Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated
BÖC, is an American
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band
Soft White Underbelly. The group is well known for songs including "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
", "
Burnin' for You"Burnin' for You" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their album Fire of Unknown Origin, released in 1981. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
", "
Godzilla"Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 5th album Spectres. The lyrics are a tribute to the popular movie monster of the same name. The song is, along with " The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You", one of Blue Öyster Cult's best known songs and has become a staple of their live performances...
", "
Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" is a rock song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1972 self-titled debut album. It was written by Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, and Albert Bouchard, and released as a single. The riff was inspired by Black Sabbath's song "The Wizard",...
", "
Veteran of the Psychic Wars"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
", "
Astronomy"Astronomy" is a rock song by Blue Öyster Cult that has appeared on several of the band's albums. It was first published on their 1974 album Secret Treaties...
" and "
This Ain't the Summer of Love"This Ain't the Summer of Love" is a song by rock band Blue Öyster Cult from the album Agents of Fortune. The song inspired "Swallow My Pride"by pioneering grunge band, Green River.-Notable covers:*Lizzy Borden on their album Deal with the Devil....
". They have sold over 24 million albums worldwide – including 7 million in the U.S.
It is currently formed by long time members Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Bloom (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard) as well as Jules Radino (drums, percussion),
Richie CastellanoRichie Castellano is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his work as rhythm guitar and keyboard player for the band Blue Öyster Cult.-Early years:1980-1998:...
(keyboard, guitar, vocals) and
Rudy SarzoRudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...
(bassist).
History
The band originated as a group called
Soft White Underbelly (a name the band would later occasionally use in the 1970s and 80s to play small club gigs around the U.S.) in 1967 in the vicinity of Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York, at the prompting of critic and manager
Sandy PearlmanSandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
consisting of guitarist
Buck DharmaDonald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
, drummer
Albert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
, keyboardist
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, singer Les Braunstein and bassist Andrew Winters. Pearlman wanted the group to be the American answer to
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
. Pearlman was very important to the band—he was able to get them
gigsA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, recording contracts with
ElektraElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
and
ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, and he provided them with his
poetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
for use as lyrics for many of their songs, including "Astronomy". Writer
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
also provided the band with lyrics from their early days up through their most recent studio album. The band recorded an album's worth of material for
Elektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in 1968. When Braunstein departed in early 1969, Elektra shelved the album.
Eric BloomEric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
(formerly the band's acoustic engineer) replaced Braunstein, and the band continued to perform as Soft White Underbelly. However, a bad review of a 1969 Fillmore East show caused Pearlman to change the name of the band - first to
OaxacaOaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, then to the Stalk-Forrest Group. The band recorded yet another album's worth of material for Elektra, but only one single ("What Is Quicksand?" b/w "Arthur Comics") was released (and only in a promo edition of 300 copies) on
Elektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
. (This album was eventually released, with additional outtakes, by Rhino Handmade Records as
St. Cecilia: The Elektra RecordingsSt. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings is an album by the American rock band Stalk-Forrest Group, which would later become the successful hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult. It was recorded in 1970, but it was not officially released until 2001.-Overview:...
in 2001). After a few more temporary band names, including the Santos Sisters, the band settled on Blue Öyster Cult in 1971. (see "band name" section below for its origin).
New York producer and jingle writer
David LucasDavid Lucas is an American rock and roll composer, singer, and music producer. He has written a number of well-known commercial jingles, such as AT&T's "Reach out and touch someone". In 1981, he received a Clio Award for composing the music to Pepsi's "Catch that Pepsi spirit"...
saw the band perform and took them into his Warehouse Recording Studio and produced a demo, with which Pearlman was able to get the renamed band another audition with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
Clive DavisClive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
liked what he heard, and signed the band to the label. The first album was subsequently recorded on eight track at Lucas' studio. Winters would leave the band and be replaced by Bouchard' brother,
Joe BouchardJoe Bouchard was the original bassist for Blue Öyster Cult. He grew up in Clayton, New York...
.
Black and white years
Their debut album
Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult is the eponymous debut album by hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in January 1972 . The album featured songs such as "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May," all of which the band still plays regularly during its...
was released in January 1972, with a black and white cover designed by artist Bill Gawlik. The album featured the songs "
Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" is a rock song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1972 self-titled debut album. It was written by Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, and Albert Bouchard, and released as a single. The riff was inspired by Black Sabbath's song "The Wizard",...
", "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May". The album sold well, and Blue Öyster Cult toured with artists such as the Byrds, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and
Alice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
.
Their next album
Tyranny and MutationTyranny and Mutation was the second album by hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1973....
, released in 1973, was written while the band was on tour for their first LP. It contained songs such as "The Red and The Black" (an ode to the
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
and basically a sped-up rewrite of "I'm On The Lamb", from the debut album), "Hot Rails To Hell", and "Baby Ice Dog", the first of the band's many collaborations with
Patti SmithPatricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
.
The band's third album,
Secret TreatiesSecret Treaties is Blue Öyster Cult's third studio album, released in 1974.In 1975, a Melody Maker poll of critics voted Secret Treaties as the "Top Rock Album of All Time." The album spent 14 weeks in the US charts, peaking at #53. It went gold in 1992...
(1974) received positive reviews, featuring songs such as "Career of Evil" (also co-written by Patti Smith), "Dominance and Submission" and "
Astronomy"Astronomy" is a rock song by Blue Öyster Cult that has appeared on several of the band's albums. It was first published on their 1974 album Secret Treaties...
". As a result of constant touring, the band was now capable of headlining arenas.
Commercial success
The band's first live album
On Your Feet or on Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
(1975) achieved greater success and went gold, and was followed up by their first platinum album,
Agents of FortuneAgents of Fortune is the fourth studio album released by Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in a gatefold sleeve in 1976.The platinum selling album peaked at #29 on Billboards Pop Albums chart, while the single " The Reaper" peaked at #12 on the Pop Singles chart, making it Blue Öyster Cult's...
(1976). It contained the hit single "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
", which reached number 12 on the Billboard charts and has become a classic of the genre. Other major songs on the album were "(This Ain't) The Summer of Love," "E.T.I. (Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence)," and "The Revenge of Vera Gemini." For the tour, the band added lasers to their light show, for which they became known.
Their next album,
SpectresSpectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978 and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night"...
(1977), had the FM radio hit "
Godzilla"Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 5th album Spectres. The lyrics are a tribute to the popular movie monster of the same name. The song is, along with " The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You", one of Blue Öyster Cult's best known songs and has become a staple of their live performances...
", but its sales were not as strong as those for the previous album.
The band then released another live album,
Some Enchanted Evening (1978). Though it was intended as another double-live album in the vein of
On Your Feet Or On Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
, Columbia insisted that it be edited down to single-album length. It became Blue Öyster Cult's most popular album, eventually selling over 2 million copies.
It was followed by the studio album
Mirrors (1979). For
Mirrors, instead of working with previous producers Pearlman (who instead went on to manage
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
) and Krugman, Blue Öyster Cult chose
Tom WermanTom Werman was an A&R man and record producer for Epic Records from 1970 into 1982. He has produced albums by acts including Mother's Finest, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Molly Hatchet, Blue Öyster Cult, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Stryper, Kix, LA Guns, and Poison. While in A&R at Epic Records, he...
, who had worked with acts such as
Cheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
and
Ted NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
. However, the resulting album sales were disappointing.
Pearlman's association with Black Sabbath was tapped for the next Blue Öyster Cult album, which resulted in Sabbath's
Heaven and HellHeaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in April 1980. This is their first album featuring Ronnie James Dio, and first with producer Martin Birch.-Album information:...
producer
Martin BirchMartin Birch is a British rock and heavy metal music producer, who became renowned for engineering and producing albums by the British rock bands Deep Purple and Iron Maiden....
being hired for the next Blue Öyster Cult record. The result was positive, with
Cultösaurus ErectusCultösaurus Erectus is the seventh Blue Öyster Cult album released in 1980. Following the experiment with Mirrors, it was an attempt to return to the band's earlier hard-rock sound...
(1980) receiving good reviews. The album went to number 12 in the UK, but did not do as well in the U.S. One of the notable songs on the album was "Black Blade," which was written by Bloom with lyrics by sci-fi and fantasy author
Michael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
. The song is a kind of retelling of Moorcock's epic
Elric of MelnibonéElric of Melniboné is a fictional character created by Michael Moorcock, and the antihero of a series of sword and sorcery stories centering in an alternate Earth. The proper name and title of the character is Elric VIII, 428th Emperor of Melniboné...
-Saga. The band also did a co-headlining tour with Black Sabbath in support of the album, calling the tour "
Black and BlueBlack and Blue is a live video by heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult filmed during their 1980 co-headlining tour.The video was released in 1980 on VHS and Betamax video format, with subsequent releases on laserdisc. It was due to be released on DVD in 2002...
".
Birch produced the band's next album as well,
Fire of Unknown OriginFire of Unknown Origin is the eighth album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch.The album, which included the top 40 hit "Burnin' for You" represented a resurgence of the group's commercial standing after two albums with disappointing sales...
(1981). The biggest hit on this album was the Top 40 hit "
Burnin' for You"Burnin' for You" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their album Fire of Unknown Origin, released in 1981. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
", a song Dharma had written with a
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
lyric. He had intended to use it on his 1982 solo album,
Flat Out, but he was convinced to use it on the Blue Öyster Cult album instead. The album went platinum, and contained other fan favorites such as "Joan Crawford" (inspired by the book and film
Mommie DearestMommie Dearest is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. The book, which depicts Christina's childhood and her relationship with her mother, was published in 1978.-Christina Crawford's claims:...
) and "
Veteran of the Psychic Wars"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
", another song co-written by Moorcock. Several of the songs had been written for the animated film
Heavy MetalHeavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
, but only "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" (which, ironically, was not written for
Heavy MetalHeavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
) was actually used in the movie. After this album,
Albert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
had a falling out with the others and left the band, and Rick Downey (formerly the band's lighting designer) replaced him on drums.
Decline and fall
After leaving the band, Albert Bouchard spent five years working on a solo album based on Sandy Pearlman's poem
"Imaginos." Blue Öyster Cult released a live album
Extraterrestrial LiveExtraterrestrial Live is a Blue Öyster Cult live album released in 1982. It documents their 1981 tour in support of Fire of Unknown Origin. Midway through the tour, the band fired drummer and founding member Albert Bouchard, replacing him with roadie Rick Downey...
, then went to the studio for the next album, with
Bruce FairbairnBruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and international record producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999 and is considered one of the best of his era...
as producer, the 1983 release
The Revölution by NightThe Revölution By Night is the ninth Blue Öyster Cult studio album, released in 1983.The album was intended to capitalize on the unexpected success of Fire Of Unknown Origin just two years prior, hence the album's blend of straight-ahead rock and pop elements...
. Its highest-charting single was "Shooting Shark," co-written by Patti Smith, which reached number 83 on the charts. "Shooting Shark" also featured
Randy JacksonRandall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
on bass. After
Revölution, Rick Downey left, leaving Blue Öyster Cult without a drummer.
The band re-united with Albert Bouchard for a California tour in February 1985, infamously known as the "Albert Returns" Tour. This arrangement was only temporary, and caused more tensions between the band and Bouchard, as he had thought he would be staying on permanently, which was not the case. The band had only intended to use him as a last-minute fill-in until another drummer could come on board, which resulted in Bouchard's leaving after the tour. Allen Lanier also quit the band shortly thereafter, leaving the band without a keyboardist.
Blue Öyster Cult hired drummer Jimmy Wilcox and keyboardist Tommy Zvoncheck to finish the
Club NinjaClub Ninja is the tenth studio album by the U.S. hard rock group Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1986 . The album was intended as a comeback for the band, whose previous album The Revölution by Night failed to attain Gold status following the Platinum success of 1981's Fire of Unknown Origin and...
album, which was poorly received, with only "Dancing In The Ruins" -- one of several songs on the record written entirely by outside songwriters—enjoying minimal success on radio and
MTVMTV, 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....
. The highlight of the album was "Perfect Water" written by Dharma and
Jim CarrollJames Dennis "Jim" Carroll was an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.-Biography:Carroll was born to a...
(noted author of
The Basketball DiariesThe Basketball Diaries is a 1978 memoir written by author and musician Jim Carroll. It is an edited collection of the diaries he kept between the ages of twelve and sixteen...
).
The band toured in Germany, after which bassist Joe Bouchard left, leaving only two original members, Eric Bloom and Donald Roeser—some referred to the band as "Two Öyster Cult" during this period. Jon Rogers was hired to replace Joe, and this version of the band finished out the 1986 tour. After the tour wound up that year, the band took a temporary break from recording and touring, its future uncertain.
Imaginos and continued touring
When Blue Öyster Cult received an offer to tour in Greece in the early summer of 1987, the band sprang back into action. The new line-up contained founding members
Eric BloomEric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, with Jon Rogers returning on bass, and Ron Riddle on drums.
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
was not interested in releasing the
ImaginosImaginos is a 1988 concept album by Blue Öyster Cult.The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album in 1972...
project as an Albert Bouchard solo album, so Pearlman arranged for it to be released in 1988 by Columbia as a Blue Öyster Cult album, with some new vocal and instrumental overdubs from Bloom and Roeser. The album did not sell very well (despite a positive review in Rolling Stone magazine), and though Blue Öyster Cult did tour to promote
Imaginos, promotion by the label was virtually non-existent. When Columbia Records' parent company
CBS RecordsCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
was purchased by
Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Blue Öyster Cult were dropped from the label.
The band spent the next 11 years touring without releasing an album, though they did contribute two new songs to the
Bad ChannelsBad Channels is the soundtrack album of the science fiction spoof film of the same name, It featuring songs by the bands Blue Öyster Cult, Fair Game and Sykotik Sinfoney, and released in 1992.-Track listing:...
movie soundtrack, released in 1992. Riddle quit in 1991 and was followed by a series of other drummers including
Chuck Burgi (1991–1992, 1992–1995, 1996–1997), John Miceli (1992, 1995, 2008), John O'Reilly (1995–1996) and Bobby Rondinelli (1997–2004, 2008). Jules Radino joined in 2004, and is the band's current drummer. Rogers left in 1995, and was replaced by Danny Miranda. Miranda left in 2004 and ended up as the bassist for
Queen + Paul RodgersQueen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
- and Richie Castellano replaced him.
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
retired from live performances in 2007 after not appearing with the band since late 2006. Castellano has switched to rhythm guitar and keyboards (Castellano also filled in on lead guitar and vocals for an ailing
Buck DharmaDonald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
in two shows in 2005), and the band has employed three "guest bassists" on a rotating basis: Danny Miranda, Jon Rogers and
Rudy SarzoRudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...
(ex-
Quiet RiotQuiet 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...
, ex-
Ozzy OsbourneJohn 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...
, ex-
WhitesnakeWhitesnake 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...
, and ex-
DioDio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
).
In December 2008, BÖC management announced that Roeser had fallen down a staircase in his
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
home and injured his shoulder. As a result, several tour dates in December 2008 and January 2009 were canceled or postponed. The band returned to touring by the fall of 2009.
CMC/Sanctuary years
In the late 1990s, Blue Öyster Cult secured a recording contract with CMC Records (later purchased by
Sanctuary RecordsSanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
), and continued to tour frequently. Two studio albums were released, 1998's
Heaven ForbidThis article is about the Blue Öyster Cult album. For The Fray song, see How To Save A Life.Heaven Forbid is the eleventh studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1998. It was the band's first studio album in a decade...
and
Curse of the Hidden MirrorCurse of the Hidden Mirror is the twelfth studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 2001. The only single from the record was the poorly received "Pocket". Lackluster sales led to the band being dropped by their label, Sanctuary Records...
from 2001. Both albums featured songs co-written by cyberpunk/horror novelist
John ShirleyJohn Shirley is an American fantasist, author of noir fiction, and science-fiction writer. Shirley is a prolific writer of novels and short stories, TV scripts and screenplays who has published over 30 books and 10 collections...
. Another live record,
A Long Day's NightA Long Day's Night is a live DVD by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, recorded in Chicago, Illinois on 21 June, 2002. It is so named because that day was 2002's summer solstice, the longest day of the year....
and DVD (same title), followed in 2002, both drawn from one concert in Chicago.
Blue Öyster Cult have since had a falling out with
Sanctuary RecordsSanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
, and currently have no record deal.
Sony Legacy remasters
In 2001, Sony/Columbia's reissue arm, Legacy Records issued expanded versions of the first four Blue Öyster Cult studio albums, including some previously unreleased demos and outtakes from album sessions, live recordings (from the Live 72 ep), and post-St. Cecilia tunes from the Stalk-Forrest Group era.
In February 2007, the Sony Legacy remaster series continued, releasing expanded versions of studio album
SpectresSpectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978 and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night"...
and live album
Some Enchanted Evening (album), leaving the first live album
On Your Feet Or On Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
still without the treatment. However, the liner notes for the second round of remasters differ from the photos and in-depth analysis of the first four releases, and did not include lyrics as the earlier releases had.
Band name
The name "Blue Öyster Cult" came from a 1960s poem written by manager
Sandy PearlmanSandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
. It was part of his "Imaginos" poetry, later used more extensively in their 1988 album
ImaginosImaginos is a 1988 concept album by Blue Öyster Cult.The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album in 1972...
. Pearlman had also come up with the band's earlier name, "Soft White Underbelly", from a phrase used by
Winston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
in describing
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In Pearlman's poetry, the "Blue Oyster Cult" was a group of aliens who had assembled to secretly guide Earth's history. "Initially, the band was not happy with the name, but settled for it, and went to work preparing to record their first release..."
In an interview published in the U.K. music magazine
Zig Zag in 1976, Pearlman told the story explaining the origin of the band's name was an anagram of 'Cully Stout Beer'.
The addition of the
umlautA metal umlaut is a diaeresis that is sometimes used gratuitously or decoratively over letters in the names of hard rock or heavy metal bands—for example those of Mötley Crüe and Motörhead...
was suggested by
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, but rock critic
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
claims to have suggested it just after Pearlman came up with the name, reportedly "because of the Wagnerian aspect of Metal." "From a linguistic viewpoint, this might be regarded as a diaeresis, rather than as an umlaut," Other bands later copied the practice of using umlauts or diacritic marks in their own band logos, such as
Motörhead,
Mötley CrüeMötley 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...
,
Queensrÿchethumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
, and the parody band
Spı
{{foreignchar|Blue Oyster Cult|Ö}}
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band
Soft White Underbelly. The group is well known for songs including "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
", "
Burnin' for You"Burnin' for You" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their album Fire of Unknown Origin, released in 1981. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
", "
Godzilla"Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 5th album Spectres. The lyrics are a tribute to the popular movie monster of the same name. The song is, along with " The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You", one of Blue Öyster Cult's best known songs and has become a staple of their live performances...
", "
Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" is a rock song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1972 self-titled debut album. It was written by Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, and Albert Bouchard, and released as a single. The riff was inspired by Black Sabbath's song "The Wizard",...
", "
Veteran of the Psychic Wars"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
", "
Astronomy"Astronomy" is a rock song by Blue Öyster Cult that has appeared on several of the band's albums. It was first published on their 1974 album Secret Treaties...
" and "
This Ain't the Summer of Love"This Ain't the Summer of Love" is a song by rock band Blue Öyster Cult from the album Agents of Fortune. The song inspired "Swallow My Pride"by pioneering grunge band, Green River.-Notable covers:*Lizzy Borden on their album Deal with the Devil....
". They have sold over 24 million albums worldwide – including 7 million in the U.S.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}
It is currently formed by long time members Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Bloom (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard) as well as Jules Radino (drums, percussion),
Richie CastellanoRichie Castellano is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his work as rhythm guitar and keyboard player for the band Blue Öyster Cult.-Early years:1980-1998:...
(keyboard, guitar, vocals) and
Rudy SarzoRudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...
(bassist).
History
The band originated as a group called
Soft White Underbelly (a name the band would later occasionally use in the 1970s and 80s to play small club gigs around the U.S.) in 1967 in the vicinity of Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York, at the prompting of critic and manager
Sandy PearlmanSandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
consisting of guitarist
Buck DharmaDonald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
, drummer
Albert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
, keyboardist
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, singer Les Braunstein and bassist Andrew Winters. Pearlman wanted the group to be the American answer to
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
. Pearlman was very important to the band—he was able to get them
gigsA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, recording contracts with
ElektraElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
and
ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, and he provided them with his
poetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
for use as lyrics for many of their songs, including "Astronomy". Writer
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
also provided the band with lyrics from their early days up through their most recent studio album. The band recorded an album's worth of material for
Elektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in 1968. When Braunstein departed in early 1969, Elektra shelved the album.
Eric BloomEric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
(formerly the band's acoustic engineer) replaced Braunstein, and the band continued to perform as Soft White Underbelly. However, a bad review of a 1969 Fillmore East show caused Pearlman to change the name of the band - first to
OaxacaOaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, then to the Stalk-Forrest Group. The band recorded yet another album's worth of material for Elektra, but only one single ("What Is Quicksand?" b/w "Arthur Comics") was released (and only in a promo edition of 300 copies) on
Elektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
. (This album was eventually released, with additional outtakes, by Rhino Handmade Records as
St. Cecilia: The Elektra RecordingsSt. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings is an album by the American rock band Stalk-Forrest Group, which would later become the successful hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult. It was recorded in 1970, but it was not officially released until 2001.-Overview:...
in 2001). After a few more temporary band names, including the Santos Sisters, the band settled on Blue Öyster Cult in 1971. (see "band name" section below for its origin).
New York producer and jingle writer
David LucasDavid Lucas is an American rock and roll composer, singer, and music producer. He has written a number of well-known commercial jingles, such as AT&T's "Reach out and touch someone". In 1981, he received a Clio Award for composing the music to Pepsi's "Catch that Pepsi spirit"...
saw the band perform and took them into his Warehouse Recording Studio and produced a demo, with which Pearlman was able to get the renamed band another audition with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
Clive DavisClive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
liked what he heard, and signed the band to the label. The first album was subsequently recorded on eight track at Lucas' studio. Winters would leave the band and be replaced by Bouchard' brother,
Joe BouchardJoe Bouchard was the original bassist for Blue Öyster Cult. He grew up in Clayton, New York...
.
Black and white years
Their debut album
Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult is the eponymous debut album by hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in January 1972 . The album featured songs such as "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May," all of which the band still plays regularly during its...
was released in January 1972, with a black and white cover designed by artist Bill Gawlik. The album featured the songs "
Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" is a rock song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1972 self-titled debut album. It was written by Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, and Albert Bouchard, and released as a single. The riff was inspired by Black Sabbath's song "The Wizard",...
", "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May". The album sold well, and Blue Öyster Cult toured with artists such as the Byrds, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and
Alice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
.
Their next album
Tyranny and MutationTyranny and Mutation was the second album by hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1973....
, released in 1973, was written while the band was on tour for their first LP. It contained songs such as "The Red and The Black" (an ode to the
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
and basically a sped-up rewrite of "I'm On The Lamb", from the debut album), "Hot Rails To Hell", and "Baby Ice Dog", the first of the band's many collaborations with
Patti SmithPatricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
.
The band's third album,
Secret TreatiesSecret Treaties is Blue Öyster Cult's third studio album, released in 1974.In 1975, a Melody Maker poll of critics voted Secret Treaties as the "Top Rock Album of All Time." The album spent 14 weeks in the US charts, peaking at #53. It went gold in 1992...
(1974) received positive reviews, featuring songs such as "Career of Evil" (also co-written by Patti Smith), "Dominance and Submission" and "
Astronomy"Astronomy" is a rock song by Blue Öyster Cult that has appeared on several of the band's albums. It was first published on their 1974 album Secret Treaties...
". As a result of constant touring, the band was now capable of headlining arenas.
Commercial success
The band's first live album
On Your Feet or on Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
(1975) achieved greater success and went gold, and was followed up by their first platinum album,
Agents of FortuneAgents of Fortune is the fourth studio album released by Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in a gatefold sleeve in 1976.The platinum selling album peaked at #29 on Billboards Pop Albums chart, while the single " The Reaper" peaked at #12 on the Pop Singles chart, making it Blue Öyster Cult's...
(1976). It contained the hit single "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
", which reached number 12 on the Billboard charts and has become a classic of the genre. Other major songs on the album were "(This Ain't) The Summer of Love," "E.T.I. (Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence)," and "The Revenge of Vera Gemini." For the tour, the band added lasers to their light show, for which they became known.
Their next album,
SpectresSpectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978 and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night"...
(1977), had the FM radio hit "
Godzilla"Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 5th album Spectres. The lyrics are a tribute to the popular movie monster of the same name. The song is, along with " The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You", one of Blue Öyster Cult's best known songs and has become a staple of their live performances...
", but its sales were not as strong as those for the previous album.
The band then released another live album,
Some Enchanted Evening (1978). Though it was intended as another double-live album in the vein of
On Your Feet Or On Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
, Columbia insisted that it be edited down to single-album length. It became Blue Öyster Cult's most popular album, eventually selling over 2 million copies.
It was followed by the studio album
Mirrors (1979). For
Mirrors, instead of working with previous producers Pearlman (who instead went on to manage
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
) and Krugman, Blue Öyster Cult chose
Tom WermanTom Werman was an A&R man and record producer for Epic Records from 1970 into 1982. He has produced albums by acts including Mother's Finest, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Molly Hatchet, Blue Öyster Cult, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Stryper, Kix, LA Guns, and Poison. While in A&R at Epic Records, he...
, who had worked with acts such as
Cheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
and
Ted NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
. However, the resulting album sales were disappointing.
Pearlman's association with Black Sabbath was tapped for the next Blue Öyster Cult album, which resulted in Sabbath's
Heaven and HellHeaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in April 1980. This is their first album featuring Ronnie James Dio, and first with producer Martin Birch.-Album information:...
producer
Martin BirchMartin Birch is a British rock and heavy metal music producer, who became renowned for engineering and producing albums by the British rock bands Deep Purple and Iron Maiden....
being hired for the next Blue Öyster Cult record. The result was positive, with
Cultösaurus ErectusCultösaurus Erectus is the seventh Blue Öyster Cult album released in 1980. Following the experiment with Mirrors, it was an attempt to return to the band's earlier hard-rock sound...
(1980) receiving good reviews. The album went to number 12 in the UK, but did not do as well in the U.S. One of the notable songs on the album was "Black Blade," which was written by Bloom with lyrics by sci-fi and fantasy author
Michael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
. The song is a kind of retelling of Moorcock's epic
Elric of MelnibonéElric of Melniboné is a fictional character created by Michael Moorcock, and the antihero of a series of sword and sorcery stories centering in an alternate Earth. The proper name and title of the character is Elric VIII, 428th Emperor of Melniboné...
-Saga. The band also did a co-headlining tour with Black Sabbath in support of the album, calling the tour "
Black and BlueBlack and Blue is a live video by heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult filmed during their 1980 co-headlining tour.The video was released in 1980 on VHS and Betamax video format, with subsequent releases on laserdisc. It was due to be released on DVD in 2002...
".
Birch produced the band's next album as well,
Fire of Unknown OriginFire of Unknown Origin is the eighth album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch.The album, which included the top 40 hit "Burnin' for You" represented a resurgence of the group's commercial standing after two albums with disappointing sales...
(1981). The biggest hit on this album was the Top 40 hit "
Burnin' for You"Burnin' for You" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their album Fire of Unknown Origin, released in 1981. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
", a song Dharma had written with a
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
lyric. He had intended to use it on his 1982 solo album,
Flat Out, but he was convinced to use it on the Blue Öyster Cult album instead. The album went platinum, and contained other fan favorites such as "Joan Crawford" (inspired by the book and film
Mommie DearestMommie Dearest is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. The book, which depicts Christina's childhood and her relationship with her mother, was published in 1978.-Christina Crawford's claims:...
) and "
Veteran of the Psychic Wars"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
", another song co-written by Moorcock. Several of the songs had been written for the animated film
Heavy MetalHeavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
, but only "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" (which, ironically, was not written for
Heavy MetalHeavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
) was actually used in the movie. After this album,
Albert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
had a falling out with the others and left the band, and Rick Downey (formerly the band's lighting designer) replaced him on drums.
Decline and fall
After leaving the band, Albert Bouchard spent five years working on a solo album based on Sandy Pearlman's poem
"Imaginos." Blue Öyster Cult released a live album
Extraterrestrial LiveExtraterrestrial Live is a Blue Öyster Cult live album released in 1982. It documents their 1981 tour in support of Fire of Unknown Origin. Midway through the tour, the band fired drummer and founding member Albert Bouchard, replacing him with roadie Rick Downey...
, then went to the studio for the next album, with
Bruce FairbairnBruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and international record producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999 and is considered one of the best of his era...
as producer, the 1983 release
The Revölution by NightThe Revölution By Night is the ninth Blue Öyster Cult studio album, released in 1983.The album was intended to capitalize on the unexpected success of Fire Of Unknown Origin just two years prior, hence the album's blend of straight-ahead rock and pop elements...
. Its highest-charting single was "Shooting Shark," co-written by Patti Smith, which reached number 83 on the charts. "Shooting Shark" also featured
Randy JacksonRandall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
on bass. After
Revölution, Rick Downey left, leaving Blue Öyster Cult without a drummer.
The band re-united with Albert Bouchard for a California tour in February 1985, infamously known as the "Albert Returns" Tour. This arrangement was only temporary, and caused more tensions between the band and Bouchard, as he had thought he would be staying on permanently, which was not the case. The band had only intended to use him as a last-minute fill-in until another drummer could come on board, which resulted in Bouchard's leaving after the tour. Allen Lanier also quit the band shortly thereafter, leaving the band without a keyboardist.
Blue Öyster Cult hired drummer Jimmy Wilcox and keyboardist Tommy Zvoncheck to finish the
Club NinjaClub Ninja is the tenth studio album by the U.S. hard rock group Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1986 . The album was intended as a comeback for the band, whose previous album The Revölution by Night failed to attain Gold status following the Platinum success of 1981's Fire of Unknown Origin and...
album, which was poorly received, with only "Dancing In The Ruins" -- one of several songs on the record written entirely by outside songwriters—enjoying minimal success on radio and
MTVMTV, 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....
. The highlight of the album was "Perfect Water" written by Dharma and
Jim CarrollJames Dennis "Jim" Carroll was an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.-Biography:Carroll was born to a...
(noted author of
The Basketball DiariesThe Basketball Diaries is a 1978 memoir written by author and musician Jim Carroll. It is an edited collection of the diaries he kept between the ages of twelve and sixteen...
).
The band toured in Germany, after which bassist Joe Bouchard left, leaving only two original members, Eric Bloom and Donald Roeser—some referred to the band as "Two Öyster Cult" during this period. Jon Rogers was hired to replace Joe, and this version of the band finished out the 1986 tour. After the tour wound up that year, the band took a temporary break from recording and touring, its future uncertain.
Imaginos and continued touring
When Blue Öyster Cult received an offer to tour in Greece in the early summer of 1987, the band sprang back into action. The new line-up contained founding members
Eric BloomEric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, with Jon Rogers returning on bass, and Ron Riddle on drums.
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
was not interested in releasing the
ImaginosImaginos is a 1988 concept album by Blue Öyster Cult.The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album in 1972...
project as an Albert Bouchard solo album, so Pearlman arranged for it to be released in 1988 by Columbia as a Blue Öyster Cult album, with some new vocal and instrumental overdubs from Bloom and Roeser. The album did not sell very well (despite a positive review in Rolling Stone magazine), and though Blue Öyster Cult did tour to promote
Imaginos, promotion by the label was virtually non-existent. When Columbia Records' parent company
CBS RecordsCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
was purchased by
Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Blue Öyster Cult were dropped from the label.
The band spent the next 11 years touring without releasing an album, though they did contribute two new songs to the
Bad ChannelsBad Channels is the soundtrack album of the science fiction spoof film of the same name, It featuring songs by the bands Blue Öyster Cult, Fair Game and Sykotik Sinfoney, and released in 1992.-Track listing:...
movie soundtrack, released in 1992. Riddle quit in 1991 and was followed by a series of other drummers including
Chuck Burgi (1991–1992, 1992–1995, 1996–1997), John Miceli (1992, 1995, 2008), John O'Reilly (1995–1996) and Bobby Rondinelli (1997–2004, 2008). Jules Radino joined in 2004, and is the band's current drummer. Rogers left in 1995, and was replaced by Danny Miranda. Miranda left in 2004 and ended up as the bassist for
Queen + Paul RodgersQueen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
- and Richie Castellano replaced him.
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
retired from live performances in 2007 after not appearing with the band since late 2006. Castellano has switched to rhythm guitar and keyboards (Castellano also filled in on lead guitar and vocals for an ailing
Buck DharmaDonald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
in two shows in 2005), and the band has employed three "guest bassists" on a rotating basis: Danny Miranda, Jon Rogers and
Rudy SarzoRudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...
(ex-
Quiet RiotQuiet 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...
, ex-
Ozzy OsbourneJohn 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...
, ex-
WhitesnakeWhitesnake 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...
, and ex-
DioDio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
).
In December 2008, BÖC management announced that Roeser had fallen down a staircase in his
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
home and injured his shoulder. As a result, several tour dates in December 2008 and January 2009 were canceled or postponed. The band returned to touring by the fall of 2009.
CMC/Sanctuary years
In the late 1990s, Blue Öyster Cult secured a recording contract with CMC Records (later purchased by
Sanctuary RecordsSanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
), and continued to tour frequently. Two studio albums were released, 1998's
Heaven ForbidThis article is about the Blue Öyster Cult album. For The Fray song, see How To Save A Life.Heaven Forbid is the eleventh studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1998. It was the band's first studio album in a decade...
and
Curse of the Hidden MirrorCurse of the Hidden Mirror is the twelfth studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 2001. The only single from the record was the poorly received "Pocket". Lackluster sales led to the band being dropped by their label, Sanctuary Records...
from 2001. Both albums featured songs co-written by cyberpunk/horror novelist
John ShirleyJohn Shirley is an American fantasist, author of noir fiction, and science-fiction writer. Shirley is a prolific writer of novels and short stories, TV scripts and screenplays who has published over 30 books and 10 collections...
. Another live record,
A Long Day's NightA Long Day's Night is a live DVD by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, recorded in Chicago, Illinois on 21 June, 2002. It is so named because that day was 2002's summer solstice, the longest day of the year....
and DVD (same title), followed in 2002, both drawn from one concert in Chicago.
Blue Öyster Cult have since had a falling out with
Sanctuary RecordsSanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
, and currently have no record deal.
Sony Legacy remasters
In 2001, Sony/Columbia's reissue arm, Legacy Records issued expanded versions of the first four Blue Öyster Cult studio albums, including some previously unreleased demos and outtakes from album sessions, live recordings (from the Live 72 ep), and post-St. Cecilia tunes from the Stalk-Forrest Group era.
In February 2007, the Sony Legacy remaster series continued, releasing expanded versions of studio album
SpectresSpectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978 and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night"...
and live album
Some Enchanted Evening (album), leaving the first live album
On Your Feet Or On Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
still without the treatment. However, the liner notes for the second round of remasters differ from the photos and in-depth analysis of the first four releases, and did not include lyrics as the earlier releases had.
Band name
The name "Blue Öyster Cult" came from a 1960s poem written by manager
Sandy PearlmanSandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
. It was part of his "Imaginos" poetry, later used more extensively in their 1988 album
ImaginosImaginos is a 1988 concept album by Blue Öyster Cult.The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album in 1972...
. Pearlman had also come up with the band's earlier name, "Soft White Underbelly", from a phrase used by
Winston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
in describing
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In Pearlman's poetry, the "Blue Oyster Cult" was a group of aliens who had assembled to secretly guide Earth's history. "Initially, the band was not happy with the name, but settled for it, and went to work preparing to record their first release..."
In an interview published in the U.K. music magazine
Zig Zag in 1976, Pearlman told the story explaining the origin of the band's name was an anagram of 'Cully Stout Beer'.
The addition of the
umlautA metal umlaut is a diaeresis that is sometimes used gratuitously or decoratively over letters in the names of hard rock or heavy metal bands—for example those of Mötley Crüe and Motörhead...
was suggested by
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, but rock critic
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
claims to have suggested it just after Pearlman came up with the name, reportedly "because of the Wagnerian aspect of Metal." "From a linguistic viewpoint, this might be regarded as a diaeresis, rather than as an umlaut," Other bands later copied the practice of using umlauts or diacritic marks in their own band logos, such as
Motörhead,
Mötley CrüeMötley 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...
,
Queensrÿchethumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
, and the parody band
Spı
{{foreignchar|Blue Oyster Cult|Ö}}
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band
Soft White Underbelly. The group is well known for songs including "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
", "
Burnin' for You"Burnin' for You" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their album Fire of Unknown Origin, released in 1981. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
", "
Godzilla"Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 5th album Spectres. The lyrics are a tribute to the popular movie monster of the same name. The song is, along with " The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You", one of Blue Öyster Cult's best known songs and has become a staple of their live performances...
", "
Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" is a rock song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1972 self-titled debut album. It was written by Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, and Albert Bouchard, and released as a single. The riff was inspired by Black Sabbath's song "The Wizard",...
", "
Veteran of the Psychic Wars"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
", "
Astronomy"Astronomy" is a rock song by Blue Öyster Cult that has appeared on several of the band's albums. It was first published on their 1974 album Secret Treaties...
" and "
This Ain't the Summer of Love"This Ain't the Summer of Love" is a song by rock band Blue Öyster Cult from the album Agents of Fortune. The song inspired "Swallow My Pride"by pioneering grunge band, Green River.-Notable covers:*Lizzy Borden on their album Deal with the Devil....
". They have sold over 24 million albums worldwide – including 7 million in the U.S.{{Citation needed|date=May 2011}}
It is currently formed by long time members Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser (lead guitar, vocals) and Eric Bloom (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard) as well as Jules Radino (drums, percussion),
Richie CastellanoRichie Castellano is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his work as rhythm guitar and keyboard player for the band Blue Öyster Cult.-Early years:1980-1998:...
(keyboard, guitar, vocals) and
Rudy SarzoRudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...
(bassist).
History
The band originated as a group called
Soft White Underbelly (a name the band would later occasionally use in the 1970s and 80s to play small club gigs around the U.S.) in 1967 in the vicinity of Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York, at the prompting of critic and manager
Sandy PearlmanSandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
consisting of guitarist
Buck DharmaDonald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
, drummer
Albert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
, keyboardist
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, singer Les Braunstein and bassist Andrew Winters. Pearlman wanted the group to be the American answer to
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
. Pearlman was very important to the band—he was able to get them
gigsA concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
, recording contracts with
ElektraElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
and
ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, and he provided them with his
poetryPoetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
for use as lyrics for many of their songs, including "Astronomy". Writer
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
also provided the band with lyrics from their early days up through their most recent studio album. The band recorded an album's worth of material for
Elektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in 1968. When Braunstein departed in early 1969, Elektra shelved the album.
Eric BloomEric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
(formerly the band's acoustic engineer) replaced Braunstein, and the band continued to perform as Soft White Underbelly. However, a bad review of a 1969 Fillmore East show caused Pearlman to change the name of the band - first to
OaxacaOaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
, then to the Stalk-Forrest Group. The band recorded yet another album's worth of material for Elektra, but only one single ("What Is Quicksand?" b/w "Arthur Comics") was released (and only in a promo edition of 300 copies) on
Elektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
. (This album was eventually released, with additional outtakes, by Rhino Handmade Records as
St. Cecilia: The Elektra RecordingsSt. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings is an album by the American rock band Stalk-Forrest Group, which would later become the successful hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult. It was recorded in 1970, but it was not officially released until 2001.-Overview:...
in 2001). After a few more temporary band names, including the Santos Sisters, the band settled on Blue Öyster Cult in 1971. (see "band name" section below for its origin).
New York producer and jingle writer
David LucasDavid Lucas is an American rock and roll composer, singer, and music producer. He has written a number of well-known commercial jingles, such as AT&T's "Reach out and touch someone". In 1981, he received a Clio Award for composing the music to Pepsi's "Catch that Pepsi spirit"...
saw the band perform and took them into his Warehouse Recording Studio and produced a demo, with which Pearlman was able to get the renamed band another audition with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
.
Clive DavisClive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
liked what he heard, and signed the band to the label. The first album was subsequently recorded on eight track at Lucas' studio. Winters would leave the band and be replaced by Bouchard' brother,
Joe BouchardJoe Bouchard was the original bassist for Blue Öyster Cult. He grew up in Clayton, New York...
.
Black and white years
Their debut album
Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult is the eponymous debut album by hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in January 1972 . The album featured songs such as "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May," all of which the band still plays regularly during its...
was released in January 1972, with a black and white cover designed by artist Bill Gawlik. The album featured the songs "
Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll" is a rock song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1972 self-titled debut album. It was written by Sandy Pearlman, Donald Roeser, and Albert Bouchard, and released as a single. The riff was inspired by Black Sabbath's song "The Wizard",...
", "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May". The album sold well, and Blue Öyster Cult toured with artists such as the Byrds, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and
Alice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
.
Their next album
Tyranny and MutationTyranny and Mutation was the second album by hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1973....
, released in 1973, was written while the band was on tour for their first LP. It contained songs such as "The Red and The Black" (an ode to the
Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
and basically a sped-up rewrite of "I'm On The Lamb", from the debut album), "Hot Rails To Hell", and "Baby Ice Dog", the first of the band's many collaborations with
Patti SmithPatricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
.
The band's third album,
Secret TreatiesSecret Treaties is Blue Öyster Cult's third studio album, released in 1974.In 1975, a Melody Maker poll of critics voted Secret Treaties as the "Top Rock Album of All Time." The album spent 14 weeks in the US charts, peaking at #53. It went gold in 1992...
(1974) received positive reviews, featuring songs such as "Career of Evil" (also co-written by Patti Smith), "Dominance and Submission" and "
Astronomy"Astronomy" is a rock song by Blue Öyster Cult that has appeared on several of the band's albums. It was first published on their 1974 album Secret Treaties...
". As a result of constant touring, the band was now capable of headlining arenas.
Commercial success
The band's first live album
On Your Feet or on Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
(1975) achieved greater success and went gold, and was followed up by their first platinum album,
Agents of FortuneAgents of Fortune is the fourth studio album released by Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in a gatefold sleeve in 1976.The platinum selling album peaked at #29 on Billboards Pop Albums chart, while the single " The Reaper" peaked at #12 on the Pop Singles chart, making it Blue Öyster Cult's...
(1976). It contained the hit single "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
", which reached number 12 on the Billboard charts and has become a classic of the genre. Other major songs on the album were "(This Ain't) The Summer of Love," "E.T.I. (Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence)," and "The Revenge of Vera Gemini." For the tour, the band added lasers to their light show, for which they became known.
Their next album,
SpectresSpectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978 and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night"...
(1977), had the FM radio hit "
Godzilla"Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 5th album Spectres. The lyrics are a tribute to the popular movie monster of the same name. The song is, along with " The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You", one of Blue Öyster Cult's best known songs and has become a staple of their live performances...
", but its sales were not as strong as those for the previous album.
The band then released another live album,
Some Enchanted Evening (1978). Though it was intended as another double-live album in the vein of
On Your Feet Or On Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
, Columbia insisted that it be edited down to single-album length. It became Blue Öyster Cult's most popular album, eventually selling over 2 million copies.
It was followed by the studio album
Mirrors (1979). For
Mirrors, instead of working with previous producers Pearlman (who instead went on to manage
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
) and Krugman, Blue Öyster Cult chose
Tom WermanTom Werman was an A&R man and record producer for Epic Records from 1970 into 1982. He has produced albums by acts including Mother's Finest, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Molly Hatchet, Blue Öyster Cult, Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Stryper, Kix, LA Guns, and Poison. While in A&R at Epic Records, he...
, who had worked with acts such as
Cheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
and
Ted NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
. However, the resulting album sales were disappointing.
Pearlman's association with Black Sabbath was tapped for the next Blue Öyster Cult album, which resulted in Sabbath's
Heaven and HellHeaven and Hell is the ninth studio album by British heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in April 1980. This is their first album featuring Ronnie James Dio, and first with producer Martin Birch.-Album information:...
producer
Martin BirchMartin Birch is a British rock and heavy metal music producer, who became renowned for engineering and producing albums by the British rock bands Deep Purple and Iron Maiden....
being hired for the next Blue Öyster Cult record. The result was positive, with
Cultösaurus ErectusCultösaurus Erectus is the seventh Blue Öyster Cult album released in 1980. Following the experiment with Mirrors, it was an attempt to return to the band's earlier hard-rock sound...
(1980) receiving good reviews. The album went to number 12 in the UK, but did not do as well in the U.S. One of the notable songs on the album was "Black Blade," which was written by Bloom with lyrics by sci-fi and fantasy author
Michael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
. The song is a kind of retelling of Moorcock's epic
Elric of MelnibonéElric of Melniboné is a fictional character created by Michael Moorcock, and the antihero of a series of sword and sorcery stories centering in an alternate Earth. The proper name and title of the character is Elric VIII, 428th Emperor of Melniboné...
-Saga. The band also did a co-headlining tour with Black Sabbath in support of the album, calling the tour "
Black and BlueBlack and Blue is a live video by heavy metal bands Black Sabbath and Blue Öyster Cult filmed during their 1980 co-headlining tour.The video was released in 1980 on VHS and Betamax video format, with subsequent releases on laserdisc. It was due to be released on DVD in 2002...
".
Birch produced the band's next album as well,
Fire of Unknown OriginFire of Unknown Origin is the eighth album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch.The album, which included the top 40 hit "Burnin' for You" represented a resurgence of the group's commercial standing after two albums with disappointing sales...
(1981). The biggest hit on this album was the Top 40 hit "
Burnin' for You"Burnin' for You" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their album Fire of Unknown Origin, released in 1981. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
", a song Dharma had written with a
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
lyric. He had intended to use it on his 1982 solo album,
Flat Out, but he was convinced to use it on the Blue Öyster Cult album instead. The album went platinum, and contained other fan favorites such as "Joan Crawford" (inspired by the book and film
Mommie DearestMommie Dearest is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. The book, which depicts Christina's childhood and her relationship with her mother, was published in 1978.-Christina Crawford's claims:...
) and "
Veteran of the Psychic Wars"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
", another song co-written by Moorcock. Several of the songs had been written for the animated film
Heavy MetalHeavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
, but only "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" (which, ironically, was not written for
Heavy MetalHeavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
) was actually used in the movie. After this album,
Albert BouchardAlbert Bouchard and grew up in Clayton, New York. He is a drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a founding member of Blue Öyster Cult and a driving force through the band's first decade...
had a falling out with the others and left the band, and Rick Downey (formerly the band's lighting designer) replaced him on drums.
Decline and fall
After leaving the band, Albert Bouchard spent five years working on a solo album based on Sandy Pearlman's poem
"Imaginos." Blue Öyster Cult released a live album
Extraterrestrial LiveExtraterrestrial Live is a Blue Öyster Cult live album released in 1982. It documents their 1981 tour in support of Fire of Unknown Origin. Midway through the tour, the band fired drummer and founding member Albert Bouchard, replacing him with roadie Rick Downey...
, then went to the studio for the next album, with
Bruce FairbairnBruce Earl Fairbairn was a Canadian musician and international record producer from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was active as a producer from 1976 to 1999 and is considered one of the best of his era...
as producer, the 1983 release
The Revölution by NightThe Revölution By Night is the ninth Blue Öyster Cult studio album, released in 1983.The album was intended to capitalize on the unexpected success of Fire Of Unknown Origin just two years prior, hence the album's blend of straight-ahead rock and pop elements...
. Its highest-charting single was "Shooting Shark," co-written by Patti Smith, which reached number 83 on the charts. "Shooting Shark" also featured
Randy JacksonRandall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
on bass. After
Revölution, Rick Downey left, leaving Blue Öyster Cult without a drummer.
The band re-united with Albert Bouchard for a California tour in February 1985, infamously known as the "Albert Returns" Tour. This arrangement was only temporary, and caused more tensions between the band and Bouchard, as he had thought he would be staying on permanently, which was not the case. The band had only intended to use him as a last-minute fill-in until another drummer could come on board, which resulted in Bouchard's leaving after the tour. Allen Lanier also quit the band shortly thereafter, leaving the band without a keyboardist.
Blue Öyster Cult hired drummer Jimmy Wilcox and keyboardist Tommy Zvoncheck to finish the
Club NinjaClub Ninja is the tenth studio album by the U.S. hard rock group Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1986 . The album was intended as a comeback for the band, whose previous album The Revölution by Night failed to attain Gold status following the Platinum success of 1981's Fire of Unknown Origin and...
album, which was poorly received, with only "Dancing In The Ruins" -- one of several songs on the record written entirely by outside songwriters—enjoying minimal success on radio and
MTVMTV, 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....
. The highlight of the album was "Perfect Water" written by Dharma and
Jim CarrollJames Dennis "Jim" Carroll was an author, poet, autobiographer, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work The Basketball Diaries, which was made into the 1995 film of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Carroll.-Biography:Carroll was born to a...
(noted author of
The Basketball DiariesThe Basketball Diaries is a 1978 memoir written by author and musician Jim Carroll. It is an edited collection of the diaries he kept between the ages of twelve and sixteen...
).
The band toured in Germany, after which bassist Joe Bouchard left, leaving only two original members, Eric Bloom and Donald Roeser—some referred to the band as "Two Öyster Cult" during this period. Jon Rogers was hired to replace Joe, and this version of the band finished out the 1986 tour. After the tour wound up that year, the band took a temporary break from recording and touring, its future uncertain.
Imaginos and continued touring
When Blue Öyster Cult received an offer to tour in Greece in the early summer of 1987, the band sprang back into action. The new line-up contained founding members
Eric BloomEric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, with Jon Rogers returning on bass, and Ron Riddle on drums.
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
was not interested in releasing the
ImaginosImaginos is a 1988 concept album by Blue Öyster Cult.The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album in 1972...
project as an Albert Bouchard solo album, so Pearlman arranged for it to be released in 1988 by Columbia as a Blue Öyster Cult album, with some new vocal and instrumental overdubs from Bloom and Roeser. The album did not sell very well (despite a positive review in Rolling Stone magazine), and though Blue Öyster Cult did tour to promote
Imaginos, promotion by the label was virtually non-existent. When Columbia Records' parent company
CBS RecordsCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
was purchased by
Sony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Blue Öyster Cult were dropped from the label.
The band spent the next 11 years touring without releasing an album, though they did contribute two new songs to the
Bad ChannelsBad Channels is the soundtrack album of the science fiction spoof film of the same name, It featuring songs by the bands Blue Öyster Cult, Fair Game and Sykotik Sinfoney, and released in 1992.-Track listing:...
movie soundtrack, released in 1992. Riddle quit in 1991 and was followed by a series of other drummers including
Chuck Burgi (1991–1992, 1992–1995, 1996–1997), John Miceli (1992, 1995, 2008), John O'Reilly (1995–1996) and Bobby Rondinelli (1997–2004, 2008). Jules Radino joined in 2004, and is the band's current drummer. Rogers left in 1995, and was replaced by Danny Miranda. Miranda left in 2004 and ended up as the bassist for
Queen + Paul RodgersQueen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
- and Richie Castellano replaced him.
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
retired from live performances in 2007 after not appearing with the band since late 2006. Castellano has switched to rhythm guitar and keyboards (Castellano also filled in on lead guitar and vocals for an ailing
Buck DharmaDonald "Buck Dharma" Roeser is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being a member of Blue Öyster Cult since the group's formation in 1967...
in two shows in 2005), and the band has employed three "guest bassists" on a rotating basis: Danny Miranda, Jon Rogers and
Rudy SarzoRudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...
(ex-
Quiet RiotQuiet 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...
, ex-
Ozzy OsbourneJohn 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...
, ex-
WhitesnakeWhitesnake 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...
, and ex-
DioDio was an American heavy metal band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial...
).
In December 2008, BÖC management announced that Roeser had fallen down a staircase in his
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
home and injured his shoulder. As a result, several tour dates in December 2008 and January 2009 were canceled or postponed. The band returned to touring by the fall of 2009.
CMC/Sanctuary years
In the late 1990s, Blue Öyster Cult secured a recording contract with CMC Records (later purchased by
Sanctuary RecordsSanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
), and continued to tour frequently. Two studio albums were released, 1998's
Heaven ForbidThis article is about the Blue Öyster Cult album. For The Fray song, see How To Save A Life.Heaven Forbid is the eleventh studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1998. It was the band's first studio album in a decade...
and
Curse of the Hidden MirrorCurse of the Hidden Mirror is the twelfth studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 2001. The only single from the record was the poorly received "Pocket". Lackluster sales led to the band being dropped by their label, Sanctuary Records...
from 2001. Both albums featured songs co-written by cyberpunk/horror novelist
John ShirleyJohn Shirley is an American fantasist, author of noir fiction, and science-fiction writer. Shirley is a prolific writer of novels and short stories, TV scripts and screenplays who has published over 30 books and 10 collections...
. Another live record,
A Long Day's NightA Long Day's Night is a live DVD by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, recorded in Chicago, Illinois on 21 June, 2002. It is so named because that day was 2002's summer solstice, the longest day of the year....
and DVD (same title), followed in 2002, both drawn from one concert in Chicago.
Blue Öyster Cult have since had a falling out with
Sanctuary RecordsSanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
, and currently have no record deal.
Sony Legacy remasters
In 2001, Sony/Columbia's reissue arm, Legacy Records issued expanded versions of the first four Blue Öyster Cult studio albums, including some previously unreleased demos and outtakes from album sessions, live recordings (from the Live 72 ep), and post-St. Cecilia tunes from the Stalk-Forrest Group era.
In February 2007, the Sony Legacy remaster series continued, releasing expanded versions of studio album
SpectresSpectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978 and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night"...
and live album
Some Enchanted Evening (album), leaving the first live album
On Your Feet Or On Your KneesOn Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
still without the treatment. However, the liner notes for the second round of remasters differ from the photos and in-depth analysis of the first four releases, and did not include lyrics as the earlier releases had.
Band name
The name "Blue Öyster Cult" came from a 1960s poem written by manager
Sandy PearlmanSandy Pearlman is an American music producer, artist manager, professor, poet, songwriter, and once was a record company executive...
. It was part of his "Imaginos" poetry, later used more extensively in their 1988 album
ImaginosImaginos is a 1988 concept album by Blue Öyster Cult.The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album in 1972...
. Pearlman had also come up with the band's earlier name, "Soft White Underbelly", from a phrase used by
Winston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
in describing
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In Pearlman's poetry, the "Blue Oyster Cult" was a group of aliens who had assembled to secretly guide Earth's history. "Initially, the band was not happy with the name, but settled for it, and went to work preparing to record their first release..."
In an interview published in the U.K. music magazine
Zig Zag in 1976, Pearlman told the story explaining the origin of the band's name was an anagram of 'Cully Stout Beer'.
The addition of the
umlautA metal umlaut is a diaeresis that is sometimes used gratuitously or decoratively over letters in the names of hard rock or heavy metal bands—for example those of Mötley Crüe and Motörhead...
was suggested by
Allen LanierAllen Lanier was an original member of Blue Öyster Cult. Lanier played keyboards and rhythm guitar. He currently resides in Manhattan....
, but rock critic
Richard MeltzerRichard Meltzer was one of the earliest rock music critics. His first book, The Aesthetics of Rock, evolved out of his undergraduate studies in philosophy at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and graduate studies at Yale University...
claims to have suggested it just after Pearlman came up with the name, reportedly "because of the Wagnerian aspect of Metal." "From a linguistic viewpoint, this might be regarded as a diaeresis, rather than as an umlaut," Other bands later copied the practice of using umlauts or diacritic marks in their own band logos, such as
Motörhead,
Mötley CrüeMötley 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...
,
Queensrÿchethumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
, and the parody band
Spı{{unicodeSpinal Tap is a parody heavy metal band that first appeared on a failed 1979 ABC TV sketch comedy pilot called "The T.V. Show", starring Rob Reiner...
.
The hook-and-cross logo was designed by Bill Gawlik in January 1972, and appears on all of the band's albums. In Greek mythology, "...the hook-and-cross symbol is that of
Kronos (Cronus)In Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
, the king of the Titans and father of Zeus...and is the alchemical symbol for lead (a heavy metal), one of the heaviest of metals." Sandy Pearlman considered this, combined with the heavy and distorted guitar sound of the band and decided the description "
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
" would be aptly applied to Blue Öyster Cult's musical sound. In Roman mythology, the hook-and-cross symbol represents
SaturnPlanets in astrology have a meaning different from the modern astronomical understanding of what a planet is. Before the age of telescopes, the night sky was thought to consist of two very similar components: fixed stars, which remained motionless in relation to each other, and wandering stars, ,...
, the God of agriculture and fertility. The hook and cross symbol also resembles the
sickleA sickle is a hand-held agricultural tool with a variously curved blade typically used for harvesting grain crops or cutting succulent forage chiefly for feeding livestock . Sickles have also been used as weapons, either in their original form or in various derivations.The diversity of sickles that...
, which is associated with both Kronos (Cronus) and Saturn (both the
planetSaturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
and the Roman God). The logo's "...metaphysical, alchemical and mythological connotations, combined with its similarity to some religious symbols gave it a flair of decadence and mystery...".
The band was billed, for the only time, as
The Blue Öyster Cult on the cover and label of their second album,
Tyranny And MutationTyranny and Mutation was the second album by hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1973....
.
Current members
- Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser: lead guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals (1967–present)
- Eric Bloom
Eric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
: lead vocals, rhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, keyboardsA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(1969–present)
- Jules Radino: drums
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(2004–present)
- Richie Castellano
Richie Castellano is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known for his work as rhythm guitar and keyboard player for the band Blue Öyster Cult.-Early years:1980-1998:...
: keyboardsA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, guitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals (2004–present)
Additional touring bassists
- Jon Rogers: bass guitar, vocals (2008-present; official member: 1986-1995)
- Danny Miranda: bass guitar, vocals (2008-present; official member: 1995-2004)
- Rudy Sarzo
Rudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.-Early life:...
: bass guitar, vocals (2008–present)
Lead vocal duties
While Eric Bloom has always been the band's official lead singer, other members of the band have contributed lead vocals throughout its history.
- Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser
"Then Came the Last Days of May", "Before the Kiss, a Redcap", "Teen Archer", "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
", "Godzilla", "Golden Age of Leather", "I Love the Night", "In Thee", "Mirrors", "The Vigil", "Lonely Teardrops", "Deadline", "Burnin' for You", "Don't Turn Your Back", "Shooting Shark", "Veins", "Dragon Lady", "Dancin' in the Ruins", "Perfect Water", "Spy in the House of the Night", "Madness to the Method", "Astronomy (Imaginos version)", "Les Invisibles", "Magna of Illusion", "Harvest Moon", "X-Ray Eyes", "Damaged", "Real World", "Live for Me", "Still Burnin'", "Dance on Stilts", "Pocket", "Here Comes That Feeling", "Stone of Love" and "Night Flyer" (Out-take from "Spectres")
"Screams", "Hot Rails to Hell", "Wings Wetted Down", "Morning Final", "Celestial The Queen", "Nosferatu", "Moon Crazy", "Fallen Angel", "Vengeance (The Pact)", "Light Years of Love", "When the War Comes", "Boorman The Chaffeur" (outtake from "Secret Treaties")
"You're Not the One (I Was Looking For)", "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll", "Dominance and Submission", "The Revenge of Vera Gemini", "Sinful Love", "Debbie Denise", "Death Valley Nights", "Cagey Cretins" (duet with Eric Bloom), "Fireworks", "Hungry Boys" and "Blue Öyster Cult" (duet with Donald Roeser), "Sally" (Unreleased Outtake), "Fire Of Unknown Origin" (Unreleased Outtake)
"True Confessions", "Dance The Night Away" (demo), "Please Hold" (out-take)
"Imaginos"
"The Siege and Investiture of Baron Von Frankenstein's Castle at Weisseria" (additional vocal part)
Legacy and influence
{{Original research|section|date=May 2011}}
Due to their unique sound and diversity, Blue Öyster Cult has been very influential to many modern bands that span many genres, and are often viewed as important pioneers of several different styles of rock music that came to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s. Many heavy metal bands have cited them as a major influence, and bands such as
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and
Iced EarthIced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. Originally formed under the name "Purgatory" in 1984, Iced Earth has released a total of ten studio albums, one live album, three EP's, two compilations and boxsets...
have covered their songs on studio recordings and during live performances. The song "
(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
" has also been covered by many diverse artists, notably
EvanescenceEvanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
, HIM, The Goo Goo Dolls,
The Beautiful SouthThe Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
,
WilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
,
Big CountryBig Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. They were most popular in the early to mid-1980s, but they still release material for a cult following...
, and deceased
singer-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Elliott SmithSteven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
. The bands
The MinutemenMinutemen were an American hardcore punk band formed in San Pedro, California in 1980. Composed of guitarist D. Boon, bassist Mike Watt and drummer George Hurley, Minutemen recorded four albums and eight EPs before Boon's death in an automobile accident in December 1985...
and
fIREHOSEFirehose was an alternative rock band consisting of Mike Watt , Ed Crawford , and George Hurley .-History:...
, featuring bassist
Mike WattMichael David Watt is an American bassist, singer and songwriter.He is best known for co-founding the rock bands Minutemen, dos, and Firehose; , he is also the bassist for the reunited Stooges and a member of the art rock/jazz/punk/improv group Banyan as well as many other post-Minutemen...
, frequently performed versions of "The Red & The Black" during their career. The song "
Burnin' for You"Burnin' for You" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their album Fire of Unknown Origin, released in 1981. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" was covered by
Shiny Toy GunsShiny Toy Guns is an American indie rock band that formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, California. They released their first studio album We Are Pilots in 2006, after recording it two previous times. It featured three singles that peaked inside the top 30 in the Alternative Songs Chart. We Are Pilots...
for a 2010 Lincoln MKS commercial. They were also quite influential to several early
punk rockPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands. They are seen as one of the main influences by
rock noirRock noir is a term used to identify a sub-genre of rock characterized by dramatic performances of theatrically rendered lyrical storytelling. It was originated by Italian band Belladonna, whose debut album Metaphysical Attraction is the first full-length Rock noir album ever released...
bands such as the genre originators
BelladonnaBelladonna is an Italian Rock noir band.- Metaphysical Attraction :Belladonna was formed on February 14, 2005 in Rome, Italy by Luana Caraffa and Dani Macchi. During the course of the following months Belladonna wrote and recorded many songs, eleven of which would become their first full album:...
, . The Australian punk band
Radio BirdmanRadio Birdman was one of the first punk bands in Australia along with The Saints. Deniz Tek and Rob Younger formed the group in Sydney, Australia in 1974...
named their debut album
Radios AppearRadios Appear was the first full length studio album by Sydney punk-rock band Radio Birdman. The album was recorded at Birdman's Trafalgar Studios, Sydney during 1976 and 1977. Trafalgar initially distributed the album via mail order and by sales from the backs of friend's and band members' station...
after a Blue Öyster Cult lyric from the song "Dominance and Submission". Blue Öyster Cult's song "
Godzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
" has been covered by a wide variety of bands, including Racer X,
Fu ManchuDr. Fu Manchu is a fictional character introduced in a series of novels by British author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century...
,
The Smashing PumpkinsThe Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
,
Sebastian BachSebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
, and more.
Blue Öyster Cult has also been an influence on many of the harder-edged, psychedelic bands in the modern
jam band-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
scene because of their intimate live shows and extended improvisations. Out of these bands, fellow New Yorkers
moe.moe. is an American jam band, formed at the University at Buffalo in 1989. The band members are: Rob Derhak , Al Schnier , Chuck Garvey , Vinnie Amico , and Jim Loughlin ....
have cited Blue Öyster Cult as one of their primary influences. They have been greatly influenced by Blue Öyster Cult in their style of guitar-driven jamming, their elaborate light shows, slightly tongue-in-cheek and eclectic songwriting, and the intimate atmosphere of their live performances. moe. also frequently covers Blue Öyster Cult classics in their sets, and members of Blue Öyster Cult have appeared on-stage with the band several times in the past few years, including the 2002 Jammy Awards. A photo of the performance can be seen here.
The un-authored Allmusic page for stoner metal states: '"Stoner metal bands updated the long, mind-bending jams and ultra-heavy riffs of bands like
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
,
Blue CheerBlue Cheer was an American psychedelic blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009...
, Blue Oyster Cult, and
HawkwindHawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
by filtering their psychedelia-tinged metal and acid rock through the buzzing sound of early Sub Pop-style grunge."'
Heavy metal journalist
Martin PopoffMartin Popoff is a Canadian-born music journalist and critic who covers the genre of heavy metal music. The senior editor and co-founder of Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles magazine, he has additionally written over twenty books that both critically evaluate heavy metal and document its history...
has stated that Blue Öyster Cult is one of his favorite bands. He has written a book titled
Blue Öyster Cult: Secrets Revealed about the discography. It is a compiled track-by-track analysis of the entire output of the group that uses period and recent interviews with band members and those close to the band. It is complete up to Curse of the Hidden Mirror.
Their hit single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was featured in the famous
Saturday Night Live sketch, "
More cowbell"More cowbell" is an American pop culture catchphrase originally derived from an April 8, 2000, Saturday Night Live comedy sketch which fictionalized the recording of the song " The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult...
". The original recording was produced at The Record Plant in New York by David Lucas, who sang background vocals with Roeser and played the now famous cowbell part. Manager Sandy Pearlman mixed the record.
Album certifications
- Secret Treaties: RIAA (USA) Gold 500,000+
- On Your Feet or on Your Knees: RIAA (USA) Gold 500,000+
- Agents of Fortune: RIAA (USA) Platinum 1,000,000+; CRIA (Canada) Gold 50,000+
- Spectres: RIAA (USA) Gold 500,000+
- Some Enchanted Evening: RIAA (USA) Platinum 1,000,000+
- Fire of Unknown Origin: RIAA (USA) Gold 500,000+; CRIA (Canada) Gold 50,000+
Discography
{{cleanup|section|date=April 2011}}
| Year |
Title |
US |
US MS |
UK |
| Studio album A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s |
| 1972 |
Blue Öyster Cult Blue Öyster Cult is the eponymous debut album by hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in January 1972 . The album featured songs such as "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll," "Stairway to the Stars," and "Then Came the Last Days of May," all of which the band still plays regularly during its...
|
172 |
- |
- |
| 1973 |
Tyranny and Mutation Tyranny and Mutation was the second album by hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1973....
|
122 |
- |
- |
| 1974 |
Secret Treaties Secret Treaties is Blue Öyster Cult's third studio album, released in 1974.In 1975, a Melody Maker poll of critics voted Secret Treaties as the "Top Rock Album of All Time." The album spent 14 weeks in the US charts, peaking at #53. It went gold in 1992...
|
53 |
- |
- |
| 1976 |
Agents of Fortune Agents of Fortune is the fourth studio album released by Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in a gatefold sleeve in 1976.The platinum selling album peaked at #29 on Billboards Pop Albums chart, while the single " The Reaper" peaked at #12 on the Pop Singles chart, making it Blue Öyster Cult's...
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29 |
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26 |
| 1977 |
Spectres Spectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978 and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night"...
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43 |
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60 |
| 1979 |
Mirrors |
44 |
- |
46 |
| 1980 |
Cultösaurus Erectus Cultösaurus Erectus is the seventh Blue Öyster Cult album released in 1980. Following the experiment with Mirrors, it was an attempt to return to the band's earlier hard-rock sound...
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34 |
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12 |
| 1981 |
Fire of Unknown Origin Fire of Unknown Origin is the eighth album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch.The album, which included the top 40 hit "Burnin' for You" represented a resurgence of the group's commercial standing after two albums with disappointing sales...
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24 |
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29 |
| 1983 |
The Revölution by Night The Revölution By Night is the ninth Blue Öyster Cult studio album, released in 1983.The album was intended to capitalize on the unexpected success of Fire Of Unknown Origin just two years prior, hence the album's blend of straight-ahead rock and pop elements...
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93 |
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95 |
| 1986 |
Club Ninja Club Ninja is the tenth studio album by the U.S. hard rock group Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1986 . The album was intended as a comeback for the band, whose previous album The Revölution by Night failed to attain Gold status following the Platinum success of 1981's Fire of Unknown Origin and...
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63 |
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| 1988 |
Imaginos Imaginos is a 1988 concept album by Blue Öyster Cult.The "Imaginos" concept was originally begun by producer Sandy Pearlman in 1967, before BÖC was even formed. Drummer Albert Bouchard began writing music for it following the release of the band's first album in 1972...
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122 |
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| 1994 |
Cult Classic Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
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| 1998 |
Heaven Forbid This article is about the Blue Öyster Cult album. For The Fray song, see How To Save A Life.Heaven Forbid is the eleventh studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1998. It was the band's first studio album in a decade...
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| 2001 |
Curse of the Hidden Mirror Curse of the Hidden Mirror is the twelfth studio album by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 2001. The only single from the record was the poorly received "Pocket". Lackluster sales led to the band being dropped by their label, Sanctuary Records...
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| 2001 |
St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings St. Cecilia: The Elektra Recordings is an album by the American rock band Stalk-Forrest Group, which would later become the successful hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult. It was recorded in 1970, but it was not officially released until 2001.-Overview:...
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| Live album A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
s |
| 1975 |
On Your Feet or on Your Knees On Your Feet or on Your Knees was Blue Öyster Cult's first live album, released in early 1975. Each of the band's first three studio albums are represented by three songs each, two other songs are covers , and one is an original instrumental that remains a staple of the band's live shows to this...
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22 |
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| 1978 |
Some Enchanted Evening |
44 |
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18 |
| 1982 |
Extraterrestrial Live Extraterrestrial Live is a Blue Öyster Cult live album released in 1982. It documents their 1981 tour in support of Fire of Unknown Origin. Midway through the tour, the band fired drummer and founding member Albert Bouchard, replacing him with roadie Rick Downey...
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29 |
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39 |
| 1992 |
Nail You Down Nail You Down is a Blue Öyster Cult Bootleg recording of their show at Perkins Palace in Pasadena, California on 23 July 1983, and released in 1992...
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| 1994 |
Live 1976 Live 1976 is a Blue Öyster Cult European import album released 18 years after the recording that is on the disc. It was recorded in suburban Maryland during the tour for their Agents of Fortune album and included the same lineup that was featured on that album.-Track listing:# "Stairway to the...
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| 2002 |
A Long Day's Night A Long Day's Night is a live DVD by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, recorded in Chicago, Illinois on 21 June, 2002. It is so named because that day was 2002's summer solstice, the longest day of the year....
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| 2004 |
Extended Versions: The Encore Collection |
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| 2010 |
Setlist: The Very Best Of Blue Öyster Cult Live |
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| Compilations A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
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| 1987 |
Career of Evil: The Metal Years Career of Evil: The Metal Years is a compilation album by the hard rock band, Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1987. It contains both studio and live versions of their songs. .-Track listing:...
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| 1990 |
On Flame with Rock and Roll On Flame with Rock and Roll is a compilation album by the hard rock band, the Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1990 by Sony Music Special Products.-Track listing:#" The Reaper" - 5:03...
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| 1995 |
Workshop of the Telescopes (2-disc set) |
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| 1998 |
Super Hits |
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| 2000 |
Don't Fear the Reaper: The Best of Blue Öyster Cult Don't Fear the Reaper: The Best of Blue Öyster Cult is a compilation album by the hard rock band, the Blue Öyster Cult, released in 2000 .-Track listing:...
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| 2003 |
The Essential Blue Öyster Cult The Essential Blue Öyster Cult is a compilation album by the hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in 2003 as part of Sony BMG's Essential series.-Track listing:#"Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll"#"7 Screaming Diz-Busters"#"Harvester of Eyes"...
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Charted SinglesIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
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| 1972 |
"(Then Came) Last Days of May" |
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| 1972 |
"Cities on Flame with Rock n' Roll" |
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| 1972 |
"Stairway to the Stars "Stairway to the Stars" is a popular song composed by Matty Malneck and Frank Signorelli, with lyrics by Mitchell Parish.-Notable recordings:* Glen Miller and His Orchestra, vocals by Ray Eberle...
" |
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| 1972 |
"Workshop of Telescopes" |
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49 |
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| 1972 |
"Transmaniacon MC" |
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24 |
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| 1972 |
"Redeemed" |
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| 1972 |
"Screams" |
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| 1972 |
"7 Screaming Diz-Busters" |
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9 |
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| 1973 |
"Hot Rails to Hell" |
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16 |
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| 1973 |
"The Red & the Black" |
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11 |
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| 1973 |
"Wings Wetted Down" |
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9 |
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| 1973 |
"Baby Ice Dog" |
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| 1973 |
"Teen Archer" |
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11 |
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| 1974 |
"Astronomy "Astronomy" is a rock song by Blue Öyster Cult that has appeared on several of the band's albums. It was first published on their 1974 album Secret Treaties...
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| 1974 |
"ME 262" |
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49 |
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| 1974 |
"Flaming Telepaths" |
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24 |
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| 1974 |
"Career of Evil" |
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16 |
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| 1974 |
"Harvester of Eyes" |
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11 |
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| 1974 |
"Dominance and Submission" |
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9 |
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| 1976 |
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper " The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
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14 |
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16 |
| 1976 |
"E.T.I" |
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| 1976 |
"Sinful Love" |
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| 1976 |
"This Ain't the Summer of Love "This Ain't the Summer of Love" is a song by rock band Blue Öyster Cult from the album Agents of Fortune. The song inspired "Swallow My Pride"by pioneering grunge band, Green River.-Notable covers:*Lizzy Borden on their album Deal with the Devil....
" |
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| 1976 |
"True Confessions True Confessions is a confession magazine targeted at young women readers. It wasoriginally published by Fawcett Publications, beginning in 1922....
{{Disambiguation needed|date=June 2011}}" |
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| 1976 |
"The Revenge of Vera Gemini" |
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| 1976 |
"Morning Final" |
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1 |
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| 1976 |
"Tenderloin -Media:* Tenderloin , by Samuel Hopkins Adams* Tenderloin , a 1928 film* Tenderloin , a musical from 1960* "Tenderloin", a song by Rancid from Let's Go...
{{Disambiguation needed|date=June 2011}}" |
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| 1976 |
"Debbie Denise" |
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| 1977 |
"Celestial The Queen" |
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| 1977 |
"Nosferatu" |
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1 |
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| 1977 |
"FireworksFireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
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4 |
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| 1977 |
"R.U. Ready 2 Rock" |
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2 |
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| 1977 |
"Godzilla "Godzilla" is a song by Blue Öyster Cult from their 5th album Spectres. The lyrics are a tribute to the popular movie monster of the same name. The song is, along with " The Reaper" and "Burnin' for You", one of Blue Öyster Cult's best known songs and has become a staple of their live performances...
" |
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49 |
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| 1977 |
"Goin' Through the Motions Spectres is the fifth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in November 1977. The album was certified gold in January 1978 and contained the album rock hits "Godzilla", "Death Valley Nights", "R.U. Ready 2 Rock" and "I Love the Night"...
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24 |
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| 1977 |
"I Love the Night" |
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16 |
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| 1977 |
"Death Valley Nights" |
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11 |
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| 1978 |
"Astronomy (live)" |
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16 |
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| 1979 |
"In Thee" |
74 |
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| 1979 |
"You're Not the One (I Was Looking For)" |
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| 1979 |
"Mirrors" |
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9 |
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| 1979 |
"Dr. Music Dr. Music was a Toronto jazz group founded in 1969 by producer, arranger and performer Doug Riley. The band recorded three albums and toured across Canada. The personnel of the band changed throughout its history, with Doug Riley remaining at the core of the group.- History :In 1969, Doug Riley...
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| 1979 |
"I Am the Storm" |
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| 1979 |
"The Vigil" |
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| 1979 |
"Moon Crazy" |
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1 |
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| 1980 |
"Black Blade Black Blade is a thriller novel written by Eric Van Lustbader. It was published in 1993.-Plot summary:In New York City, a series of murders begin. In Washington, a plot conceived at the highest levels of American government is at work to bring the nation of Japan to its knees...
" |
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49 |
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| 1980 |
"The Marshall Plan" |
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24 |
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| 1980 |
"Lips in the Hills" |
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16 |
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| 1980 |
"Fallen Angel" |
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49 |
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| 1980 |
"Deadline" |
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4 |
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| 1981 |
"Burnin' for You "Burnin' for You" is a song by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their album Fire of Unknown Origin, released in 1981. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Tracks chart and the single spent three weeks at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" |
40 |
1 |
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| 1981 |
"Joan Crawford" |
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49 |
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| 1981 |
"Don't Turn Your Back" |
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1 |
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| 1981 |
"Before the Kiss, a Redcap" |
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1 |
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| 1981 |
"After Dark Fire of Unknown Origin is the eighth album by Blue Öyster Cult, released in 1981. It was produced by Martin Birch.The album, which included the top 40 hit "Burnin' for You" represented a resurgence of the group's commercial standing after two albums with disappointing sales...
" |
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49 |
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| 1981 |
"Divine Wind" |
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1 |
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| 1982 |
"Feel The Thunder" |
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24 |
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| 1982 |
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" is a song by the American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, written by Eric Bloom and Michael Moorcock . The song first appeared on the album Fire of Unknown Origin. The song also appears on the soundtrack of the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal...
" |
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24 |
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| 1982 |
"Vengeance (the Pact)" |
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16 |
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| 1982 |
"Fire of Unknown Origin" |
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11 |
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| 1982 |
"Heavy Metal Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
" |
- |
24 |
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| 1982 |
"Sole Survivor" |
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16 |
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| 1982 |
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper (live)" |
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11 |
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| 1982 |
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars (live)" |
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9 |
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| 1982 |
"E.T.I (live)" |
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- |
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| 1982 |
"Dr. Music (live)" |
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| 1982 |
"Cities on Flame with Rock n' Roll (live)" |
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- |
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| 1982 |
"Burnin' for You (live)" |
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1 |
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| 1983 |
"Let Go" |
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11 |
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| 1983 |
"Shadow of California" |
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11 |
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| 1983 |
"Veins" |
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16 |
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| 1983 |
"Light Years of Love" |
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11 |
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| 1983 |
"Dragon Lady" |
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16 |
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| 1986 |
"Make Rock, Not War" |
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1 |
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| 1986 |
"Madness to the Method" |
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9 |
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| 1986 |
"Perfect Water" |
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9 |
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| 1986 |
"Spy in the House of the Night" |
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1 |
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| 1986 |
"Beat 'em Up" |
- |
9 |
- |
| 1986 |
"Shadow Warrior" |
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9 |
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| 1986 |
"White Flags" |
- |
- |
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| 1988 |
"Les Invisibles" |
- |
- |
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| 1988 |
"I Am the One You Warned Me of" |
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| 1988 |
"Del Rio's Song" |
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- |
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| 1988 |
"Born to be Wild (live)" |
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2 |
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| 1988 |
"Buck's Boogie" |
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- |
- |
Members websites
{{Blue Öyster Cult}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Oyster Cult}}