Ted Nugent knows who to blame for Damn Yankees’ failed attempt at a third album – and he’s not afraid to call them out.
After a pair of successful LPs in the early ‘90s, the supergroup – featuring Nugent, Styx’s Tommy Shaw and Night Ranger’s Jack Blades – was poised to record a third album. However by the time the band was ready to hit the studio, grunge had invaded the world. As a result, record executives suggested Damn Yankees evolve their sound – something the rockers bristled with.
“If AC/DC goes into the studio, if somebody goes, ‘That sounds like your other stuff’ in a negative way, you might want to sucker punch that motherfucker,” Nugent declared during a recent conversation with UCR. “That’s who we are! Of course it sounds like us! We’re us you dumb fuck!”
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“We were let down by the de-balling of the third Damn Yankees album by presumed musical influences,” Nugent continued, adding his belief that the situation hastened Damn Yankees’ demise. “A couple of influences were so contrary to what the Damn Yankees believed in, that instead of arguing, we just went off with our next chapter of dreams.”
Ted Nugent: Damn Yankees Members Were ‘Eager and Horny’ to Return to Their Old Bands
Shaw recently said Damn Yankees was “pulling away at the seams” during the group’s final days. Nugent agreed with the assessment, albeit with a slightly different interpretation.
“Coming apart at the seams wasn’t like we weren’t getting along,” the guitarist noted. “Coming apart at the seams mean that we were eager and horny to pursue the foundation that brought us together in the first place. Styx, Night Ranger, Ted Nugent. That’s what brought us together.”
READ MORE: Tommy Shaw Says Damn Yankees ‘Wasn’t Meant to Be Forever’
With Damn Yankees suddenly feeling heavy influence from their record label, a return to their previous bands held extra appeal to the musicians.
“We want to go back and nurture and mine,” Nugent explained. “Mine like in gold mining you want to mine those musical solo dreams, or in the case of Styx and Night Ranger, of the band dreams.”
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Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
