Bar-band grinders with almost 3,000 gigs of their again pockets, when Twisted Sister started recording its major-label debut 40 years in the past, they have been already on shaky floor.

Signed by Atlantic Data A&R man Jason Flom, TS confronted pushback from label president Doug Morris, who wasn’t shy about his distaste for the group and its “automotive wash in a whorehouse” costumes and make-up (per vogue critic Richard Blackwell in one in all his “Worst Dressed” lists). Nonetheless, with producer Tom Werman, in early January of 1984 they entered the Document Plant in New York Metropolis with 10 songs written by frontman Dee Snider. Just a few didn’t make the grade with Werman, so he had them contemplate a handful of Saxon demos. Tensions rose. Additional complicating issues, Werman wasn’t feeling the vibe at Document Plant, and after a few weeks moved the band to Los Angeles so they may work at his residence turf, Cherokee Studios. There, engineer Jeff Workman tracked many of the vocals with Snider.

Guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda hauled their favourite axes to L.A. – Ojeda an early Charvel superstrat made by Grover Jackson, French an Ibanez Destroyer and ’78 Les Paul Commonplace, each of which had been custom-made by Steve Carr (d. 2006), who apprenticed with Jimmy D’Aquisto earlier than constructing Gene Simmons’ first axe-shaped bass in addition to Les Paul copies with smoke bombs and rocket launchers for Ace Frehley.

French’s Destroyer matched one purchased by Ojeda the identical day in 1976, when Ibanez was doing its finest to re-create korina-bodied Gibsons. However, as Twisted Sister’s sound got here collectively and their stage personas turned more and more brash, the Destroyers’ tone and plain-jane seems to be weren’t working. Ojeda ultimately set his apart, whereas French took one other route…

“We have been taking part in by way of 100-watt Marshalls at that time, going for a crunchy steel sound, and the unique pickups sounded method too skinny, so I put a set of DiMarzio Tremendous Distortions in mine. Then, a yr or so after we purchased them, I made a decision it wanted to be extra ostentatious – one thing that might match onstage with a bunch of cross-dressers,” he laughed. “So, I went to Steve’s home and requested, ‘What may we do with this?’ And he goes, ‘Nicely…. what if we put a pearl dragon on the fin and inlay “Twisted Sister” on the headstock?’ I went, ‘That sounds cool.’ He goes, ‘How about binding on the physique?’ I feel he charged me $250.

“After seeing the Destroyer, Dee instructed I’ve Steve paint my Les Paul pink to match his mic stand and our stage backup with the band’s brand. I appreciated the thought, regardless that my stage colours have been black and yellow (laughs). So, I took it Steve, and whereas we have been at it had him put my title on the headstock and set up a set of DiMarzio X2Ns.

Carr got here up with the “pinkburst” and… “It regarded wonderful,” French stated.

Each necks additionally match his style, the Destroyer’s being skinny (like a late-’50s Gibson), the pinkburst’s being “fairly slim for a Paul.”

Ojeda first caught wind of the Charvel model in early 1983, throughout a cease at Gracin’s Music, on Lengthy Island. Following a immediate from a salesman, he positioned an order.

“I requested for one thing with pink and black circles,” he stated in a 2014 interview with VG. “I wasn’t anticipating a bullseye – and I wasn’t positive how a lot I appreciated the way in which it regarded – however I cherished the way in which it performed and sounded, and it turned a part of who I’m.”

He used the guitar on the highway for a decade earlier than put on and tear compelled its retirement, after which he offered it. In 1993, Wayne Charvel made a reproduction he has used since.

Anyway… Again at Cherokee, Werman rented Marshall heads from Andy Brauer at Studio Leases, Inc. (SRI), however, “We had a tough time with them,” French informed VG in ’14. “So, Tom requested Andy to assist us get a greater guitar tone, and he introduced in these Dumble amps – Andy raved about how good they have been. Nicely… not for a steel band, sorry! So, we insisted that our 50-watt Marshalls be flown to L.A.”

As had been {custom}, solos on Keep Hungry have been break up relying on the tune.

“I’m not territorial about guitar components,” stated French. “When you really feel one thing and might write it so it is sensible, by all means, play it. Eddie has a method and I’ve a method, and we knew who performed what extra naturally. He’s a way more schooled participant, extra exact, and might replicate his components completely day by day. I’m extra of a jazz man, kind of reinterpreting relying on my temper. We’d discuss who felt what for every solo.”

Many of the rhythm tracks have been doubled, with French typically switching between the Les Paul and Destroyer. They every performed a solo on “Burn In Hell” and “Horror-Teria.” That’s French on the title observe, whereas Ojeda performed the lead on French’s favourite observe, “Don’t Let Me Down.” “We’re Not Gonna Take It” is Ojeda with an overdubbed concord on the second half. “I Wanna Rock” can be Ojeda.

Periods wrapped in late March and post-production moved rapidly; the album and its first single, “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (its melody borrowed from “O Come All Ye Trustworthy” and drum intro not far faraway from Quiet Riot’s 1983 hit “Cum on Really feel the Noize”) have been launched Might 10; MTV performed the accompanying video almost each hour all through that summer time; by the point it was filmed, French had develop into a Guild endorser and was utilizing a custom-finished Skyhawk X-79.

Keep Hungry climbed to #15 on Billboard’s Prime 200 (prompting Doug Morris to alter his perspective towards the band and its music) and has offered greater than seven million copies worldwide. All informed, Twisted Sister has offered 25 million albums whereas “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” French says, have been utilized in extra soundtracks, TV reveals, films, video video games, and commercials than some other steel songs from the ’80s.

VG’s 2014 interview with French and Ojeda will be learn at www.vintageguitar.com/20735/jay-jay-french-and-eddie-ojeda. French’s Pinkburst Undertaking, which has helped elevate consciousness of the inflammatory eye illness uveitis, was profiled within the April ’11 difficulty. Be taught extra at www.pinkburstproject.org.

This text initially appeared in VG’s June 2024 difficulty. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.