If you've watched Stephen Pearcy's Rockumentary, "Nothing to Lose", Stephen took you on a tour that showed fans the very beginnings of Mickey RATT, the morphing of RATT, and a birds eye view of the actual places that the bands early hits were born and crafted into completion.
Fast Forward to 2007 when RATT (or the better part of RATT) joined together to play shows and promote their compilation album 'RATT - TELL THE WORLD: THE VERY BEST OF RATT'. The 2007 line-up included:
Stephen Pearcy -Vocals
Warren DeMartini - Guitars
Bobby Blotzer - Drums
John Corabi - Guitars
Robbie Crane - Bass
This album included an amazing gift to RATT fans with the inclusion of 'TRACK BY TRACK COMMENTARY' in the sleeve by Warren (WD) and Stephen (SP). Warren and Stephen each tell the story of how every song was penned and crafted. Short, precise, and honest....the tales of how each song was written is genuinely GREAT commentary. Did you know that Jon BonJovi sang on a RATT song? Afterall, BonJovi was RATTs opening act during their 1985 "Invasion of Your Privacy" Tour! Did you know that Warren and Jake E. Lee wrote "Round and Round & Bark at the Moon" side by side?
Do yourself a favor and pick up RATT's TELL THE WORLD - THE VERY BEST OF RATT and read every line of the commentary.....you won't be disappointed!
Warren explains precisely how he, Stephen, and Robbin wrote what would become the bands mega-hit "Round and Round"....
(WD) "Late 1982 I came up with the chorus, verse, and solo section while living at Jake E. Lee's house in the city of Van Nuys, I rented the couch" (WD) "RATT had a solid set of originals when I joined, so most of the rehearsal time was spent on getting those songs tight. Jake and I would stay up til all hours playing guitar. I was working on riffs and parts that would be "Round and Round", "The Morning After", and "Your in Trouble", and Jake was working on parts to "Bark at the Moon", "Rock N' Roll Rebel" and "Waiting for Darkness"
( for Ozzy Osbourne's 1983 album by the same name). Months later at RATT Mansion West the first arrangement to "Round and Round" took form: Robbin, Stephen, and me sitting in a circle with a couple of cassette recorders. We'd form an arrangement, record it, and play it with the other cassette recording while trying lyric and double lead ideas. Like "Wanted Man", (Round and Round ) was COMPLETE IN ONE AFTERNOON."
(Warren DeMartini)
1982 RAW AUDIO VERSION of "ROUND AND ROUND"
1983, "ROUND AND ROUND" TIGHTENED UP AND READY TO ADD TO THE LIST
photo by: Marc Weiss
Photo by: Glenn LaFerman
Early RATT, circa 1982