Lord Tracy may be best known for their MCA Records release Deaf Godz Of Babylon in 1989. On the other hand, metal fanatics know the lead singer of Lord Tracy as the one time frontman of Pantera. However you may know them, you know they are/were a band not to be ignored. Their roots were planted in both Dallas and Memphis with a home away from home in Florida where the band received lots of radio airplay. They had two videos in rotation on MTV, the raucous “Out with The Boys” which reached #40 on Billboard mainstream charts, and the ballad “Foolish Love.”
Lord Tracy had their beginnings in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. But the band did plenty of time in Texas. Guitarist Jimmy Rusidoff, Drummer Chris Craig, and Bassist Kinley ‘Barney’ Wolfe (the foundation of what would become Lord Tracy) came together through some crossing paths, a few twist and turns and meanderings along the way. They started rehearsing and were sharing the vocals, but soon realized none of them were up to par with the powerhouse vocalists of the 80’s. They agreed they needed a powerful rock singer!!!
One night, Kinley and Jimmy went to see Pantera, who at this point was a local/regional band that had 3 self-produced records out and was packing them in wherever they played. The combination of “Diamond” Darrell’s guitar pyrotechnics (years before “Dimebag”) and Terry Glaze’s vocals and showmanship was killing ‘em dead. Kinley knew Terry, and introduced him to Jimmy.
We knew we needed a vocalist. We kept rehearsing and putting the word out, but nothing came up that was any good. I think we tried out a few posers, but they all sucked. I remember saying, “Man, I wish we could find somebody like that Terry guy with Pantera.” Well, hold on. A few months later, the word went around that Terry was no longer in the band. Kinley reached out to him to see if he might be interested. Terry actually came to a Lord Tracy practice to steal Kinley for a band he was trying to put together, but when they started playing some Cheap Trick, his favorite band, he thought well just maybe there might be something here.
While our main focus was writing with an eye on a record deal, we had to get out there and play. We were always too crazy, too loud, kicked too many drinks off the tables. Despite all our best efforts (or maybe because of!), we had a hard time getting arrested in Dallas. There was one club that would let us play, and they pretty much hated us, but we were cheap and we’d open for anybody! It was a different story in Memphis. When we’d play there, the place (The Stage Stop) would be packed and rockin’!!!
By this time the word had gotten around about us in Dallas and we would completely sell out the Basement every time we played. In 1990 we landed a tour with Ace Frehley of Kiss. Ace was a hero of ours and turned out to be one of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet. We particularly bonded with his co-guitarist Ritchie Scarlet and the crew. We had more fun on that trip than is possible to relate!
Lord Tracy is releasing 2 indie projects, “4” and “Porn Again” through FnA Records. “4” is a collection of demos that predates Lord Tracy’s major label debut along with some demos that were recorded after the major label release. “Porn Again” is what happens when friends get together to jam and things just start coming together.
Both albums are available at FnA Records http://www.fnarecords.net
The CD’s are silver pressed. There is a regular version of the CD and a fan pack available which is signed by all four original members of Lord Tracy.
4 Track List:
1)Paper Love
2)Kick It Out
3)Saxophone
4)Wrong All The Right Outta Me
5)Drive All Night .
6)Transexual
7)Wind Me Up
8)Let’s Go Rodeo
9)Debbie’s Got A Chainsaw
10)Party At The Motel
11)Barney’s Chained Melody
12)No More Tears
13)Back Again
14)Nobodies Business
15)Everything Sounds Alright
16)Paula’s
17)Morning Light
Porn Again Track List:
1) I Should’ve Known
2) Jinx
3) Too Much
4) Know Me
5) Everything
6) Friends
7) Long Way To Go
8) Wondermilk
9) Man In Japan
10) Number One Fan
11) Can’t Be Wrong
12) Outta Site
13) Wank2000
14) Messin’ Around
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