It’s the 30th anniversary for Quiet Riot’s landmark album ‘Metal Health‘ released on March 11, 1983. Artisan News spoke to drummer Frankie Banali (see below) at the Sunset Strip Music Festival last year about the band’s debut record and the huge success that followed.
When recording the album, Banali said, “We were booked on available time, so it wasn’t… Everybody thinks that you went in and you had all this money (to make a record), and it really wasn’t the case. We were going in and recording at midnight and ending at six or seven in the morning and coming back in the next day. But it was great. We had a lot of hopes and we thought it was a great record. We just didn’t think anybody would agree with us, and thankfully, we were wrong.”
Asked whether the band thought during the recording sessions that “Metal Health” would turn out to be such a huge commercial success and have such a lasting impact on the rock scene in the years that followed its release, Banali said, “No. How can you even imagine that? At the height of that record’s release, we were moving about half a million units a week. I mean, it was, like, ridiculous. Now you can’t even… If a record sells 50,000 copies, you’re No. 1. And we were moving 500,000 a week.”
Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow died in November 2007 of an accidental cocaine overdose at age 52. Guitarist Carlos Cavazo replaced Randy Rhoads in the reformed Quiet Riot in 1982 and remained with the band into the 2000’s… he is now playing with Ratt. Bassist Rudy Sarzo has played with Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult and is currently the bass player for Geoff Tate’s version of the band Queensrÿche.
Quiet Riot’s current touring lineup: Scott Vokoun (Vocals), Frankie Banali (Drums), Chuck Wright (Bass), Alex Grossi (Guitar).
‘Metal Health’ Original Track Listing:
1. Metal Health (Bang Your Head)
2. Cum On Feel The Noize
3. Don’t Wanna Let You Go
4. Slick Black Cadillac
5. Love’s A Bitch
6. Breathless
7. Run For Cover
8. Battle Axe
9. Let’s Get Crazy
10. Thunderbird