Biography
England's Dogs d'Amour carried glam rock excess to extremes unmatched by most acts in the late 1980s. Fronted by Tyla, who supplied vocals, guitar, songwriting, and the band's off-kilter lyrics, their releases never reached a broad commercial audience yet developed a devoted cult following in Britain.
Tyla assembled the original lineup in Birmingham in 1983 with vocalist Ned Christie, guitarist Nick Halls, bassist Karl Watson, and drummer Bam Bam. After relocating to London, the group played its first gig there on April 12. Christie left later that year, prompting Tyla to assume lead vocals; the band then moved to Finland, apparently seeking momentum from Hanoi Rocks. There they released the single "How do You Fall in Love" and their debut album The State We're In in September 1984.
Back in England early the following year, Dogs d'Amour returned to the same circuit of low-rent clubs and unrewarding shows. Over the next three years they recorded only intermittently, secured occasional support slots, and endured repeated lineup changes. In 1988 a settled roster of guitarist Jo-Dog, bassist Steve James, drummer Bam, and Tyla signed with China Records. The largely acoustic (Un)authorized Bootleg Album, drawn from prior sessions, became their second release; the third, the widely praised In the Dynamite Jet Saloon, followed months later and reached Number 97 on the U.K. charts. The all-acoustic A Graveyard of Empty Bottles E.P. appeared in March 1989, and Errol Flynn, issued that September, climbed to Number 22.
Now recognized as England's most notorious glam rock band, the Dogs d'Amour issued another reliably debauched album, the ironically titled Straight??!!, in 1990, yet momentum soon collapsed. The subsequent tour suffered from inconsistent attendance and growing band discontent over scant label support, especially in America where the album remained unreleased. Mounting tensions and heavy drug use peaked during a Los Angeles show when Tyla, frustrated by an unresponsive crowd, attempted a reckless act of self-immolation that left a six-inch gash across his chest from a broken beer bottle; he was rushed to hospital. He recovered, but the band did not.
A two-year break followed, during which Tyla and Jo-Dog settled in Los Angeles, Steve James formed the Last Bandits, and Bam joined the Wildhearts temporarily. The only Dogs d'Amour activity was the late 1991 compilation Dogs Hits and Bootleg Album, pairing earlier singles with the 1988 debut. When Tyla reconvened the group to satisfy its China Records contract, Jo-Dog had departed and was replaced by ex-Crybabys/U.K. Subs guitarist Darrel Bath. The resulting More Uncharted Heights of Disgrace failed to improve their standing, and the band split in October 1994, after which Tyla launched a solo career with The Life & Times of a Ballad Monger. Against expectations, a 2000 reunion lineup of Tyla, Bam, returning Jo-Dog, and bassist Share Ross yielded the Japan-only album Happy Ever After.
Tyla assembled the original lineup in Birmingham in 1983 with vocalist Ned Christie, guitarist Nick Halls, bassist Karl Watson, and drummer Bam Bam. After relocating to London, the group played its first gig there on April 12. Christie left later that year, prompting Tyla to assume lead vocals; the band then moved to Finland, apparently seeking momentum from Hanoi Rocks. There they released the single "How do You Fall in Love" and their debut album The State We're In in September 1984.
Back in England early the following year, Dogs d'Amour returned to the same circuit of low-rent clubs and unrewarding shows. Over the next three years they recorded only intermittently, secured occasional support slots, and endured repeated lineup changes. In 1988 a settled roster of guitarist Jo-Dog, bassist Steve James, drummer Bam, and Tyla signed with China Records. The largely acoustic (Un)authorized Bootleg Album, drawn from prior sessions, became their second release; the third, the widely praised In the Dynamite Jet Saloon, followed months later and reached Number 97 on the U.K. charts. The all-acoustic A Graveyard of Empty Bottles E.P. appeared in March 1989, and Errol Flynn, issued that September, climbed to Number 22.
Now recognized as England's most notorious glam rock band, the Dogs d'Amour issued another reliably debauched album, the ironically titled Straight??!!, in 1990, yet momentum soon collapsed. The subsequent tour suffered from inconsistent attendance and growing band discontent over scant label support, especially in America where the album remained unreleased. Mounting tensions and heavy drug use peaked during a Los Angeles show when Tyla, frustrated by an unresponsive crowd, attempted a reckless act of self-immolation that left a six-inch gash across his chest from a broken beer bottle; he was rushed to hospital. He recovered, but the band did not.
A two-year break followed, during which Tyla and Jo-Dog settled in Los Angeles, Steve James formed the Last Bandits, and Bam joined the Wildhearts temporarily. The only Dogs d'Amour activity was the late 1991 compilation Dogs Hits and Bootleg Album, pairing earlier singles with the 1988 debut. When Tyla reconvened the group to satisfy its China Records contract, Jo-Dog had departed and was replaced by ex-Crybabys/U.K. Subs guitarist Darrel Bath. The resulting More Uncharted Heights of Disgrace failed to improve their standing, and the band split in October 1994, after which Tyla launched a solo career with The Life & Times of a Ballad Monger. Against expectations, a 2000 reunion lineup of Tyla, Bam, returning Jo-Dog, and bassist Share Ross yielded the Japan-only album Happy Ever After.
Albums
