''Ratt'' is the first official record 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

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 ...

. It was originally released on the band's Time Coast label, with the help of the band's manager Marshall Berle.

Background

The version of "Back for More" featured on this EP is an earlier recording than the one on the album '' Out of the Cellar''. The European version also features an earlier recording of "You're in Trouble" as a bonus track, believed to feature

Joey Cristofanilli Joey Cristofanilli is a bassist who played in the bands Magic, Rough Cutt, Ratt, Jag Wire and Radio 9. Bio With the bands Magic and Rough Cutt, he was bandmates with keyboardist Claude Schnell, who later became famous for playing keyboards in th ...

on bass guitar. A cover of

Rufus Thomas Rufus C. Thomas, Jr. (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was an American rhythm-and-blues, funk, soul and blues singer, songwriter, dancer, DJ and comic entertainer from Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded for several labels, including Chess ...

' "Walkin' the Dog" is also included, presumably as a nod to the 1973 Aerosmith version. It is also noted for the strong lead guitar presence of guitarist

Robbin Crosby Robbinson Lantz Crosby (August 4, 1959 – June 6, 2002) was an American guitarist who was a member of glam metal band Ratt, earning several platinum albums in the US in the 1980s. Crosby died in 2002 from a heroin overdose. Early life Crosby ...

, whose trademark "blues with a twist" solos are prominent through the first four songs. An early version of "Tell the World" (which did not feature Blotzer or Croucier) was also featured on the compilation '' Metal Massacre'', but was removed from later pressings. "U Got It" often opened the show circa 1983-84, and Pearcy did the same during his Nitronic 'Pure Hell' Tour in 2000. In 1984,

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most ...

remixed and re-released this EP following the success of ''Out of the Cellar''. This reissue featured a glossier production mix to match the band's recent mainstream success, as well as an updated back cover photo of the group with a more pronounced Sunset Strip glam appearance. The legs on the front cover belong to

Tawny Kitaen Julie Ellen "Tawny" Kitaen (August 5, 1961 – May 7, 2021) was an American actress, model, and media personality. She began her career as a television actress, appearing in the television films '' Malibu'' (1983) and ''California Girls'' (1985) ...

, the then-girlfriend of guitarist Crosby. She later also posed on the cover of the band's 1984 album ''Out of the Cellar''.

Track listing

All tracks written by

and Stephen Pearcy, except where indicated. Arrangements by Ratt.

Personnel

;Ratt * Stephen Pearcy – lead vocals *

– guitars, backing vocals * Warren DeMartini – guitars, backing vocals * Juan Croucier – bass guitar, backing vocals * Bobby Blotzer – drums *

- bass on "You're in Trouble" ;Production * Liam Sternberg – producer * Ed Stasium – engineer and mixer *Mark Leonard – executive producer

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratt (EP) 1983 debut EPs Ratt albums Music for Nations albums Self-released EPs