The Missing piece of the rock n roll / heavy metal puzzle...... these guys rocked hard and were way ahead of the curve....the list of bands they influenced is literally endless... forget the rest here's TEEZAR!
Teezar was formed by Scuzz Denimz and Rokk Steddy from Florissant, MO in 1976. Their biggest influence was April Wine. Brian Eno once said about the Velvet Underground, that though the VU "only sold a few hundred albums, everyone who bought a copy formed their own band". This quote could also apply to Teezar. The first LP came out in 1978. It was entitled Backstage Pass and it featured 12 songs of what Rokk Steddy referred to as "solid gold rockin dynamite". Livin The Life of a Rokker for instance, predates the Hollywood glam sound by about 5 years with its Looks That Kill Crue vibe. More impressive is the rap segment in the middle of Dirty Bandage. If rap officially began in 1979 with the release of Rappers Delight by the Sugarhill Gang, how do you explain this release from 1978? It's a shock to realize that rap music was created by two white rockers from Florissant, MO, USA in 1978. An even bigger shock is the tender ballad Layin My Love On The Line. Note how Teezar manages to walk the line between Meat Loaf inspired bombast and balls out AC/DC rocking on this track. The pinnacle of Backstage Pass however, is the "Rokk Tryptch" which constitutes the last three songs on the LP. It's an ambitious way to end an already stellar LP and unfortunately it was all downhill for Teezar after this. They had climbed heights generally reserved for the Gods and would eventually pay dearly for their hubris. Teezar spent 1979-1983 touring the USA. They hit all the big spots.... Fargo, ND, Grand Junction, CO, Parkersburg, WV, Nashua, NH. By the time they returned to St Louis, they had entire tomes written about their Bachanallian road exploits. Unfortunately, they also had developed serious drug habits that affected both their playing and their judgement. Bakk On The Road was their follow-up to Backstage Pass. It was a disappointing follow-up to their amazing first LP but at the same time, I believe it is due for a critical re-evaluation. Released in 1983, it was truly a product of its time. Chuck Teeze was a roadie for the band who eventually started playing a bigger part in Teezar as Scuzz and Rokk began to focus more on their drug habits than their music. In fact, Rokk was so strung out on prescription painkillers that he is not even on Rokkin' Queen. Chuck Teeze is a controversial figure to Teezar historians. Some view him as a Yoko-type figure. Others see him as a shaman. In 1989, I tracked both Scuzz and Rokk down. They were living together in a trailer in DeSoto, Missouri. All they had left was a beat up drum set, a 50 dollar Harmony guitar and a 3 string bass. It was a sad ending for a band that had changed the face of rock. The whereabouts of Scuzz Denimz today are unknown. Last heard from, he was a production assistant in the porn industry with a serious meth habit. Rokk Steddy unfortunately died a few years ago after a three week Oxy Contin binge. Chuck Teeze is now a self made millionaire and has tried to distance himself from his rockin past. So all we have left of Teezar are these amazing recordings. Before Spinal Tap... before Motley Crue... before Tenacious D, there was Teezar layin the rock on the line. They lived and died for rock-n-roll. They loved beer and groupies and drugs. But most of all they loved their fans. They were icons in an age when heroes don't matter anymore. Long live Teezar!
http://www.myspace.com/teezar
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Dirty Looks - Love Screamsby freedomhelena1,156 views
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