dowd (October 20, 1925 – October 27, 2002) was an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records. He was credited with innovating the multitrack recording method. Dowd worked on a veritable "who's who" of recordings ...
, to record their third album. While their first two albums were on
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
's Swan Song label,
Atlantic Records took over the band for their third release. Atlantic wanted a hit single from the band. Dowd brought in a song from a then unknown singer-songwriter named
John Cougar
John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation ...
, "
I Need a Lover
"I Need a Lover" is the debut single by John Mellencamp, first released in 1978 under the stage name "Johnny Cougar".
Background
The song appeared on his 1978 album ''A Biography'', which was not released in the United States. After becoming a ...
". According to Monarch, they did not want to record it, but agreed. It remains unreleased to this day, along with a couple of original songs. Monarch later said that the members of Detective were moving in different directions and the group decided to disband.
Michael Des Barres performed songs on the fourth episode of the first season of the sitcom ''
WKRP in Cincinnati
''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional AM radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson. It was based upon his experiences obs ...
'',
as part of the fictional hoodlum rock group "Scum of the Earth". Des Barres (who played "Sir Charles Weatherbee" aka "Dog") and two other actors (Peter Elbling, as "Blood", and Jim Henderson, as "Nigel") played the part of the band during most of the TV show, and Detective performed their song "Got Enough Love" at the end of the show segment.
Discography
''Detective'' (Swan Song Records, 1977)
U.S. No. 135
;Track Listing
# "Recognition" - (Michael Des Barres, Pamela Des Barres, Michael Monarch) - 4:27
# "Got Enough Love" - (M. Des Barres, P. Des Barres, Monarch) - 3:59
# "Grim Reaper" - (M. Des Barres, Monarch, Bobby Pickett, Jon Hyde) - 4:10
# "Nightingale" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 4:54
# "Detective Man" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 3:25
# "Ain't None Of Your Business" - (
Lew Anderson
Lewis Burr Anderson (May 7, 1922 – May 14, 2006) was an American actor and musician. He is widely known by TV fans as the third and final actor to portray Clarabell the Clown on ''Howdy Doody'' between 1954 and 1960. He famously spoke Cl ...
,
Becky Hobbs
Becky Hobbs (born Rebecca A. Hobbs, January 24, 1950) is an American country singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has recorded several studio albums and has charted multiple singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts, including the 198 ...
) 4:29
# "Deep Down" - (Monarch, Pickett) - 3:06
# "Wild Hot Summer Nights" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 4:17
# "One More Heartache" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 5:22
;Personnel
* Michael Des Barres -
lead vocals
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
* Michael Monarch -
guitars
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
* Tony Kaye -
keyboards
* Bobby Pickett -
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
,
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 us ...
* Jon Hyde -
drums
The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
, backing vocals,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
''It Takes One to Know One'' (Swan Song Records, 1977)
U.S. No. 103
;Track Listing
# "Help Me Up" - (Hyde) - 4:14
# "Competition" - (Michael Des Barres, Pamela Des Barres, Monarch, Kaye) - 4:34
# "Are You Talkin' To Me?"- (M. Des Barres, Monarch) - 4:35
# "Dynamite" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 5:25
# "Something Beautiful" - (M. Des Barres) - 4:19
# "Warm Love" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 5:24
# "Betcha Won't Dance" - (M. Des Barres, Bobby Pickett) - 4:24
# "Fever" - (Monarch, Pickett, Hyde) - 4:40
# "Tear Jerker" - (Monarch, Kaye, Hyde) - 4:30
;Personnel
* Michael Des Barres -
lead vocals
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
* Michael Monarch -
guitars
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
* Tony Kaye -
keyboards
* Bobby Pickett -
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
,
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 us ...
* Jon Hyde -
drums
The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
, backing vocals,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...
''Live from the Atlantic Studios'' (1978)
;Track listing
# "Help Me Up" - (Jon Hyde) - 5:21
# "Got Enough Love" - (Michael Des Barres, Pamela Des Barres, Michael Monarch) - 4:46
# "Recognition" - (M. Des Barres, P. Des Barres, Monarch) - 5:22
# "One More Heartache" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 8:57
# "Detective Man" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 4:31
# "Grim Reaper" - (M. Des Barres, Monarch, Bobby Pickett, Hyde) - 5:20
# "Fever" - (Monarch, Pickett, Hyde) - 5:35
# "Nightingale" - (Monarch, Hyde) - 5:49
# "Tear Jerker /
Good Rockin' Tonight
"Good Rocking Tonight" is a jump blues song originally released in 1947 by its writer, Roy Brown and was covered by many recording artists (sometimes as Good Rockin' Tonight). The song includes the memorable refrain, "Well I heard the news, th ...
" - (Monarch, Kaye, Hyde /
Roy Brown) - 5:41
;Personnel
* Michael Des Barres - lead vocals
* Michael Monarch - guitar
* Tony Kaye - keyboards
* Bobby Pickett - bass, backing vocals
* Jon Hyde - drums, percussion
References
{{Authority control
American hard rock musical groups
Swan Song Records artists