Skid Row (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) ...and More

March 13, 2025

Skid Row (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) ...and More

RICKY WAS A YOUNG BOY

HE HAD A HEART OF STONE

LIVED 9-5 AND

WORKED HIS

FINGERS TO THE BONE

Skid Row

is the debut

studio album

by American

Heavy Metal band

Skid Row

released on

January 24, 1989,

by Atlantic Records.

After signing with

manager

Doc McGhee,

Skid Row

signed with

Atlantic

and began recording

its debut.

The album was

recorded in

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin,

with producer

Michael Wagener,

and received

mixed reviews

upon its release.

The band toured behind

the album mainly

as an opening act,

supporting

Bon Jovi

and

Aerosmith in

1989–1990.

The album peaked at

number six

on the

Billboard 200

and was certified

5× platinum

by the Recording

Industry Association

of America (RIAA)

in 1995

for shipping

five million copies

in the United States.

It generated four singles:

"Youth Gone Wild",

"18 and Life",

"I Remember You"

and

"Piece of Me",

all of which

were accompanied

by music videos

and received

heavy rotation

on MTV.

The album's commercial

and critical success

made

Skid Row

a regular feature

in rock magazines

and brought

the group

nationwide popularity.

Background and Recording

Skid Row

was formed in 1986,

Toms River, New Jersey,

when guitarist

Dave (The Snake) Sabo

met bassist

Rachel Bolan

in a local

guitar store

where Sabo worked.

As they shared

similar musical influences,

they began rehearsing

in Bolan's parents' garage.

Guitarist

Scotti Hill

came from

Bolan's previous

club band,

and Sabo's

acquaintance,

upstate

New Yorker,

Rob Affuso,

played drums

in a Rush

tribute band.

Once the band was formed,

Skid Row

started gigging

in nightclubs

throughout the

Eastern United States

and quickly built

a small following.

Sabo was a

childhood friend

Jon Bon Jovi

and they had

agreed if one

of them succeeded

in the music business,

to help the other out.

Skid Row

caught the attention

of Bon Jovi's manager

Doc McGhee

while opening for

Bon Jovi

on their 1987

Slippery When Wet Tour.

McGhee suggested

the band replace

original singer

Matt Fallon

because he lacked

the rest of the group's drive.

Sebastian Bach

was introduced to

Skid Row

by the parents of

Jon Bon Jovi,

who saw Bach

sing at rock photographer

Mark Weiss' wedding.

After completing

the lineup,

the group signed with

Richie Sambora's

and

Bon Jovi's

publishing company

Underground,

unknowingly

giving them

the lion's share

of the group's royalties.

Skid Row

later restored

Sambora's share

of the royalties,

but Bon Jovi kept his,

which caused a rift

between

Bon Jovi and Bach.

After negotiating

with Geffen

and A&M,

Skid Row

finally settled with

Ahmet Ertegun

and Atlantic

in 1988.

The band used the

Royal Recorders studio

in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

with producer

Michael Wagener

to record its debut album.

The unpretentious studio

was in the back end

of a hotel,

where the band stayed.

Skid Row

worked according to

a schedule made

by Wagener

and

stayed "dry"

while recording.

The sessions

went smoothly

as the band

had been playing

and performing

the songs for

the past year.

The label initially pressed

150,000 copies

of the album

and booked the band

an opening slot

Bon Jovi's

1988–1989

New Jersey

Syndicate Tour.

TRACK LIST

CD 1

Big Guns

(Remastered)

Sweet Little Sister

(Remastered)

Can't Stand the Heartache

(Remastered)

Piece of Me

(Remastered)

18 and Life

(Remastered)

Rattlesnake Shake

(Remastered)

Youth Gone Wild

(Remastered)

Here I Am

(Remastered)

Makin' a Mess

(Remastered)

I Remember You

(Remastered)

Midnight / Tornado

(Remastered)

Forever

(Remastered)

What You're Doing

(Rush Cover)

Little Wing

(Jimi Hendrix Cover)

Youth Gone Wild

(Demo)

I Remember You

(Demo)

CD 2

Frozen

[Demo]

Fire In The Hole

[Demo]

C'Mon and Love Me

(Kiss Cover)

Holidays In The Sun

(Sex Pistols Cover)

Makin' a Mess