Ugly Kid Joe biography
Ugly Kid Joe is an American rock band from Isla Vista, California. The band's name spoofs that of another band, Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe's sound includes a range of styles, including hard rock, funk metal and heavy metal.
After releasing an EP, three full-length albums, and touring extensively throughout the 1990s, Ugly Kid Joe disbanded in 1997, and reformed in mid-2010. They are going on tour and will release an EP sometime in 2012.
History
Early history (1990-1991)
Childhood friends Whitfield Crane and Klaus Eichstadt took an interest in music while growing up in Palo Alto, CA. In 1990 Eichstadt joined Crane's band in Isla Vista, CA. after the two recorded a demo with another Palo Alto native, record producer Eric Valentine. After several band member changes the 'As Ugly as They Wanna Be' line-up was formed consisting of Crane, Eichstadt, Mark Davis, Roger Lahr, and Cordell Crockett.
The band got its name 'Ugly Kid Joe' as a parody of L.A. glam band Pretty Boy Floyd but only for a one night show in Santa Barbara with guests Pretty Boy Floyd. Pretty Boy Floyd would pull out of the show and have the gig cancelled, but the band decided to keep the name 'Ugly Kid Joe'.
The band became popular in the early 1990s, mixing satirical humor and heavy metal. Its logo was a cartoon embodiment of an "ugly kid" wearing a backwards baseball hat and giving the finger. Heavily influenced by Black Sabbath, Ugly Kid Joe covered several of the veteran band's songs, including "Sweet Leaf" and "N.I.B." The group toured the United States several times, making its second tour in support of Scatterbrain, and later opening for former Black Sabbath lead vocalist Ozzy Osbourne.
The band released the E.P. "As Ugly As They Wanna Be" in October of 1991, garnering success in 1992 with the single "Everything About You", which peaked at #3 in the UK Singles Chart and made it into the Billboard Top 10. Later in the year the song was used in the movie Wayne's World. "As Ugly As They Wanna Be" went on to sell over 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone becoming the highest selling debut E.P. of all time.
Commercial success (1992-1996)
The band spent 2 months in the studio to record America's Least Wanted. During the process, Roger Lahr left the band due to musical differences and was eventually replaced by Sugartooth guitarist Dave Fortman in April 1992. Rob Halford of Judas Priest was a guest vocalist on the song "Goddamn Devil". The band sped up the recording process for their album in order to get a spot as a supporting act for Ozzy Osbourne's 'No More Tears' tour. The band eventually landed a spot for the tour, only to have Crane to fly back to L.A. several times to finish edits on the album. The album became finished, with exception of the album cover since several record chains felt it would pose a total offense to American conservatives due to the cover's graphic content of the 'Ugly Kid' posing as the Statue of Liberty holding up the middle finger and holding a porno magazine in his hand instead of the hallowed Declaration. The band decided to have an alternative cover made with the band's mascot chained and gagged showing it is the 'cleaned version' of the album.
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