Damn Yankees (band)

Damn Yankees was an American rock supergroup, formed in 1989, consisting of Jack Blades (Night Ranger), Tommy Shaw (Styx), Ted Nugent and drummer Michael Cartellone. Presumably inspired by the musical of the same name, Nugent once also explained that he coined the name because whenever someone asked him how he and Tommy Shaw would sound playing together, he would always reply by saying they would sound like "a bunch of damn Yankees." With Tommy Shaw from Alabama, Jack Blades from California, Mike Cartellone from New York, and Ted Nugent from Michigan, it did seem as if the band represented all four corners of the nation.

Produced by Ted Templeman, the new band's self-titled debut album went double-platinum in 1990. Nugent's well-tooled heavy blues guitar became a cornerstone, but Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw rose to the forefront as a potent vocal duo. However, it must be noted that the album's bass and drum tracks were all but inaudible -- Cartellone especially seems reticent in the mix. Jack Blades' leading single “Coming of Age,” hit #64, while Tommy Shaw's smoldering “Come Again” received extensive AOR airplay.

1990's chart-topping rock ballad “High Enough,” featured a passionate duet between Shaw and Blades, backed by a string section in the studio. Backed by a popular video, it rose to #3 on U.S. Top 40, and #1 on AOR charts. Ironically, "High Enough" happened to be the first number one pop single in Ted Nugent's career, despite the fact his career had been built on his "Motor-City Madman" image. In fact, Damn Yankees seemed to be following a similar course pursued by Jack Blades' prior band, Night Ranger, developing an overall hard rock sound in the studio, but relying heavily on power ballads to sell their albums. Furthermore, their songs appeared on several Hollywood film soundtracks, such as Gremlins II: the Next Batch, and John Candy's comedic vehicle, Nothing But Trouble.

After the release of their debut, the Damn Yankees went on a year-and-a-half world tour with the likes of a revamped Bad Company and Jackyl. Their U.S. tour coincided with the Persian Gulf War, in which the band unfurled American flags and made patriotic statements. However, Nugent's onstage archery stunts became a matter of controversy, when he was arrested and fined after firing a burning arrow into an effigy of Saddam Hussein in Colorado.

In 1992, Damn Yankees once again went platinum with their follow-up album Don’t Tread On Me, featuring a very lackluster album cover. The title song (sung by Jack Blades) enjoyed extensive coverage at the Barcelona Olympic Games. Ted Nugent also appeared on Rock the Vote, voicing support for the GOP against Bill Clinton. Although Don’t Tread On Me wasn’t as successful as the first album, it contained a few minor hits, such as “Mister Please,” “Where You Goin’ Now” and “The Silence Is Broken.”, which featured on the Jean Claude Van Damme film Nowhere to Run.

After 1993, Ted Nugent revived his solo career, leaving the Shaw-Blades duo to complete a third self-titled album on Warner Brothers, featuring their pleasant blend of folk-rock and pop. Released in 1995, Hallucination received very little support from its label, as a personnel change brought industry personnel more sympathetic to alternative and grunge bands. Ultimately, the Shaw-Blades album came out to some critical praise, but it vanished without major single support or a national tour (which had been cancelled by Warner Brothers). "I'll Always Be With You" did garner some AOR airplay, but after a brief West Coast tour, both Shaw and Blades went back to their respective 1980s bands.

During a hiatus in both Night Ranger and Styx, Shaw and Blades met with Ted Nugent to record a new Damn Yankees album in 1998. However, the album, provisionally titled "Bravo," failed to please either the band members or the prospective record labels. Some of this unused material may have surfaced on Shaw's 7 Deadly Zens solo album, which featured sessions from both Jack Blades and Ted Nugent. As of 2006, further DY reunions seem out of the question.