Friday, October 24, 2014

Rocktober Deep Cut R: "She Wants Money" by Ratt

It's Hair Band Friday, so we're going to go with a Ratt song for the letter "R."  Ratt is best known for their 1984 hit "Round and Round," which made it to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.  In addition to that, they had another six songs that charted on the Hot 100, as well as eleven songs that made the Top 40 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts and four platinum albums.

Their 1984 debut album, Out of the Cellar, was their biggest-selling album, going platinum three times, and it tied for their highest-charting album, topping out at #7 on the Billboard album charts.  The aforementioned "Round and Round" was on the album, as well as three minor hits, "Back For More" (which was one of two videos the band had featuring Milton Berle), "Lack of Communication, and "Wanted Man" (which reached #87 on the Billboard Hot 100).  And I would be remiss if I failed to mention that '80s video vixen Tawny Kitaen –- who, before marrying Whitesnake lead singer David Coverdale and appearing in five Whitesnake videos, and before marrying MLB pitcher Chuck Finley and stabbing him in the leg with her high heel, was the girlfriend of Ratt guitarist Robbin Crosby -- is featured on the cover of the album, crawling towards a cellar.  She was also featured in the "Back for More" video.

Anyway, for the deep cut, I was choosing between "She Wants Money" and "I'm Insane," both of which are on Out of the Cellar, and are probably my two favorite songs off the album.  Both are great songs, but I went with "She Wants Money" because it seems more reflective of the '80s and of the Sunset Strip, when you could write a song about a whore (who wants money) and no one would bat an eye.  Plus, it's a badass song.  Written by bassist Juan Croucier, it is a fast-paced rocker with typically gritty vocals from Stephen Pearcy and great guitar work from Crosby and Warren DeMartini.  Enjoy.

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