They were founded in 1975 by guitarist Randy Rhoads (later associated with Ozzy Osbourne) with the original lineup of Kevin DuBrow (whose Steve Marriott influenced vocals powered most of their hits) alongside Kelly Garni (bass) and Drew Forsyth (drums). They initially released albums in 1977 and 1978, featuring heavy covers of British invasion era acts The Small Faces and Dave Clark Five, and their work was picked up for release in Japan only.
After Rhoads left, with him replaced by guitarist Carlos Cavazo, Quiet Riot had still had failed to break out of the Los Angeles metal scene with a record contract (unlike their hit British Invasion covering contemporaries Van Halen). Quiet Riot eventually scored a deal with Columbia Records, and their second stateside single was "Cum on Feel the Noize", a remake of the U.K. hit tune by Slade in 1973. Quiet Riot's version opened up a new world for the group. Their song became the first heavy metal single to make the 'Top 5' on Billboard Magazine's 'Hot 100' singles chart, spending two weeks at the #5 slot.
The band was reportedly reluctant to record the song, as none of them were Slade fans, and recorded it in one take, trying to play their worst. The success of the single helped carry parent album 'Metal Health' to the top of Billboard Music Charts pop album charts, making it the first heavy metal album to ever reach the #1 slot. Fortunately, lightening also struck twice as their song "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)" (also known as "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" or "Metal Health") also received significant airplay, peaking at the #31 slot on the 'Hot 100'.
A #1 album and a top 5 single was unheard of for a heavy metal band in 1983. The 'Metal Health' album also displaced Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'' on the charts, shocking critics, and it paved the way for a new, stronger commercial viability for the whole genre. Still, the band members were arguably unprepared for the spotlight put on them, with acrimony between them and the record company people to come.
The group's follow-up, 'Condition Critical' was a relative disappointment critically and commercially, selling only 3 million units. This release included another Slade cover ("Mama Weer All Crazee Now", which was a UK chart topper for Slade) and numerous musical and lyrical nods to the aforementioned act; whether this was a decision made with the band's support or forced upon them by their producer is still subject to debate, as evidenced in their VH1 'Behind The Music' documentary. As well, frontman DuBrow's combative behavior both in public and in private burned numerous bridges between the band and other musicians as well as the press. The other band members felt that DuBrow had turned what would had been middling or mixed critical reviews into scorn as well as ruined chances at future musical collaborations.
Various factors led to bassist Rudy Sarzo quitting the group in 1985 and joining up with Ozzy Osbourne. The bass slot in Quiet Riot was filled by Chuck Wright. Next, the band released 'QRIII' in 1986, which became another commercial failure and left the group frustrated in terms of where to go. Fed up with DuBrow's antics, the rest of Quiet Riot fired him from his own band and replaced him with former Rough Cutt vocalist Paul Shortino. Wright was also fired and was replaced by Sean McNabb.
The revamped band released 'Quiet Riot' in 1988, which also failed to gain much traction. This 1988 album technically has the same name as their original first album with Randy Rhoads. The band fell apart after a tour that ended in Hawaii in 1989 and DuBrow fought to keep control of the name; Quiet Riot appeared to be in shambles.
By 1991, tempers had cooled enough for the former bandmates to communicate. DuBrow and Cavazo formed Heat, but they eventually switched to Quiet Riot again and released 'Terrified' (1993) with Banali and Kenny Hillery (bass). That same year, DuBrow released a work titled 'The Randy Rhoads Years', featuring tracks from Quiet Riot's Columbia albums and some previously unreleased material (many of which included newly recorded vocals). Hillary left Quiet Riot in 1995, and he committed suicide on June 5, 1996.
Wright rejoined Quiet Riot to play bass. The band released Down to the Bone that same year. The following year (1996), the band released a 'Greatest Hits' album, which included nothing from the original two Rhoads albums and nothing from the two 90s albums but did have a few tracks from the 1988 Shortino album. After that, Rudy Sarzo joined up again in 1997, and the band began touring.
The tour was not successful, and the band was arrested several times; one angry fan sued DuBrow for injuries sustained during a show. The group still managed to release 'Alive and Well' in 1999, which featured new songs and several rerecorded hits. They followed this up with 'Guilty Pleasures' in 2001. Although their days of commercial success had come and gone, those albums received some mixed to positive critical reviews.
Quiet Riot officially broke up in February 2003, and Sarzo joined Dio in the following year. However, they reunited in 2005, with the line-up being made up of DuBrow, Banali, Wright, and guitarist Alex Grossi. The band joined the 'Rock Never Stops Tour' in 2005 alongside Cinderella, Ratt, and Firehouse.
Soon afterwards, Chuck Wright and Alex Grossi had left the band and former L.A. Guns/Brides of Destruction guitarist Tracii Guns had joined, only to leave two weeks later under musical differences. Other recent members of Quiet Riot have included guitarists Billy Morris and Neil Citron, and bassists Tony Franklin, Sean McNabb and Wayne Carver. In an interview with rock & roll comic C.C. Banana in August 2006, Frankie Banali attempted to clarify the matter of Quiet Riot's recent rapid-fire membership rotation, indicating that both Alex and Chuck were both back in the band again.
Quiet Riot's latest album with a line-up somewhat akin to their glory days was released on October 3, 2006, entitled 'Rehab. The band on the album consisted of DuBrow, Banali, Franklin, & Neil Citron. Former Deep Purple bassist and singer Glenn Hughes also made a guest vocal appearance on the album.
On July 13, 2007, Quiet Riot performed at glam metal festival "Rocklahoma." Then on September 19 they gave a free show to service members on Keesler AFB in Biloxi. DuBrow (vocals), Banali(drums), Wright(Bass), & Alex Grossi(guitarist), was the then line-up.
Kevin DuBrow died November 25, 2007, at his home in Las Vegas. He was 52 years old. The cause of death was an accidental overdose of cocaine, and that tragedy appeared to be the end of the group once and for all.
Despite his previous insistence that Quiet Riot could never return as a live performing entity, in September 2010, Frankie Banali announced a new version of Quiet Riot: himself on drums, Chuck Wright on bass, Alex Grossi on guitar and newcomer Mark Huff on vocals. The band sought the blessings of the DuBrow family, recorded new versions of classic hits with Huff singing, and resumed touring. The group has experienced somewhat of a 'broken base' as many fans are unwilling to accept a version of the band sans DuBrow.
The group's latest work is '10', which came out on June 27, 2014 through RSM Records. That incarnation of Quite Riot Made its live debut on December 31, 2013 at Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort in Flagstaff, Arizona. Jizzy Pearl of Love/Hate and L.A. Guns among other groups is the current vocalist.
Vocalist Jizzy Pearl departed the band at the end of 2016 to concentrate on his solo career, and was replaced by former Adler's Appetite and Icon vocalist Seann Nicols, formerly known as Sheldon Tarsha. On February 13, 2017, the band announced that they would release a new album Road Rage on April 21. However, in March, it was announced that Nicols had left the band and that James Durbin was the new singer. The band subsequently announced that Road Rage would be delayed until summer 2017 so that all of Nicols' vocals could be replaced by Durbin's with new lyrics and melodies. It was then announced that the new version of the album would be released on August 4 by Frontiers Music Srl.
Banali was forced to sit out several Quiet Riot shows throughout 2019 as he was receiving treatment for stage-IV pancreatic cancer, though he did not reveal his diagnosis until October of that year. He was replaced by either former Type O Negative drummer Johnny Kelly or former W.A.S.P. drummer Mike Dupke depending on each drummer's availability. In September 2019, Durbin quit the band to "follow his own path" according to Banali, and Pearl was rehired as the lead vocalist. Two months later, Quiet Riot's fourteenth studio album, and second and last to feature Durbin, Hollywood Cowboys, was released.
On August 20, 2020, Banali died from pancreatic cancer, which he had been diagnosed with sixteen months earlier, leaving him as the second member of the Metal Health-era lineup to die, following DuBrow in 2007. On September 9, 2020, Quiet Riot announced on their Facebook page that would continue on without Banali, who had wished that they keep the music and legacy of the band alive. He was replaced by Johnny Kelly, who had filled in for Banali on the band's 2019 and 2020 tours. The band embarked on their first tour since Banali's passing in the summer of 2021, and announced, in May of that year, that they were going to release new music in 2022. On August 2, 2021, Quiet Riot announced that former bassist Rudy Sarzo would rejoin the band in early 2022, once again replacing Chuck Wright. However, Sarzo played his first show with the band in nearly two decades at The Groove Music Hall in Woodford, Virginia on November 6, 2021. In December 2021, Sarzo confirmed that new music from Quiet Riot will be released to coincide with their upcoming 2022 tour: "We have a couple of surprises coming up that are already recorded. So they're just waiting to be released. We're gonna release 'em in conjunction when we start touring in February [of 2022]." That same month, he revealed that plans were being made to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Metal Health in 2023.
Slick Black Cadillac
Quiet Riot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooo, just a big black set of wheels
Is what it takes to get me off
I'm gonna drive all night
Spin my wheels all night
It feels alright, oh yeah, it feels alright
I don't need no drivers license
It's like a carburetor instigator
Feels alright, yes, feels alright
Drivin' in a slick black Cadillac
It's got solid gold hubcaps
It makes me feel like a king
I only need one thing
And that's a slick black Cadillac
Ooo, give it up
Now I got a fully equipped rock 'n' roll machine
At speeds that take me high, high, high
At dead man's curve
I only hear one word drive, drive, drive
Drive, drive, drive
My machine is making headlines
It gives me love and everything
It's like an institution of revolution
Feels alright, oh yeah, feels alright
Drivin' in a slick black Cadillac
It's got solid gold hubcaps
It makes me feel like a king
I only need one thing
And that's a slick black Cadillac
Pull over, woo
I got the coppers on my trail
Just for me an A.P.B.
The sirens spinnin', me who's winnin'
They're after me, they're after me
Before I know just what happened
I disappeared to their surprise
I got a Cadillac monkey on my back
And I don't mind, no, no, I don't mind
Drivin' in a slick black Cadillac
It's got solid gold hub caps
It makes me feel like a king
I only need one thing
And that's a slick black Cadillac
Slick black Cadillac
It's got solid gold h-hub caps
Slick black Cadillac
I lay it down, spin wide
And get laid in back, yeah
Drivin' in a slick black Cadillac
It makes me feel like a king, alright
The song "Slick Black Cadillac" by Quiet Riot is a celebration of the thrilling experience of driving a powerful car, especially a black Cadillac. The lyrics suggest that the singer is an adrenaline junkie who is addicted to speed and the thrill of the ride. He proclaims that he doesn't need a driver's license because he is too reckless to survive, indicating his love of danger and risk-taking. The references to a "carburetor instigator" and a "fully equipped rock 'n' roll machine" reflect the singer's appreciation of the engineering and technology that goes into making a high-performance vehicle.
The chorus of "Slick Black Cadillac" emphasizes the singer's desire for this particular car, which symbolizes his status as a king of the road. The solid gold hubcaps and other luxurious features of the car make him feel invincible and unstoppable. The reference to "dead man's curve" suggests that the singer is willing to take dangerous risks in order to feel the rush of adrenaline that comes with driving at high speeds. The final verse depicts the singer as a fugitive from the law, being chased by the police while still enjoying the thrill of driving his powerful Cadillac.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the freedom and excitement of driving a high-performance car. It presents the car as a symbol of power and freedom, and the singer as a daring risk-taker who is willing to put his life on the line to experience the thrill of the ride.
Line by Line Meaning
Slick black Cadillac
The iconic car known as the "Slick black Cadillac."
Ooo, just a big black set of wheels
Describes the physical appearance of the car, and the impact it has on the singer.
Is what it takes to get me off
The car is the only thing that can satisfy the singer.
I'm gonna drive all night
The artist plans to spend the night driving the car.
Spin my wheels all night
The artist plans to put the car through its paces all night long.
It feels alright, oh yeah, it feels alright
The singer is enjoying the experience of driving the slick black Cadillac.
I don't need no drivers license
The singer doesn't feel the need for a license to operate the car.
I'm too reckless to survive
The artist acknowledges their dangerous and reckless behavior when driving the car.
It's like a carburetor instigator
The car is a catalyst for the artist's bad behavior.
Feels alright, yes, feels alright
The artist continues to enjoy driving the car, despite the risks involved.
Drivin' in a slick black Cadillac
The singer is driving the car and enjoying the experience.
It's got solid gold hubcaps
Describes a feature of the car that adds to its luxurious appearance.
It makes me feel like a king
The car gives the singer a sense of power and importance.
I only need one thing
The singer only needs the slick black Cadillac to feel fulfilled.
And that's a slick black Cadillac
Reiterates the importance of the car to the singer.
Ooo, give it up
Encourages others to acknowledge the superiority and desirability of the slick black Cadillac.
Now I got a fully equipped rock 'n' roll machine
Describes the car as a powerful and exciting vehicle.
At speeds that take me high, high, high
The singer enjoys driving the car fast and feeling the rush of adrenaline.
At dead man's curve
Refers to a dangerous curve in a roadway that requires skill and precision to navigate safely.
I only hear one word drive, drive, drive
Driving the car is the only thing on the artist's mind as they approach the dangerous curve.
My machine is making headlines
The car has gained notoriety due to the artist's reckless driving behavior.
It gives me love and everything
The car provides the artist with a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.
It's like an institution of revolution
The car is a symbol of rebellion, individuality, and power.
Feels alright, oh yeah, feels alright
The artist continues to enjoy driving the car, and the feeling of empowerment that it provides.
Pull over, woo
Acknowledges the fact that the singer has attracted attention from law enforcement while driving the car.
I got the coppers on my trail
The singer is being pursued by the police.
Just for me an A.P.B.
The police have issued an all-points bulletin to catch the singer.
The sirens spinnin', me who's winnin'
The artist is enjoying the thrill of being chased by the police, and feels in control of the situation.
They're after me, they're after me
The police are in pursuit of the artist.
Before I know just what happened
The singer is unsure of how they evaded the police.
I disappeared to their surprise
The singer successfully avoided capture by the police.
I got a Cadillac monkey on my back
The artist is addicted to the thrill and empowerment that comes from driving the car.
And I don't mind, no, no, I don't mind
The artist enjoys the feeling of being in control while driving the car.
Slick black Cadillac
Reiterates the importance of the car to the artist.
Slick black Cadillac
Reiterates the importance of the car to the singer.
It's got solid gold h-hub caps
Describes a feature of the car that adds to its luxurious appearance.
Slick black Cadillac
Reiterates the importance of the car to the singer.
I lay it down, spin wide
The singer is pushing the car to its limits, taking corners at high speeds.
And get laid in back, yeah
The singer is enjoying the thrill and excitement of driving the car, and the attention it attracts from others.
Drivin' in a slick black Cadillac
The artist is driving the car and enjoying the experience.
It makes me feel like a king, alright
The car gives the artist a sense of power and importance.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Kevin Du Brow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind