Britny Fox: A Hair Metal Casualty (album ranking and analysis)

[@austinbri377]

I just bought bite down hard on vinyl. It’s one of my favorites of the late glam metal period.

[@HairMetalGuru419]

I bought that recently as well. Hey, thanks a lot for watching and commenting, I appreciate it.

[@trendpimp1]

In 1988, I was full on glam metal guitarist but also had a side hustle with my college, booking all the entertainment for the campus (not just bands but also comedians, magicians, etc.). I was attending a conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana, that was a showcase for entertainers trying to get booked at colleges. The first morning I was having breakfast in my hotel's restaurant. I was in full hair metal regalia----giant blond hair, guyliner, nail polish, leopardskin boots, the whole shebang. I was there with my girlfriend and a bunch of folks from the college who were there to assist me (all of whom looked like perfectly normal college kids). We were there prepping for a long day of watching bands and comedians when a group of guys who looked very similar to me walked in and grabbed a table in the back of the restaurant. Soon after their arrival, a group of local teens walked in and went back to their table. I turned to have a peek and saw the guys signing autographs. I kinda chuckled to myself because I thought it was a case of small town local kids seeing some big haired, leather jacket wearing dudes and just assuming they must be rock stars. A couple minutes later, those kids were at my table asking me for my autograph, so my suspicions were confirmed. I obliged and the kids walked away happy (they were all really sweet). The guys from the back of the restaurant got up, paid their tab, and walked into the hotel lobby where they were immediately mobbed by more kids. I decided to walk out and talk to them and was also mobbed by kids. They big haired guys were laughing (not in a mean way, in a truly amused way) and saying stuff like "c'mon Rikki, give 'em your autograph". When I got closer to the guys, I immediately recognized them. It was Dean and Michael from Britny Fox. At the time, they were on tour with Poison. Clearly these kids thought I was Rikki Rockett (not the first-or last-time that that happened).When the crowd finally died down, I had a nice chat with the guys. I mentioned that I had tickets to see them the following week in St. Louis and they set me up with VIP passes and we ended up going to a strip club after that show. The next time they came through ( a couple years later), it was smaller venue and my band ended up opening for them. So my opinion of Britny Fox is pretty positive. The only negative was that I couldn't get them to hook me up with that main girl from the "Girlschool" video (Kim something....). LOL Great video,man. Glad to see B-Fox get some love.

[@michaelhenderson5946]

Excellent story! 🎸🎵😎

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Hey, man, that's such an awesome story. Seriously. Hey, thanks for sharing and for supporting the channel, I really appreciate it.

[@trendpimp1]

@@HairMetalGuru419 My pleasure, sir. You're right in my wheelhouse. I love the big guns like Poison and Cinderella, but I love the "B-Listers" even more.

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Me, too, Brother. Thanks again.@@trendpimp1

[@heathertiller3644]

I have 2 vintage Britny Fox tour shirts, from the Bite Down Hard days. And they’re not reprints. Awesome band, with either lineup!!! 🤘🏼

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Wow, I wish I had an original Britny shirt, especially from Bite Down Hard. Hey, thanks for watching and commenting, I really appreciate it!

[@mikepratt6481]

Welcome back! (Unless I've missed a bunch of videos, then that's on me!) When I first saw the video for Girlschool I had to go grab the first album, and ended up being disappointed. Girlschool is an all-time classic 80s hair metal song, and Gudbuy T' Jane was great, even though I didn't know it was a cover at the time. But everything else seemed fairly generic/interchangeable. But I gave them the benefit of the doubt and picked up Boys in Heat when that came out, and ended up really liking In Motion, Standing in the Shadows, and Hair of the Dog (and I DID know that was a cover!), but again, nothing much after. I think Dizzy's voice just didn't do it for me, although I do remember at the time someone pointing out that his "clean" voice sounded a bit like Paul Stanley at times, which was ok. Years passed before I was able to get Bite Down Hard, and I love that album!! Six Guns, Louder, Closer to Your Love, Look My Way, and Lonely Too Long were all very strong songs, and I much preferred the new singers voice. I totally forgot about the Steeplechase Battleshark (I think I got that right! 🤔) album so I've never heard that one!

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Hey, man, yep, I'm back! This is my 2nd video back after taking a few months off due to coaching basketball. Hey, thanks for coming back and supporting the channel, and sharing your Britny Fox history! Really appreciate you watching, brother.

[@mikepratt6481]

@@HairMetalGuru419 you've got a cool channel! Fun stuff to watch. You cover bands you don't see a lot of others talking much about!

[@lucaswilson1701]

Wow crazy - this video dropped and I am wearing a Britney Fox t shirt today

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Hey, me, too! ;-) Thanks for checking out the video, I appreciate it, really.

[@gellargod]

I saw Britny Fox with Ratt and Kix many moons ago

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Man, that's an epic lineup, I wish I had seen that. I saw Britny open up for Joan Jett in '88 or '89, and they were awesome.

[@JCStorm76]

Great analysis of a very underrated band. My ranking is exactly the same. I just would rank Standing In The Shadows and Lonely Too Long a little higher. Look My Way is their greatest song imo.

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Hey, man, thanks a lot for watching and sharing your rankings. Really appreciate your support.

[@brianratajczak7230]

Bite down hard is one of my favorite albums of all time - Tommy Paris kicks ass - this was my high school album and brings me back every time - just amazing - keep doing what you do my man

[@jayjohnson9452]

Love all 3 albums, but 100% agree that Bite Down Hard is their best!

[@michaelhenderson5946]

Excellent analysis again! My rankings would be the same as you: Bite Down Hard 1st, Self-Titled 2nd, Boys in Heat 3rd. Also - I think "Midnight Moses" is awesome! Easily the best of the three cover songs they did. 🎸🎵😎

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Midnight Moses over Goodbye to Jane and Hair of the Dog!? WTF? Haha, just kidding. Hey, thanks again for always supporting the channel, I really appreciate it.

[@trippy2767]

“I don’t do .5.” “First album 7.4…Boys In Heat 7.3….” All kidding aside, all three kick ass. This video inspired me to listen to Bite Down Hard again.

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Ya got me... ;-) Hey, man, thanks for watching. Hope you find something you like on Bite Down Hard!

[@johnnydeedrummer]

Well done! Awesome pup too. :-)

[@Dodgeman325]

There are so many good songs from the first two albums. I remember seeing the Girlschool video and I was hooked. Totally agree with you, some catchy guitar riffs, solid Rock n roll. I was bummed when Dean left, hard to replace that voice and personality. At the end of the day, I’ve been enjoying these tunes for 30 years. 😎✌🏻🎶

[@HairMetalGuru419]

I'm right there with you, Brother. Did you ever check out Dean's post Britny band, Blackeyed Susan? Not bad imo, but not close to the Britny material. Again, thank you SO MUCH for supporting the channel.

[@onekoolmedic]

Bite down hair is their best album!

[@jollyjakelovell6822]

If anyone is able, it is worth your while to track down these two CDs, Cinderella - Unreleased Tapes 1983-85 and Unreleased Tapes 1983-85 Part II, both on the Loudworks label and released 2019 and 2021 respectively. One of the things you will notice that despite no longer being in the band at the time MKS's fingerprints and fretwork stylings are all over 'Night Songs'. It never ceased to amaze me that most casual fans cite Cinderella's debut as their favorite and the band's best while also slandering Britny Fox as a wannabes, when the truth is, what you hear especially on the debut 'Britny Fox' and 'Bite Down Hard' is the hard, hard rock that got 'em hooked on Cinderella's sound in the first place. Now if I can track down a CD of Angora's six demo songs, Angora being one of John Corabi's first band whose sound fits neatly in the mold of 'Night Songs' and 'Bite Down Hard', I will be one happy rock-n-roller. Billy Childs or Degley as he was known then was in an earlier band with Corabi called 'Fragile' and before Paris was asked, Corabi was approached to replace Davidson in Britny Fox, but wisely said 'No' not wanting to choose one peer over another.

[@justinwhite9689]

I have all 3 studio and long way to live. 1st album and bite are better than boys in heat. But I do like them all

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Awesome, hey, man, thanks for watching and commenting. I really do appreciate it.

[@Dodgeman325]

As far as rankings, the self titled debut and Boys in Heat are both 9 out of 10s for me. I’m not a fan of Britny Fox without Dean singing. He was near impossible to replace…It’s like if Tom Keifer left Cinderella. You’re not going to replace that voice very easy or at all…Really enjoy your commentary. Long live the 80’s. ✌🏻🎶

[@JCStorm76]

Your loss. Bite Down Hard is a classic. Their best album imo

[@Dodgeman325]

@@JCStorm76 glad you like it. That’s the great thing about music.

[@80sglammetalcast]

Great video bro….hey .5’s are cool. I just prefer Dean so I gotta go 1)Boys 2)Self 3)Bite

[@HairMetalGuru419]

I think Boys would've been higher if they had narrowed it down to the 10 best songs, but, hey, I'm not going to argue for less songs. Did you check out Dean's other band, Blackeyed Susan? Not bad imo, but not close to what he did with Britny.

[@christophersimmons6492]

You are finally using tunes, I dig😂

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Haha, I appreciated the suggestion! And thanks for watching and supporting my stuff, man, seriously.

[@PortugueseMACPOW]

The horror intro interlude at the beginning is so unfitting over the jokes 😂

[@JADK7507]

Can't say I disagree with any of your takes here. It's strange, I prefer DDD overall (though TP is great in his own right), but while I love all three albums I like the BDH album the best. And I challenge anyone who's having a bad day to play Look My Way and not say afterward that they feel just a bit better.

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Hey, man, I'm right there with ya about "Look My Way." Phenomenal ballad. Hey, thanks for watching and commenting, I really do appreciate it.

[@patrickreeves4650]

bite down hard was my introduction to britny fox. i borrowed that album and danger danger's self title during the fourth of july 1994 from a buddy. i sat in my bedroom and watched fire works that night and jammed the hell out of both albums. went out and got the other two britny fox records shortly after, but always liked paris better. funny thing...i liked the blackeyed susan album more than all three of the britny fox records!

[@Mr.Davidian]

My copy of Bite Down Hard arrived last night. I momentarily forgot there was a vocalist change, so it was jarring at first. The whole album is solid, but Look My Way stood out immediately. I'm definitely going to check out Boys In Heat as soon as possible.

[@winstonslone2797]

Everytime I'm in guitar center I play girl school on guitar. It's different then the Metallica everyone else plays

[@franklinfx]

I LOVE save the weak and in America

[@winstonslone2797]

I'm down with anyone that can do a split while playing guitar

[@mandomendez5618]

I thought hair metal,glam metal was a joke,it killed serious metal,hard rock music

[@HairMetalGuru419]

To each his own, brother, I always thought there was room for serious metal and fun metal--we didn't have to hate one to like the other.

[@mandomendez5618]

@@HairMetalGuru419 I grew up on the 70's hard rock, metal bands that actually put out gd music but didn't get the recognition and then these jokers show up dressed like girls, putting out crappy music but getting rich,l grew up on bands like UFO,Legs Diamond,Riot, Budgie along with JP,AC/DC,Rush,to me that music killed metal

[@Hangryoldman]

M​@@mandomendez5618 Those bands suck. Typical subpar talent , exception being rush. Glam kicked all that monotonous snoozers rock out of the water.

[@CharlesTRose]

I liked that first album a lot back in the day but I loved that first BulletBoys album. This video reminded me, also Dangerous Toys had a really good album.

[@HairMetalGuru419]

Bulletboys and Dangerous Toys are both solid bands. Hey, thanks for checking out my stuff, man.