1. Wildside was an ha… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist under this name:
1. Wildside was an hair metal band formed in 1988, at the pinnacle of the Hollywood Hair Metal craze, by guitarist Benny Rhynedance and singer Drew Hannah. Both were 1986 Hollywood Hair Metal transplants from the pre-grunge Seattle music scene, which was then dead as a doornail.
In 1988, after slugging it out for 2 years on the L.A. club scene as glam rockers Rogue, and enduring the Hollywood Pay To Play club promoter rip-off, Benny and Drew quit their original Seattle band. The two formed Young Gunns and recruited 2nd guitar player Brent Woods from the pop-metal strip band Alrisha, and super glam bassist Marc Simon from St. Valentine.
The guys searched for a permanent drummer and dominated the Sunset Strip and The Whisky A Go-Go on Monday Night "No Bozo Jam" nights. After a year and a half of "false starts and flakes", they found ex-NRG and "no non-sense" drummer Jimmy D. from San Bernadino, CA.
With a solid line-up, the band began an all out assault on Hollywood. Sold-out shows followed at The Roxy, Whisky A -Go-Go, Gazzari's, Xposure 54, and Spice On Sunset. Front page covers on all the L.A. rock press arose, and record labels began to take notice.
Famed Sunset Strip entertainment attorney Dennis Rider sought out the band after a show at The Whisky and offered his brokering services. Rider had successfully negotiated the Love/Hate record contract with Columbia a year prior. Wildside retained Rider's services, and he would ultimately pay off in spades and get the band their Capitol Records deal through his label connections.
The guys needed a decent band name. They were known as Young Gunns from '88 to '90, but the movie company quickly sent out "cease and desist" letters. After another late night Sunset Strip debaucle at the Rainbow Bar, "Wildside" was thrown around by Benny Rhynedance, and it fit their lifestyle to a tee. They had their name. (But so did another local band!! They received a check and went away quietly.)
Through Dennis Rider, Capitol Records came calling in August of 1990, and a bidding war between Capitol and Polygram ensued, with Capitol winning the bid for 7 figures and 5 albums. It was the biggest signing of a Hollywood rock band since W.A.S.P. back in 1984. Eyebrows were definitely beginning to raise in the industry. This band was destined for success and the buzz on the street was growing.
With legendary Led Zeppelin record producer Andy Johns at the helm, Wildside recorded their debut CD in secret at Eddie Van Halen's personal home studio, and also at the renowned A&M studios in Hollywood throughout 1991. Master metal mix-meisters Steve Thompson and Michael Barbierio mixed the CD to near perfection. They had mixed and produced many big hair rock bands in the 80's. Capitol Records had a slick package to market to the metal masses. How could they lose?
With a release date of May 1992, music was quickly changing to a new sound. One that was raw, less polished, and stripped down. Nirvana led the charge of this new "Grunge" sound, and "hair bands" were quickly deemed "uncool." Amazingly, Kurt Cobain destroyed 10 years of "Pop-Metal" in six months. It was actually quite a feat for a guy who wrote "radio hit songs" as a clinically depressed, homeless heroin addict who shunned the spotlight, hated mass-marketed corporate pop music, and at the time, lived under a bridge outside of Seattle. RIP Cobain.
Before their CD release, the boys hit the road with The Four Horsemen in January of 1992, and got their tour chops. Wildside's Under the Influence debut CD was released worldwide on May 22, 1992 to little fanfare. After the release of UTI, they immediately hit the road with Babylon A.D. and Roxy Blue throughout the summer on a packaged summer rock tour. Sales bumped up at a brisk pace throughout the tour, and into the fall of 1992. Wildside headlined their own tour December 1992 through March of 1993. This was the highest Wildside would ever climb.
In late 1993, after an "upper management shake up" at Capitol Records, all the execs that signed Wildside were "no longer with the company", including then Capitol President Hale Milgrim. New management at Capitol immediately called it quits for the band in the fall of '93. Regardless of an iron clad contract and a 5 album deal, new Capitol execs ripped up the band's contract and said, "Good luck guys, it was nice knowin' ya!". All in the name of Grunge.
Wildside continued to tour into 1994 and write new songs for a new disc on a new label.
Following the dismissal from Capitol, and the recent shift in music tastes, Brent Woods left the band to join Vince Neil's solo project, as a "hired gun." Benny Rhynedance was next to exit the sinking ship.
Wildside, minus Benny and Brent, continued on and recorded a new CD for a privately owned small entertainment company. Releasing a "Grunge" CD in 1995 as a foursome, with Bruce Draper from ex-Geffen Graveyard Train handling the guitar chores. The album sold very poorly, and fans were shocked to hear a "jump on the Grunge bandwagon". The remaining members disbanded shortly after for regular day jobs.
Bassist Marc Simon is now a successful ticket broker at a very popular L.A. ticket company.
Brent Woods was fired from the Vince Neil band in 2002 (replaced by Mandy Moore's guitarist Jason Hook) after years of touring and axe slinging.
Jimmy D. and spouse run a family-owned San Bernadino flower shop.
After a brief stint in 1995 at the Las Vegas Treasure Island Hotel as a pirate/stuntman, guitarist Benny Rhynedance went into Investment Banking in L.A. in '96 and ended up on Wall Street with a known firm in 1998.
Singer Drew Hannah is now in the adult film industry working on background music for adult films.
Wildside had the sound, the talent, the looks, and the attitude to be a HUGE band. What they didn't have was the luck of timing, band camaraderie, and the proper management team making the band's critical business decisions.
Capitol Records had said many times, "Wildside is the next Poison!". Today, Under the Influence by Wildside is no longer made, but can be found on auction sites.
2. Wildside is an Italian eurodance act that was produced by the SAIFAM Group, owned by Mauro Farina and Fabio Turatti.
The project started in 1993 with the release of titles like Give Me Your Love, My Body or Love Makes Me High.
In 1995 appeared the singles I Wanna See the Sun, Dance Into the Light and One of Us, followed by the album 2 Become One.
Since 2000, Wildside turned into bubblegum style with songs like Heaven Is a Place on Earth, Queen of Love, and Speed Japan, released as singles under the label Speed Records.
3. Wildside was a band from Boston, MA formed in 1988. It featured Steve Sera (Axminster ) on Lead Vocals & Guitar. They released an EP, 'Sheet Music' in 1990 which were basically re-recordings of Axminster songs that appeared on the 'Axminster' album in 1989.
Monkey See Monkey Do
Wildside Lyrics
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On the cover of a magazine
We see it changin' everyday
Uptown, fast cars
Wanna be a Hollywood movie star
And now you think you've got it made
Follow the leader, you're waiting on the line
For someone to teach you the way to live your life
Everybody's gotta pay the price
In this town nothing comes for free
Dead broke, sky high
Now you're looking for a alibi
What you want ain't always what you need
Follow the leader, you're waiting on the line
For someone to teach you the way to live your life
Monkey see, monkey do
Over and over again
You follow the best you look like the rest
You ain't got a clue, monkey see, monkey do
Do this, do that
See the man on the T.V. set
He's preachin' money is the way
Well I've had my feel
One more ..., dressed to kill
It's getting tougher every day
Follow the leader, you're waiting on the line
For someone to teach you the way to live your life
They want it all, they want it fast, they want it easy
So out of touch, it's not enough, it's never pleasin'
It's what we need, the american dream!
The Wildside's song Monkey See Monkey Do is a commentary on the culture of conformity and obsession with fame and fortune that pervades American society. The lyrics suggest that people are willing to blindly follow the leaders and trends of their time in order to achieve their desires. The song opens with references to the fashion and entertainment industry, themes that permeate throughout the rest of the song. People want to be Hollywood movie stars and live the high life, without realizing that in reality, nothing comes for free. The second verse suggests that people are always searching for an alibi and justification for their actions. They follow the leader, waiting in line and looking for someone to teach them the way to live life, without really questioning if it's the right way.
The chorus "Monkey see, monkey do, over and over again" highlights the repetitive nature of this cultural phenomenon. People follow the trends of their time, regardless of whether or not it aligns with their individual goals and desires. The song suggests that this behavior is misguided and ultimately unfulfilling. The American Dream is referred to in the final chorus, highlighting the desire of many Americans to be rich and successful without considering the true cost of these pursuits. Overall, Monkey See Monkey Do is a commentary on the pressures of contemporary American culture and the impact they have on individuals.
Line by Line Meaning
Fresh look, a new scene
There is a new trend or scene emerging with each new day.
On the cover of a magazine
The trend or scene is often promoted on the cover of magazines.
We see it changin' everyday
The trend or scene is constantly evolving and changing.
Uptown, fast cars
One aspect of the trend or scene is a desire for a luxurious lifestyle.
Wanna be a Hollywood movie star
People aspire to become famous movie stars.
And now you think you've got it made
People believe that they have achieved their goal of becoming famous.
Follow the leader, you're waiting on the line
People are following the trend and waiting for someone to lead them.
For someone to teach you the way to live your life
They are waiting for someone to show them how to live their life according to the trend.
No deal, no dice
There are no guarantees in life.
Everybody's gotta pay the price
Everyone has to work hard to achieve success in life.
In this town nothing comes for free
You have to work hard to achieve success in this town.
Dead broke, sky high
People are either extremely poor or extremely rich.
Now you're looking for a alibi
People make excuses for their failures.
What you want ain't always what you need
What people desire may not necessarily be what is good for them.
Monkey see, monkey do
People blindly follow the latest trends and copy others' behavior.
Over and over again
People keep repeating this cycle of following trends and copying behavior.
You follow the best you look like the rest
People want to emulate the best but end up looking the same as everyone else.
You ain't got a clue, monkey see, monkey do
People are clueless about what they are doing and are simply copying others' behavior.
Do this, do that
People are given specific instructions on what to do.
See the man on the T.V. set
People are influenced by what they see on TV.
He's preachin' money is the way
The media promotes the idea that money is the key to success and happiness.
Well I've had my feel
The singer has had enough of this cycle of blindly following trends.
One more ..., dressed to kill
Despite this, people still want to look attractive.
It's getting tougher every day
It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the latest trends.
They want it all, they want it fast, they want it easy
People want everything quickly and with minimal effort.
So out of touch, it's not enough, it's never pleasin'
People are out of touch with what truly makes them happy and are never satisfied.
It's what we need, the american dream!
Despite this, people still cling to the idea of the 'American Dream' of success and upward mobility.
Contributed by Ava S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.