History:
Black 'N Blue was formed in November, 1981 by high school friends Jamie St. James and Tommy Thayer in Portland, Oregon. Originally calling themselves Movie Star, the band later chose the name Black 'N Blue based on their 'in-your-face' sound and denim and leather look. The band got their first break in 1982 when heavy metal fanzine editor Brian Slagel heard their song demo of "Chains Around Heaven" and subsequently added the track to his first edition of Metal Massacre — an independent compilation album that also introduced newcomers Metallica, Ratt, and Malice.
Early success:
Black 'N Blue moved to Los Angeles in 1983 making an immediate name for themselves in the Hollywood club scene. Within six months the band signed a worldwide recording contract with Geffen Records, releasing their self-titled debut album, Black 'N Blue, in August 1984. The Dieter Dierks-produced album included "Hold On To 18," which was released to radio and MTV and became a moderate success, boosting album sales. A follow-up album, entitled Without Love, was released the following year. This album saw the band modify their original rougher, hard-edge sound in favor of a more polished, radio-friendly pop-metal approach, a move that alienated many fans. Although the tracks "Without Love" and "Miss Mystery" were both released as singles, neither of them saw major chart success. A third track from this album, "Nature of the Beach" appeared in the film Vision Quest and also appeared as the B-side to the Madonna single "Gambler" from the same movie, although it was not included on the soundtrack LP.
Later years and solo careers:
In 1986, Black 'N Blue gained the attention of Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, who would later take over as the band's producer for their next two albums. The band would go on to release two more albums under the Geffen label, Nasty Nasty in 1986 and In Heat in 1988, both of which saw them making a conscious effort to return to the original raw power that characterized the music on their debut. Songs such as "Nasty Nasty" and "Rock On" were minor hits for the band, but neither of the albums could recapture the Black 'N Blue sound of old, and the band broke up in 1989.
After the band's breakup, many of the former band members took on different projects. Jaime St. James formed his own solo band, called Freight Train Jane, composed of Tommy Bolan (formerly from Warlock), Scotty Werner, and Davy Jones. Freight Train Jane released only one album of the same name, which had little success. Guitarist Jeff "Woop" Warner would team up with former Rough Cutt guitarist Chris Hagar in the short-lived Woop & the Count and played for a short time with Kneel Cohn in an early line-up of the band The Dead Stars On Hollywood, which is now based in New York City. Warner later took guitar duties in a new band, NYC. Guitarist Tommy Thayer joined Harlow for their sole album in 1990, played guitar on Doro's eponymous 1990's album, before joining Shake The Faith with whom he released America The Violent in 1994. Thayer and fellow Black 'n Blue member Jamie St. James also starred in the L.A. all-star Kiss tribute band Cold Gin alongside Cold Sweat members Anthony White and Chris McLernon. Deciding to retire as an active musician, Thayer began working as Gene Simmons' assistant and eventually became the tour manager for Kiss. In 2002 he became the new lead guitarist for Kiss, replacing Ace Frehley (after Frehley's second departure from Kiss). Thayer's first album with Kiss, entitled Sonic Boom, was released in 2009 and was very successful. His next album with Kiss, entitled Monster, was released on October 9, 2012. Pete Holmes took roles in the bands Malice, The Black Symphony and Mandy Lion's WWIII. He also played alongside Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Peter Gabriel, and Ted Nugent.
Reunions/compilations:
In 1997, all five original members of Black 'N Blue reunited to perform a one-night live performance on Halloween night. This gig ended up being a sold-out show, and it was recorded and released as a live album, entitled One Night Only: Live on Thayer's record label Eon Records. The show was a one-time affair, and no further touring followed. In 2001, following the release of a Greatest Hits compilation (The Ultimate Collection), the band released the album The Demos Remastered: Anthology 1 under the label Crazy Planet. This album contained demos of some of Black 'N Blue's most popular hits, including 5 unreleased tracks and a live version of the song "Autoblast."
The band reunited again in 2003 (this time, without Thayer, who was performing lead guitar duties for Kiss at the time) to tour and record a new album, entitled Hell Yeah!. Shawn Sonnenschein was the new lead guitarist to be featured on the album in Thayer's place along with CJ Winkler on jazz flute. The album was initially scheduled to be released in September 2003, but the release date was pushed back on several occasions.
Hiatus:
Meanwhile, in the ensuing interim period, the band released Rarities, an album which included remakes of a few of their hits, but mostly consisted of many unreleased demos, including some that were not included on the Demos Remastered: Anthology 1 release.
In 2004, Jaime St. James became the new front man and lead singer for Warrant, replacing Jani Lane. In 2005, Jaime St. James went into the studio with Warrant to begin recording a new album under Cleopatra Records. Recording for the new album lasted until 2006, and later that year, the band released their new album, Born Again, which received mostly positive reviews. A music video was recorded for each of the songs on the album, and was later released on the DVD "Born Again: Delvis Video Diaries," which also included behind-the-scenes footage, on tour clips, and comments from the band members regarding the making of the album. After the release of Born Again, Jaime St. James performed with Warrant at the 2007 hard rock festival Rocklahoma. Jaime St. James later left Warrant in 2008, after Jani Lane returned to the band.
Later Reunions:
Black 'N Blue, including Tommy Thayer, made a reunion appearance in their home town of Portland, Oregon on December 8, 2007 at Berbati's Pan & Restaurant. The concert benefited the band's long-time friend Kenny Nordone in his struggle with cancer. In the summer of 2008, Black 'N Blue formally reunited to play at Rocklahoma, with Shawn Sonnenschein once again as guitarist.
In 2008, a report on SleazeRoxx.com gave a new projected release date for the Hell Yeah! album as sometime that year. However, it would remain unreleased for another three years. On October 9, 2010, Black 'N Blue was inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. The classic line up including Tommy Thayer performed a reunion concert that night at Portland's Roseland Theater. In 2011, Jaime St. James' website posted new release dates for Hell Yeah! under Frontiers Records. The set release dates for the album included a premiere release date in Japan on April 20, 2011; a European release date on May 13, 2011; and a United States release date of May 17, 2011. The album received a generally positive reviews. The band remains active and continues to tour and play live shows.
The band performed five shows in 2013; March 8 at the Hawthorne Theater in their hometown of Portland, October 19 at "SkullFest" in Nebraska, November 15 at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, November 16 at Vamp'd in Las Vegas, and December 27 at the District in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. These 2013 shows marked the debut of new guitarist Brandon Cook, who replaced Jeff "Woop" Warner. 2017 saw the departure of Shawn Sonnenschein and the debut of former Vicious Rumors guitarist Bob Capka.
The current lineup, debuting new guitarist Doug Rappoport, performed at Monsters on the Mountain Rock festival, October 2021 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and then again on The Kiss Kruise in October '21 and on The Monsters of Rock cruise Feb '22.
Strange Things
Black 'N Blue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things are just too empty, yeah
The rats are gnawing at the brains again
And if I see that face inside the mirror
I'm fighting desperately
The things you'll never know
Strange things goin' through my body
But you'll never get home again, ah...
Strange things, Isaac never saw me
It's a strain on me, strange things
I've got a nice surprise
Think I'll leave this dream behind
The rats are dancing in the brains again
On final shot relieves me of this nightmare
The face of death I see
Things you'll never know
Strange things goin' through my body
It's a strain on me, it's a strain
But you'll never get home again, ah...
Strange things, Isaac never saw me
It's a strain on me, strange things
Strange things goin' through my body
It's a strain on me, it's a strain
But you'll never get home again, ah...
Strange things, Isaac never saw me
It's a strain on me, strange things
It's a strain on me, whoa!
And I shall hear tho' soft you tread above me
Oh, Danny Boy, oh, Danny Boy, I love you so
The lyrics of Black 'N Blue's song Strange Things convey the feeling of being lost, trapped, and hopeless. The singer of the song seems to have lost everything in life, as all the lights are gone, and things seem too empty. The rats gnawing at the brains is a metaphor for the inner turmoil that the singer is going through. The line "And if I see that face inside the mirror, I'm fighting desperately" suggests that the singer is struggling with identity issues and is trying hard to hold onto their sense of self. The phrase "Things you'll never know" repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the sense of despair and loneliness that the singer feels.
The chorus of the song talks about the strange things that the singer is experiencing in their body, which is a metaphor for their emotional and mental state. The line "But you'll never get home again" could be seen as a reference to death, suggesting that the singer has lost all hope of returning to a state of peace or happiness. The song ends with a reference to the song Danny Boy, a traditional Irish ballad that is often played at funerals.
Overall, the lyrics of the song Strange Things convey a sense of hopelessness and despair. The singer is struggling to find their place in the world and is haunted by their inner demons. The song paints a poignant picture of someone who is lost and struggling to find their way, with no end in sight.
Line by Line Meaning
Now all the lights are gone
I am in complete darkness.
Things are just too empty, yeah
There's nothing to fill this void.
The rats are gnawing at the brains again
Distressing and unhealthy thoughts are taking over my mind.
And if I see that face inside the mirror
If I confront my fears face-to-face, it's a struggle.
I'm fighting desperately
It's a battle I must win.
The things you'll never know
You'll never fully comprehend the mental turmoil I'm going through.
Strange things goin' through my body
My body is physically and emotionally reacting to these strange events.
It's a strain on me, it's a strain
It's overwhelming and taking a toll on me.
But you'll never get home again, ah...
You'll never fully return to the person you once were.
I've got a nice surprise
I have a pleasant surprise in store.
Think I'll leave this dream behind
It's time to move forward, to stop living in this nightmare.
The rats are dancing in the brains again
My negative thoughts become uncontrollable.
On final shot relieves me of this nightmare
A final solution releases me from this endless cycle of pain.
The face of death I see
I am staring death in the face.
Strange things, Isaac never saw me
My struggles are unique and not understood by others.
It's a strain on me, strange things
My life is an inexplicable burden to bear.
It's a strain on me, whoa!
I can hardly handle the pressure.
Contributed by Isabelle F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jeff Benson
Black 'N Blue never got the respect they deserved. Very under rated band from mid 80's. I graduated high school during their second album, what a great time to be 17!
HARD ROCK reverie
YES!!