Autograph (American band)
Encyclopedia
Autograph was an American
hard rock
band from Los Angeles
, California
.
, due to his frustration with their lack of interest in recording his songs. Plunkett then began playing and recording his own material with a group of his musician friends, most of whom had previously played with him in other bands.
On lead guitar was Steve Lynch
, who had played with Plunkett in the band Looker.
Bassist Randy Rand knew Plunkett from their days together in Wolfgang, a prominent club band in Los Angeles
, California
, and which has been described as a local legend, of which Kevin Dubrow
, (lead singer of Quiet Riot
) once said, "They smoked us all... they got a better response than us and Van Halen
".
Keyboardist Steve Isham, who had also earlier played with mutual acquaintance Holly Penfield, was brought in to give the fledgling band a more modern sound.
Drummer Keni Richards, an old bandmate with Plunkett from John Doe rounded out the band's makeup. Richards' friendship with Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth
was instrumental in leading to Autograph's big break the following year.
Quickly, this group of musicians began playing and recording together, taking the form of an actual band. Plunkett chose the name "Autograph" for the band, having been inspired by hearing Def Leppard
's similarly titled song, "Photograph
," on the radio. They recorded their first rough demos in late 1983, but played them only for a few close friends. One of these friends, Andy Johns
, a famous record producer, invited the band to re-record and upgrade those demos at the world-famous Record Plant Studios for free under his guidance. Keni Richards then played the demo for Roth, who subsequently invited the band to open for them in their 1984 tour. The band rose to prominence opening for Van Halen, ultimately playing 48 shows, an act of distinction for an unsigned band. Due to their rising popularity Autograph then signed a contract with RCA
Records following a performance at Madison Square Garden
in New York City
in late 1984.
, was completed and released in October of that year, but did not make an appearance on any record charts until January 1985. The album contains the band’s only major hit and now signature song, Turn Up the Radio
. The song itself was one of the last ones recorded for the album and the band members were initially very lukewarm toward it. The song became a top-30 hit, pushing sales past the gold album mark (500,000 copies sold). The album later went platinum
. The song was featured in an episode of "Miami Vice
" (entitled "Little Prince") and was also leased out to numerous other films, even further elevating the song's popularity. The band also recorded a song titled "You Can't Hide From the Beast Inside" for the film 'Fright Night
. Lynch's guitar work in "Turn Up The Radio", featuring a distinctive two-handed, fretboard-tapping technique, won him the "Guitar Solo of the Year" award from Guitar Player
magazine in 1985. Other songs, "Take No Prisoners," "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Isn't Me," & "Deep End" were featured in the 1985 film "My Secret Admirer," starring C. Thomas Howell
, Kelly Preston
, Corey Haim
, Lori Laughlin and Casey Siemaszko
.
and Heart
. Although record sales were disappointing in comparison to their first album, it still achieved near gold status. Supported by the single, "Blondes in Black Cars" and the title track, a minor-hit, it eventually peaked at #92 on the Billboard album charts. The band then recorded a song titled "Winning Is Everything" for the film Youngblood
.
was released in the spring of 1987. The title song featured a music video with Ozzy Osbourne
and Vince Neil
of Mötley Crüe
as extras. The band also made three appearances on "Headbangers Ball
" in support of the album. In October, the band made a cameo in the film Like Father, Like Son, starring Dudley Moore
and Kirk Cameron
. The first song featured was "Dance all Night," which played briefly, and then they performed the song "She Never Looked That Good for Me" for the film, appearing in a brief cameo
as themselves. Despite the three songs being released as singles, the album was not a big success, mostly due to lackluster support from the label.
Richards also left the band around this time. However, in late 1988 the band once again hit the road for a short tour with new drummer Eddie Cross and continued to sporadically record. The band would eventually be offered a new deal with Epic
in 1989, but negotiations fell through at the last minute.
In their short time they created three albums of music, toured with several famous bands, including Motley Crue
, Heart
, Aerosmith
, Ronnie James Dio
, Van Halen
, Bryan Adams
, and Whitesnake
., but in the end could not sustain their own career.
Disappointed, the remaining members called it quits in December of 1989 after only some six years together.
's Headbangers Ball
for several years after their demise. As that genre of music was still widely popular, every now and then a video from the first two albums would appear on TV, while videos from the their more modern "Loud and Clear" album appeared frequently between 1988 and 1990. However, with the sudden explosion of grunge
music, their sound and look went out of style almost overnight, and the older videos in the pop metal/hard rock
genre were neglected altogether in favor of the newer genre, which itself was replaced in popularity only a few years later by gangsta rap
, hip-hop and R&B music. Thanks to the recent advent of channels such as VH1 Classic
, several classic Autograph music videos can once again be seen today.
As to the individual members:
Steve Plunkett - When the original group disbanded in 1989, Plunkett became a staff writer and producer for All Nations Music, where he had over 170 of his songs released, including over 40 in movies like Rock Star
, "Brave New Girl" (Britney Spears penned movie for ABC Family) and Gods and Monsters
. Many artists have recorded his songs including Vixen
, The Go-Go's
, and Marc Anthony
and Edgar Winter
. He has also produced artists such as Cyndi Lauper
, Loretta Lynn
, Graham Nash
and En Vogue
. He wrote and performed the theme song for the WB television series 7th Heaven
, as well as several other theme songs for shows such as Summerland
and Kojak and Queen of Swords which featured "Behind the Mask" performed by Jose Feliciano
. Steve has had his original songs in hundreds of TV shows like "Beverly Hills 90210", Melrose Place", "Sex and the City" and "The Simpsons." He also recorded a solo album titled "My Attitude" shortly after the breakup that was released in 1991.
In 1997 he released an album of previously unreleased Autograph material - mostly the music recorded for the aborted 1988 fourth album - from 1987 to 1989 titled Missing Pieces
. Also included on the album was the original demo version of "Turn Up the Radio," recorded in 1984 prior to their debut album, featuring a slightly different chorus. This album was well received by both older and newer fans. Plunkett would resurrect the name with a new lineup and new name - "Autograph v2.02" - in 2002, and the group released a new album titled "Buzz" the following spring. The new band however stopped touring and stopped playing in 2005. He continues to work on music based projects in Los Angeles and with his own publishing company Plunksongs(www.Plunksongs.com).
Steve Lynch - The original lead guitarist has been a guitar teacher for several years, schooling students in his virtuosic signature 8-finger "hammer-on" guitar technique. He has also published several books on his guitar styles as well as an instructional video that has been a top seller worldwide. He has conducted 325 'guitar clinics' in 18 countries. He eventually formed another band named Network 23 and the album by the same name was released in 2004, has been re-mastered, and is now available online at several sites, including cdbaby.com and through his personal website stevelynch.info. He currently owns a music school in the Seattle area and has just completed a new teaching website called lynchlicks.com that went online in 2009. Steve's website claimed he was working on a new solo album that would have been released in 2007 but not has surfaced as of yet. It was to be an almost instrumental album of rock music.
Randy Rand - The former bassist began a career in leather-making, establishing a international importing/exporting shop that sells his own hand-crafted leather products, and even working with Harley Davidson for a time. According to Autograph's now-defunct "Turn Up the Web!" website, he has a daughter named Sterling Knight who has become a relatively well-known model in Italy.
Keni Richards - The drummer went on to work with the band Dirty White Boy
, but later left the music business due to a chronic back problem he has had for several years. However he has kept continuing his passion for music and art, publicly saying he has no regrets.
Steve Isham - The legendary keyboardist joined up with Gary Moon
, who later replaced Jack Blades
in the band Night Ranger
to form The Pack, and he later went on to tour as the drummer for Vince Neil
's solo act. Isham passed away on December
9, 2008 after battling liver cancer
at the age of 56.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Formation
Autograph began in late 1983 originally as a solo project for singer, songwriter & guitarist Steve Plunkett, who had recently left the band Silver CondorSilver Condor (Band)
Silver Condor was an Album Oriented Rock band in the early 1980s. They released two albums, Silver Condor and Trouble at Home...
, due to his frustration with their lack of interest in recording his songs. Plunkett then began playing and recording his own material with a group of his musician friends, most of whom had previously played with him in other bands.
On lead guitar was Steve Lynch
Steve Lynch
Steve Lynch is an American hard rock/heavy metal guitarist, also known as The Two-Handed Guitarist as also a guitar instructor for G.I.T. which is the famous guitar department in the Musician's Institute, situated in Los Angeles. He decided to commit himself to music and the guitar the day of...
, who had played with Plunkett in the band Looker.
Bassist Randy Rand knew Plunkett from their days together in Wolfgang, a prominent club band in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and which has been described as a local legend, of which Kevin Dubrow
Kevin DuBrow
Kevin Mark DuBrow was an American rock singer best known as the lead vocalist of the Heavy Metal band Quiet Riot from 1975 until his death in 2007...
, (lead singer of Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
) once said, "They smoked us all... they got a better response than us and Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
".
Keyboardist Steve Isham, who had also earlier played with mutual acquaintance Holly Penfield, was brought in to give the fledgling band a more modern sound.
Drummer Keni Richards, an old bandmate with Plunkett from John Doe rounded out the band's makeup. Richards' friendship with Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
was instrumental in leading to Autograph's big break the following year.
Quickly, this group of musicians began playing and recording together, taking the form of an actual band. Plunkett chose the name "Autograph" for the band, having been inspired by hearing Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
's similarly titled song, "Photograph
Photograph (Def Leppard song)
"Photograph" is a 1983 single by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their album Pyromania. It was written as a tribute to the late actress Marilyn Monroe, as singer Joe Elliott often stated before playing the song live onstage. When released as a single it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top...
," on the radio. They recorded their first rough demos in late 1983, but played them only for a few close friends. One of these friends, Andy Johns
Andy Johns
Andy Johns is an engineer and producer who worked on well-known rock albums such as Led Zeppelin's IV and The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. His sound is exemplified by Free's album Highway, which he engineered and produced....
, a famous record producer, invited the band to re-record and upgrade those demos at the world-famous Record Plant Studios for free under his guidance. Keni Richards then played the demo for Roth, who subsequently invited the band to open for them in their 1984 tour. The band rose to prominence opening for Van Halen, ultimately playing 48 shows, an act of distinction for an unsigned band. Due to their rising popularity Autograph then signed a contract with RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
Records following a performance at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in late 1984.
Sign In Please and 'Turn Up The Radio'
The band’s debut album, Sign in PleaseSign In Please
-Personnel:*Steve Plunkett - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*Steve Lynch - Lead Guitar*Randy Rand - Bass, backing vocals*Steven Isham - Keyboards, backing vocals*Keni Richards - Drums, Noises-Production:*Produced By Neil Kernon...
, was completed and released in October of that year, but did not make an appearance on any record charts until January 1985. The album contains the band’s only major hit and now signature song, Turn Up the Radio
Turn Up the Radio
"Turn Up the Radio" is a song by American glam metal band Autograph and the lead single from their 1984 debut album, Sign in Please. Released on December 22, 1984, "Turn Up The Radio" was Autograph's only Top 40 hit, reaching #29 in the Billboard 100 and receiving significant MTV airplay...
. The song itself was one of the last ones recorded for the album and the band members were initially very lukewarm toward it. The song became a top-30 hit, pushing sales past the gold album mark (500,000 copies sold). The album later went platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
. The song was featured in an episode of "Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
" (entitled "Little Prince") and was also leased out to numerous other films, even further elevating the song's popularity. The band also recorded a song titled "You Can't Hide From the Beast Inside" for the film 'Fright Night
Fright Night
# "Fright Night" – 3:45# "You Can't Hide from the Beast Inside" – 4:14# "Good Man in a Bad Time" – 3:41# "Rock Myself to Sleep" – 2:57# "Let's Talk" – 2:52# "Armies of the Night" – 4:34...
. Lynch's guitar work in "Turn Up The Radio", featuring a distinctive two-handed, fretboard-tapping technique, won him the "Guitar Solo of the Year" award from Guitar Player
Guitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
magazine in 1985. Other songs, "Take No Prisoners," "My Girlfriend's Boyfriend Isn't Me," & "Deep End" were featured in the 1985 film "My Secret Admirer," starring C. Thomas Howell
C. Thomas Howell
Christopher Thomas "Tommy" Howell , known by his stage name C. Thomas Howell, is an American actor and film director. He starred in the films The Outsiders as Ponyboy Curtis and in The Hitcher as Jim Halsey. He has appeared in The Da Vinci Treasure,Soul Man, Red Dawn, Secret Admirer, Gettysburg, H. G...
, Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
, Corey Haim
Corey Haim
Corey Ian Haim was a Canadian actor, known for a 1980s Hollywood career as a teen idol. He starred in a number of films such as Lucas, Silver Bullet, Murphy's Romance, License to Drive and Dream a Little Dream...
, Lori Laughlin and Casey Siemaszko
Casey Siemaszko
Casey Siemaszko is an American actor and the brother of actress Nina Siemaszko. He was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 17, 1961 to a Polish American father, a fighter in the Polish Underground who survived the Sachsenhausen concentration camp and an English mother.Siemaszko's best known film...
.
That's The Stuff
A second album, That’s the Stuff, was quickly recorded and released released in the fall of 1985, and the group went on tour in support of several other bands, including Mötley CrüeMötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
and Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
. Although record sales were disappointing in comparison to their first album, it still achieved near gold status. Supported by the single, "Blondes in Black Cars" and the title track, a minor-hit, it eventually peaked at #92 on the Billboard album charts. The band then recorded a song titled "Winning Is Everything" for the film Youngblood
Youngblood (1986 film)
Youngblood is a 1986 American drama film, starring Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Gibb, Keanu Reeves and Ed Lauter.-Plots:A 17-year-old farmhand from rural New York state, Dean Youngblood has dreams of playing in the National Hockey League...
.
Loud and Clear
Autograph recorded a third album which took longer to record than the other two combined. Loud and ClearLoud and Clear (Autograph album)
- Personnel :*Steve Plunkett - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*Steve Lynch - Lead Guitar*Randy Rand - Bass, backing vocals*Steven Isham - Keyboards, backing vocals*Keni Richards - Drums...
was released in the spring of 1987. The title song featured a music video with Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
of Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
as extras. The band also made three appearances on "Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...
" in support of the album. In October, the band made a cameo in the film Like Father, Like Son, starring Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
and Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron
Kirk Thomas Cameron is an American actor best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains , as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor...
. The first song featured was "Dance all Night," which played briefly, and then they performed the song "She Never Looked That Good for Me" for the film, appearing in a brief cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
as themselves. Despite the three songs being released as singles, the album was not a big success, mostly due to lackluster support from the label.
Leaving RCA, The Breakup, and Their Lasting Presence On Television
The band left RCA in early 1988 and not long after that, coincidentally, the label itself went bankrupt, then defunct. Isham left the band to pursue other options but was not replaced, as the band felt they no longer needed keyboards and wanted to take a newer and heavier direction. The remaining members began recording a new album in 1988 which they hoped to release the following year, but those plans never did due to lack of any type of label support.Richards also left the band around this time. However, in late 1988 the band once again hit the road for a short tour with new drummer Eddie Cross and continued to sporadically record. The band would eventually be offered a new deal with Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in 1989, but negotiations fell through at the last minute.
In their short time they created three albums of music, toured with several famous bands, including Motley Crue
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
, Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, and Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
., but in the end could not sustain their own career.
Disappointed, the remaining members called it quits in December of 1989 after only some six years together.
After The Breakup & Recent Activity Of The Band Members
Though the group had disbanded, a few of their music videos (most commonly "Turn Up the Radio") continued to be played on music video channels and programs such as MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...
for several years after their demise. As that genre of music was still widely popular, every now and then a video from the first two albums would appear on TV, while videos from the their more modern "Loud and Clear" album appeared frequently between 1988 and 1990. However, with the sudden explosion of grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
music, their sound and look went out of style almost overnight, and the older videos in the pop metal/hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
genre were neglected altogether in favor of the newer genre, which itself was replaced in popularity only a few years later by gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
, hip-hop and R&B music. Thanks to the recent advent of channels such as VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic
VH1 Classic is a television network, launched on May 8, 2000. It is operated as part of MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom and primarily features music videos and concert footage from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, though it formerly included a wider range of genres and time periods...
, several classic Autograph music videos can once again be seen today.
As to the individual members:
Steve Plunkett - When the original group disbanded in 1989, Plunkett became a staff writer and producer for All Nations Music, where he had over 170 of his songs released, including over 40 in movies like Rock Star
Rock Star (2001 film)
Rock Star is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Herek and starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. It tells the story of Chris "Izzy" Cole, a tribute band singer whose ascendance to the position of lead vocalist of his favorite band was inspired by the real-life story of Tim...
, "Brave New Girl" (Britney Spears penned movie for ABC Family) and Gods and Monsters
Gods and Monsters
Gods and Monsters is a 1998 drama film that recounts the last days of the life of troubled film director James Whale, whose homosexuality is a central theme. It stars Ian McKellen as Whale, along with Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich, and David Dukes...
. Many artists have recorded his songs including Vixen
Vixen (band)
Vixen is an all-female American hard rock band which achieved some commercial success during the late 1980s and early 1990s as part of the Los Angeles, California glam metal scene.-Early years:...
, The Go-Go's
The Go-Go's
The Go-Go’s are an all-female American rock band formed in 1978. They made history as the first all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the Billboard album charts....
, and Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony
Marc Anthony is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads...
and Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
. He has also produced artists such as Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
, Graham Nash
Graham Nash
Graham William Nash, OBE is an English singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and for his songwriting contributions with the British pop group The Hollies, and with the folk-rock band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Nash is a photography collector and a published photographer...
and En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
. He wrote and performed the theme song for the WB television series 7th Heaven
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
, as well as several other theme songs for shows such as Summerland
Summerland (TV series)
Summerland is an American drama television series created by Stephen Tolkin and Lori Loughlin. It is centered on a clothing designer in her 30s, Ava Gregory , raising her niece and nephews after their parents die in a tragic accident...
and Kojak and Queen of Swords which featured "Behind the Mask" performed by Jose Feliciano
José Feliciano
José Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
. Steve has had his original songs in hundreds of TV shows like "Beverly Hills 90210", Melrose Place", "Sex and the City" and "The Simpsons." He also recorded a solo album titled "My Attitude" shortly after the breakup that was released in 1991.
In 1997 he released an album of previously unreleased Autograph material - mostly the music recorded for the aborted 1988 fourth album - from 1987 to 1989 titled Missing Pieces
Missing Pieces
Missing Pieces is an Australian factual television series that screened on the Nine Network in 2009. It was hosted by Peter Overton.Missing Pieces follows the stories of people who embark on a life-changing journey to find someone special who is missing from their lives. It has a similar premise to...
. Also included on the album was the original demo version of "Turn Up the Radio," recorded in 1984 prior to their debut album, featuring a slightly different chorus. This album was well received by both older and newer fans. Plunkett would resurrect the name with a new lineup and new name - "Autograph v2.02" - in 2002, and the group released a new album titled "Buzz" the following spring. The new band however stopped touring and stopped playing in 2005. He continues to work on music based projects in Los Angeles and with his own publishing company Plunksongs(www.Plunksongs.com).
Steve Lynch - The original lead guitarist has been a guitar teacher for several years, schooling students in his virtuosic signature 8-finger "hammer-on" guitar technique. He has also published several books on his guitar styles as well as an instructional video that has been a top seller worldwide. He has conducted 325 'guitar clinics' in 18 countries. He eventually formed another band named Network 23 and the album by the same name was released in 2004, has been re-mastered, and is now available online at several sites, including cdbaby.com and through his personal website stevelynch.info. He currently owns a music school in the Seattle area and has just completed a new teaching website called lynchlicks.com that went online in 2009. Steve's website claimed he was working on a new solo album that would have been released in 2007 but not has surfaced as of yet. It was to be an almost instrumental album of rock music.
Randy Rand - The former bassist began a career in leather-making, establishing a international importing/exporting shop that sells his own hand-crafted leather products, and even working with Harley Davidson for a time. According to Autograph's now-defunct "Turn Up the Web!" website, he has a daughter named Sterling Knight who has become a relatively well-known model in Italy.
Keni Richards - The drummer went on to work with the band Dirty White Boy
Dirty White Boy (band)
Dirty White Boy was a short-lived, bluesy sleaze rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, USA in 1988. The band released an album called Bad Reputation in 1990 and toured the U.S.A...
, but later left the music business due to a chronic back problem he has had for several years. However he has kept continuing his passion for music and art, publicly saying he has no regrets.
Steve Isham - The legendary keyboardist joined up with Gary Moon
Gary Moon
Gary Moon is a bassist who has played for several bands, including Night Ranger and Three Dog Night. He has also recorded as a solo artist. Before joining Night Ranger, he was in a band called The Pack with Steve Isham of Autograph. Matt Sorum, later of Guns 'N Roses, The Cult and Velvet...
, who later replaced Jack Blades
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...
in the band Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
to form The Pack, and he later went on to tour as the drummer for Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
's solo act. Isham passed away on December
December
December is the 12th and last month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.December starts on the same day as September every year and ends on the same day as April every year.-Etymology:...
9, 2008 after battling liver cancer
Liver cancer
Liver tumors or hepatic tumors are tumors or growths on or in the liver . Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. These growths can be benign or malignant...
at the age of 56.
Tributes and later accolades
- "Turn Up the Radio" appeared in the 2002 video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice CityGrand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
(additionally with "All I'm Gonna Take" in the 2006 prequel Grand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesGrand Theft Auto: Vice City StoriesGrand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a 2006 sandbox-style action video game developed by Rockstar Leeds in association with Rockstar North. It was published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation Portable in late 2006 and later for the PlayStation 2 in March 2007. The game is the eighth...
), playing on the video game's rock station V-Rock, and was also used in the 2010 video game Alpha ProtocolAlpha ProtocolAlpha Protocol is a third-person espionage role-playing video game, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, their first title for an original IP, and published by Sega. The game revolves around the adventures of field agent Michael Thorton...
as incidental music during a boss fight against an 80s-obsessed Russian mafioso.
- In 2009 VH1 included "Turn Up the Radio" on its list of "The 100 Greatest Rock Songs".
- On VH-1's "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs," the public voted "Turn Up The Radio" number 93 on the list.
Original band members
- Lead Vocals & Rhythm Guitar: Steve Plunkett
- Guitars: Steve Lynch
- Bass: Randy Rand
- Keyboards: Steven Isham
- Drums: Keni Richards
Line-up for Buzz album
- Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards: Steve Plunkett
- Guitars: T. J. HelmerichT. J. HelmerichT.J. Helmerich is an American electric guitarist/vocalist and audio engineer, known for developing a unique "8 finger" style of playing his instrument. He has played/toured with, among many others: Dweezil Zappa , Planet X , Autograph , Paul Gilbert, and Eddie Jobson...
- Bass: Lance MorrisonLance MorrisonLance Morrison is a professional bassist and session musician who has recorded on studio albums for Alanis Morissette, Elisa, Don Henley, Rick Springfield, Autograph and Jim Brickman. He has also been featured in movie soundtracks for Nicholas Sparks' novel-turned-feature film "Message in a...
- Drums: Matt LaugMatt LaugMatt Laug is an American drummer who has played with many bands/artists such as Alice Cooper, Slash's Snakepit and Vasco Rossi. Matt appeared briefly as the drummer on the debut album of Michael Michael in high school. With hits White Guys and Dear Mr...
Albums
| Year | Album | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
RIAA Certification | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Sign in Please Sign In Please -Personnel:*Steve Plunkett - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*Steve Lynch - Lead Guitar*Randy Rand - Bass, backing vocals*Steven Isham - Keyboards, backing vocals*Keni Richards - Drums, Noises-Production:*Produced By Neil Kernon... |
29 | Gold | RCA |
| 1985 | That’s the Stuff | 92 | - | RCA |
| 1987 | Loud and Clear Loud and Clear (Autograph album) - Personnel :*Steve Plunkett - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*Steve Lynch - Lead Guitar*Randy Rand - Bass, backing vocals*Steven Isham - Keyboards, backing vocals*Keni Richards - Drums... |
108 | - | RCA |
| 1997 | Missing Pieces Missing Pieces (album) Missing Pieces is the Fourth studio album by Autograph. It was released initially in 1997 on the Pavement Music label, then re-released in both 2002 and 2004 by Crash Music, Inc. - Track listing :... |
- | - | Pavement Records |
| 2003 | Buzz Buzz (Autograph album) Buzz is the Fifth Album Autograph- Track listing :-Personnel:*Steve Plunkett - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*T.J. Helmerich - Lead Guitar*Bart Walsh - Lead Guitar, Songs: 3,9*Lance Morrison - Bass*Matt Laug - Drums... |
- | - | POINT Music |
| 2003 | More Missing Pieces More Missing Pieces More Missing Pieces is the Sixth studio album by Autograph. It is a re-release of the 1997 album Missing Pieces with 7 More tracks.- Track listing :-References:... |
- | - | POINT Music |
Singles
| Year | Song | Album | Billboard Hot 100 | US Mainstream Rock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Turn Up The Radio Turn Up the Radio "Turn Up the Radio" is a song by American glam metal band Autograph and the lead single from their 1984 debut album, Sign in Please. Released on December 22, 1984, "Turn Up The Radio" was Autograph's only Top 40 hit, reaching #29 in the Billboard 100 and receiving significant MTV airplay... |
Sign In Please Sign In Please -Personnel:*Steve Plunkett - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*Steve Lynch - Lead Guitar*Randy Rand - Bass, backing vocals*Steven Isham - Keyboards, backing vocals*Keni Richards - Drums, Noises-Production:*Produced By Neil Kernon... |
29 | 17 |
| 1985 | Send Her to Me | - | - | |
| 1986 | Blondes in Black Cars | That's the Stuff That's the Stuff -Musicians:*Steve Plunkett - Vocals and rhythm guitar*Steve Lynch - Guitars*Randy Rand - Bass and backing vocals*Steven Isham - Keyboards and backing vocals*Keni Richards - Drums... |
- | 38 |
| That's the Stuff | - | - | ||
| 1987 | Loud and Clear | Loud and Clear Loud and Clear (Autograph album) - Personnel :*Steve Plunkett - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*Steve Lynch - Lead Guitar*Randy Rand - Bass, backing vocals*Steven Isham - Keyboards, backing vocals*Keni Richards - Drums... |
- | - |
| Dance All Night | - | - | ||
| 1988 | She Never Looked That Good for Me | - | - |
External links
- http://www.plunksongs.com (Steve Plunkett's current activities)
- VH1 artist page
- MusicMight artist page
- Steve Lynch's Official Website
- An Interview with Steve Lynch
- Brief Biography of Keni Richards
- 2003 Interview with Steve Plunkett
- Another 2003 Interview with Steve Plunkett
- Info about material from Steven Isham's later band, The Pack, with Gary Moon
- Article on Steve Isham's death
- History of Autograph according to guitarist Steve Lynch