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Hanoi Rocks is a Finnish rock band, who achieved minor success in the early 1980s.
In terms of image, the band could be seen as part of the hair metal movement: however musically they were more influenced by artists such as the New York Dolls, The Stooges and The Rolling Stones. Their music fuses elements of blues, surf rock, punk, heavy metal, garage rock and glam rock. Lyrics revolve around the topics of love and its trials and tribulations and suburban alienation.
Hanoi Rocks were formed in Helsinki in 1980 by schoolfriends Andy McCoy (born Antti Hulkko) on lead guitar and Nasty Suicide (Jan Stenfors) on rhythm guitar. They later added vocalist Michael Monroe (Matti Fagerholm), bass player Sam Yaffa (Sami Takamäki) and drummer Gyp Casino (Jesper Sporre). In 1981 they moved to Stockholm and in 1982 to London to take advantage of the livelier music scene in these cities. Later that year, Casino was fired and replaced by Nicholas 'Razzle' Dingley. The band's name is said to be an invention of Andy after he had been watching a television documentary about the refining of heroin in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Although the band have never tasted significant commercial success, they had a considerable cult following and no little critical acclaim for their 'sleazy' yet melodic style of music. They have been cited as an influence by major bands such as Guns n' Roses.
In 1983 the band signed to CBS Records and appeared to be on the cusp of gaining commercial acceptance, they begun recording of their fourth album in January 1984 with legendary producer Bob Ezrin in his native Toronto. The album had just been released as disaster struck in December of that same year when Razzle was killed in a crash as a passenger in a car driven by Vince Neil, singer with the band Mötley Crüe. Although replaced by Terry Chimes, drummer on The Clash's first album, the band never recovered; first Yaffa and then Monroe left, and in 1985 the band folded. The various members spent the next 15 years in various short-lived projects, and although they worked with numerous artists including Iggy Pop, Stiv Bators and Guns 'n' Roses, they never achieved anything resembling their earlier success.
In 2002 Monroe and McCoy reformed the band, they have released a new album and started touring once more.
Discography (Albums—not including compilations)
Original Incarnation:
- Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks (1981)
- Oriental Beat (1982)
- Self Destruction Blues (1983)
- Back to Mystery City (1983)
- All Those Wasted Years (live) (1984)
- Two Steps From The Move (1984)
- Rock & Roll Divorce (live) (1985)
Latest Incarnation:
- Twelve Shots on the Rocks (2002)
External links
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