![]() “We are not anywhere near where I would like Ratt to be. “It’s easy to get there, but it’s hard to stay on top.” You have to give 100%,” says Stephen. But then as now, what held Ratt together was the friendship between Stephen and long-time buddies Warren DeMartini, Robbin Crosby and Bobby Blotzer, which has withstood the pressures of success. Lee and Chris Hager (Rough Cutt) were briefly in the band. “People just came and went,” especially guitarists – Jake E. He remembers the tough times all too well – the band rehearsed in rodent-infested basements and had an ever-changing lineup. “We’re still hungry, but we’re not starving,” he says with relief. “This is probably our best record to date,” Stephen opines, but he has a soft spot for their raw, independently released debut EP, recorded while the band was in a state of starvation. Factory Sealed With Featuring Sticker Lp With Spine Crease With Cut Mark With Cellophane Tear Is Out Of Print With 10 Tracks 1986 Atlantic - 7 81683-1, 81683-1 Us, Atlantic, 816. Written largely on the road, the album reflects personal experiences (“the secrets we tried to hide are all there”) and Ratt’s evolution as musicians. “Everything went so smooth this time,” marvels Stephen, explaining that the recording process took two months instead of the expected three. RATT DANCING UNDERCOVER MOVIEIt all boils down to how you are live.” Nevertheless, the Ratt pack is ecstatic about their forthcoming appearance in the Eddie Murphy movie The Golden Child – the Christmas flick includes a performance of “Body Talk,” Stephen’s favorite Undercover track. “Video can help to a certain extent but you have to go out and play for your audience. Their clothes “have a new attitude,” says Stephen, but he ranks sound over style: “Clothes get old quick but music is there forever.” Similarly, he emphasizes live performance over videotaped. Ratt’s look has changed slightly this year. You name it, we’ve got it,” says Stephen, adding that the band occasionally writes or calls to offer thanks. “We get so many wild things, from fake rats to real rats. “Our audience is as crazy as the next, but they learn to control their energies,” says Stephen, who characterizes the band’s fans as “nice, nasty, oversexed people.” Many send or bring offerings to the show. “They tape the name of the city on my monitors,” he reveals.Įach arena is typically filled with enthusiastic yet non-destructive Ratt devotees. Sometimes, however, he forgets where he’s singing. Even when I’m sick I can go out there and sing,” he claims. “It’s great to go out there and have thousands of people singing along and yelling.” He concedes that long tours can be tiring, but nomadic Stephen adjusts easily to the pace, and finds his voice holds up rather well. “I always go out there with the attitude that I’m going to have a great time. “My vacation is to go on tour,” he says, itchy to begin. While his bandmates used the time off to relax and vacation when not promoting the album, (and in Juan Croucier’s case, write new songs), Stephen trekked to drag racing competitions as the sponsor of a winning "funny car." Visits to his family in San Diego aside, vacations bore Stephen. Despite the record’s fall release, Ratt opted to delay the start of their tour, citing crowded road conditions. ![]()
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