Horsepower

Formed in 1978 by American guitarist Mike Kennedy, a veteran who had previously played in Nicky Hopkins' band and other projects, Horsepower originated in Philadelphia. The band later moved to the U.K., where former Animals bassist and one-time Jimi Hendrix manager Chas Chandler discovered them. With lead vocalist Steve Richter, guitarist Rob Saltzman, bassist Buddy Cash, and drummer Jack Daley completing the lineup, Horsepower aligned themselves with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal through the inclusion of their hard-rocking track "You Give Me Candy" on the influential 1980 compilation Metal for Muthas, Vol. 2. This exposure led to a single contract with Square, an Island Records subsidiary, resulting in the 7" Outrageous. Although many assumed that release marked the end of the group, Kennedy and the others kept performing intermittently after their return to the U.S. later in the decade. Back in Philadelphia, they released the Chandler-produced album Stoked! in 1994, and an updated configuration still including Kennedy and Richter reportedly continues to operate.