Hair Band History (August 4th)

August 4, 1986: Bon Jovi released "You Give Love A Bad Name" as the lead single from their forthcoming album "Slippery When Wet" in North America (August 1st in the UK). The melody was originally written by Desmond Child for Bonnie Tyler's "If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man)". Release date source: [US] FMQB radio trade publication - August 1, 1986; [UK] Kerrang! - July 24, 1986.

August 1986: Three months after the release of their debut album "Look What The Cat Dragged In", the first single from Poison "Cry Tough" was issued. It didn't chart, but six months later the next single would launch the band into the stratosphere

Remembering Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby, who would have celebrated a birthday today (August 4, 1959). Robbin died in 2002. R.I.P.

August 4, 1984: Lita Ford's second studio album "“Dancin’ On The Edge" debuted on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. Music videos for singles "Gotta Let Go" and "Dressed To Kill" were in heavy rotation on MTV and the LP was nominated for a Grammy.

August 1988: Femme Fatale released their only album "Femme Fatale" in North America (November '88 in the UK), featuring singles "Waiting For The Big One" and "Falling In and Out Of Love". The song "Touch And Go" was featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 film "License To Drive". Release information source: [US] The Hard Report radio trade publication 'Hard Hitters' chart debut - August 12, 1988; [UK] Kerrang! ad - November 19, 1988

August 4, 1992: Faster Pussycat released their third studio album "Whipped!" featuring US Top 40 rock hit "Nonstop To Nowhere". The cover shows the band running away from a giant dominatrix, but some issued in the US show only the band running away. Release information source: The Hard Report radio trade publication 'Hard Hitters' chart debut - August 14, 1992

Happy Birthday to former Hanoi Rocks [1980-85] and Jetboy [87–90] bassist Sami Yaffa (August 4, 1963).

August 1984: Scorpions were in Nagoya for the first of six shows in Japan. The "Love At First Sting" tour would then return to the US and Canada for some makeup dates before concluding in Europe. "Still Loving You" was a Hot 100 hit in the US that summer and "I'm Leaving You" was being played on American rock radio stations. Billboard Magazine ad - August 4, 1984

August 4, 1986: Van Halen played the first of three nights at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. "We were selling records faster than they could print them and we were selling out every show. We felt invincible." -Sammy Hagar