Excerpt from Sunday Old School:

Few bands will ever sniff the success Warrant had in 1989-1990: two multi-platinum albums, a Rolling Stone chart number one single, and a headlining tour. The band created a song named “Cherry Pie” and sold millions of more records because of it! (True story.) Then they were off the radio, then conflict, and then finally abuse and the death of their lead songwriter. The band continues to carry on, but it will never be the same as the summer of ‘89.

The band Warrant was formed in 1984 by guitarist Erik Turner, but it wasn’t until 1988 (and after Turner went and saw the band Plain Jane) when the group starting taking shape. The band signed with Columbia and the line-up for the first album was Turner (guitar), Jani Lane (vocals), Jerry Dixon (bass), Joey Allen (guitar) , and Steven Sweet (drums). After signing and receiving an advance Lane promptly blew his cash on a black Corvette that he crashed shortly after. (True story.) In 1989 the band released their debut album, ‘Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich.’ Eventually four singles and videos were released to support the album. With a lot radio play and heavy MTV coverage it wasn’t long before the band was touring with Motley Crue, Poison, and Cinderella as well being featured in glam music rags on. Two of their biggest singles were “Down Boys” and “Heaven.”

“Down Boys” was Warrant’s first single. By this time the template of releasing a “heavy” song followed by a ballad had been established. Down Boys was to be their initial release with Heaven (their ballad) to follow. The video begins with a shot of a homeless man, but then cuts (for most of the video) to the band performing in front of cameras. They are all wearing leather jackets. Warrant uses this video to introduce the world to their choreographed move of dropping to their knees and swaying their hair back and forth. This move occurs in the beginning of the song, the arc, and near the end. There is very little story to the video (unless of course you believe a band wearing black leather jackets is the story); however, the homeless man does reappear in the end, this time it appears that he now owns a club named DOWN BOYS (there is a neon sign in the background) and is receiving a lot of money. I’m going to assume the band had pooled their money together to buy a small venue then decided to trade it for leather jackets to the homeless man who immediately sold the venue for cash to buy wine because that’s typically what they do.

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David S. Grant is an author of ten books and writes for MetalUnderground.com, SleazeRoxx.com, and ChaoticRiffs.com.  Follow David at .david_s_grant