When you think about the LA rock scene from the mid eighties there were a lot of winners (Guns N Roses, Poison, Motley Crue) and a heck of a lot of losers. However, in a strange alternative universe, many of the also ran’s were more revered than the pantheon of heavy hitters. Take Jetboy, most revered acts on the scene who, through no fault of their own, were lost to obscurity yet attracted a devoted and passionate fan following. Formed initially in San Francisco, the band, like so many others, soon gravitated to Los Angeles where they cemented their line up, including former Hanoi Rocks bassist Sam Yaffa, and rubbed shoulders with other hopefuls in a scene that was rapidly exploding. In late 1986 they signed a coveted record deal with Elektra Records and set about recording their debut album with British producer Tom Allom (Judas Priest, Def Leppard and Krokus etc.)
‘Feel The Shake’, was recorded between June and August of 1987 at the Record Plant in Hollywood and Criteria in Florida. “It was blast doing that record,” remembers Billy. “Tom Allom was amazing to work with, a great guy. He’d tell us great stories about Judas Priest which we all grew up on.
However once the record was completed disaster struck when Elektra reshaped their roster and cast the band adrift. Fortunately MCA Records snapped up the band issuing ‘Feel The Shake’ in 1988. Informed by the sounds of the Rolling Stones, The Cult, Guns ’N Roses and most, succinctly, Hanoi Rocks, the record won much acclaim but failed to connect commercially. Songs such as ‘Bad Disease’, ‘Fire In My Heart’, ‘Snakebite’ and the title track, lodge them in the top echelon of low slung guitar mavericks.
Fast forward 30 years, 'Feel The Shake' has been re-issued by Rock Candy Records.
SPECIAL DELUX COLLECTOR’S EDITION, FULLY REMASTERED AUDIO, 16 PAGE FULL COLOR BOOKLET, 4000 WORD ESSAY ABOUT THE MAKING OF THE ALBUM, NEW INTERVIEW AND ENHANCED ARTWORK, TRACK LISTING: 1. FEEL THE SHAKE 2. MAKE SOME NOISE 3. BAD DISEASE 4. FIRE IN MY HEART 5. HOMETOWN BLUES 6. LOCKED IN A CAGE 7. TALKIN’ 8. HARD CLIMB 9. BLOODSTONE 10. SNAKEBITE
Originally released in 1988, re-issued June 30th 2017