Biography
England's Dogs d'Amour matched the wildest extremes of late-'80s glam rock excess. Fronted by Tyla, who supplied vocals, guitar, songwriting, and a singular poetic vision, the band never reached a broad mainstream public yet earned lasting cult status across their native country.
Tyla formed the group in Birmingham during 1983 alongside singer Ned Christie, guitarist Nick Halls, bassist Karl Watson, and drummer Bam Bam, then relocated everyone to London for their debut performance on April 12th. After Christie departed that same year, Tyla assumed lead vocals and steered the lineup to Finland in the wake of Hanoi Rocks. There the band issued the single "How do You Fall in Love" and released their debut album The State We're In in September 1984.
Back in England the following spring, Dogs d'Amour returned to the same circuit of low-end clubs and unrewarding gigs. For the next three years they recorded only intermittently, landed occasional support slots with visiting headliners, and endured repeated personnel shifts. In 1988 a stabilized lineup of guitarist Jo-Dog, bassist Steve James, drummer Bam, and the ever-present Tyla secured a contract with China Records. The mostly acoustic (Un)authorized Bootleg Album compiled earlier stray sessions and became their second release, followed months later by the well-received In the Dynamite Jet Saloon, which peaked at Number 97 on the U.K. charts. The all-acoustic A Graveyard of Empty Bottles E.P. appeared in March 1989, and the September release of Errol Flynn finally broke through at Number 22.
Now widely regarded as England's most notorious glam-rock outfit, the band delivered another reliably sleazy set with 1990's Straight??!!. Touring soon faltered amid spotty crowds and mounting dissatisfaction with label support, especially in America where the album remained unavailable. Tensions and drug use culminated at a Los Angeles show when Tyla, frustrated by the indifferent crowd, slashed a six-inch wound across his chest with a broken bottle while attempting an ill-advised act of self-immolation and had to be hospitalized. He recovered, but the group did not.
A two-year hiatus followed, during which Tyla and Jo-Dog settled in Los Angeles, Steve James launched the Last Bandits, and Bam joined the Wildhearts. The sole activity came with the late-1991 compilation Dogs Hits and Bootleg Album. When Tyla reconvened the band to fulfill its China Records obligation, Jo-Dog was absent, replaced by ex-Crybabys/U.K. Subs guitarist Darrel Bath. The resulting More Uncharted Heights of Disgrace failed to revive their fortunes, prompting a split in October 1994 as Tyla began a solo career with The Life & Times of a Ballad Monger. Against expectations, 2000 brought another reunion featuring Tyla, Bam, returning Jo-Dog, and new bassist Share Ross, plus the Japan-only album Happy Ever After.
Tyla formed the group in Birmingham during 1983 alongside singer Ned Christie, guitarist Nick Halls, bassist Karl Watson, and drummer Bam Bam, then relocated everyone to London for their debut performance on April 12th. After Christie departed that same year, Tyla assumed lead vocals and steered the lineup to Finland in the wake of Hanoi Rocks. There the band issued the single "How do You Fall in Love" and released their debut album The State We're In in September 1984.
Back in England the following spring, Dogs d'Amour returned to the same circuit of low-end clubs and unrewarding gigs. For the next three years they recorded only intermittently, landed occasional support slots with visiting headliners, and endured repeated personnel shifts. In 1988 a stabilized lineup of guitarist Jo-Dog, bassist Steve James, drummer Bam, and the ever-present Tyla secured a contract with China Records. The mostly acoustic (Un)authorized Bootleg Album compiled earlier stray sessions and became their second release, followed months later by the well-received In the Dynamite Jet Saloon, which peaked at Number 97 on the U.K. charts. The all-acoustic A Graveyard of Empty Bottles E.P. appeared in March 1989, and the September release of Errol Flynn finally broke through at Number 22.
Now widely regarded as England's most notorious glam-rock outfit, the band delivered another reliably sleazy set with 1990's Straight??!!. Touring soon faltered amid spotty crowds and mounting dissatisfaction with label support, especially in America where the album remained unavailable. Tensions and drug use culminated at a Los Angeles show when Tyla, frustrated by the indifferent crowd, slashed a six-inch wound across his chest with a broken bottle while attempting an ill-advised act of self-immolation and had to be hospitalized. He recovered, but the group did not.
A two-year hiatus followed, during which Tyla and Jo-Dog settled in Los Angeles, Steve James launched the Last Bandits, and Bam joined the Wildhearts. The sole activity came with the late-1991 compilation Dogs Hits and Bootleg Album. When Tyla reconvened the band to fulfill its China Records obligation, Jo-Dog was absent, replaced by ex-Crybabys/U.K. Subs guitarist Darrel Bath. The resulting More Uncharted Heights of Disgrace failed to revive their fortunes, prompting a split in October 1994 as Tyla began a solo career with The Life & Times of a Ballad Monger. Against expectations, 2000 brought another reunion featuring Tyla, Bam, returning Jo-Dog, and new bassist Share Ross, plus the Japan-only album Happy Ever After.
Albums
