You get the feeling that if Tigertailz had originated in Los Angeles (and not their native Cardiff) they would have struck commercial gold. They were a band who had it all; the looks, the songs and (most importantly) the musical chops. Although they dented the UK charts in 1990, sustained success remained elusive and why they missed the target when other, less talented, bands reaped the rewards shall remain a mystery. Comprising the band’s first two albums, a disc comprising various EP’s and a host of other goodies, For A Few Dollarz More only highlights the folly of the record buying public and stands testament to the biggest band that ever wasn’t.

Disc One

Originally known as Stagefright, the Tigertailz story starts in 1984. It was an age when the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) was starting to fade away, to be replaced by a cleaner, more commercialised, sound from the States. Caught somewhere in the middle were Tigertailz, with their 1984 demo (included here as bonus tracks) and their incendiary debut album Young And Crazy (comprising the first eleven songs). The tracks have a rough hewn charm; there’s plenty of dirt under the fingernails, yet there’s an aspirational quality to the songs and that meant that when Young And Crazy dropped in 1987, it was in perfect sync with the times. Imagine an amalgamation of Ratt and Faster Pussycat and you’d have something approaching the vivaciousness of tracks such as ‘Hollywood Killer’.

It’s a sad fact that glam metal bands quickly burn themselves out and become bloated parodies of themselves, yet Tigertailz in ‘87 were lean and hungry. ‘City Kidz’ and ‘Shoot To Kill’ have the bones poking through the flesh; the band might be panhandling and living in the gutter but, my god, what a soundtrack! Just like their emancipated frames, the songs are devoid of any excess fat, the solos are short and succinct while the rhythm section is devoid of frills (but big on thrills) and combine to give to give the songs a direct approach and they hit the memory bank like an arrow landing in the bullseye. Steevi Jaimz’s vocals are a real boon and it’s easy to hear why the band quickly gained traction and headlined salubrious venues such as the Marquee.

While the three song demo hasn’t aged as well as their debut album Young And Crazy has (like a fine wine), and stands as proof that good music never goes out of style.

Disc Two

By the time Tigertailz released their aptly-titled sophomore album Bezerk in 1990, there had been a major change in the camp with Kim Hooker taking over the microphone stand. It was a change that found record label Music For Nations putting their money where their mouth was and investing heavily in the band. Most notably they hired world famous producer Chris Tsangarides (Anvil, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy) to sprinkle his magic on the record and just a cursory listen tells you that this album is a major step up in class. Some might lament the smoothing of the rough edges, yet this was an album made for the biggest stages…and it almost got them there. You feel that if Bezerk was released on EMI and not MFN that extra clout could have pushed Tigertailz over the line, but as it was the album stalled in the lower reaches of the Top 40 (yet still an achievement when physical records sold by the truckload).

When I was a young thrasher in 1990, Tigertailz’s single ‘Love Bomb Baby’ breached my battlements and became “song of the summer” (perhaps the greatest accolade any song can get, regardless of genre) and that was no surprise. Like much of Bezerk it was built around a big, bouncy chorus and had an adhesive (like flypaper), earwormy quality that made it hard to forget. It’s no secret that the band were unhappy with the production on their debut, so Bezerk rights a few wrongs and Tsangarides brings all his experience to bear to give the band a warm, deep sound, and one that beats a nifty tattoo upon the listener’s eardrums. Of course, it didn’t hurt that that Chris had ten killer cuts to work with, the band had really upped their songwriting and the likes of ‘Noise Level Critical’ dance with an invention that their debut lacked.

Bezerk is a fun listen, and one that invites repeat spins, yet it’s a listen tinged with sadness; this is an album that should have catapulted Tigertailz towards the sun yet, for some reason, it flew under most people’s radar.

Disc Three:

The third and final disc in this set collects all the band’s EP’s from ‘87 to ‘91, and evidences a busy bunch and one who never let their songwriting standards drop because these were “only” EP cuts or b-sides. Paradoxically, their debut EP, Shoot To Kill, has a better sound than Young And Crazy and puts to rest that glam metal was all style over substance. In fact, the band’s bombshell looks and glam aesthetic became their Achilles Heel; they got lumped in with bands such as Mötley Crüe and their ilk, when Nine Livez and For A Few Dollarz More proves they were about so much more. Covers of Metallica’s ‘Creeping Death’ and Megadeth’s ‘Peace Sells’ were an attempt to break the glam shackles (and were particularly brave considering the prevailing glam vs thrash war that was raging) and the thing is, they really worked and proved the band could swing with the best.

With a little help from the fickle finger of fate, Tigertailz could have been a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, but as it stands they were a hit on the European side, but that’s not a bad legacy to have.

• For A Few Dollarz More (The Archive Volume 1 – 1984-1991) is released via Cherry Red/HNE Recordings on 24th January 2025.
• Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube

Track List:

Disc One:

1. Star Attraction
2. Hollywood Killer
3. Ballerina
4. Livin’ Without You
5. Shameless
6. City Kidz
7. Shoot To Kill
8. Turn Me On
9. She’z Too Hot
10. Young And Crazy
11. Fall In Love Again

Bonus Tracks:

12. Can’t Sleep *
13. Body & Soul *
14. Little Indian Boy *

     

*Demo 1984

Disc Two:

1. Sick Sex
2. Love Bomb Baby
3. I Can Fight Dirty Too
4. Noise Level Critical
5. Heaven
6. Love Overload
7. Action City
8. Twist And Shake
9. Squeeze It Dry
10. Call Of The Wild

Bonus Track:

11. Cheap Talk *
    

* Kerrang! Flexi Disc

Disc Three:

1. Shoot To Kill *
2. She’s Too Hot *
3. Living Without You *
4. Livin’ Without You (Special Extended Remix) **
5. Nine Livez **
6. For A Few Dollarz More **
7. For A Few Dollarz More (Live) ***
8. She’z Too Hot (Live) ***
9. Noise Level Critical (Radio Edit) ****
10. Murderess ****
11. Million Dollar Smile ****
12. Heaven (Radio Edit) *****
13. Creeping Death *****
14. Peace Sellz (But Who’z Buying) *****
15. Taking The Pain ******
16. Taking The Pain (Radio Edit) ******

*Shoot To Kill EP

** Livin’ Without You EP

*** Love Bomb Baby EP

**** Noise Level Critical EP

***** Heaven EP

****** Banzai